And upon the wedding night
A fine feast shall be given."

SIN AND SORROW ARE COMMON TO ALL

A DRAMA IN FOUR ACTS

CHARACTERS

VALENTIN PAVLYCH BABAYEV[1], _a young landowner_

[Footnote 1: womanish]

LEV RODIONYCH KRASNOV, _a shopkeeper, about thirty years of age_

TATYANA DANILOVNA (_called_ TANYA), _his wife_

LUKERYA DANILOVNA ZHMIGULIN (_called,_ LUSHA), _her sister, an old maid and
daughter of a government clerk now dead._

ARKHIP, _blind old man, grandfather of_ KRASNOV

AFONYA (AFANASY), _invalid boy about eighteen years of age, brother of_
KRASNOV

MANUYLO KALINYCH KURITSYN, _flour dealer about forty-five years of age_

ULYANA RODIONOVNA KURITSYNA, _his wife, sister of_ KRASNOV

SHISHGALEV, _government clerk_

ZAYCHIKHA (_called PROKOFYEVNA_), _landlady of the lodgings taken by_
BABAYEV

KARP, BABAYEV'_s attendant

The action takes place in a district town_.

SIN AND SORROW ARE COMMON TO ALL

ACT I

TABLEAU I

_A room, cheaply papered, shabbily furnished; in the rear two doors, one
opening on the street, the other leading into an adjoining room; the
windows are hung with chintz curtains._

SCENE I

_KARP is unfastening a valise, and ZAYCHIKHA (PROKOFYEVNA) is looking out
of the window._

PROKOFYEVNA. Just look, dear sir, how many people have gathered.

KARP. What do they want? Why are they curious?

PROKOFYEVNA. Every one, dear sir, wishes to know who it is that has
arrived.

KARP. They say you're provincials, and you certainly are provincials. Well,
tell them that it's Babayev, Valentin Pavlich, a landowner.

PROKOFYEVNA. [_Speaking through the window_] Babayev, a landowner. [_To
KARP_] They're asking why you came.

KARP. On business, of course. Did you think we came here for sport? Much
chance there would be for that here.

PROKOFYEVNA. [_Through the window_] For business. [_To KARP_] Will you
remain long?

KARP. We certainly haven't come to settle here. We may stay two days; not
longer, you may be sure.

PROKOFYEVNA. [_Through the window_] For two days. [_Withdraws from the
window_] Now I've satisfied them. In five minutes the entire city will
know.

KARP. Your lodging is all right; it's clean.

PROKOFYEVNA. Certainly it's clean, sir. No great frills, but it's clean. Of
course there's no great travelling to our town.

KARP. It isn't on the highway.

PROKOFYEVNA. Highway, not much! Yet the best people that do come here,
lodg