Chebutikin monologue (Act 1) — Plays by Anton Chekhov, Second Series

[Laughs] It’s quite true, I never have worked. After I came down from the university I never stirred a finger or opened a book, I just read the papers.... [Takes another newspaper out of his pocket] Here we are.... I’ve learnt from the papers that there used to be one, Dobrolubov [Note: Dobroluboy (1836-81), in spite of the shortness of his career, established himself as one of the classic literary critics of Russia], for instance, but what he wrote--I don’t know... God only knows.... [Somebody is heard tapping on the floor from below] There.... They’re calling me downstairs, somebody’s come to see me. I’ll be back in a minute... won’t be long.... [Exit hurriedly, scratching his beard.]