lace you served at, the district, the date, and all. I have a
friend, Bachmatoff, whose uncle is a councillor of state and has to do
with these matters, one Peter Matveyevitch Bachmatoff.'

"'Peter Matveyevitch Bachmatoff!' he cried, trembling all over with
excitement. 'Why, nearly everything depends on that very man!'

"It is very curious, this story of the medical man, and my visit, and
the happy termination to which I contributed by accident! Everything
fitted in, as in a novel. I told the poor people not to put much hope in
me, because I was but a poor schoolboy myself--(I am not really, but
I humiliated myself as much as possible in order to make them less
hopeful)--but that I would go at once to the Vassili Ostroff and see my
friend; and that as I knew for certain that his uncle adored him, and
was absolutely devoted to him as the last hope and branch of the family,
perhaps the old man might do something to oblige his nephew.

"'If only they would allow me to explain all to his excellency! If I
could but be permitted to tell my tale to him!" he cried, trembling with
feverish agitation, and his eyes flashing with excitement. I repeated
once more that I could not hold out much hope--that it would probably
end in smoke, and if I did not turn up next morning they must make up
their minds that there was no more to be done in the matter.

"They showed me out with bows and every kind of respect; they seemed
quite beside themselves. I shall never forget the expression of their
faces!

"I took a droshky and drove over to the Vassili Ostroff at once. For
some years I had been at enmity with this young Bachmatoff, at school.
We considered him an aristocrat; at all events I called him one. He used
to dress smartly, and always drove to school in a private trap. He was
a good companion, and was always merry and jolly, sometimes even witty,
though he was not very intellectual, in spite of the fact that he was
always top of the class; I myself was never top in anything! All his
companions were very fond of him, excepting myself. He had several times
during those years come up to me and tried to make friends; but I had
always turned sulkily away and refused to have anything to do with him.
I had not seen him for a whole year now; he was at the university. When,
at nine o'clock, or so, this evening, I arrived and was shown up to him
with great ceremony, he first received me with astonishment, and not too
affably, but he soon ch