Читать книгу THE COLLECTED WORKS OF ANTON CHEKHOV - Anton Chekhov - Страница 96

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The same and FYODOR

FYODOR: How do you do, old chaps?

ORLOVSKY (joyously): Fyodor, my boy, darling sonny!

FYODOR (to ZHELTOUKHIN): I congratulate you on your birthday … be a big boy… (Greeting the whole company) Pater! Waffle, how d’ye do? I wish you all a good appetite!

ZHELTOUKHIN: Where have you been wandering? You should not come so late.

FYODOR: It’s hot! I must gulp some vodka.

ORLOVSKY (with an admiring look at him): My dear fellow, what a fine beard he has! … Friends, he’s a beauty! Look at him: isn’t he a beauty?

FYODOR: Congratulations to the new-born! (Drinking.) Aren’t the Serebryakovs here?

ZHELTOUKHIN: They’ve not come.

FYODOR: H’m! … And where’s Julie?

ZHELTOUKHIN: I don’t know why she’s got stuck there. It’s time to bring in the birthday pie. I’ll call her instantly.

[Goes out.

ORLOVSKY: And our Lennie, our new-born, isn’t in the right humour to-day. So sulky!

VOYNITSKY: He’s a beast!

ORLOVSKY: His nerves must be upset, he can’t help it… .

VOYNITSKY: He loves himself too much, hence his nerves. If you were to say in his presence that this herring here is good, he would at once feel hurt because it was not he who was praised. Here he comes.

ENTER JULIE AND ZHELTOUKHIN.