much of such superiority, and David remained my leader.
II
My name--you know--is Alexey. I was born on the seventh of March and
my name-day is the seventeenth. In accordance with the old-fashioned
custom, I was given the name of the saint whose festival fell on the
tenth day after my birth. My godfather was a certain Anastasy
Anastasyevitch Putchkov, or more exactly Nastasey Nastasyeitch, for
that was what everyone called him. He was a terribly shifty,
pettifogging knave and bribe-taker--a thoroughly bad man; he had been
turned out of the provincial treasury and had had to stand his trial
on more than one occasion; he was often of use to my father.... They
used to 'do business' together. In appearance he was a round, podgy
figure; and his face was like a fox's with a nose like an owl's. His
eyes were brown, bright, also like a fox's, and he was always moving
them, those eyes, to right and to left, and he twitched his nose, too,
as though he were sniffing the air. He wore shoes without heels, and
wore powder every day, which was looked upon as very exceptional in
the provinces. He used to declare that he could not go without powder
as he had to associate with generals and their ladies. Well, my
name-day had come. Nastasey Nastasyeitch came to the house and said:
'I have never made you a present up to now, godson, but to make up for
that, look what a fine thing I have brought you to-day.'
And he took out of his pocket a silver watch, a regular turnip, with a
rose tree engraved on the face and a brass chain. I was overwhelmed
with delight, while my aunt, Pelageya Petrovna, shouted at the top of
her voice:
'Kiss his hand, kiss his hand, dirty brat!'
I proceeded to kiss my godfather's hand, while my aunt went piping on:
'Oh, Nastasey Nastasyeitch! Why do you spoil him like this? How can he
take care of a watch? He will be sure to drop it, break it, or spoil
it.'
My father walked in, looked at the watch, thanked Nastasey
Nastasyeitch--somewhat carelessly, and invited him to his study. And I
heard my father say, as though to himself:
'If you think to get off
stay still. I put on the watch and rushed headlong to show my present
to David.
III
David took the watch, opened it and examined it attentively. He had
great mechanical ability; he liked having to do with iron, copper, and
metals of all sorts; he had provided himself with various instruments,
and it was nothing for him to mend or even to make a screw, a key or
anything of that kind.
David turned the watch about in his hands and muttering through his
teeth (he was not talkative as a rule):
'Oh ... poor ...' added, 'where did you get it?'
I told him that my godfather had given it me.
David turned his little grey eyes upon me:
'Nastasey?'
'Yes, Nastasey Nastasyeitch.'
David laid the watch on the table and walked away without a word.
'Do you like it?' I asked.
'Well, it isn't that.... But if I were you, I would not take any sort
of present from Nastasey.'
'Why?'
'Because he is a contemptible person; and you ought not to be under an
obligation to a contemptible person. And to say thank you to him, too.
I suppose you kissed his hand?'
'Yes, Aunt made me.'
David grinned--a peculiar grin--to himself. That was his way. He never
laughed aloud; he considered laughter a sign of feebleness.
David's words, his silent grin, wounded me deeply. 'So he inwardly
