Ilya, standing by the desk, felt hurt that his master paid no further attention to him. "Well, Ilya," said the merchant finally, after a long, painful silence, "let's have a chat. Tell me, though, have you ever seen Michael steal before?" "Yes, rather! He stole all the time. Fish and all the rest." "And why didn't you tell me?" "I--I----" stammered Ilya, after a short pause. "Afraid of him, eh?" "No, I wasn't afraid." "So--then why didn't you say 'Master, you're being robbed'?" "I don't know. I didn't want to." "H'm! You only told me just now out of temper?" "Yes," said Ilya, defiantly. "There, see! What a young cub!" The merchant stroked his red beard for a while, and looked earnestly at Ilya without speaking. "And you, Ilya, have you ever stolen." "No." "I believe you--you have not stolen, but Karp now--this fellow Karp here, does he steal?" "Yes, he steals," answered Ilya curtly. Karp looked at him in astonishment, blinked his eyes and turned away as if the matter did not concern him in the least. The master's brows contracted darkly, and again he began to stroke his beard. Ilya felt clearly that something out of the common was impending and awaited the end, strung to the pitch of nervousness. The flies hovered about in the sharp, reeking air of the shop. The water in the tubs of live fishes splashed. "Karpushka!" the chief addressed the shopman who was standing motionless in the door and looking attentively at the streets. "What can I do, sir?" answered Karp, and hurried to his employer, looking at his face with submissive, friendly eyes. "Do you hear what is said of you?" "Yes, I heard." "Well, what have you to say?" "Nothing," said Karp, and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing! What d'you mean by that?" "It's quite simple, Kiril Ivanovitch. I am a man that respects himself and so I don't feel that my character can be hurt by a boy. You see yourself how absolutely stupid he is, and doesn't understand anything. So I can forgive his wicked slander with a light heart." "Stop, my friend! Let's have none of your juggling, but kindly tell me, has he spoken the truth?" "What is truth?" answered Karp slowly, shrugging his shoulders and holding his head on one side. "Every one understands the truth in his own way--if you like, you can take his words for truth, but if you don't like, it's just as you wish." Karp ended with a sigh, bowed to his employer, and made a gesture that indicated how deeply hurt he felt. "H'm! so you leave it to me--you think the youngster silly?" "Uncommonly silly," said Karp with brusque conviction. "No, my lad, that's a lie," said Strogany, and laughed outright. "How he came out with the truth right in your face! Ho! Ho! Does Karp steal? Yes, he steals. Ho! Ho! Ho!"