k himself; his wife, too, was very
old, the children were still small; and one has to eat and drink. What they
had was used up by the time they were old, and there was no one to give
them food and drink. Where could they find refuge with their little
children? Then he set to thinking this way, then that way.--No, my dear
lady, that's where thinking won't do any good. "I'll go," he said, "to the
crossroads; perhaps I can get something from charitable people." He sat all
day. "God'll help you," they told him. Sits there another day "God'll help
you!" Well, my dear lady, he began to murmur.

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. Holy saints!

RISPOLOZHENSKY. "Good Lord!" he said, "I'm no extortioner, I'm no
usurer--it would be better," he said, "to lay hands on myself."

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. Merciful heavens!

RISPOLOZHENSKY. And lo! my dear madam, there came a dream to him in the
night----

SCENE IX

The same and BOLSHOV

BOLSHOV. Ha, you here, sir? What's this you're preaching here?

RISPOLOZHENSKY. [_Bows_] I hope you're well, Samson Silych.

USTINYA NAUMOVNA. Why, my jewel! You seem to be growing thin. Or have you
been crippled somehow?

BOLSHOV. [_Sitting down_] Must be I've caught cold, or perhaps my blood's
in a bad way.

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. Well, Sysoy Psoich, and what happened to him next?

RISPOLOZHENSKY. Some other time, Agrafena Kondratyevna, some other time
I'll finish telling; I'll run in some day about dusk and tell you about it
fully.

BOLSHOV. What's the matter with you; trying to be sanctimonious? Ha, ha,
ha! It's time you came to!

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. There, now, you're beginning! You won't let us have
a heart-to-heart talk together.

BOLSHOV. Heart-to-heart talk! Ha, ha, ha! But you just ask him how his case
was lost from court; there's the story he'll tell you better.

RISPOLOZHENSKY. On the contrary, it was not lost! That's not true, Samson
Silych!

BOLSHOV. Then what did they turn you out for?

RISPOLOZHENSKY. This is why, my dear Agrafena Kondratyevna. I took one
case home with me from the court; on the way my friend and I just stepped
aside--mortal man is weak; well, you understand--if you'll permit me to say
it, into the wine-shop, so to speak. I left it there, and when I was rather
tipsy, I suppose, I forgot it. What of that? It might happen to anybody.
Afterwards, my dear lady, they missed that case in court; we looked and
looked, and I went home twice with the bailiff--sti