ess, and will die with a clear conscience. No, Ivanoff, it shall
not be! I shall drag your villainy to light! And when I tear off that
accursed mask of yours and show you to the world as the blackguard you
are, you shall come plunging down headfirst from your seventh heaven,
into a pit so deep that the devil himself will not be able to drag you
out of it! I am a man of honour; it is my duty to interfere in such
cases as yours, and to open the eyes of the blind. I shall fulfil my
mission, and to-morrow will find me far away from this accursed
place. [Thoughtfully] But what shall I do? To have an explanation
with Lebedieff would be a hopeless task. Shall I make a scandal, and
challenge Ivanoff to a duel? I am as excited as a child, and have
entirely lost the power of planning anything. What shall I do? Shall I
fight a duel?

Enter KOSICH. He goes gaily up to LVOFF.

KOSICH. I declared a little slam in clubs yesterday, and made a grand
slam! Only that man Barabanoff spoilt the whole game for me again.
We were playing--well, I said "No trumps" and he said "Pass." "Two in
clubs," he passed again. I made it two in hearts. He said "Three in
clubs," and just imagine, can you, what happened? I declared a little
slam and he never showed his ace! If he had showed his ace, the villain,
I should have declared a grand slam in no trumps!

LVOFF. Excuse me, I don't play cards, and so it is impossible for me to
share your enthusiasm. When does the ceremony begin?

KOSICH. At once, I think. They are now bringing Zuzu to herself again.
She is bellowing like a bull; she can't bear to see the money go.

LVOFF. And what about the daughter?

KOSICH. No, it is the money. She doesn't like this affair anyway. He is
marrying her daughter, and that means he won't pay his debts for a long
time. One can't sue one's son-in-law.

MARTHA, very much dressed up, struts across the stage past LVOFF and
KOSICH. The latter bursts out laughing behind his hand. MARTHA looks
around.

MARTHA. Idiot!

KOSICH digs her in the ribs and laughs loudly.

MARTHA. Boor!

KOSICH. [Laughing] The woman's head has been turned. Before she fixed
her eye on a title she was like any other woman, but there is no coming
near her now! [Angrily] A boor, indeed!

LVOFF. [Excitedly] Listen to me; tell me honestly, what do you think of
Ivanoff?

KOSICH. He's no good at all. He plays cards like a lunatic. This is what
happened last year during Lent: I, the Count, Borkin