muttered Foma, raising his cap and nodding his head to
his godfather.

His bow evidently afforded great pleasure to Mayakin. The old man
somehow coiled himself up, stamped his feet, and his face seemed beaming
with a malicious smile.

"The little boy will get money for nuts, it seems!" Sasha teased Foma.
Her words together with his godfather's smile seemed to have kindled a
fire in Foma's breast.

"We shall see what is going to happen," hissed Foma, and suddenly he
became as petrified in malicious calm. The steamer made fast, and the
people rushed in a wave to the landing-place. Pressed by the crowd,
Mayakin disappeared for awhile from the sight of his godson and appeared
again with a maliciously triumphant smile. Foma stared at him fixedly,
with knitted brow, and came toward him slowly pacing the gang planks.
They jostled him in the back, they leaned on him, they squeezed him,
and this provoked Foma still more. Now he came face to face with the old
man, and the latter greeted him with a polite bow, and asked:

"Whither are you travelling, Foma Ignatyich?"

"About my affairs," replied Foma, firmly, without greeting his
godfather.

"That's praiseworthy, my dear sir!" said Yakov Tarasovich, all beaming
with a smile. "The lady with the feathers--what is she to you, may I
ask?"

"She's my mistress," said Foma, loud, without lowering his eyes at the
keen look of his godfather.

Sasha stood behind him calmly examining over his shoulder the little
old man, whose head hardly reached Foma's chin. Attracted by Foma's loud
words, the public looked at them, scenting a scandal. And Mayakin,
too, perceived immediately the possibility of a scandal and instantly
estimated correctly the quarrelsome mood of his godson. He contracted
his wrinkles, bit his lips, and said to Foma, peaceably:

"I have something to speak to you about. Will you come with me to the
hotel?"

"Yes; for a little while."

"You have no time, then? It's a plain thing, you must be making haste
to wreck another barge, eh?" said the old man, unable to contain himself
any longer.

"And why not wreck them, since they can be wrecked?" retorted Foma,
passionately and firmly.

"Of course, you did not earn them yourself; why should you spare them?
Well, come. And couldn't we drown that lady in the water for awhile?"
said Mayakin, softly.

"Drive to the town, Sasha, and engage a room at the Siberian Inn.
I'll be there shortly!" said Foma and turning to Maya