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we packed her off that same evening. When I was chasing her out, she took on something awful. She cried and she couldnā€™t catch her breath for sobbing; she even tore her hair. Of course, her fix wasnā€™t any too sweet. Where was she to go? All her goods, all her booty, was her own person. But nevertheless she went off. Vanniya, too, quieted down for a while. He was let out from under lock and key in the morningā ā€”and never a peep out of him; he was very much scared, and you could see by his face that he was conscience-stricken. He settled down to work. And so I even rejoiced and was set at restā ā€”but not for long. Again there were leaks from the till; and this here streetwalker started sending a boy into the shop, and my son, now, would supply her with all sorts of delicacies! Now heā€™d give her all the sugar she wanted, now tea, now tobacco.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ Or a handkerchief, or soap, again and againā ā€”whatever came to his hand.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ How was a body to watch him all the time? And then he started in to drink, harder and harder. At last he neglected the store entirely: he didnā€™t even live at home, come to think of itā ā€”heā€™d just come in and eat, and then heā€™d be off again without as much as a by-your-leave. Every day heā€™d go off to see her; heā€™d put a bottle under his coat, and away with him; and this same vodka, now, was already dear then. I run around like a chicken without its headā ā€”from the dram-shop to the store, from the store to the dram-shop; and by that time I was afraid to tell him as much as a wordā ā€”he had become a downright tramp! He always was a good-lookerā ā€”he took after me entirely; his face was very fair and softā ā€”just like a young lady, he was; he had clear, intelligent eyes; was well-built, broad-shouldered, with chestnut curly hair.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ But now his mug was all bloated; his hair got shaggy and came down over his collar; his eyes got bleary, and he got all tattered and had begun to stoop. He always kept silent now, looking at the bridge of his nose all the timeā ā€”in deep thought, like.

ā€œDonā€™t you bother me now,ā€ heā€™d say, ā€œIā€™m liable to do something that will lead to prison.ā€

And when heā€™d get tipsy, heā€™d start slobbering, laughing over nothing at all; heā€™d be playing ā€œTime Fled Beyond Recallā€ on his accordion, and his eyes would fill with tears. Well, I see my affairs are in a bad wayā ā€”time for me to get married, soon as I can. And right then they was trying to make a match betwixt me and a certain widowerā ā€”he had a store, too, and lived in a suburb. An elderly man, he was, but in good standing, with means. Just the very thing, you understand, that I was striving for. I find out as quickly as I can from trustworthy folks all about his life, down to the last stitch; I see thereā€™s nothing out of the way whatsoever. I got to decide about getting up an acquaintance as quick as possibleā ā€”the matchmaker had only shown us to each other in church before that; I got to bring it about, you understand, soā€™s we can visit each otherā ā€”sort of make an inspection, as it were. He comes to me first, and gives his credentials: ā€œLagutin, Nikolai Ivannichā ā€”storekeeper.ā€ ā€œVery pleased to meet you,ā€ I says. I see heā€™s altogether a fine manā ā€”not any too tall, of course, and all gray; but so agreeable, quiet, neat, diplomaticā ā€”you could see he was a thrifty sort; he had never run up a copper of debt to anybody in all his life, he says. Then me and the matchmaker went to see him, like it was on business. We get there. I see heā€™s got a wine-cellarā ā€”Rhine wines, mostly; and a store stocked with everything that goes with wines: cured lard, now, and ham, and sardines, and herrings. The house wasnā€™t large, but neat as a pin. There was flowers and little curtains on the windows, the floor was swept cleanā ā€”even though he were a bachelor. In the yard everything was in order, too. There was three cows and two horses. One was a three-year-old broodmareā ā€”heā€™d been offered five hundred for it already, he said, but heā€™d turned the offer down. Well, I just went into raptures watching that horseā ā€”thatā€™s how handsome it was! But he only smiles quiet-like, walks with little steps before us, crackling his fingers, and telling us everything, like he was reading off some price-list: hereā€™s this and this, and thereā€™s that and that.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ So, thinks I, itā€™s no use trying to be too smart here; the business ought to be brought to an end quick.ā ā€Šā ā€¦

Of course, itā€™s only now that Iā€™m telling all these things so briefly; but only my poor head knows what feelings I went through at that time! I couldnā€™t feel my legs under me for joyā ā€”Iā€™d gotten what I was after, you see, I had found the party I was looking for! But I kept silent, I was afraid and shivering all overā ā€”supposing all my hopes was to be dashed down? And thatā€™s almost what did happen; all my trouble almost went for nothingā ā€”and I canā€™t tell calmly the reason why, even now;ā ā€”it was on account of this here poor cripple, and on account of my darling little son! We was managing this business so quietly, so genteel, that we thought never a soul would know. But no, I hear that the entire suburb already knows about my intentions and Nikolai Ivannichā€™s; the rumour, of course, reached the Samokhvalovs as wellā ā€”never fear, it was nobody else but Polkanikha that whispered it to them. And he, the poor cripple, now, took and hung himself, like Iā€™m telling you! ā€œThere now, youā ā€”I threatened and you didnā€™t believe me, so now, Iā€™ll do it just to spite

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