Good evening, Mr. Tropinin.

YEGOR

Good evening. Who lighted the lamp?

SPERANSKY

Miss Olympiada.

YEGOR _(blowing it out)_

Learned it from Savva. _(To Tony)_ And you, what's the matter with
you? How long, how long, for Christ's sake? How long am I to stand all
this from you, you good-for-nothing loafers? Eh? Where did you get the
whiskey, eh?

TONY

At the bar.

YEGOR

It wasn't put there for you, was it?

TONY

You have a very funny face, father.

YEGOR

Give me the whiskey.

TONY

I won't.

YEGOR

Give here!

TONY

I won't.

YEGOR _(slaps his face)_

Give it to me, I say.

TONY _(falls on the sofa, still holding on to the bottle)_

I won't.

YEGOR _(sitting down, calmly)_

All right, swill until you bust, devil. What was I saying? That fool
put it out of my head. Oh yes, the pilgrims are going, it strong this
time. It's been a bad year for the crops. That's another reason, I
suppose. There's no grub, they have nothing to eat, and so they'll
pray. If God listened to every fool's prayer, we'd have a fine time of
it. If he listened to every fool, what chance would the wise man have?
A fool remains a fool. That's why he is called a fool.

SPERANSKY

That's correct.

YEGOR

I should say it is correct. Father Parfeny is a smart man. He
flim-flams them all right. He put up a new coffin--did you hear that?
The old one has all been eaten away by the pilgrims, so he put a new
one into its place. It was old, so he put a new one instead. They'll
eat that one away. No matter what you give them--Tony, are you
drinking again?

TONY

I am.

YEGOR

I am! I am! I'll hand you out another one in a moment and we'll see
what you say then.

_[Enter Savva, looking very gay and lively. He stoops less than usual,
talks rapidly, and looks sharp and straight, but his gaze does not
rest long on the same person or object._

SAVVA

Ah, the philosophers! Father! A worthy assemblage. Why do you keep
it so dark here, like some hell-hole with a lot of rats in it? A
philosopher has to have light. The dark is good only for going through
people's pockets. Where is the lamp? Oh, here it is. _(He lights the
lamp)_

YEGOR _(ironically)_

Perhaps you'll open the windows too?

SAVVA

Quite right. I'll open the windows also. _(Opens them)_ My, how they
keep pouring in!

SPERANSKY

A whole army.

SAVVA

And all of them will die in time and acquire peace. And then they'll
know the tru