to the whole 'vulgar,' as he called it, business of the watch; David,
who had more than once declared that it wasn't worth a rotten egg,
jumped up from his seat, got hot all over, ground his teeth and
clenched his fists. 'We can't let this pass!' he said at last; 'how
dare he take someone else's property? Wait a bit, I'll show him. I
won't let thieves off so easily!'
I confess I don't understand to this day what can have so infuriated
David. Whether he had been irritated before and Vassily's action had
simply poured oil on the flames, or whether my suspicions had wounded
him, I cannot say, but I had never seen him in such excitement. I
stood before him with my mouth open merely wondering how it was that
his breathing was so hard and laboured.
'What do you intend to do?' I asked at last.
'You shall see after dinner, when your father lies down. I'll find
this scoffer, I'll talk to him.'
'Well,' thought I, 'I should not care to be in that scoffer's shoes!
What will happen? Merciful heavens?'
XVII.
This is what did happen:
As soon as that drowsy, stifling stillness prevailed, which to this
day lies like a feather bed on the Russian household and the Russian
people in the middle of the day after dinner is eaten, David went to
the servants' rooms (I followed on his heels with a sinking heart) and
called Vassily out. The latter was at first unwilling to come, but
ended by obeying and following us into the garden.
David stood close in front of him. Vassily was a whole head taller.
'Vassily Terentyev,' my comrade began in a firm voice, 'six weeks ago
you took from under this very apple-tree the watch we hid there. You
had no right to do so; it does not belong to you. Give it back at
once!'
Vassily was taken aback, but at once recovered himself.
'What watch? What are you talking about? God bless you! I have no
watch!'
'I know what I am saying and don't tell lies. You've got the watch,
give it back.'
'I've not got your watch.'
'Then how was it that in the eating-house, you...' I began, but David
stopped me.
'Vassily Terentyev!' he pronounced in a hollow, threatening voice, 'we
know for a fact that you have the watch. You are told honourably to
give it back and if you don't...'
Vassily sniggered insolently.
'Then what will you do with me then? Eh?'
'What will we do? We will both fight with you till you beat us or we
beat you.'
Vassily laughed.
'Fight? That's not for a gentleman! To fight with a servant!'
David suddenly caught hold of Vassily's waistcoat.
'But we are not going to fight you with our fists,' he articulated,
grinding his teeth. 'Understand that! I'll give you a knife and take
one myself.... And then we shall see who does for which? Alexey!' he
began commanding me, 'run for my big knife, you know the one with the
bone handle--it's lying on the table and the other's in my pocket.'
Vassily positively collapsed. David stood holding him by the
waistcoat.
'Mercy on us! ... Mercy on us, David Yegoritch!' he muttered; tears
actually came into his eyes. 'What do you mean, what are you saying?
Let me go.'
'I won't let you go. And we shall have no mercy on you! If you get
away from us today, we shall begin again to-morrow. Alyoshka, where's
the knife?'
'David Yegoritch,' wailed Vassily, 'don't commit murder.... What are
you doing! The watch ... I certainly ... I was joking. I'll give it to
