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money.ā€

I got at the drawer, opened the cover of the accordionā ā€”and there, stuffed into the bellows, was a tin elephantā ā€”feeling pretty heavy. I take it out and hand it to him. He takes it, rattles it, lays it by himā ā€”just like a baby, he was, honest to Godā ā€”and goes off into thought about something. He keeps silent, and he keeps silent; then he smiles, and says:

ā€œToday, Nast, I had a fine dream. I even woke up before daybreak on account of it, and it has made me feel very good all day, up to dinner. Just lookā ā€”I have even shaved myself, and have got all dressed up for you.ā€

ā€œBut then, Nicanor Matveich, you always go about neat-dressed, anyway.ā€

And I donā€™t understand myself what Iā€™m saying, Iā€™m that excited.

ā€œWell,ā€ says he, ā€œI guess I will be able to go about in the other world. You canā€™t even imagine what a good-looking fellow Iā€™m going to be in the other world!ā€

I even got to feeling sorry for him.

ā€œItā€™s a sin to make fun of such things, Nicanor Matveich, and I canā€™t even understand why you say such things. Perhaps,ā€ I says, ā€œGod will send you health yet. Youā€™d do better to tell me what your dream was.ā€

He started in beating about the bush again; started in to smile wrylyā ā€”ā€œWhat good am I alive!ā€ he says. Then he began, without rhyme or reason, to talk about a cow we had:

ā€œFor Godā€™s sake,ā€ says he, ā€œtell mother to sell it; I canā€™t stand it no more, thatā€™s how tired I am of it; I lie here in bed and look at the little barn where sheā€™s kept, and she always looks back at me through the bars,ā€ā ā€”and all the while heā€™s rattling the money, and keeps from looking me in the eyes. And I listen, and also canā€™t understand half of what heā€™s sayingā ā€”just like two persons out of their minds, we was, saying anything that came into our heads. Finally I couldnā€™t stand it no more; for, thinks I, everybody will wake up at any second, and theyā€™ll be calling for a samovar, and then the whole business falls through! And so I interrupt him as soon as I can, going in for cunning:

ā€œBut no,ā€ I says, ā€œyouā€™d better tell me what dream you saw.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ Was it anything about us two?ā€

Of course, I wanted to say something that would please him, and I struck it so right that he even changed colour entirely, and cast his eyes down. All of a sudden he takes the toy bank, gets a little key out of his trousersā€™ pocket, and wants to open itā ā€”and canā€™t, nohow; just, canā€™t get at the keyhole, his hands are trembling so. At last he does manage to open it and pours out all it held onto his bellyā ā€”I remember it all like it was now: there was two paper bills and eight gold pieces; he scoops it all into his hand, and suddenly says in a whisper:

ā€œCould you kiss me just once?ā€

My hands and feet just got numb from fright. But heā€™s carrying on like he was going out of his mind, whispering, stretching upward to me:

ā€œNastechka, just once! God is my witness I will never say another word, never ask again!ā€

I looked over my shoulderā ā€”well, thinks I, I might just as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lambā ā€”and I kissed him. So he was all just gasping; he grabbed me around the neck, caught my lips, and I guess he didnā€™t let me go for a whole minute. Then he shoves all the money into my handā ā€”and turns his face to the wall.

ā€œGo,ā€ he says.

I ran out and went straight into my room. I put the money away under lock and key, grabbed hold of a lemon, and started in to rub my lips. I rubbed them so hard that they simply turned all white. I was awful afraid, to tell the truth, that I might get a consumption from him.ā ā€Šā ā€¦

Well and goodā ā€”this business, then, turned out all right, glory be to God; so I begin to lay my plans for the next move, of more importanceā ā€”the one which I had the most struggles about. I felt that there was trouble brewing; I was afraid he wouldnā€™t let me leave my place. ā€œHeā€™ll start in,ā€ thinks I, ā€œto pester me with his love, will want to become my husband on account of this money.ā€ But no; nothing happens, I see. He donā€™t try to annoy me; he treats me rightly, the same like before, as though nothing had taken place between usā ā€”even more modestly, it looks likeā ā€”and he donā€™t call me into his room: that meant he was keeping his word. Then I bring the talk around to my going away, putting it up to my master and mistress: itā€™s time for me to see about my son a little, now; to be free for a little while. They wonā€™t even hear of it. And as for him, you can understand how he felt, without my saying a word about it. I hinted about my going away to him at one timeā ā€”so he just got all white. He turns his face to the wall, and says with a sort of a bitter little smile:

ā€œYou have no right to do it,ā€ he says. ā€œYou have led me on, have got me used to you. You must waitā ā€”I will die soon. But if you go away now, I will strangle myself.ā€

A fine modest fellow he turned out to be, didnā€™t he? ā€œAh,ā€ thinks I, ā€œdamn your shameless eyes! Here I have forced myself to do like you wanted, but you take to threatening me! Oh, no, you havenā€™t come across one of that sort in me!ā€ And I started looking for an excuse harder than ever. About that time, most luckily, the mistress gave birth to another girl, and a wet-nurse was hired for her; so I picked on that, saying that I couldnā€™t get along with her.

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