will!' continued Yevsay; ' I will take the holy image from the wall and '
' You are all good enough in words!' said Anna Pavlovna, ' but when it comes to doing anything, then you're nowhere! It seems you took fine care of your master; you let him go till he—my poor darling—lost his health! You looked after him! Here I'll teach you '
She threatened him.
' Didn't I look after him, madam ? In seven years of the master's linen only one shirt has been lost, and except for me they would all have been worn out.'
'And where was it lost?' asked Anna Pavlovna angrily.
'At the laundress's. I told Alexandr Fedoritch at the time to deduct for it from her, but he never said anything.'
' Only think, the wretch,' observed Anna Pavlovna, ' to filch fine linen.'
' In what way didn't I look after him !' continued Yevsay, ' God grant every one to do his duty as I did. Sometimes the master would want to be later in bed, and I run to the baker.'
' What kind of loaves did he eat ? '
' White bread, good.'
' I know it was white; but was it milk-bread ? '
' What a post, to be sure !' said Agrafena, ' he doesn't know how to utter a word sensibly; and now he's a Peters-burger !'
' No, not a bit!' said Yevsay. ' Lenten bread.'
' Lenten bread! Oh, what a wretch you are, robber, murderer!' said Anna Pavlovna, growing red with anger.
' You did not hesitate to buy Lenten bread for him ? You call that looking after him!'
' But the master gave no orders, madam!'
' Gave no orders! He, poor darling, does not care what you put before him, he will eat it just the same. And did it never occur to you ? Did you forget that here he always ate milk-bread ? Buy Lenten bread ! I suppose you took the money somewhere else ? I will show you ! Well, what more ? tell me.'
' After he had drunk some tea,' Yevsay went on, losing courage, ' he would go to his duty, and I to my shoes; I clean them the whole morning, I always clean them over again, sometimes even three times; in the evening the master takes them off, I clean them again. How did I not look after him, madam; why, I never saw on any gentleman such boots. Piotr Ivanitch's were worse polished though he kept three men.'
'Why is he like this?' said Anna Pavlovna somewhat appeased.
' It must be from writing, madam.'
u Did he write much ? '
' Yes; every day.'
' What did he write ? papers of some sort ? '
' Yes, it must have been papers.'
' And you, why didn't you try to stop him ? '
' I did try to prevent him, madam; ' don't be sitting so,' says I, ' Alexandr Fedoritch; condescend to take a walk; the weather is fine, many gentlemen are out walking. What's the good of writing ? you tire yourself a lot; your mamma will be angry.''
' And what did he say ? '
' Go away,' he says ; ' you're a fool!'
' And that's just what you are—a fool!' added Agra-fena.
On this Yevsay looked at her, then again continued to gaze at his mistress.
' Well, and didn't his uncle try to prevent him ? ' asked Anna Pavlovna.
' How should he, madam 1 he would come, and if he found the master without work, he would fall upon him. 'Why,' he would say, 'are you doing nothing? Here,' he says, 'you're not in the country, you must work,' he says, ' and not
lie on the shelf! You are always dreaming,' he says! And he would even give him a scolding.'
' How a scolding ? '
' The provinces ! ' he would say, and he'd go on and go on .... he would scold as I would not have believed my ears.'
' Oh the wretch !' said Anna Pavlovna with a gesture of disgust. ' He ought to get children of his own to abuse ! Instead of trying to restrain him, he ... . Oh Lord my God, merciful Tzar!' she shrieked, ' whom can one trust in these days when one's own kin are worse than savage brutes ? Even a beast cares for its whelps, but here an uncle has been the ruin of his own nephew! And you, great idiot, could not you have said a word to his uncle to beg him not to rate your master like that, and he would have left off directly. He should have rated at his wife, wretch that she is ! He had some one to abuse with ' work, work!' Serve him right if he killed himself with work! A brute, upon my word what a brute, God forgive me for saying so.'
After this followed a pause.
'Is it long since Sashenka has bee n so thin? ' she
inquired at last. •—»
'It's three years now,' replied Yevsay, 'since Alexandr | Fedoritch began to be sadly depressed and took little food; suddenly he began to grow thin and thinner, he wasted like a candle.'
' Why was he depressed ? '
' God knows why, madam. Piotr Ivanitch was pleased to say something to him about this; I happened to hear it, but it was strange; I did not understand it.'
' But what did he say ? '
Yevsay thought a minute, trying apparently to recollect something while his lips moved.
' He called him something or other, but I have forgotten.'
Anna Pavlovna and Agrafena looked at him and awaked his reply with impatience.
' Well ? ' said Anna Pavlovna.
Yevsay did not speak.
'Well, gaby, say something,' added Agrafena, 'the mistress is waiting.'
})>'<'
' Dis .... I think .... disily — usioned,' Yevsay brought out at last.
Anna Pavlovna looked in perplexity at Agrafena, Agrafena at Yevsay, and Yevsay at both of them, and all were silent.
'What? ' asked Anna Pavlovna.
' Disill—disillusioned, that was exactly it, I remember !' replied Yevsay in a tone of decision.
' Is it some sort of misfortune ? Good Heavens, is it a disease ? ' said Anna Pavlovna in anxiety.
' Ah, hasn't he been bewitched; does'nt it mean, madam ?' put in Agrafena hastily.
Anna Pavlovna grew pale and made a gesture of horror.
' A curse on your tongue ! ' she said. ' Did he go to church?'
Yevsay was somewhat taken aback.
' One could not say, madam, that he went very much,' he answered hesitatingly; ' one might almost say that he did not go ... . there the gentry go very little to church.'
' Ah, that's why it is!' said Anna Pavlovna, crossing herself with a sigh. *' It seems my prayers alone were not sufficient in God's eyes. My dream was not a lying one; you have really been torn from the abyss, my darling !'
At this point Anton Ivanitch entered.
' Dinner is getting cold, Anna Pavlovna,' he said; ' isn't it time to wake Alexandr Fedoritch ? '
' No, no, God forbid!' she answered, ' he gave orders not to be waked. ' You can dine alone,' he said ; ' I have no appetite; I had better sleep a little; sleep will restore me; perhaps I shall be ready for something in the evening.' So this is what you must do, Anton Ivanitch; now don't be vexed with an old woman like me; I will go and light a lamp and pray while Sashenka is asleep; I could not eat; and you dine alone.'
' Very good, ma'am, very good, I will do so; you may reckon on me.'
' And do me another favour,' she continued ; ' you are our friend, you love us so, call Yevsay to you and question him skilfully why it is Sashenka has grown so melancholy and thin and what has become of his hair ? You
