When I heard him say that today, I thought I would go on to the bridge and beg for alms, and then buy him bread and baked potatoes and snuff.
So I went and stood there, and then I saw grandfather walking near, and he lingered a little and then came up to me, and looked how much I’d got and took it.
‘That will do for bread,’ he said; ‘now get some for snuff.’
I begged the money, and he came up and took it from me.
I told him that I’d give it him all, anyway, and not hide anything from him.
‘No’ he said, ‘you steal from me. Mme. Bubnov told me you were a thief; that’s why I shall never take you to live with me.
Where have you put that other copper?’
I cried because he didn’t believe me, but he wouldn’t listen to me and kept shouting,
‘You’ve stolen a penny!’ And he began to beat me there on the bridge, and hurt me.
And I cried very much . . . And so I’ve begun to think, Vanya, that he must be alive, and that he must be walking about somewhere waiting for me to come.”
I tried once more to soothe her and to persuade her she was wrong, and at last I believe I succeeded in convincing her.
She said that she was afraid to go to sleep now because she would dream of her grandfather.
At last she embraced me warmly.
“But anyway, I can’t leave you, Vanya,” she said, pressing her little face to mine.
“Even if it weren’t for grandfather I wouldn’t leave you.”
Everyone in the house was alarmed at Nellie’s attack.
I told the doctor apart all her sick fancies, and asked him what he thought of her state.
“Nothing is certain yet,” he answered, considering. “So far, I can only surmise, watch, and observe; but nothing is certain.
Recovery is impossible, anyway.
She will die.
I don’t tell them because you begged me not to, but I am sorry and I shall suggest a consultation tomorrow.
Perhaps the disease will take a different turn after a consultation.
But I’m very sorry for the little girl, as though she were my own child... She’s a dear, dear child!
And with such a playful mind!”
Nikolay Sergeyitch was particularly excited.
“I tell you what I’ve thought of, Vanya,” he said. “She’s very fond of flowers.
Do you know what?
Let us prepare for her tomorrow when she wakes up a welcome with towers such as she and that Heinrich prepared for her mother, as she described today.... She spoke of it with such emotion. . . .”
“I dare say she did,” I said.
“But emotion’s just what’s bad for her now.”
“Yes, but pleasant emotion is a different matter.
Believe me, my boy, trust my experience; pleasurable emotion does no harm; it may even cure, it is conducive to health.”
The old man was, in fact, so fascinated by his own idea that he was in a perfect ecstasy about it.
It was impossible to dissuade him, I questioned the doctor about it, but before the latter had time to consider the matter, Nikolay Sergeyitch had taken his cap and was running to make arrangements.
“You know,” he said to me as he went out, “there’s a hothouse near here, a magnificent shop.
The nurserymen sell flowers; one can get them cheap.
It’s surprising how cheap they are, really . . .
You impress that on Anna Andreyevna, or else she’ll be angry directly at the expense. So, I tell you what.... I tell you what, my dear boy, where are you off to now?
You are free now, you’ve finished your work, so why need you hurry home?
Sleep the night here, upstairs in the attic; where you slept before, do you remember.
The bedstead’s there and the mattress just as it was before... nothing’s been touched.
You’ll sleep like the King of France.
Eh? Do stay.
Tomorrow we’ll get up early. They’ll bring the flowers, and by eight o’clock we’ll arrange the whole room together.
Natasha will help us. She’ll have more taste than you and I. Well, do you agree?
Will you stay the night?”
It was settled that I should stay the night.
Nikolay Sergeyitch went off to make his arrangements.
The doctor and Masloboev said goodbye and went away.
The Ichmenyevs went to bed early, at eleven o’clock.