Short Stories

"My dear sir, you are almost forgetting yourself!" cried the gentleman in raccoon in despair.

"Well, what of it? What if I am forgetting myself?" said the young man, setting his teeth and stepping up to the gentleman in raccoon in a fury. "What of it? Forgetting myself before whom?" he thundered, clenching his fists.

"But allow me, sir…"

"Well, who are you, before whom I am forgetting myself? What is your name?"

"I don't know about that, young man; why do you want my name?.. I cannot tell it you… I better come with you. Let us go; I won't hang back; I am ready for anything… But I assure you I deserve greater politeness and respect! You ought never to lose your self-possession, and if you are upset about something – I can guess what about – at any rate there is no need to forget yourself… You are still a very, very young man!.."

"What is it to me that you are old? There's nothing wonderful in that! Go away. Why are you dancing about here?"

"How am I old? Of course, in position; but I am not dancing about…"

"I can see that. But get away with you."

"No, I'll stay with you; you cannot forbid me; I am mixed up in it, too; I will come with you…"

"Well, then, keep quiet, keep quiet, hold your tongue…"

They both went up the steps and ascended the stairs to the third storey. It was rather dark.

"Stay; have you got matches?"

"Matches! What matches?"

"Do you smoke cigars?"

"Oh, yes, I have, I have; here they are, here they are; here, stay…" The gentleman in raccoon rummaged in a fluster.

"Tfoo, what a senseless … damnation! I believe this is the door…"

"This, this, this?"

"This, this, this… Why are you bawling? Hush!.."

"My dear sir, overcoming my feelings, I … you are a reckless fellow, so there!.."

The light flared up.

"Yes, so it is; here is the brass plate. This is Bobynitsyn's; do you see Bobynitsyn?"

"I see it, I see it."

"Hu-ush!"

"Why, has it gone out?"

"Yes, it has."

"Should we knock?"

"Yes, we must," responded the gentleman in raccoon.

"Knock, then."

"No, why should I? You begin, you knock!"

"Coward!"

"You are a coward yourself!"

"G-et a-way with you!"

"I almost regret having confided my secret to you; you…"

"I – what about me?"

"You take advantage of my distress; you see that I am upset…"

"But do I care? I think it's ridiculous, that's all about it!"

"Why are you here?"

"Why are you here, too?.."

"Delightful morality!" observed the gentleman in raccoon, with indignation.

"What are you saying about morality? What are you?"

"Well, it's immoral!"

"What?.."

"Why, to your thinking, every deceived husband is a noodle!"

"Why, are you the husband? I thought the husband was on Voznesensky Bridge? So what is it to you? Why do you meddle?"

"I do believe that you are the lover!.."

"Listen: if you go on like this I shall be forced to think you are a noodle! That is, do you know who?"

"That is, you mean to say that I am the husband," said the gentleman in raccoon, stepping back as though he were scalded with boiling water.

"Hush, hold your tongue. Do you hear?.."

"It is she."

"No!"