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NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH [greets the Man-servant, and shakes hands with
him[29]] Good-day. [Servant becomes confused. Exit Servant. Nicholas
Ivánovich also goes off].
[29] People shake hands much more often in Russia than in England, but
it is quite unusual to shake hands with a servant, and Nicholas
Ivánovich does it in consequence of his belief that all men are
brothers.
STYÓPA. Poor Afanásy! He was terribly confused. I can't understand papa.
It is as if we were guilty of something.
Enter Nicholas Ivánovich.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. I was going back to my room without having told you
what I feel. [To Tónya] If what I say should offend you--who are our
guest--forgive me, but I cannot help saying it. You, Lisa, say that
Tónya plays well. All you here, seven or eight healthy young men and
women, have slept till ten o'clock, have eaten and drunk and are still
eating; and you play and discuss music: while there, where I have just
been, they were all up at three in the morning, and those who pastured
the horses at night have not slept at all; and old and young, the sick
and the weak, children and nursing-mothers and pregnant women are
working to the utmost limits of their strength, so that we here may
consume the fruits of their labour. Nor is that all. At this very
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