KATYA
Yes, I do.
SCHAAF
Heh, heh! . . . Und me . . . me, too. I like effryting you like. (Seeing that she wants to leave) Oh, Katerin, vait a minute.
KATYA
I haven’t got time, sir . . . The housekeeper will yell at me.
SCHAAF
Ehh, nefer mind! See, I’m goink, too . . . (Points to fishing pole) How do dey say it, fischink, you untershtand, fischink, das ist fish catchen. You like fisch?
KATYA
Yes, sir.
SCHAAF
Eh, heh, heh, und me, too, me, too. And you know vat I’m telling you, Katerin . . . In Cherman dere’s a song: “Cathrinchen, Cathrinchen, wie lieb ich dich so sehr!” . . . das ist in Russian: “O, Katrinushka, Katrinushka, goot girl, I luff you zo!”
He tries to put his arm around her.
KATYA
Stop it, stop it, shame on you . . . They’re coming. (She escapes into the raspberry bushes)
SCHAAF
(Assuming a stern look, in a low voice) Das ist dumm . . .
Natalya Petrovna enters right, arm in arm with Rakitin.
NATALYA
(To Schaaf) Ah! Adam Ivanych! Going fishing?
SCHAAF
Chust zo, ma’am.
NATALYA
And where is Kolya?
SCHAAF
Mit Lisafet Bogdanovna . . . piano lesson . . .
NATALYA
Ah! (Looking around) You’re alone?
SCHAAF
Yes, ma’am.
NATALYA
You haven’t seen Alexei Nikolaich?
SCHAAF
No, I haffn’t.
NATALYA
(After a pause) We’ll go with you, Adam Ivanych—do you mind?—to watch you catch fish?
SCHAAF
Fery klad.
RAKITIN
(In a low voice to Natalya) What’s got into you?
NATALYA
Let’s go, let’s go, beau ténébreux . . . 12
All three exit right.
KATYA
(Warily poking her head out of the raspberry bushes) Gone . . . (Comes out, stops briefly and ponders) Ah, that German! . . . (Sighs and starts picking raspberries again, singing in a low voice:)
It’s not fire burning, not pitch boiling,
It’s my heart that boils and burns . . .
And Matvei Yegorych is right! (Goes on singing:)
It’s my heart that boils and burns,
Not for papa, not for mama . . .
Such big raspberries! (Goes on singing:)
Not for papa, not for mama . . .
What heat! Stifling! (Goes on singing:)
Not for papa, not for mama . . .
But for a . . .
She suddenly looks around, falls silent, and half hides behind a bush. Belyaev and Verochka enter left. Belyaev is carrying a kite.
BELYAEV
(Passing by the raspberry bushes, to Katya) Why did you stop, Katya? (Sings:)
But for a pretty maid it yearns . . .
KATYA
(Blushing) That’s not how we sing it.
BELYAEV
How, then?
Katya laughs and does not answer.
So you’re picking raspberries? Give me one.
KATYA
(Handing him the basket) Take all of them . . .
BELYAEV
Why all? . . . Want some, Vera Alexandrovna? (Vera takes some from the basket, and so does he) Well, that’s enough now. (He wants to give the basket back to Katya)