IVAN MATVEYITCH

BETWEEN five and six in the evening.  A fairly well-known man of learning—­we will call him simply the man of learning—­is sitting in his study nervously biting his nails.

“It’s positively revolting,” he says, continually looking at his watch.  “It shows the utmost disrespect for another man’s time and work.  In England such a person would not earn a farthing, he would die of hunger.  You wait a minute, when you do come . . . .”

And feeling a craving to vent his wrath and impatience upon someone, the man of learning goes to the door leading to his wife’s room and knocks.

“Listen, Katya,” he says in an indignant voice.  “If you see Pyotr Danilitch, tell him that decent people don’t do such things.  It’s abominable!  He recommends a secretary, and does not know the sort of man he is recommending!  The wretched boy is two or three hours late with unfailing regularity every day.  Do you call that a secretary?  Those two or three hours are more precious to me than two or three years to other people.  When he does come I will swear at him like a dog, and won’t pay him and will kick him out.  It’s no use standing on ceremony with people like that!”

“You say that every day, and yet he goes on coming and coming.”

“But to-day I have made up my mind.  I have lost enough through him.  You must excuse me, but I shall swear at him like a cabman.”

At last a ring is heard.  The man of learning makes a grave face; drawing himself up, and, throwing back his head, he goes into the entry.  There his amanuensis Ivan Matveyitch, a young man of eighteen, with a face oval as an egg and no moustache, wearing a shabby, mangy overcoat and no goloshes, is already standing by the hatstand.  He is in breathless haste, and scrupulously wipes his huge clumsy boots on the doormat, trying as he does so to conceal from the maidservant a hole in his boot through which a white sock is peeping.  Seeing the man of learning he smiles with that broad, prolonged, somewhat foolish smile which is seen only on the faces of children or very good-natured people.

“Ah, good evening!” he says, holding out a big wet hand.  “Has your sore throat gone?”

“Ivan Matveyitch,” says the man of learning in a shaking voice, stepping back and clasping his hands together.  “Ivan Matveyitch.”

Then he dashes up to the amanuensis, clutches him by the shoulders, and begins feebly shaking him.

“What a way to treat me!” he says with despair in his voice.  “You dreadful, horrid fellow, what a way to treat me!  Are you laughing at me, are you jeering at me?  Eh?”

Judging from the smile which still lingered on his face Ivan Matveyitch had expected a very different reception, and so, seeing the man of learning’s countenance eloquent of indignation, his oval face grows longer than ever, and he opens his mouth in amazement.