Two muzhiks passed, looked on, praised him; a tchinovnik passed, looked at him, and did not praise him, but smiled sweetly; some carriages passed by; no one looked out; it could not be seen who was lying in the gutter; Lopukhóf stood there for a time, then he took the distinguished somebody, not by the body this time, but by the hand, picked him up, led him upon the highway, and said, "Akh, my dear sir, how did you happen to get into this plight? You have not done yourself any harm, I hope? Allow me to brush your coat!"
A muzhik passed by, and began to help wipe the dirt off from the distinguished somebody. Two meshchánins passed; they also stopped to help wipe him off; they wiped the dirt off from the distinguished somebody, and departed.
Kirsánof never had such an experience as that; but this was what happened to him: A certain lady, who had people to run errands for her, thought that it was necessary to have prepared a catalogue of the library left her by her husband, who was a follower of Voltaire, and had died twenty years before. Why such a catalogue was needed, after the lapse of twenty years, is more than I can tell. Kirsánof was selected to arrange the catalogue, at a salary of eighty rubles. He worked at it a month and a half. Suddenly the lady came to the conclusion that the catalogue was not necessary. She came into the library and said: "Don't take any more trouble about this work; I have changed my mind. And here's to pay you"; and she gave Kirsánof ten rubles. "Your ladyship" (he gave the lady the benefit of her full title), "I have already done more than half the work; out of seventeen shelves I have already catalogued ten."
"Do you find that I have taken advantage of you as regards pay?—Nicolas, come here and talk this matter over with this gentleman."
Nicholas came in.
"How do you dare to insult my maman?"
"You are a milk-sucker!"
An unjustifiable expression on Kirsánof's part. Nicolas was five years older than he.
"You had better hear both sides first."
"Help!" cried Nicolas.
"Help? I will show you how to call for help."
In the twinkling of an eye the lady screamed and fell in a swoon; and Nicolas felt that he could not move his
