may be. What will happen when the old people are dead, how the world will
go on, I really can't think. I'm thankful anyway, that I shall see nothing
of it.

[_Enter Katerina and Varvara._




SCENE VII

MME. KABANOVA, KATERINA, and VARVARA.


You make a boast of loving your husband so much; I see now how much your
love's worth. Any other good wife, on seeing her husband off, would wail
for a good hour and a half, lying on the steps; but one can see you're not
much upset.

KATERINA.
There's no reason to be! Besides, I don't know how to wail. Why make the
people laugh!

MME. KABANOVA.
No great art is needed. If you loved him you would have learnt to do it.
If you can't wail properly, you should wail a little, if only for example.
It is always more decorous; or else one sees it is all words with you.
Well, I'm going to pray to God; do not interrupt me.

VARVARA.