he says: "They are good, simple, patriarchal
people, glad to see anybody." Well, if that's the case... why not?
Very glad to come. It's very dull for me at home by myself, and if my
presence at a wedding can make anybody happy, then I'm delighted to be
here....

ZHIGALOV. Then that's sincere, is it, your excellency? I respect that!
I'm a plain man myself, without any deception, and I respect others who
are like that. Eat, your excellency!

APLOMBOV. Is it long since you retired, your excellency?

REVUNOV. Eh? Yes, yes.... Quite true.... Yes. But, excuse me, what
is this? The fish is sour... and the bread is sour. I can't eat this!
[APLOMBOV and DASHENKA kiss each other] He, he, he... Your health!
[Pause] Yes.... In the old days everything was simple and everybody was
glad.... I love simplicity.... I'm an old man. I retired in 1865. I'm
72. Yes, of course, in my younger days it was different, but--[Sees
MOZGOVOY] You there... a sailor, are you?

MOZGOVOY. Yes, just so.

REVUNOV. Aha, so... yes. The navy means hard work. There's a lot to
think about and get a headache over. Every insignificant word has, so
to speak, its special meaning! For instance, "Hoist her top-sheets
and mainsail!" What's it mean? A sailor can tell! He, he!--With almost
mathematical precision!

NUNIN. The health of his excellency Fyodor Yakovlevitch
Revunov-Karaulov! [Band plays a flourish. Cheers.]

YATS. You, your excellency, have just expressed yourself on the subject
of the hard work involved in a naval career. But is telegraphy any
easier? Nowadays, your excellency, nobody is appointed to the telegraphs
if he cannot read and write French and German. But the transmission of
telegrams is the most difficult thing of all. Awfully difficult! Just
listen.

[Taps with his fork on the table, like a telegraphic transmitter.]

REVUNOV. What does that mean?

YATS. It means, "I honour you, your excellency, for your virtues." You
think it's easy? Listen now. [Taps.]

REVUNOV. Louder; I can't hear....

YATS. That means, "Madam, how happy I am to hold you in my embraces!"

REVUNOV. What madam are you talking about? Yes.... [To MOZGOVOY] Yes, if
there's a head-wind you must... let's see... you must hoist your foretop
halyards and topsail halyards! The order is: "On the cross-trees to
the foretop halyards and topsail halyards" and at the same time, as
the sails get loose, you take hold underneath of the foresail and
fore-topsail halyards, stays