n the contrary.... Darling.... [Kisses her.]

[KHIRIN coughs angrily.]

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. Oh, poor Katya, poor Katya! I'm so sorry for her, so
sorry for her.

SHIPUCHIN. This is the Bank's anniversary to-day, darling, we may get a
deputation of the shareholders at any moment, and you're not dressed.

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. Oh, yes, the anniversary! I congratulate you,
gentlemen. I wish you.... So it means that to-day's the day of the
meeting, the dinner.... That's good. And do you remember that beautiful
address which you spent such a long time composing for the shareholders?
Will it be read to-day?

[KHIRIN coughs angrily.]

SHIPUCHIN. [Confused] My dear, we don't talk about these things. You'd
really better go home.

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. In a minute, in a minute. I'll tell you everything
in one minute and go. I'll tell you from the very beginning. Well....
When you were seeing me off, you remember I was sitting next to that
stout lady, and I began to read. I don't like to talk in the train. I
read for three stations and didn't say a word to anyone.... Well, then
the evening set in, and I felt so mournful, you know, with such sad
thoughts! A young man was sitting opposite me--not a bad-looking fellow,
a brunette.... Well, we fell into conversation.... A sailor came along
then, then some student or other.... [Laughs] I told them that I wasn't
married... and they did look after me! We chattered till midnight, the
brunette kept on telling the most awfully funny stories, and the sailor
kept on singing. My chest began to ache from laughing. And when the
sailor--oh, those sailors!--when he got to know my name was TATIANA, you
know what he sang? [Sings in a bass voice] "Onegin don't let me conceal
it, I love Tatiana madly!" [Note: From the Opera _Evgeni Onegin_--words
by Pushkin.] [Roars with laughter.]

[KHIRIN coughs angrily.]

SHIPUCHIN. Tania, dear, you're disturbing Kusma Nicolaievitch. Go home,
dear.... Later on....

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. No, no, let him hear if he wants to, it's awfully
interesting. I'll end in a minute. Serezha came to meet me at the
station. Some young man or other turns up, an inspector of taxes, I
think... quite handsome, especially his eyes.... Serezha introduced me,
and the three of us rode off together.... It was lovely weather....

[Voices behind the stage: "You can't, you can't! What do you want?"
Enter MERCHUTKINA, waving her arms about.]

MERCHUTKINA. What are you dragging at me f