LITMIR.BIZ

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The dark reddish and repulsive liquid had a sinister gleam to Mr. Golyadkin’s eyes... The bottle dropped from his hands and was instantly smashed. Our hero cried out and stepped back a pace to avoid the spilled medicine... he was trembling in every limb, and drops of sweat came out on to his brow and temples. “So my life is in danger!” Meantime there was a stir, a commotion in the room; every one surrounded Mr. Golyadkin, every one talked to Mr. Golyadkin, some even caught hold of Mr. Golyadkin. But our hero was dumb and motionless, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, feeling nothing... At last, as though tearing himself from the place, he rushed out of the tavern, pushing away all and each who tried to detain him; almost unconscious, he got into the first cab that passed him and drove to his flat.

      In the entry of his flat he met Mihyeev, an attendant from the office, with an official envelope in his hand.

      “I know, my good man, I know all about it,” our exhausted hero answered, in a weak, miserable voice; “it’s official...”

      The envelope did, in fact, contain instructions to Mr. Golyadkin, signed by Andrey Filippovitch, to give up the business in his hands to Ivan Semyonovitch. Taking the envelope and giving ten kopecks to the man, Mr. Golyadkin went into his flat and saw that Petrushka was collecting all his odds and ends, all his things into a heap, evidently intending to abandon Mr. Golyadkin and move to the flat of Karolina Ivanovna, who had enticed him to take the place of Yevstafy.

Chapter 12

      Petrushka came in swaggering, with a strangely casual manner and an air of vulgar triumph on his face. It was evident that he had some idea in his head, that he felt thoroughly within his rights, and he looked like an unconcerned spectator — that is, as though he were anybody’s servant rather than Mr. Golyadkin’s.

      “I say, you know, my good lad,” our hero began breathlessly, “what time is it?”

      Without speaking, Petrushka went behind his partition, then returned, and in a rather independent tone announced that it was nearly half-past seven.

      “Well, that’s all right, my lad, that’s all right. Come, you see, my boy... allow me to tell you, my good lad, that everything, I fancy, is at an end between us.”

      Petrushka said nothing.

      “Well, now as everything is over between us, tell me openly, as a friend, where you have been.”

      “Where I’ve been? To see good people, sir.”

      “I know, my good lad, I know. I have always been satisfied with you, and I give you a character... Well, what are you doing with them now?”

      “Why, sir! You know yourself. We all know a decent man won’t teach you any harm.”

      “I know, my dear fellow, I know. Nowadays good people are rare, my lad; prize them, my friend. Well, how are they?”

      “To be sure, they... Only I can’t serve you any longer, sir; as your honour must know.”

      “I know, my dear fellow, I know your zeal and devotion; I have seen it all, my lad, I’ve noticed it. I respect you, my friend. I respect a good and honest man, even though he’s a lackey.”

      “Why, yes, to be sure! The like’s of us, of course, as you know yourself, are as good as anybody. That’s so. We all know, sir, that there’s no getting on without a good man.”

      “Very well, very well, my boy, I feel it... Come, here’s your money and here’s your character. Now we’ll kiss and say good-bye, brother... Come, now, my lad, I’ll ask one service of you, one last service,” said Mr. Golyadkin, in a solemn voice. “You see, my dear boy, all sorts of things happen. Sorrow is concealed in gilded palaces, and there’s no escaping it. You know, my boy, I’ve always been kind to you, my boy.

      Petrushka remained mute.

      “I believe I’ve always been kind to you, my dear fellow... Come, how much linen have we now, my dear boy?”

      “Well, it’s all there. Linen shirts six, three pairs of socks; four shirtfronts; flannel vests; of underlinen two sets. You know all that yourself. I’ve got nothing of yours, sir... I look after my master’s belongings, sir. I am like that, sir... we all know... and I’ve... never been guilty of anything of the sort, sir, you know yourself, sir...”

      “I trust you, my lad, I trust you. I didn’t mean that, my friend, I didn’t mean that, you know, my lad; I tell you what...”

      “To be sure, sir, we know that already. Why, when I used to be in the service at general Stolnyakov’s... I lost the lace through the family’s going away to Saratov... they’ve an estate there...”

      “No; I didn’t mean that, my lad, I didn’t mean that; don’t think anything of the sort, my dear fellow...”

      “To be sure. It’s easy, as you know yourself, sir, to take away the character of folks like us. And I’ve always given satisfaction — ministers, generals, senators, counts — I’ve served them all. I’ve been at Prince Svintchatkin’s, at Colonel Pereborkin’s, at General Nedobarov’s — they’ve gone away too, they’ve gone to their property. As we all know...”

      “Yes, my lad, very good, my lad, very good. And now I’m going away, my friend... A different path lies before each man, no one can tell what road he may have to take. Come, my lad, put out my clothes now, lay out my uniform too... and my other trousers, my sheets, quilts and pillows...”

      “Am I to pack them all in the bag?”

      “Yes, my lad, yes; the bag, please. Who knows what may happen to us. Come, my dear boy, you can go and find a carriage...”

      “A carriage?...”

      “Yes, my lad, a carriage; a roomy one, and take it by the hour. And don’t imagine anything...”

      “Are you planning to go far away, sir?”

      “I don’t know my lad, I don’t know that either. I think you had better pack my feather bed too. What do you think, my lad? I am relying on you, my dear fellow...”

      “Is your honour setting off at once?”

      “Yes, my friend, yes! Circumstances have turned out so... so it is, my dear fellow, so it is...”

      “To be sure, sir; when we were in the regiment the same thing happened to the lieutenant; they eloped from a country gentleman’s...”

      “Eloped?... How! My dear fellow!”

      “Yes, sir, eloped, and they were married in another house. Everything was got ready beforehand. There was a hue and cry after them; the late prince took their part, and so it was all settled...”

      “They were married, but... how is it, my dear fellow... How did you come to know, my boy?”

      “Why, to be sure! The earth is full of rumours, sir. We know, sir, we’ve all... to be sure, there’s no one without sin. Only I’ll tell you now, sir, let me speak plainly and vulgarly, sir; since it has come to this, I must tell you, sir; you have an enemy — you’ve a rival, sir, a powerful rival, so there...”

      “I know, my dear fellow, I know; you know yourself, my dear fellow... So, you see, I’m relying upon you. What are we to do now, my friend! How do you advise me?”

      “Well, sir, if you are in that way now, if you’ve come, so to say, to such a pass, sir, you’ll have to make some purchases, sir — say some sheets, pillows, another feather bed, a double one, a good quilt — here at the neighbours downstairs — she’s a shopkeeper, sir — she has a good fox-fur cloak, so you might look at it and buy it, you might have a look at it at once. You’ll need it now, sir; it’s a good cloak, sir, satin-lined with fox...”

      “Very good, my lad, very good, I agree; I rely upon you, I rely upon you entirely; a cloak by all means, if necessary... Only make haste, make haste! For God’s sake make haste! I’ll buy the cloak — only please make haste! It will soon be eight o’clock. Make haste for God’s sake, my dear

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