Orloff and his Wife

outing and swearing. It was a tiny figure, with a sharp, thin face, decorated with a little beard and gold eyeglasses. Stamping loudly with his thin legs, encased in gray trou

in a light-brown coat, which was very dirty and far too long for him, was shrinking closely against the wall. He raised his brows, and gazed at the ceiling with staring eyes, as though trying to recall something, or in meditation, but a moment later, wrinkled up his nose in a disenchanted way, and dropped his head deject

g

ved? Devil take it,-I ask-has the proof-reader arrived? Call all the compositors here! Have you told them? No, just imagine, what

itor stood rooted to the spot, as though endeavoring to wrap his h

advised the publish

, he began to tousle it fiercely.-"I'll find him, and I'll roast him.... And where's that proof-reader?... Aha!... Here.... Now, sir, I beg that

mobility and a sort of wooden composure. They huddled together, in the corner of the room, in a dense group. The editor halted in front of them, with his hands, clutching the newspaper, thrown behind his back. He was shorter in stature than they, and he was obliged to hold[Pg 295]

ou..." he gri

countenances of the compositors.

ou had disgraced the newspaper enough already.... If there be an honest man among you, who understands what a newspaper is, what th

d a voice, in which nothing bu

to say, for the talking of stupid trash and nonsense!...' There, now! Are you satisfied? Will the man who added that 'talking' be pleased ...

all the nonsense that is said in it,"-rang out the same cal

compositors separated. Before the editor stood a stoutly-built young fellow, in a blue blouse, with a pock-marked face, and curling locks of hair which stood up in a crest above his left temple. He stood with his hands thrust deeply into the pockets of his trousers, and, indifferently riveting his gray, mischievous eyes

ting at the pock-marked compositor with his finger an

latter, grinning in a particula

! So it's you? Why did you put

put it in?"-and the compos

y[1] Pávlovitch," the make

al abbreviation of

mpositor, not without a certain good-nat

s a surprise. Even the editor's wrath was converted, for a[Pg 297] moment, into amazement. The space around

quired the publisher, smiling, and staring at the

shouted the editor, flouris

..." and in the compositor's eyes sparkled a daring, impudent light.... "Exactly so ..." he went on

editor appealed

you devil's doll!"-the publisher suddenly flared up

increased the retail sales. But here's the editor .

ront of that cool, malicious man, and flashed his eyes in silen

nt of this!"-drawled the publisher malevolently, and,

treated him rather patronizingly, making no effort to conceal his consciousness of his own mental superiority,

your insolence to me,

n't overlook it so!" a

he maker-up elevated his eyebrows, and seemed to shrivel up, the editor retreated to the table, and support

ed the publisher, taking h

asíly Ivánovitch!" the

l for Nikolái

-said the compositor, with a surly glance at the maker-up.-"I have a tongue of my own,.

ublisher.-"And now, take yourself off

eet, the compositors depart

editor softly, but distinctly, and s

eaned against the door-jamb, and, as he twisted his bea

g

oing: his voice broke, and rose to a shriek.-"You have confessed ... that in creating this scandal ... you had me in view.

t for a minute. The publisher tapped his foot impatiently, the maker-up stretched his n

ense. Mere shameless words, Mítry Pávlovitch!... because you write-don't steal, but what goes on in your own printing-office? Last week, Kiryákoff worked three days and a half, earned three rubles and eighty kopéks[3] and fell ill. His wife comes to the counting-room for the money, but the manager tells her, that he won't give it to her, and that she owes one ruble and twenty kopéks in fines. Now talk about not stealing![Pg 300] Why don't you write about these ways of doing things? And about how the manager yells, and thrashes the poor little boys for every trifle?... You can't writ

$1.90.-T

ooked the editor straight in the face. But the editor shrank close against the table, clutched it with his hands, flung himself back, palin

interest, in a low voice, addressing the editor. The latter

ll, with eyes which were as small, black, and shifty as those of a mouse. They expressed a certain impatient expectation, and now and then a little flash of joy lighted them up. The publisher

right-I hope you feel that? I am grateful to you for ... y-your ...

paused, in order to tune himself up to a defence which should be worthy of himself and of this judge

s head.-"The only one who is right

ound him, with an expression on his face which plain

an accusation against me, but before that, you arbitrarily punished me for what you regard as a fault

say to me? If I have insulted you, drag me before the justice of the peace. But-defend yourself-that's a

Pg 302] which he tramped noisily, and his footsteps ec

statement of the case!"-exclaimed the publisher

my feet all night.... I'm here, while my wife lies ill at home, and my children ... three of them ... have no one to look after them.... I may say that I sell my blood, drop by drop, for thirty rubles a month.... And when Gvózdeff was hired, I said to Feódor Pávlovitch: '

quired the editor thoughtfully,

seven dove-cotes in one night, sir!... and set all the flocks at liberty-scattered all the birds, sir! A pair of

"-inquired the publ

..... He released the birds, and delighted in it, and jeered at us fanciers.... He has been thrashed more than once already.

t it is worth noting that a man and a woman who stand sponsors for a child in baptism, in the Eastern Catholic Churc

the publisher

shoulders, knit his brows, and again b

began to say that devils had bred in the house. When they heated the stove, the quicksilver in the bottle warmed up, and began to roam about in it. And the needles scratched against the glass, just as though somebody were gnashing his teeth. Besides the needles, he had put various iron objects into the bottle, and they made noises, too, after their own fashion,-the[Pg 304] needle after its fashion, the nail after its fashion, and the result was a regular devil's music.... My gossip even tried to sell her house, but nobody would buy it-who likes to have devils round, sir? She had three prayer-services with blessing of holy wate

lated the editor nervously, and tearing himself from his place, he again began to fling

esting young fellow, deuce take him! He put devils in the stove, ha, ha! No, by heaven! We'll teach him a lesson, but he's a rascal with a bra

t you?"-cried th

hly. He's got wit, the beast!"-the[Pg 305] publisher said, taking rev

nly ran close up

ls is in the right! The devil knows what goes on in your printing-office, do you hear? But w

your article?"-inquired the publisher ven

hat also, yes! You must understand, Vasíly Ivánov

gratuitously distributed and the exchanges,"-dryly interposed

ell,

othing mo

y, and again, with dimming eyes, he

sort of universal chase! All the dogs hunting down one, and tha

, as though tired out with emotions and recriminations.-"It has come and it will go, and you will re-establish your honor. The affair is far mo

Gvózdeff made his appearance on the threshold. He had his

to sue me, say so-for I'm going away from here, and I d

tor, almost sobbing with wrath, and

justing his cap on his head, and coolly whee

re, to Gvózdeff's back, and with a blissful smile he

strap, in trousers hanging freely, and laced shoes, in a white cap worn over one ear, and th

heir aged hollow boles, spreading far abroad their knotted boughs. Around their roots twined the young sprouts, small bushes clung to their trunks, and everywhere amid the greenery the rambling public had trodden winding paths, which crept downw

g himself one of them, and, like them, freely breathing the air impregnated with the fragrance of the foliage, o

owed the thick dust, and felt extremely well. Athwart the foliage of the trees, the sun could be seen setting in the meadows beyond the river. The sky there was purple, warm, and caressing, alluring one thither to the spot where it touched the rim of the dark green fields. Beneath the feet of the promenaders lay a tracery of shadows, and the throng of people trod upon them, without noticing their beauty. Foppishly thrusting[Pg 308] a cigarette into the left corner of his lips, and idly emitting from the right corner little streams of smoke, Gvózdeff scanned the public, feeling within him a genuine desire to have a chat with someone, over a couple of mugs of beer in the restaurant, at the foot of the "Hill." He encountered none of his acquaintances, and no suitable opportunity for picking up a new acquaintance presented itself; for some reason, the public was gloom

th additions. Váska's father had a very fine flock of pigeons. The courtyard of the house was a fine place in which to play at hide-and-seek, because Váska's father was miserly, and saved up in his yard all sorts of rubbish-broken carriages, and casks, and boxes. Now Váska was a physician, in the country, and on the site of the old house stood railway freight-houses.... They had had other chums-all little boys of from

al diminutive for

al diminutive for M

al diminutive for

ocksmith had stuck fast in Back Damp Street. They, when they had finished the parish school, had got into the gymnasium,-he had not got in.... And how would it do if

wd. He was stepping along with his thin legs in their light trousers, his head kept turning from side to side, his short-sighted[Pg 310] eyes were screwed up, as he scanned the public. Gvózdeff came almost alongside of h

noon, Mítry

sed his hat, with the other adjusted the eyegla

he leaned toward the editor, in the most agreeable way pos

taking

lips and nostrils quivered scornful

do you

weather to-day! And I'm very anxious to ha

nything with you!"-declared t

f did t

erstand that very well indeed.... As I put you to conf

itor halted once more.-"And if you don't

miled affe

l, w

g

, and does not know how to extricate himself from it. The public were already staring at them with curiosity.

f obser

descended the hill between the bushes. The editor made no protest against this manoeuvre,-perhaps because he had no time, perhaps because, away from the public, entirely alone, he hoped

metimes torments fellows like me to such a degree that you can't extinguish it with liquor.... Well, and at such times, one gets insolent to somebody: he strikes a passer-by in the

eff's personality aroused his curiosity, or whether he comprehended t

hat you want

g

cted within me, because I feel that I'm an

e no t

th on it.... You see, I understand! What's he, the publisher? He has put his money into th

over the tree, forming a green tent; athwart the branches gleamed the sky, already arrayed in the hues of sunset; the spicy odor of fresh foliage

ind my comrades, the workingmen; somehow, my thoughts take an entirely different direction. I cau

m with a swift change of expression on his

um? W

er. And opposite us Míshka the Sugar-bowl-at the present time, Mikhá?l Efímovitch Khruléff, the examining magistrate,[Pg 313]-deigned to

. He regarded him with the intense gaze of a man who is recalling to mind something

s carried away

e's nothing to show but trash.... A coffin ... and nothing more.... But we used to live on then without any dark thoughts, merrily,-like little birds-that's all that can be said of it! We flew over the fences after the fruits of other people's labors.... Do you remember, one d

naced Dmítry Pávlovitch's vanity did not ring out with especial sharpness. And[Pg 314] everything round about was delightful. Somewhere up above, shuffled the feet of the promenading public on the sands of the paths, their voices were barely audible, and once in a while a laugh resounded; but the breeze was si

u remember, how she disappeared one day, and all we boys, from the whole street, searched the fields and ravines for her? We found her in the camp and led her home through the plain.... There was an awful uproar! Kolokóltzo

rofound, and Gvózdeff lowered his voice, as though yielding to its influence.... The editor listened to him mutely, calling up in his mind pictures of the distant past. All this had been [Pg 315] .... And all this had been better than what was now. Only in childhood is a free soul, which does not notice the weight of the chains that are called the conditions

the difference between me and my former comrades lies in the fact that I did not sit in the gymnasium over my books,-I feel bitter and disgusted.... Does that constitute a man? A

own thoughts, must have misund

tracted tone. But Gvózdeff burst ou

e me? What, precisely,

n the world, and all the people who know me are very tired of me. Because, I have an evil character, and I'm very fond of playing all sorts of practical

then he paused, and resumed, in a rather soothing tone:-"But,

de because of some point of view or other? But I am cast aside in life-I make no headway in it.... Why? Because I'm not learned? But surely, if you learned folks would not judge from a point of view, but in some other w

philosophy, which he had thought out during the long years of his laborious, unsystematic, and sterile life. The editor was disconcerted by his companion's attack

al lords of life ... you're not noblemen.... From them, fellows of my sort have nothing to gain. Those men would say: 6 Go to the devil'-and you'd go. Because-they're aristocrats from ancient times, but you're only aristocra

editor beseechingly, "am I d

or what he admitted; he wanted to have his say, and he felt himself, at th

toil now for my comrades, to whom, in days gone by, I used to give bloody noses? Is it easy for me to receive forty kopéks as a tip from examining-magistrate Khruléff, for whom

ths that the editor shuddered, and moved away from him. When he had got through, swearing, Gvózdeff seemed to weaken, as though th

g

!"-he ejacu

empty, and this sensation of emp

, nor in his heart. For a long time past, all ideal and high-flown discussions of "questions" had evoked in him a feeling of boredom and exhaustion. He had come out to-day to rest, he had purposely avoided meeting his acquaintances,-and all of a sudden, here was

topic of discussion.... But, really, these speeches of yours do present one novelty-in the sense, that they were forme

emen, gentlemen! You are endowed with brains, but as to heart evidently ...

s head, and awaited the answer

at reason had weakened after his excited speeches. He looked at the white cap, which had fallen on the nape of Gvózdeff's neck, at his pock-marked face and

is it?"-inqu

ak frankly, I do not perceive at a

... You can't make me any

conversation was at an end, and that Gvózdeff would assault

e beats me? He

er, in the editorial room, during that stupid scen

ces were very distinctly audible. Large beetles hurtled through the air with a metallic ring. Through the foliage of the trees the stars were visib

e editor, cautiously. Gvózdeff

did yo

dew, I say; i

g

-a

ver resounded the shout: "H

an't we have a drink of beer together?"-suggested Gvózd

now. And then, it's time for

e tree, and stared su

with me? Well, devil take you!"-Gvózdeff cut the interview short, slapping his cap in plac

e passed Gvózdeff, he drew his head down strangely between his shoulders, as though afraid of hitting it a

De-e-evils!... Sen

trees rang t

!"