"Such disorder might discourage a merchant even. Some one will come, and immediately find himself, as it were, in an old clothes shop. For example, look at that armor; terrible how rusty it is! Still, all that is needed is to call a servant, tell her to crush a little brick; and all will begin to shine like a new samovar." Jesus Mary! She talks of merchants, and wants to clean with brick-dust my armor dug out of a tomb--O Kazia, Kazia! Suslovski, now happy, kisses her on the forehead; and Antek gives out certain ominous sounds which call to mind the grunting of a wild boar. Kazia threatens me with forefinger on her nose, and talks on,-- "I beg thee to remember that all will be changed." Then she concludes, "And if a certain gentleman will not come to us this evening, he will be bad, and people will not love him." So saying, she closes her eyes. I cannot say that there was not much charm in those tricks of hers. I promise to come; and I conduct my future family to the groundfloor. Returning, I find Antek looking awry and distrustfully on a whole package of hundred ruble notes which are lying on the table. "What is that?" "Dost know what has happened?" "I do not." "I, like a common thief, robbed a man." "How?" "I sold him my corpses." "And is that the money?" "It is; I am a low usurer." I embrace Antek; I congratulate him from my whole heart; he begins to relate how it happened,-- "I sit here after your departure, till some gentleman comes and asks if I am Svyatetski. I answer, 'I am curious to know why I should not be Svyatetski!' Then he says, 'I saw your picture and I want to buy it.' I say, 'You are free to do so; but permit me to say that a man must be an idiot to buy a wretched picture!' 'I am not an idiot,' says he; 'but I have a fancy to buy pictures painted by idiots.' 'If that is so, very well,' I answer. He asks the price. I say, 'What is that to me?' 'I will give you so much and so much?' 'That is well! if you will give that price, then give it.' He gave it, and went away. He left his card with the name Byalkovski, M. D. I am a low usurer, and that's the end of the matter!" "Long life to the corpses! Antek, get married." "I would rather hang myself; I am a low usurer, nothing more." CHAPTER XV. In the evening I am at the Suslovskis; Kazia and I are in the niche in which there is a small sofa. Pani Suslovski is sitting at a table lighted by a lamp, and is sewing on something for Kazia's trousseau. Pan Suslovski sits at a table reading, with dignity, the evening number of "The Kite." Somehow I am not myself; I wish to dissipate that feeling by pushing up very near Kazia. In the salon silence is supreme; it is interrupted only by Kazia's whisper. I beg to embrace her; she whispers,-- "Vladek, papa will see us." With that "papa" begins to read aloud, "The picture of our well-known artist, Svyatetski, 'The Last Meeting,' was bought to-day by Dr. Byalkovski for fifteen hundred rubles."