a Andreyevna!
[Kissing her hand.] Marya Antonovna! [Kissing her hand.]

SCENE IV

The same, Korobkin and his Wife, Liuliukov.

KOROBKIN. I have the honor to congratulate you, Anton Antonovich, and
you, Anna Andreyevna [kissing her hand] and you Marya Antonovna [kissing
her hand].

KOROBKIN'S WIFE. I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart, Anna
Andreyevna, on your new stroke of good fortune.

LIULIUKOV. I have the honor to congratulate you, Anna Andreyevna.
[Kisses her hand and turns to the audience, smacks his lips, putting on
a bold front.] Marya Antonovna, I have the honor to congratulate you.
[Kisses her hand and turns to the audience in the same way.]

SCENE V

A number of Guests enter. They kiss Anna's hand saying: "Anna
Andreyevna," then Marya's hand, saying "Marya Antonovna."

Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky enter jostling each other.

BOBCHINSKY. I have the honor to congratulate you.

DOBCHINSKY. Anton Antonovich, I have the honor to congratulate you.

BOBCHINSKY. On the happy event.

DOBCHINSKY. Anna Andreyevna!

BOBCHINSKY. Anna Andreyevna!

They bend over her hand at the same time and bump foreheads.

DOBCHINSKY. Marya Antonovna! [Kisses her hand.] I have the honor to
congratulate you. You will enjoy the greatest happiness. You will wear
garments of gold and eat the most delicate soups, and you will pass your
time most entertainingly.

BOBCHINSKY [breaking in]. God give you all sorts of riches and of money
and a wee tiny little son, like this. [Shows the size with his hands.]
So that he can sit on the palm of your hand. The little fellow will be
crying all the time, "Wow, wow, wow."

SCENE VI

More Guests enter and kiss the ladies' hands, among them Luka Lukich and
his wife.

LUKA LUKICH. I have the honor.

LUKA'S WIFE [running ahead]. Congratulate you, Anna Andreyevna.
[They kiss.] Really, I was so glad to hear of it. They tell me, "Anna
Andreyevna has betrothed her daughter." "Oh, my God," I think to myself.
It made me so glad that I said to my husband, "Listen, Lukanchik,
that's a great piece of fortune for Anna Andreyevna." "Well," think I
to myself, "thank God!" And I say to him, "I'm so delighted that I'm
consumed with impatience to tell it to Anna Andreyevna herself." "Oh,
my God," think I to myself, "it's just as Anna Andreyevna expected. She
always did expect a good match for her daughter. And now what luck! It
happened just exactly as she wanted it to hap