advise her rather to remember the last talk we had.

YATS. Don't cry, Nastasya Timofeyevna! Just think what are human tears,
anyway? Just petty psychiatry, and nothing more!

ZMEYUKINA. And are there any red-haired men in Greece?

DIMBA. Yes, everysing is zere.

ZHIGALOV. But you don't have our kinds of mushroom.

DIMBA. Yes, we've got zem and everysing.

MOZGOVOY. Harlampi Spiridonovitch, it's your turn to speak! Ladies and
gentlemen, a speech!

ALL. [To DIMBA] Speech! speech! Your turn!

DIMBA. Why? I don't understand.... What is it!

ZMEYUKINA. No, no! You can't refuse! It's you turn! Get up!

DIMBA. [Gets up, confused] I can't say what... Zere's Russia and zere's
Greece. Zere's people in Russia and people in Greece.... And zere's
people swimming the sea in karavs, which mean sips, and people on
the land in railway trains. I understand. We are Greeks and you are
Russians, and I want nussing.... I can tell you... zere's Russia and
zere's Greece...

[Enter NUNIN.]

NUNIN. Wait, ladies and gentlemen, don't eat now! Wait! Just one minute,
Nastasya Timofeyevna! Just come here, if you don't mind! [Takes NASTASYA
TIMOFEYEVNA aside, puffing] Listen... The General's coming... I
found one at last.... I'm simply worn out.... A real General, a solid
one--old, you know, aged perhaps eighty, or even ninety.

NASTASYA TIMOFEYEVNA. When is he coming?

NUNIN. This minute. You'll be grateful to me all your life. [Note: A
few lines have been omitted: they refer to the "General's" rank and
its civil equivalent in words for which the English language has
no corresponding terms. The "General" is an ex-naval officer, a
second-class captain.]

NASTASYA TIMOFEYEVNA. You're not deceiving me, Andrey darling?

NUNIN. Well, now, am I a swindler? You needn't worry!

NASTASYA TIMOFEYEVNA. [Sighs] One doesn't like to spend money for
nothing, Andrey darling!

NUNIN. Don't you worry! He's not a general, he's a dream! [Raises his
voice] I said to him: "You've quite forgotten us, your Excellency!
It isn't kind of your Excellency to forget your old friends! Nastasya
Timofeyevna," I said to him, "she's very annoyed with you about it!"
[Goes and sits at the table] And he says to me: "But, my friend, how can
I go when I don't know the bridegroom?" "Oh, nonsense, your excellency,
why stand on ceremony? The bridegroom," I said to him, "he's a fine
fellow, very free and easy. He's a valuer," I said, "at the Law courts,
and don't you t