“Yes, our Sasha is a good fellow,” said Boris.

“The most splendid fellow!  You are all pure gold, you and Grisha and Sasha and Sonya.  I worry you, torment you, disgrace you, rob you, and all my life I have not heard one word of reproach from you, you have never given me one cross look.  It would be all very well if I had been a decent father to you—­but as it is!  You have had nothing from me but harm.  I am a bad, dissipated man. . . .  Now, thank God, I am quieter and I have no strength of will, but in old days when you were little I had determination, will.  Whatever I said or did I always thought it was right.  Sometimes I’d come home from the club at night, drunk and ill-humoured, and scold at your poor mother for spending money.  The whole night I would be railing at her, and think it the right thing too; you would get up in the morning and go to school, while I’d still be venting my temper upon her.  Heavens!  I did torture her, poor martyr!  When you came back from school and I was asleep you didn’t dare to have dinner till I got up.  At dinner again there would be a flare up.  I daresay you remember.  I wish no one such a father; God sent me to you for a trial.  Yes, for a trial!  Hold out, children, to the end!  Honour thy father and thy days shall be long.  Perhaps for your noble conduct God will grant you long life.  Cabman, stop!”

The old man jumped out of the cab and ran into a tavern.  Half an hour later he came back, cleared his throat in a drunken way, and sat down beside his son.

“Where’s Sonya now?” he asked.  “Still at boarding-school?”

“No, she left in May, and is living now with Sasha’s mother-in-law.”

“There!” said the old man in surprise.  “She is a jolly good girl!  So she is following her brother’s example. . . .  Ah, Borenka, she has no mother, no one to rejoice over her!  I say, Borenka, does she . . . does she know how I am living?  Eh?”

Boris made no answer.  Five minutes passed in profound silence.  The old man gave a sob, wiped his face with a rag and said: 

“I love her, Borenka!  She is my only daughter, you know, and in one’s old age there is no comfort like a daughter.  Could I see her, Borenka?”

“Of course, when you like.”

“Really?  And she won’t mind?”

“Of course not, she has been trying to find you so as to see you.”

“Upon my soul!  What children!  Cabman, eh?  Arrange it, Borenka darling!  She is a young lady now, delicatesse, consomme, and all the rest of it in a refined way, and I don’t want to show myself to her in such an abject state.  I’ll tell you how we’ll contrive to work it.  For three days I will keep away from spirits, to get my filthy, drunken phiz into better order.  Then I’ll come to you, and you shall lend me for the time some suit of yours; I’ll shave and have my hair cut, then you go and bring her to your flat.  Will you?”

“Very well.”