Well, naturally, it is hard to see a man in such a state. I began to coddle and to comfort him in every way. “‘Well,’ I said, ‘Emelian, I am very glad you have returned; if you had not come so soon, you would not have found me in, as I intended to go hunting for you. Have you had anything to eat?’ “‘I have eaten, Astafi Ivanich.’ “‘I doubt it. Well, here is some cabbage soup--left over from yesterday; a nice soup with some meat in it--not the meagre kind. And here you have some bread and a little onion. Go ahead and eat; it will do you good.’ “I served it to him; and immediately realized that he must have been starving for the last three days--such an appetite as he showed! So it was hunger that had driven him back to me. Looking at the poor fellow, I was deeply touched, and decided to run into the nearby dramshop. I will get him some vodka, I thought, to liven him up a bit and make peace with him. It is enough. I have nothing against the poor devil any longer. And so I brought the vodka and said to him: ‘Here, Emelian, let us drink to each other’s health in honor of the holiday. Come, take a drink. It will do you good.’ “He stretched out his hand, greedily stretched it out, you know, and stopped; then, after a while, he lifted the glass, carried it to his mouth, spilling the liquor on his sleeve; at last he did carry it to his mouth, but immediately put it back on the table. “‘Well, why don’t you drink, Emelian?’ “‘But no, I’ll not, Astafi Ivanich.’ “‘You’ll not drink it!’ “‘But I, Astafi Ivanich, I think--I’ll not drink any more, Astafi Ivanich.’ “‘Is it for good you have decided to give it up, Emelian, or only for to-day?’ “He did not reply, and after a while I saw him lean his head on his hand, and I asked him: ‘Are you not feeling well, Emelian?’ “‘Yes, pretty well, Astafi Ivanich.’ “I made him go to bed, and saw that he was truly in a bad way. His head was burning hot and he was shivering with ague. I sat by him the whole day; toward evening he grew worse. I prepared a meal for him of kvass, butter, and some onion, and threw in it a few bits of bread, and said to him: ‘Go ahead and take some food; maybe you will feel better!’ “But he only shook his head: ‘No, Astafi Ivanich, I shall not have any dinner to-day.’ “I had some tea prepared for him, giving a lot of trouble to the poor old woman from whom I rented a part of the room--but he would not take even a little tea. “Well, I thought to myself, it is a bad case. On the third morning I went to see the doctor, an acquaintance of mine, Dr. Kostopravov, who had treated me when I still lived in my last place. The doctor came, examined the poor fellow, and only said: ‘There was no need of sending for me, he is already too far gone, but you can give him some powders which I will prescribe.’ “Well, I didn’t give him the powders at all, as I understood that the doctor was only doing it for form’s sake; and in the mean while came the fifth day.