. Let's sit down here. Nobody will come in here.

VERSHININ. The whole town would have been destroyed if it hadn't been
for the soldiers. Good men! [Rubs his hands appreciatively] Splendid
people! Oh, what a fine lot!

KULIGIN. [Coming up to him] What's the time?

TUZENBACH. It's past three now. It's dawning.

IRINA. They are all sitting in the dining-room, nobody is going. And
that Soleni of yours is sitting there. [To CHEBUTIKIN] Hadn't you better
be going to sleep, doctor?

CHEBUTIKIN. It's all right... thank you.... [Combs his beard.]

KULIGIN. [Laughs] Speaking's a bit difficult, eh, Ivan Romanovitch!
[Pats him on the shoulder] Good man! _In vino veritas_, the ancients
used to say.

TUZENBACH. They keep on asking me to get up a concert in aid of the
sufferers.

IRINA. As if one could do anything....

TUZENBACH. It might be arranged, if necessary. In my opinion Maria
Sergeyevna is an excellent pianist.

KULIGIN. Yes, excellent!

IRINA. She's forgotten everything. She hasn't played for three years...
or four.

TUZENBACH. In this town absolutely nobody understands music, not a soul
except myself, but I do understand it, and assure you on my word of
honour that Maria Sergeyevna plays excellently, almost with genius.

KULIGIN. You are right, Baron, I'm awfully fond of Masha. She's very
fine.

TUZENBACH. To be able to play so admirably and to realize at the same
time that nobody, nobody can understand you!

KULIGIN. [Sighs] Yes.... But will it be quite all right for her to take
part in a concert? [Pause] You see, I don't know anything about it.
Perhaps it will even be all to the good. Although I must admit that our
Director is a good man, a very good man even, a very clever man, still
he has such views.... Of course it isn't his business but still, if you
wish it, perhaps I'd better talk to him.

[CHEBUTIKIN takes a porcelain clock into his hands and examines it.]

VERSHININ. I got so dirty while the fire was on, I don't look like
anybody on earth. [Pause] Yesterday I happened to hear, casually, that
they want to transfer our brigade to some distant place. Some said to
Poland, others, to Chita.

TUZENBACH. I heard so, too. Well, if it is so, the town will be quite
empty.

IRINA. And we'll go away, too!

CHEBUTIKIN. [Drops the clock which breaks to pieces] To smithereens!

[A pause; everybody is pained and confused.]

KULIGIN. [Gathering up the pieces] To smash such a valuable object--oh,
Iva