No More Learning

2ND OFFICER. (Sotto voce. ) Yon lad, it appears, is poor;
there's nothing to be got out of him; on the other hand
the old men--

1ST OFFICER. Be silent; we shall come to them presently.
--Well, my fathers, how are you getting on?

VARLAAM. Badly, my sons, badly! The Christians have
now turned stingy; they love their money; they hide
their money. They give little to God. The people of
the world have become great sinners. They have all
devoted themselves to commerce, to earthly cares; they
think of worldly wealth, not of the salvation of the soul.
You walk and walk; you beg and beg; sometimes in
three days begging will not bring you three half-pence.
What a sin! A week goes by; another week; you look
into your bag, and there is so little in it that you are
ashamed to show yourself at the monastery. What are
you to do?
From very sorrow you drink away what is
left; a real calamity! Ah, it is bad! It seems our last
days have come--

HOSTESS. (Weeps. ) God pardon and save you!
(During the course of VARLAAM'S speech the 1st
OFFICER watches MISSAIL significantly. )

1ST OFFICER. Alexis! Have you the tsar's edict with you?

2ND OFFICER. I have it.

1ST OFFICER. Give it here.

MISSAIL. Why do you look at me so fixedly?

1ST OFFICER.