FullReads

“Why are you clacking away like that, my good sir, eh? Have you gone out of your wits in your office? “

“Enough, gentlemen, enough! ” Zverkov cried, authoritatively.

“How stupid it is! ” muttered Simonov.

“It really is stupid. We have met here, a company of friends, for a farewell dinner to a comrade and you carry on an altercation,” said Trudolyubov, rudely addressing himself to me alone.”You invited yourself to join us, so don’t disturb the general harmony.”

“Enough, enough! ” cried Zverkov.”Give over, gentlemen, it’s out of place. Better let me tell you how I nearly got married the day before yesterday ….”

And then followed a burlesque narrative of how this gentleman had almost been married two days before. There was not a word about the marriage, however, but the story was adorned with generals, colonels and kammer-junkers, while Zverkov almost took the lead among them. It was greeted with approving laughter; Ferfitchkin positively squealed.

No one paid any attention to me, and I sat crushed and humiliated.

“Good Heavens, these are not the people for me! ” I thought.”And what a fool I have made of myself before them! I let Ferfitchkin go too far, though. The brutes imagine they are doing me an honour in letting me sit down with them. They don’t understand that it’s an honour to them and not to me! I’ve grown thinner! My clothes! Oh, damn my trousers! Zverkov noticed the yellow stain on the knee as soon as he came in…. But what’s the use! I must get up at once, this very minute, take my hat and simply go without a word… with contempt! And tomorrow I can send a challenge. The scoundrels! As though I cared about the seven roubles. They may think…. Damn it! I don’t care about the seven roubles. I’ll go this minute! “

Of course I remained. I drank sherry and Lafitte by the glassful in my discomfiture. Being unaccustomed to it, I was quickly affected. My annoyance increased as the wine went to my head. I longed all at once to insult them all in a most flagrant manner and then go away. To seize the moment and show what I could do, so that they would say, “He’s clever, though he is absurd,” and… and… in fact, damn them all!

I scanned them all insolently with my drowsy eyes. But they seemed to have forgotten me altogether. They were noisy, vociferous, cheerful. Zverkov was talking all the time. I began listening. Zverkov was talking of some exuberant lady whom he had at last led on to declaring her love (of course, he was lying like a horse), and how he had been helped in this affair by an intimate friend of his, a Prince Kolya, an officer in the hussars, who had three thousand serfs.

“And yet this Kolya, who has three thousand serfs, has not put in an appearance here tonight to see you off,” I cut in suddenly. For one minute every one was silent.

“You are drunk already.”Trudolyubov deigned to notice me at last, glancing contemptuously in my direction. Zverkov, without a word, examined me as though I were an insect. I dropped my eyes. Simonov made haste to fill up the glasses with champagne.

Trudolyubov raised his glass, as did everyone else but me.

“Your health and good luck on the journey! ” he cried to Zverkov.”To old times, to our future, hurrah! “

They all tossed off their glasses, and crowded round Zverkov to kiss him. I did not move; my full glass stood untouched before me.

“Why, aren’t you going to drink it? ” roared Trudolyubov, losing patience and turning menacingly to me.

“I want to make a speech separately, on my own account… and then I’ll drink it, Mr. Trudolyubov.”