第57章

“Theveryfactthatshecouldaddressmewithsomuchsympathyandkindnessstruckmedumb。AsregardsDoctorKliachka，Imaymentionthathewasagood-looking，blotchy-faced，heavy-jowledfellowwithamoustachethatreachedtohisshoulders，andlipsthatwereforeverlaughingandvociferating。’Nothinghaseitherabeginningoranend。Theonlythingreallyexistentispleasure。’

“Nay，eventheGeneralcould，attimes，makesportofthefellow，andsayasheshookwithmerriment:

“’Adoctor-comedianisthesortofmanthatyouare。’

“Now，attheperiodofwhichIamspeakingIwasasstraightasadart，andhadashockofluxurianthairoverasetofruddyfeatures。Also，Iwaslivingalifecleanineveryway，andmaintainingacautiousattitudetowardswomenfolk，andholdingprostitutesinacontemptbornofthefactthatIhadhigherviewswithregardtomylife’sdestiny。Lastly，Ineverindulgedinliquor，forIactuallydislikedit，andgavewaytoitsinfluenceonlyindayssubsequenttotheepisodewhichIamnarrating。Yes，and，lastofall，IwasinthehabitoftakingabatheverySaturday。

“ThesameeveningKliachkaandtherestofthepartywentouttothetheatre(for，naturally，theGeneralhadhorsesandacarriageofhisown)，andI，formypart，wenttoinformLukianovofwhathadhappened。

“Hesaid:’Imustcongratulateyou，andamreadytowageryoutwobottlesofbeerthatyouraffairisasgoodassettled。Inafewsecondsafreshlotofversesshallbeturnedout，forpoetryconstitutesaspeciesoftalismanorcharm。’

“And，sureenough，hethenandtherecomposedthepieceabout’thewondrousValentina。’Whatatenderthingitis，andhowfullofunderstanding！MyGod，myGod！“

And，withathoughtfulshakeofhisbead，Kalininraisedhisboyisheyestowardsthebluepatchesintherain-washedsky。

“Dulyshefoundtheverses，“hecontinuedafterawhile，andwithavehemencethatseemedwhollyindependentofhiswill。“Andthereuponshesummonedmetoherroom。

“’Whatarewetodoaboutitall？’sheinquired。

“Shewasbuthalf-dressed，andpracticallythewholeofherbosomwasvisibletomysight。Also，hernakedfeethadonthemonlyslippers，andasshesatinherchairshekeptrockingonefoottoandfroinamaddeningway。

“’Whatarewetodoaboutitall？’sherepeated。

“’WhatamItosayaboutit，atlengthIreplied，’savethatI

feelasthoughIwerenotreallyexistingonearth？’

“’Areyouonewhocanholdyourtongue？’washernextquestion。

“Inodded——nothingelsecouldIcompass，forfurtherspeechhadbecomeimpossible。Whereupon，risingwithbrowspuckered，shefetchedacoupleofsmallphials，and，withtheaidofingredientsthence，mixedapowderwhichshewrappedinpaper，andhandedmewiththewords:

“’OnlyonewayofescapeoffersfromthePlaguesofEgypt。HereIhaveacertainpowder。Tonightthedoctoristodinewithus。

Placethepowderinhissoup，andwithinafewdaysIshallbefree！——yes，f

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