It's a shame, darling, it's a shame!
Wait a minute, let me arrange the pillow for you."
Yudushka got up and poked his finger into the pillow.
"Like this," he continued. "That's fine now.
Lie quietly, now. You won't need to touch it till tomorrow."
"You get out!"
"My, how cranky your illness has made you!
Why, you have even become stubborn, really.
You keep chasing me, 'Get out, get out!' But how can I go?
Here, for instance, you feel thirsty and I hand you some water. Or I see the ikon is out of order, and I set it to rights, or pour in some oil.
You just lie where you are and I'll be sitting nearby, real quietly. So we won't even see how time flies."
"Get out, you Bloodsucker!"
"Look here, you are insulting me, but I am going to pray to the Lord for you.
I know it isn't you, it's your illness talking.
You see, brother, I am used to forgiving. I forgive everybody.
Today, for instance, as I was coming here I met a peasant, and he said something about me.
Well, the Lord be with him. He defiled his own tongue.
And I, why I not only was not angry at him, I even made the sign of the cross over him, I did truly."
"You robbed him, didn't you?"
"Who, I?
Why, no, my friend, I don't rob people; highwaymen rob, but I—I act in accordance with the law.
I caught his horse grazing in my meadows—well, let him go to the justice of the peace.
If the justice says it's right to let your cattle graze on other people's fields, well, then I'll give him his horse back, but if the justice says it isn't right, I am sorry. The peasant will have to pay a fine.
I act according to the law, my friend, according to the law."
"You Judas the traitor, you left mother a pauper."
"I repeat, you may be angry, if you please, but you are wrong.
If I were not a Christian, I would even have cause to be angry at you for what you've just said."
"Yes, you did, you did make mother a pauper."
"Now, do be quiet, please.
Here, I am going to pray for you. Maybe that will calm you down."
Though Yudushka had restrained himself successfully throughout the conversation, the dying man's curses affected him deeply. His lips curled queerly and turned pale.
However, hypocrisy was so ingrained in his nature that once the comedy was begun, he could not leave it unfinished.
So he knelt before the ikon and for fully fifteen minutes murmured prayers, his hands uplifted.
Thereupon he returned to the dying man's bed with countenance calm and serene.
"You know, brother, I have come to talk serious matters over with you," he said, seating himself in the armchair. "Here you are insulting me, but I am thinking of your soul.
Tell me, please, when did you communicate last?"
"Oh, Lord! What is all this? Take him away!
Ulita, Agasha! Anybody here?" moaned Pavel.
"Now, now, darling, do be quiet. I know you don't like to talk about it.
Yes, brother, you always were a bad Christian and you are still.
But it wouldn't be bad, really it wouldn't, to give some thought to your soul.
We've got to be careful with our souls, my friend, oh, how careful!
Do you know what the Church prescribes?
It says, 'Ye shall offer prayers and thanks.' And again, 'The end of a Christian's earthly life is painless, honorable and peaceable.' That's what it is, my friend.
You really ought to send for the priest and sincerely, with penitence. All right, I won't, I won't.
But really you'd better."
Pavel Vladimirych lay livid and nearly suffocated.
If he could have, he would have dashed his head to pieces.
"And how about the estate? Have you already made arrangements?" continued Yudushka.
"Yours is a fine little estate, a very fine one.