me in gusts. Ivan Ivanovitch had been to town, to the mower's, and at the farm, and had succeeded in asking al

l-to-do man I am! What is there that I have not? Birds, buildings, granaries, everything I take a fancy to; genuine distilled vodka; pears and p

ind it peeped a court-coat, with buttons stamped with coats-of-arms, and moth-eaten collar; and white kersymere pantaloons with spots, which had once upon a time clothed Ivan Nikiforovitch's legs, and might now possibly fit his fingers. Behind them were speedily hung some more in the shape of the letter pi. Then came a blue Cossack jacket, which Ivan Nikiforovitch had had made twenty years before, when he was preparing to enter the militia, and

, or a scrap of gold brocade, or playing in the point of a sword, formed an unusual sight, similar to the representations of the Nativity given at farmhouses by

after her an old-fashioned saddle with broken stirrups, worn leather hol

Ivanovitch. "She'll be dragging Ivan N

a gun. "What's the meaning of this?" thought Ivan Ivanovitch. "I never knew Ivan Nikiforovitch had a gun. What does he want with it? Whether he shoots, or not, he keeps a gun! Of what use is it to him?

an approach

ou have there,

, as y

ort of

perhaps I should know what it is made of; but it

gun on all sides, and forgot to reprove the old

ron," went on

id Ivan Ivanovitch. "Has

ong, pe

him for it. What can he want with it? I'll make an exchang

es

e doing? l

lying

, I will c

ck for the benefit of the dogs, for, in Mirgorod, there are

urn into an alley which was so narrow that if two one-horse carts chanced to meet they could not get out, and were forced to remain there until the drivers, seizing the hind-wheels, dragged them back in opposite directions into

a small boy wallowing with dirty blouse-a picture such as painters love. The shadows of the fluttering clothes covered nearly the whole of the yard and lent it a degree of coolness. The woman greeted him with a bend of her head and stood, gaping, in one spot. The front of the house was adorned with a small porch, with its roof supported on two oak pillars-a

made in one of them took on the colours of the rainbow, and, striking the opposite wall, sketched upon it a parti-coloured picture

ou!" said Iva

Then only did Ivan Ivanovitch perceive Ivan Nikiforovitch lying upon a rug which

ave been asleep, I

Have you been aslee

hav

you hav

sleep until this time? I have just come from the farm. There's very fin

ch, "fetch Ivan Ivanovitch some vod

er we're ha

vitch! Devil take it! You ca

vitch! you will recall my words when it's too late. You

I have not attacked your father nor your mo

ugh, Ivan Ni

Ivanovitch, I di

e quails haven't come

e, but I have not ins

he did not hear Ivan Nikiforovitch; "it is more than time for

at the barl

barley,

ence

s aired, Ivan Nikiforovitch?"

st new they were too. Now I'm having them aired; the cloth is fin

pleased me extremely

was

as been put to air with the clothes?" Here Ivan Ivanovit

f-box. "That stupid woman! So she hung the gun out to air. That Jew at Sorotchintzi makes good snuff. I don't know what h

about that gun; what are you going

it? I might want

bearing and figure; how are you to drag yourself about the marshes, especially when your garment, which it is not polite to mention in conversation by name, is being aired at this very moment? No; you require rest, repose." Ivan

days. I bought it of a Turk when I joined the militia; and now, to giv

nsable f

house?... Indispensable indeed! Glory to Go

, Ivan Nikiforovitch,

right; all that needs to be done is to rub

ing but a friendly disposition towards me. You

I have never interfered with them. When you go to Poltava, you always ask for my waggon, and what then? Have I ever refused? Your children

t to me, then let us

n Ivan Nikiforovitch raised himself on h

ave fed in the sty. A magnificent sow. You'll s

can talk so. What could I do with your s

t the devil! It's a sin! by Heaven

tch, by offering the deuce know

euce knows what,'

ing; but the deuce knows what that sow is like! If it had not been you who

ave you observ

you take me

let it rot and rust where it stands in the corner of th

is a pau

itch, "that three kings have

old me so. What sort of wa

ch, what the cause is. I suppose the ki

it," said Ivan Nikifor

r on them in consequence. 'No,' says h

will beat them,

n't exchange the gun,

you, who seem to be a man distinguished for sense,

be with it! let it burst!

nt lunch was

an Nikiforovitch: I will give you, besides the sow, two sacks of oats. Y

ery foolish! Who ever heard of swapping a gun for two

kiforovitch, that I am t

s of oats and a

it too

a g

rse, fo

cks for

t filled with oats; and y

you don't like that, th

ot needles in the other world for such godless words. After a conversatio

ce thing, a most curious thing; and besides,

Ivan Nikiforovitch," said Ivan Ivanovitch with v

vanovitch, are a

ave quarrelled, but would have parted friends as usual; but now

Ivan Nikiforovitch?" he

like a goose, I

d the respect due to a man's rank and famil

it? And why are you flourishing

, in disregard of all de

van Ivanovitch! What ar

shape, and became like the letter O; he glared so that he was terrible to look at. This very ra

claimed Ivan Ivanovitch, "th

t account!" retorted Ivan Nikiforovitch. He lied, b

t my foot inside

ry to his custom. "Hey, there, woman, boy!" Thereupon there appeared at the door the same fat woman and the s

do it if you dare! Come on! I'll annihilate you and your stupid master. The crows won't be

senseless, terrified look on her face, and Ivan Ivanovitch with uplifted hand, as the Roman tribunes are depicted. This was a magnificen

You have behaved well, Ivan Nikiforovit

don't come in my way: if you do, I'll beat

ovitch, making an insulting gesture and banged the

to add something more; but Ivan Ivanovitch di