Excerpt: ...of his ill-health that man tries, above everything else, to be sociable. A splendid, illuminating personality. A wonderful man. After yesterday''s committee he said to me: "I''m tired, Feodor Ilitch, I''m tired!" Looks at the clock, then at his watch Your clock is seven minutes fast. "Yes," he said, "I''m tired." Violin played off. OLGA. Let''s go and have lunch! There''s to be a masterpiece of baking! KULIGIN. Oh my dear Olga, my dear. Yesterday I was working till eleven o''clock at night, and got awfully tired. To-day I''m quite happy. Goes into dining-room My dear. CHEBUTIKIN. Puts his paper into his pocket, and combs his beard A pie? Splendid! MASHA. Severely to CHEBUTIKIN Only mind; you''re not to drink anything to-day. Do you hear? It''s bad for you. CHEBUTIKIN. Oh, that''s all right. I haven''t been drunk for two years. And it''s all the same, anyway! MASHA. You''re not to dare to drink, all the same. Angrily, but so that her husband should not hear Another dull evening at the Director''s, confound it! TUZENBACH. I shouldn''t go if I were you. It''s quite simple. CHEBUTIKIN. Don''t go. MASHA. Yes, "don''t go." It''s a cursed, unbearable life. Goes into dining-room. CHEBUTIKIN. Follows her It''s not so bad. SOLENI. Going into the dining-room There, there, there. TUZENBACH. Vassili Vassilevitch, that''s enough. Be quiet! SOLENI. There, there, there. KULIGIN. Gaily Your health, Colonel! I''m a pedagogue and not quite at home here. I''m Masha''s husband. She''s a good sort, a very good sort. VERSHININ. I''ll have some of this black vodka. Drinks Your health! To OLGA I''m very comfortable here! Only IRINA and TUZENBACH are now left in the sitting-room. IRINA. Masha''s out of sorts to-day. She married when she was eighteen, when he seemed to her the wisest of men. And now it''s different. He''s the kindest man, but not the wisest. OLGA. Impatiently Andrey, when are you coming? ANDREY. Off One minute. Enters and goes to the table. TUZENBACH. What are you thinking about? IRINA. I...