Act Two, Part-I Detailed Summary of Arms and the Man: "Arms and the Man" by George Bernard Shaw
The scene opens in the garden of major Petkoff, the father of Raina. Here Nicola, a male servant and her supposed Fiance, is lecturing Louka for behaving herself while she stands there smoking impertinently. She is defiant:
"I do defy her. I will defy her. What do I care for her?"
He admonishes her:
"If you quarrel with the family, I never can marry you. It's the same as if you quarrelled with me!"
He tells her that he does know certain secrets of the family but he never tries to test them. He tries to convince her:
"Child, you don't know the power such high people have over the like of you and me when we try to rise out of our poverty against them."
There is a knock on the door and enters major Petkoff after the war. Catherine comes to greet her husband and he tells her that war is out and treaty is signed for peace. This disappoints her because she was expecting that their forces would just run over Servians. Later, the major reveals quite funny opinion about bathing:
"I don't mind a good wash once a week to keep up my position; but once a day is carrying the thing to a ridiculous extreme."
Petkoff tells his wife that he always mentioned to others that they had library while she tells of the electric bell because: "Civilized people never shout for their servants". While they are talking comes Sergius and Catherine asks her husband that he ought to be promoted by the military after he marries their daughter Raina. Petkoff laughs and says: "he has not the slightest chance of promotion until we are quite sure that the peace will be a lasting one."
