ant? But I'm getting a noise in
my ears from excitement. [Drinks] And it's impossible for me not to
marry.... In the first place, I'm already 35--a critical age, so to
speak. In the second place, I ought to lead a quiet and regular life....
I suffer from palpitations, I'm excitable and always getting awfully
upset.... At this very moment my lips are trembling, and there's a
twitch in my right eyebrow.... But the very worst of all is the way
I sleep. I no sooner get into bed and begin to go off when suddenly
something in my left side--gives a pull, and I can feel it in my
shoulder and head.... I jump up like a lunatic, walk about a bit, and
lie down again, but as soon as I begin to get off to sleep there's
another pull! And this may happen twenty times....

[NATALYA STEPANOVNA comes in.]

NATALYA STEPANOVNA. Well, there! It's you, and papa said, "Go; there's a
merchant come for his goods." How do you do, Ivan Vassilevitch!

LOMOV. How do you do, honoured Natalya Stepanovna?

NATALYA STEPANOVNA. You must excuse my apron and neglige... we're
shelling peas for drying. Why haven't you been here for such a long
time? Sit down. [They seat themselves] Won't you have some lunch?

LOMOV. No, thank you, I've had some already.

NATALYA STEPANOVNA. Then smoke.... Here are the matches.... The weather
is splendid now, but yesterday it was so wet that the workmen didn't
do anything all day. How much hay have you stacked? Just think, I felt
greedy and had a whole field cut, and now I'm not at all pleased about
it because I'm afraid my hay may rot. I ought to have waited a bit. But
what's this? Why, you're in evening dress! Well, I never! Are you going
to a ball, or what?--though I must say you look better. Tell me, why are
you got up like that?

LOMOV. [Excited] You see, honoured Natalya Stepanovna... the fact is,
I've made up my mind to ask you to hear me out.... Of course you'll be
surprised and perhaps even angry, but a... [Aside] It's awfully cold!

NATALYA STEPANOVNA. What's the matter? [Pause] Well?

LOMOV. I shall try to be brief. You must know, honoured Natalya
Stepanovna, that I have long, since my childhood, in fact, had the
privilege of knowing your family. My late aunt and her husband, from
whom, as you know, I inherited my land, always had the greatest respect
for your father and your late mother. The Lomovs and the Chubukovs
have always had the most friendly, and I might almost say the most
affectionate, regard f