“Why, is he so much in your hands? Does he owe a lot?”
“He . . . owes a lot.”
“He’ll pay you back; he’s come into an inheritance . . .”
“That’s not his inheritance. He owes me money, and he owes me other things. The inheritance isn’t enough. I’ll lend to you without interest.”
“Also as ‘to a friend’? How have I deserved it?” I laughed.
“You will deserve it.” He again thrust his whole body towards me and was about to raise his finger.
“Stebelkov! No fingers, or else I leave.”
“Listen . . . he may marry Anna Andreevna!” And he squinted his left eye infernally.
“Listen here, Stebelkov, the conversation is taking on such a scandalous character . . . How dare you mention the name of Anna Andreevna?”
“Don’t be angry.”
“I’m only listening unwillingly, because I clearly see some sort of trick here and want to find out . . . But I may lose control, Stebelkov!”
“Don’t be angry, don’t be proud. Don’t be proud for a little while and listen; then you can be proud again. You do know about Anna Andreevna? That the prince may marry her . . . you do know?”
“I’ve heard about this idea, of course, and I know everything, but I’ve never said anything to the prince about this idea. I only know that this idea was born in the mind of old Prince Sokolsky, who is still sick; but I’ve never said anything or taken part in anything. As I’m telling you that solely by way of explanation, I’ll allow myself to ask you, first: what made you start talking with me about this? And, second, can it be that the prince talks about such things with
“He doesn’t talk with me; he doesn’t want to talk with me, but I talk with him, and he doesn’t want to listen. He started yelling earlier.”
“What else! I approve of him.”
“Prince Sokolsky, the little old man, will give a big dowry with Anna Andreevna. She pleases him. Then Prince Sokolsky the suitor will pay me back all the money. And the non-money debt as well. He’s sure to! But now he has no means to pay it back.”
“But me, what do you need me for?”
“For the main question: you’re an acquaintance; you know everybody there. You can find everything out.”
“Ah, the devil . . . find what out?”
“Whether the prince wants it, whether Anna Andreevna wants it, whether the old prince wants it. Find out for certain.”
“And you dare suggest that I be your spy, and do it for money!” I cried in indignation.
“Don’t be proud, don’t be proud. For just a little longer, don’t be proud, for another five minutes.” He sat me down again. He was evidently not afraid of my gestures and exclamations; but I decided to listen to the end.
“I need to find out soon, very soon, because . . . because soon it may be too late. Did you see how he ate the pill earlier, when the officer began talking about the baron and Mme. Akhmakov?”
It was decidedly humiliating to listen further, but my curiosity was invincibly enticed.
“Listen, you . . . you worthless man!” I said resolutely. “If I sit here and listen and allow you to speak of such persons . . . and even answer you myself, it’s not at all because I allow you that right. I simply see some sort of meanness . . . And, first of all, what hopes can the prince have regarding Katerina Nikolaevna?”
“None, but he’s frantic.”
“That’s not true.”
“Frantic. Which means that Mme. Akhmakov is now—a pass. He’s lost a trick here. Now he’s only got Anna Andreevna. I’ll give you two thousand . . . with no interest and no promissory note.”
Having said this, he leaned back resolutely and importantly in his chair and goggled his eyes at me. I was also all eyes.
“Your suit comes from Bolshaya Millionnaya;19 you need money, money; my money’s better than his. I’ll give you more than two thousand.”
“But what for? What for, devil take it?”
I stamped my foot. He leaned towards me and said expressively:
“So that you won’t interfere.”
“But it’s no concern of mine anyway,” I cried.
“I know you’re keeping quiet. That’s good.”
“I don’t need your approval. For my own part, I very much wish for it, but I consider that it’s none of my business, and that it would even be indecent of me.”
“You see, you see—indecent!” he raised his finger.
“See what?”
“Indecent . . . Heh!” and he suddenly laughed. “I understand, I understand that it’s indecent for you, but . . . you’re not going to interfere?” he winked, but in this winking there was something so insolent, even jeering, base! He precisely supposed some sort of baseness in me and was counting on that baseness . . . That was clear, but I
