e her father? Let
us suppose I was dead: would it not be your sacred duty to provide for
her future?

OSSEP. Am I not providing for her, you wicked woman? Have I not
presented three or four young persons to you as sons-in-law? For that
matter, they would still be very glad to take her. They are young,
clever, and industrious, and, moreover, persons of our condition in
life. But who can be reasonable and speak to you? You have got it into
your head that Nato's husband shall be an official, and there you stick.
It is not your daughter's future that makes your heart bleed, but your
own ambition.

SALOME. What more can I say to you? Are they, then, your equals? Who are
they, properly speaking? Who are their parents?

OSSEP [_springing up_]. And who are you, then? Whose daughter, whose
wife are you? Perhaps you are descended from King Heraclius; or perhaps
you are the wife of a prince!

SALOME. How the man talks! Were your parents of better rank than mine?
What? Say!

SCENE V

_Chacho_.

CHACHO [_enters, left_]. What's all this noise about?

OSSEP. O aunt, you are here?

CHACHO. Yes, it is I, as I love and live. How are you, my son?

OSSEP. Pretty well, thank God. And how are you, aunt?

CHACHO. My dear son, I am very feeble. But what is going on here? They
must have heard your voices in the street.

SALOME. Do you not know that married people often have little quarrels?

CHACHO. That I know a hundred times better than you. And only a
blockhead takes a dispute between man and wife seriously. That is true;
but that you two have already had time to get used to each other is also
true.

OSSEP. Sit down, dear aunt. Tell me, rather, whether a wagon can be
moved when one ox pulls to the right and the other to the left.

CHACHO. It will not stir from its place any more than I will now.
[_Sits down with legs planted firmly_.] What can move me away from here?

OSSEP. Now, is it not true? One must help the other, for one alone
cannot accomplish much, be he ever so strong and ready to work.

SALOME. Oh, yes! and you are the one ready to work and I am the lazy
one, I suppose.

OSSEP. For heaven's sake, do not fly into a passion like that!

CHACHO [_to Salome_]. That was nothing more than a figure of speech. Who
is accusing you of laziness?

OSSEP [_sitting down_]. Tell me, can we count ourselves among those
persons who can give their daughter 10,000 rubles for a dowry? Are we
able to do that?

SALOME