nd I don't know what will happen
to my nerves if you deceive me, Yasha.

YASHA. [Kisses her] Little cucumber! Of course, every girl must respect
herself; there's nothing I dislike more than a badly behaved girl.

DUNYASHA. I'm awfully in love with you; you're educated, you can talk
about everything. [Pause.]

YASHA. [Yawns] Yes. I think this: if a girl loves anybody, then that
means she's immoral. [Pause] It's nice to smoke a cigar out in the open
air.... [Listens] Somebody's coming. It's the mistress, and people with
her. [DUNYASHA embraces him suddenly] Go to the house, as if you'd been
bathing in the river; go by this path, or they'll meet you and will
think I've been meeting you. I can't stand that sort of thing.

DUNYASHA. [Coughs quietly] My head's aching because of your cigar.

[Exit. YASHA remains, sitting by the shrine. Enter LUBOV ANDREYEVNA,
GAEV, and LOPAKHIN.]

LOPAKHIN. You must make up your mind definitely--there's no time to
waste. The question is perfectly plain. Are you willing to let the land
for villas or no? Just one word, yes or no? Just one word!

LUBOV. Who's smoking horrible cigars here? [Sits.]

GAEV. They built that railway; that's made this place very handy. [Sits]
Went to town and had lunch... red in the middle! I'd like to go in now
and have just one game.

LUBOV. You'll have time.

LOPAKHIN. Just one word! [Imploringly] Give me an answer!

GAEV. [Yawns] Really!

LUBOV. [Looks in her purse] I had a lot of money yesterday, but there's
very little to-day. My poor Varya feeds everybody on milk soup to
save money, in the kitchen the old people only get peas, and I spend
recklessly. [Drops the purse, scattering gold coins] There, they are all
over the place.

YASHA. Permit me to pick them up. [Collects the coins.]

LUBOV. Please do, Yasha. And why did I go and have lunch there?... A
horrid restaurant with band and tablecloths smelling of soap.... Why
do you drink so much, Leon? Why do you eat so much? Why do you talk so
much? You talked again too much to-day in the restaurant, and it wasn't
at all to the point--about the seventies and about decadents. And to
whom? Talking to the waiters about decadents!

LOPAKHIN. Yes.

GAEV. [Waves his hand] I can't be cured, that's obvious.... [Irritably
to YASHA] What's the matter? Why do you keep twisting about in front of
me?

YASHA. [Laughs] I can't listen to your voice without laughing.

GAEV. [To his sister] Either he or I...

LU