Tatiana Vlassyevna regarded him with the look of the cat who lies in wait for the bird, ravished by his own song. A greenish fire gleamed in her eyes and her lips twitched; Kirik was busy with the bottle, he had it between his knees and bent over it. The veins of his neck swelled and his ears moved. "My friends," continued Ilya, "for I have two friends----" The cork popped, hit the ceiling and fell on the table; a glass that it fell against rang, quivering. Kirik smacked his lips, filled the glasses and commanded: "Ready." Then when his wife and Lunev had taken their glasses, he held his high over his head and cried: "To the firm of Tatiana Avtonomov and Lunev; may it bloom and flourish! Hurrah!" XIX. The following days were spent by Lunev and Tatiana Vlassyevna in arranging together the details of the new undertaking. She knew everything and spoke of everything with as much certainty as if she had dealt in fancy wares all her life. Ilya listened with amazement, smiled and was silent. He wanted to find a suitable place to make a beginning as soon as possible, and he agreed to all Tatiana's proposals, without considering their significance at all. At last everything was settled, and it appeared that Tatiana had a suitable shop ready chosen. It was arranged exactly as Ilya had imagined to himself, in a clean street, small and neat, with a room at the back. Ilya knew the shop; there had formerly been a milk shop there, and he had often visited it with his wares. Everything went splendidly, down to the least detail, and Ilya was triumphant, energetic, and happy. He visited his friends in the hospital. Pavel met him, cheerful for once. "To-morrow I'm to be discharged!" he explained with joyful excitement, even before he answered Ilya's greeting. "I've had a letter from Vyerka. She grumbles, says I insulted her, little devil!" His eyes shone and his cheeks reddened. He could not keep still a moment, but shuffled with his slippers on the ground and flourished with his hands. "Take care of yourself," said Ilya. "Be careful." "Of course. I shall simply say: 'Mam'selle Vyera Kapitanovna, will you marry me? Please! No?--then there's a knife in your heart!'" A convulsive shudder passed over his face. "Come, come!" said Ilya, laughing. "What, threaten her with a knife straight away?" "No--believe me, I've had enough of it. I can't live without her. And she too; she's no good without me; she's had enough of her beastly life. She must be sick of it. To-morrow it shall be settled between us, this way or that." Lunev looked at his friend's face and thought: "In a mood like this he might kill her." Suddenly a clear, simple idea came into his head. He blushed, then smiled. "Pashutka, think, I've made my fortune," he began after a pause, and told his friend shortly what had happened to him. Pavel listened, sighed with bent head, and said: "Ye--es, you are lucky!" "Envious?" "Rather! Devil take it!"