Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Complete Novels & Stories (Wisehouse Classics). Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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СКАЧАТЬ your honour, I wish you good health, your honour.”

      “All right, my good man, all right; but I’ll reward you, my good fellow. Well, you see, how are things?”

      “What is your honour asking?” At this point Ostafyev held his hand as though by accident before his open mouth.

      “You see, my dear fellow, this is how it is... but don’t you imagine... Come, is Andrey Filippovitch here?...”

      “Yes, he is here.”

      “And are the clerks here?”

      “Yes, sir, they are here as usual.”

      “And his Excellency too?”

      “And his Excellency too.” Here the man held his hand before his mouth again, and looked rather curiously and strangely at Mr. Golyadkin, so at least our hero fancied.

      “And there’s nothing special there, my good man?”

      “No, sir, certainly not, sir.”

      “So there’s nothing concerning me, my friend. Is there nothing going on there — that is, nothing more than... eh? nothing more, you understand, my friend?”

      “No, sir, I’ve heard nothing so far, sir.” Again the man put his hand before his mouth and again looked rather strangely at Mr. Golyadkin. The fact was, Mr. Golyadkin was trying to read Ostafyev’s countenance, trying to discover whether there was not something hidden in it. And, in fact, he did look as though he were hiding something: Ostafyev seemed to grow colder and more churlish, and did not enter into Mr. Golyadkin’s interests with the same sympathy as at the beginning of the conversation. “He is to some extent justified,” thought Mr. Golyadkin. “After all, what am I to him? Perhaps he has already been bribed by the other side, and that’s why he has just been absent. but, here, I’ll try him...” Mr. Golyadkin realized that the moment for kopecks had arrived.

      “Here, my dear fellow...”

      “I’m feelingly grateful for your honour’s kindness.”

      “I’ll give you more than that.”

      “Yes, your honour.”

      “I’ll give you some more directly, and when the business is over I’ll give you as much again. Do you understand?”

      The clerk did not speak. He stood at attention and stared fixedly at Mr. Golyadkin.

      “Come, tell me now: have you heard nothing about me?...”

      “I think, so far, I have not... so to say... nothing so far.” Ostafyev, like Mr. Golyadkin, spoke deliberately and preserved a mysterious air, moving his eyebrows a little, looking at the ground, trying to fall into the suitable tone, and, in fact, doing his very utmost to earn what had been promised him, for what he had received already he reckoned as already earned.

      “And you know nothing?”

      “So far, nothing, sir.”

      “Listen... you know... maybe you will know...”

      “Later on, of course, maybe I shall know.”

      “It’s a poor look out,” thought our hero. “Listen: here’s something more, my dear fellow.”

      “I am truly grateful to your honour.”

      “Was Vahramyev here yesterday?...”

      “Yes, sir.”

      “And... somebody else?... Was he?... Try and remember, brother.”

      The man ransacked his memory for a moment, and could think of nothing appropriate.

      “No, sir, there wasn’t anybody else.”

      “H’m!” a silence followed.

      “Listen, brother, here’s some more; tell me all, every detail.”

      “Yes, sir,” Ostafyev had by now become as soft as silk; which was just what Mr. Golyadkin needed.

      “Explain to me now, my good man, what footing is he on?”

      “All right, sir, a good one, sir,” answered the man, gazing open-eyed at Mr. Golyadkin.

      “How do you mean, all right?”

      “Well, it’s just like that, sir.” Here Ostafyev twitched his eyebrows significantly. But he was utterly nonplussed and didn’t know what more to say.

      “It’s a poor look out,” thought Mr. Golyadkin.

      “And hasn’t anything more happened... in there... about Vahramyev?”

      “But everything is just as usual.”

      “Think a little.”

      “There is, they say...”

      “Come, what?”

      Ostafyev put his hand in front of his mouth.

      “Wasn’t there a letter... from here... to me?”

      “Mihyeev the attendant went to Vahramyev’s lodging, to their German landlady, so I’ll go and ask him if you like.”

      “Do me the favour, brother, for goodness’ sake!... I only mean... you mustn’t imagine anything, brother, I only mean... Yes, you question him, brother, find out whether they are not getting up something concerning me. Find out how he is acting. That is what I want; that is what you must find out, my dear fellow, and then I’ll reward you, my good man...”

      “I will, your honour, and Ivan Semyonovitch sat in your place today, sir.”

      “Ivan Semyonovitch? Oh! really, you don’t say so.”

      “Andrey Filippovitch told him to sit there.”

      “Re-al-ly! How did that happen? You must find out, brother; for God’s sake find out, brother; find it all out — and I’ll reward you, my dear fellow; that’s what I want to know... and don’t you imagine anything, brother...”

      “Just so, sir, just so; I’ll go at once. And aren’t you going in today, sir?”

      “No, my friend; I only looked round, I only looked round, you know. I only came to have a look round, my friend, and I’ll reward you afterwards, my friend.”

      “Yes, sir.” The man ran rapidly and eagerly up the stairs and Mr. Golyadkin was left alone.

      “It’s a poor look out!” he thought. “Eh, it’s a bad business, a bad business! Ech! things are in a bad way with us now! What does it all mean? What did that drunkard’s insinuations mean, for instance, and whose trickery was it? Ah! I know whose it was. And what a thing this is. No doubt they found out and made him sit there... But, after all, did they sit him there? It was Andrey Filippovitch sat him there and with what object? Probably they found out... That СКАЧАТЬ