ee them.

A VOICE FROM THE CORNER. You can see them if you sit under a harrow.

MERIK. I've tried, but I didn't see any.... Old women's tales, and silly
old men's, too.... You won't see a devil or a ghost or a corpse.... Our
eyes weren't made so that we could see everything.... When I was a boy,
I used to walk in the woods at night on purpose to see the demon of the
woods.... I'd shout and shout, and there might be some spirit, I'd call
for the demon of the woods and not blink my eyes: I'd see all sorts of
little things moving about, but no demon. I used to go and walk about
the churchyards at night, I wanted to see the ghosts--but the women lie.
I saw all sorts of animals, but anything awful--not a sign. Our eyes
weren't...

THE VOICE FROM THE CORNER. Never mind, it does happen that you
do see.... In our village a man was gutting a wild boar... he was
separating the tripe when... something jumped out at him!

SAVVA. [Raising himself] Little children, don't talk about these unclean
things! It's a sin, dears!

MERIK. Aaa... greybeard! You skeleton! [Laughs] You needn't go to the
churchyard to see ghosts, when they get up from under the floor to give
advice to their relations.... A sin!... Don't you teach people your
silly notions! You're an ignorant lot of people living in darkness....
[Lights his pipe] My father was peasant and used to be fond of teaching
people. One night he stole a sack of apples from the village priest, and
he brings them along and tells us, "Look, children, mind you don't eat
any apples before Easter, it's a sin." You're like that.... You don't
know what a devil is, but you go calling people devils.... Take this
crooked old woman, for instance. [Points to EFIMOVNA] She sees an enemy
in me, but is her time, for some woman's nonsense or other, she's given
her soul to the devil five times.

EFIMOVNA. Hoo, hoo, hoo.... Gracious heavens! [Covers her face] Little
Savva!

TIHON. What are you frightening them for? A great pleasure! [The door
slams in the wind] Lord Jesus.... The wind, the wind!

MERIK. [Stretching himself] Eh, to show my strength! [The door slams
again] If I could only measure myself against the wind! Shall I tear the
door down, or suppose I tear up the inn by the roots! [Gets up and lies
down again] How dull!

NAZAROVNA. You'd better pray, you heathen! Why are you so restless?

EFIMOVNA. Don't speak to him, leave him alone! He's looking at us again.
[To MERIK] Don't look at us,