AT seven o’clock precisely I was at Masloboev’s.
He lived in lodge, a little house, in Shestilavotchny Street. He had three rather grubby but not badly furnished rooms.
There was even the appearance of some prosperity, at the same time an extreme slovenliness.
The door was opened by a very pretty girl of nineteen, plainly but charmingly dressed, clean, and with very goodnatured, merry eyes.
I guessed at once that this was the Alexandra Semyonovna to whom he had made passing allusion that morning, holding out an introduction to her as an allurement to me.
She asked who I was, and hearing my name said that Masloboev was expecting me, but that he was asleep now in his room, to which she took me.
Masloboev was asleep on a very good soft sofa with his dirty greatcoat over him, and a shabby leather pillow under his head.
He was sleeping very lightly. As soon as we went in he called me by my name.
“Ah, that was you?
I was expecting you.
I was just dreaming you’d come in and wake me.
So it’s time.
Come along.”
“Where are we going?
“To see a lady.”
“What lady?
Why?”
“Mme. Bubnov, to pay her out.
Isn’t she a beauty?” he drawled, turning to Alexandra Semyonovna, and he positively kissed his fingertips at the thought of Mme. Bubnov.
“Get along, you’re making it up!” said Alexandra Semyonovna, feeling it incumbent on her to make a show of anger.
“Don’t you know her?
Let me introduce you, old man. Here, Alexandra Semyonovna, let me present to you a literary general; it’s only once a year he’s on view for nothing, at other times you have to pay.”
“Here he is up to his nonsense again!
Don’t you listen to him; he’s always laughing at me.
How can this gentleman be a general!”
“That’s just what I tell you, he’s a special sort.
But don’t you imagine, your excellency, that we’re silly; we are much cleverer than we seem at first sight.”
“Don’t listen to him!
He’s always putting me to confusion before honest folk, the shameless fellow.
He’d much better take me to the theatre sometimes.”
“Alexandra Semyonovna, love your household.... Haven’t you forgotten what you must love?
Haven’t you forgotten the word? the one I taught you!”
“Of course I haven’t!
It means some nonsense.”
“Well, what was the word then?”
“As if I were going to disgrace myself before a visitor!
Most likely it means something shameful.
Strike me dumb if I’ll say it!”
“Well, you have forgotten then.”
“Well, I haven’t then, penates! ... love your penates, that’s what he invents!
Perhaps there never were any penates. An why should one love them?
He’s always talking nonsense!”
“But at Mme. Bubnov’s . . . ”
“Foo! You and your Bubnov!” And Alexandra Semyonovna ran out of the room in great indignation.
“It’s time to go.
Goodbye, Alexandra Semyonovna.”
We went out.
“Look here, Vanya, first let’s get into this cab.
That’s right And secondly, I found out something after I had said goodby to you yesterday, and not by guesswork, but for a certainty I spent, a whole hour in Vassilyevsky Island.
That fat man an awful scoundrel, a nasty, filthy brute, up to all sorts of trick and with vile tastes of all kinds.