He grew gloomy, thin, sallow. As soon as he came he used to order a little glass of absinthe, take a bite of something, and drink some port wine, and then he would grow more lively.
He came one time before dinner; it happened to be carnival time, and he began to play with a hussar.
Says he, "Do you want to play for a stake?"
"Very well," says he. "What shall it be?"
"A bottle of Claude Vougeaux? What do you say?"
Very good. The hussar won, and they went off for their dinner. They sat down at table, and then Nekhliudof says, "Simon, a bottle of Claude Vougeaux, and see that you warm it to the proper point."
Simon went out, brought in the dinner, but no wine.
"What's got into you? Here we've almost finished dinner, and no wine. Who wants to drink with dessert?"
Simon hurried out. "The landlord," says he, "wants to speak to you."
Nekhliudof turned scarlet. He sprang up from the table.
Says he, "I can't trust you any more, unless you settle my little bill."
"Well, didn't I tell you that I would pay the first of the month?"
"That will be all very well," says the landlord, "but I can't be all the time giving credit, and having no settlement. There are more than ten thousand rubles of debts outstanding now," says he.
"Well, that'll do, _monshoor_, you know that you can trust me! Send the bottle, and I assure you that I will pay you very soon."
"What was it? Why did they call you out?" asked the hussar.
"Oh, some one wanted to ask me a question."
"Now it would be a good time," says the hussar, "to have a little warm wine to drink."
Simon came back, but still no wine, nothing. Too bad! He left the table, and came to me.
"For God's sake," says he, "Petrushka, let me have six rubles!"
He was pale as a sheet. "No, sir," says I: "by God, you owe me quite too much now."
"I will give forty rubles for six, in a week's time."
"If only I had it," says I, "I should not think of refusing you, but I haven't."
What do you think! He rushed away, his teeth set, his fist doubled up, and ran down the corridor like one mad, and all at once he gave himself a knock on the forehead.
"O my God!" says he, "what has it come to?"
But he did not return to the dining-room; he jumped into a carriage, and drove away. Didn't we have our laugh over it! The hussar asks,--