rough head, were drinking in one of the public rooms of a restaurant on the outskirts of the town. They had both come to the restaurant straight from a ball and

a big wine-glass of v

course, my boy. The vodka burns and stings your throat and you have a v

en upper lip and grey whiskers

ou are serving

le for the herr

, not looking into the sauceboat. "Do you call that

d his finger, made a slight movement, and the dishes, the candlesticks, an

n up to the table and began picking up the fragments with

er, and he laughed. "But . . . move a little awa

ineer here!"

ed all his property and towards the end of his life had got into a restaurant where he looked after the waiters and singers an

ing of this disorder? How queerly you fellows wait! Don't you know t

er, laying his hand on his heart. "I will take steps immediately, and y

ll do, you c

and disappeared through the doorway with a final flash

s tail in its mouth. Frolov only drank vodka and ate nothing but bread. He rubbed his face with his open hands, scowled, and was evidently out of humour. Both were

er people grow festive with vodka, but I suffer from anger, disgusting thoughts, sleeplessness. Why is it, ol

r send for the

ound

y woman appeared in the

e asking for tea and brandy," said

these waiters, for instance. They have countenances like professors, and grey heads; they get two hundred roubles a month, they live in houses of their own and send their girls to the high school, but you may swear at them and

surprise. "Whence this melancholy? You are red in the face,

get out of my head. It seems as though i

reefer jacket and lilac waistcoat and carrying a guitar, walked into the

ig. Come here!" He poured vodka, wine, and brandy into a glass, sprinkled pepper and salt into it, m

t pure wine makes him sick," said Frolo

ed the strings with his fat

tka, Margare

v was drunk. He thumped with h

t sticks in my head! It won

what i

s. But if you like . . . as a sign of friendship, between ourselves . . . only mind, to no one, no, no

lmer and for a minute

wife!" he b

oked at him w

," Frolov muttered, flushing red. "

at

ats, or says anything, my whole soul boils, I can scarcely restrain myself from being rude to her. It's something one can't describe. To leave her or tell her the truth is utterly impossible because it would be a scandal, and living with

mped his foot a

alk with a

ear my se

was not at all the right person for you," said A

she had married me not from love, but for the sake of my money. This idea took possession of my brain. I have done all I could think of, but the cursed thing sticks! And to make it worse my wife was overtaken with a passion for luxury. Getting into a sack of gold after poverty, she took to flinging it in all directions. She went quite off

is glass at one

ering, and now you are looking at me with lawyer's eyes - glad you know some one else's secret. Well, well! . . .

room a little Tatar boy, aged about twelv

a time when you Tatars conquered us and took tribute from us, but now you se

in a shrill voice, with a sing-song i

ave face and went off

se two words. Drink, Mustafa! You will make a gre-eat rascal! I mean it is awful how many of your sort are toadies hanging about rich men. T

ly in the corridors for a long time, burst wi

to them. "Drink! Seed of

. o-o-ho! . . . the sl

ne for the gypsies, broke the shade of the electric light, shied bottles at the pictures and looking-glasses, and did it all apparently without the slightest enjoyment, scowling and shouting i

k they handed

pecks," said Almer, and shrugged his shoulders.

m rich for, to be robbed! . . . You can't get on without parasites! . . . You are my lawyer. You g

ng home with Alme

I can open my soul to. . . . They are all robbers. .. traitors. .

er and, staggering, kissed him on the lips, having the old

clever man, but you only laugh and drink with me . . . there's no help from any of you. . . . But if you were a friend

Almer muttered

country in the summer, I may go out into the fields and a storm come

dropping asleep as he walked, began mounting the