his hand.
“You must be joking, my dear sir!” he said, disappearing behind the door.
“What kind of joke is it?” thought Cherviakov. “This is no kind of joke at all! A general, yet he can’t understand! If that’s the way it is, I won’t apologize to the swaggerer any more! Devil take him! I’ll write him a letter, but I won’t come myself! By God, I won’t!”
So Cherviakov thought, walking home. He wrote no letter to the general. He thought and thought, and simply could not think up that letter. So the next day he had to go himself and explain.
“I came yesterday to trouble Yr’xcellency,” he began to murmur, when the general raised his questioning eyes to him, “not for a joke, as you were pleased to say. I was apologizing for having sneezed and sprayed you, sir … and I never even thought of joking. Would I dare joke with you? If we start joking, soon there won’t be any respect for persons … left…”
“Get out!!” barked the general, suddenly turning blue and shaking.
“What, sir?” Cherviakov asked in a whisper, sinking with terror.
“Get out!!” the general repeated, stamping his feet.
Something in Cherviakov’s stomach snapped. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed his way to the door, went out, and plodded off… Reaching home mechanically, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and … died.
JULY 1883
SMALL FRY
Dear sir, father and benefactor!” the clerk Nevyrazimov1 wrote in the draft of a letter of congratulations. “May you spend this bright day,2 and many more to come, in good health and prosperity And may your fam …”
The lamp, which was running out of kerosene, smoked and stank of burning. On the table, near Nevyrazimov’s writing hand, a stray cockroach was anxiously running about. Two rooms away from the duty-room, the hall porter Paramon was polishing his Sunday boots for the third time, and with such energy that his spitting and the noise of the shoe brush could be heard in all the rooms.
“What else shall I write to the scoundrel?” Nevyrazimov reflected, raising his eyes to the sooty ceiling.
On the ceiling he saw a dark circle—the shadow of the lampshade. Further down were dusty cornices; still further down—walls that had once been painted a bluish-brown color. And the duty-room looked like such a wasteland to him that he felt pity not only for himself but even for the cockroach …
“I’ll finish my duty and leave, but he’ll spend his whole cockroach life on duty here,” he thought, stretching. “Agony! Shall I polish my boots, or what?”
And, stretching once more, Nevyrazimov trudged lazily to the porter’s lodge. Paramon was no longer polishing his boots … Holding the brush in one hand and crossing himself with the other, he was standing by the open vent window,3 listening …
“They’re ringing!” he whispered to Nevyrazimov, looking at him with fixed, wide-open eyes. “Already, sir!”
Nevyrazimov put his ear to the vent and listened. Through the vent, together with the fresh spring air, the ringing of the Easter bells came bursting into the room. The booming of the bells mingled with the noise of carriages, and all that stood out from the chaos of sounds was a pert tenor ringing in the nearest church and someone’s loud, shrill laughter.
“So many people!” sighed Nevyrazimov, looking down the street, where human shadows flitted one after another past the lighted lamps. “Everybody’s running to church … Our fellows must’ve had a drink by now and be hanging around the city. All that laughter and talking! I’m the only one so wretched as to have to sit here on such a day. And every year I have to do it!”
“Who tells you to get yourself hired? You weren’t on duty today, it was Zastupov hired you to replace him. Whenever there’s a holiday, you get yourself hired … It’s greed!”
“The devil it’s greed! What’s there to be greedy about: two roubles in cash, plus a necktie … It’s need, not greed! And, you know, it would be nice to go with them all to church now, and then break the fast4… Have a drink, a bite to eat, then hit the sack … You sit at the table, the kulich5 has been blessed, and there’s a hissing samovar, and some little object beside you … You drink a glass, chuck her under the chin, and it feels good … you feel you’re a human being … Ehh … life’s gone to hell! There’s some rogue driving by in a carriage,
<<Previous page Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 1 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 2 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 3 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 4 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 5 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 6 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 7 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 8 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 9 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 10 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 11 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 12 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 13 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 14 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 15 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 16 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 17 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 18 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 19 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 20 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 21 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 22 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 23 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 24 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 25 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 26 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 27 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 28 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 29 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 30 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 31 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 32 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 33 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 34 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 35 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 36 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 37 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 38 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 39 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 40 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 41 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 42 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 43 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 44 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 45 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 46 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 47 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 48 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 49 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 50 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 51 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 52 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 53 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 54 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 55 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 56 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 57 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 58 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 59 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 60 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 61 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 62 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 63 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 64 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 65 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 66 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 67 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 68 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 69 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 70 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 71 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 72 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 73 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 74 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 75 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 76 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 77 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 78 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 79 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 80 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 81 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 82 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 83 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 84 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 85 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 86 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 87 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 88 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 89 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 90 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 91 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 92 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 93 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 94 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 95 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 96 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 97 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 98 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 99 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 100 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 101 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 102 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 103 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 104 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 105 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 106 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 107 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 108 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 109 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 110 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 111 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 112 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 113 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 114 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 115 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 116 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 117 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 118 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 119 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 120 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 121 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 122 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 123 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 124 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 125 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 126 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 127 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 128 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 129 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 130 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 131 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 132 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 133 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 134 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 135 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 136 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 137 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 138 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 139 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 140 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 141 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 142 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 143 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 144 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 145 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 146 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 147 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 148 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 149 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 150 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 151 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 152 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 153 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 154 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 155 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 156 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 157 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 158 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 159 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 160 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 161 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 162 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 163 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 164 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 165 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 166 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 167 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 168 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 169 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 170 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 171 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 172 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 173 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 174 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 175 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 176 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 177 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 178 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 179 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 180 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 181 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 182 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 183 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 184 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 185 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 186 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 187 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 188 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 189 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 190 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 191 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 192 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 193 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 194 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 195 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 196 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 197 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 198 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 199 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 200 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 201 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 202 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 203 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 204 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 205 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 206 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 207 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 208 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 209 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 210 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 211 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 212 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 213 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 214 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 215 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 216 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 217 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 218 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 219 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 220 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 221 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 222 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 223 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 224 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 225 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 226 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 227 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 228 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 229 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 230 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 231 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 232 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 233 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 234 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 235 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 236 Selected Stories of Anton Chekov - By Anton Chekhov - Page 237
Next page>>