[Falls senseless into SHIPUCHIN'S arms. There is a knock at the door;
a VOICE announces THE DEPUTATION] The deputation... reputation...
occupation...

KHIRIN. [Stamps] Get out of it, devil take me! [Turns up his sleeves]
Give her to me: I may break the law!

[A deputation of five men enters; they all wear frockcoats. One carries
the velvet-covered address, another, the loving-cup. Employees look in
at the door, from the public department. TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA on the sofa,
and MERCHUTKINA in SHIPUCHIN'S arms are both groaning.]

ONE OF THE DEPUTATION. [Reads aloud] "Deeply respected and dear Andrey
Andreyevitch! Throwing a retrospective glance at the past history of
our financial administration, and reviewing in our minds its gradual
development, we receive an extremely satisfactory impression. It is true
that in the first period of its existence, the inconsiderable amount of
its capital, and the absence of serious operations of any description,
and also the indefinite aims of this bank, made us attach an extreme
importance to the question raised by Hamlet, 'To be or not to be,'
and at one time there were even voices to be heard demanding our
liquidation. But at that moment you become the head of our concern.
Your knowledge, energies, and your native tact were the causes of
extraordinary success and widespread extension. The reputation of the
bank... [Coughs] reputation of the bank..."

MERCHUTKINA. [Groans] Oh! Oh!

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Groans] Water! Water!

THE MEMBER OF THE DEPUTATION. [Continues] The reputation [Coughs]... the
reputation of the bank has been raised by you to such a height that we
are now the rivals of the best foreign concerns.

SHIPUCHIN. Deputation... reputation... occupation.... Two friends that
had a walk at night, held converse by the pale moonlight.... Oh tell me
not, that youth is vain, that jealousy has turned my brain.

THE MEMBER OF THE DEPUTATION. [Continues in confusion] "Then, throwing
an objective glance at the present condition of things, we, deeply
respected and dear Andrey Andreyevitch... [Lowering his voice] In that
case, we'll do it later on.... Yes, later on...." [DEPUTATION goes out
in confusion.]

Curtain.

THE THREE SISTERS

A DRAMA IN FOUR ACTS

CHARACTERS

ANDREY SERGEYEVITCH PROSOROV
NATALIA IVANOVA (NATASHA), his fiancee, later his wife (28)
His sisters:
OLGA
MASHA
IRINA
FEODOR ILITCH KULIGIN, high school te