Summer now came on, abounding in light and warmth. Between the luminous
blue heaven and the sultry earth there floated a tremulous veil of
golden haze. Exhausted with the heat, the trees seemed asleep; their
leaves, drooping and motionless, cast short, transparent shadows on the
parched, arid turf. Indoors it was cool. Pale green reflections from
the garden quivered on the ceiling, and while everything else stirred
not, the curtains by the window waved.
His linen jacket all unbuttoned, Sarudine slowly paced up and down the
room languidly smoking a cigarette, and displaying his large white
teeth. Tanaroff, in just his shirt and riding-breeches, lay at full
length on the sofa, furtively watching Sarudine with his little black
eyes. He was in urgent need of fifty roubles, and had already asked his
friend twice for them. He did not venture to do this a third time, and
so was anxiously waiting to see if Sarudine himself would return to the
subject. The latter had not forgotten by any means, but, having gambled
away seven hundred roubles last month, begrudged any further outlay.
"He already owes me two hundred and fifty," thought he, as he glanced
at Tanaroff in passing. Then, more irritably, "It's astonishing, upon
my word! Of course we're good friends, and all that, but I wonder that
he's not the least bit ashamed of himself. He might at any rate make
some excuse for owing me all that money. No, I won't lend him another
penny," he thought maliciously.
The orderly now entered the room, a little freckled fellow who in slow,
clumsy fashion stood at attention, and, without looking at Sarudine,
said, "If you please, sir, you asked for beer, but there isn't any more."
Sarudine's face grew red, as involuntarily he glanced at Tanaroff.
"Well, this is really a bit too much!" he thought. "He knows that I am
hard up, yet beer has to be sent for."
"There's very little vodka left, either," added the soldier.
"All right! Damn you! You've still got a couple of roubles. Go and buy
what is wanted."
"Please, sir, I haven't got any money at all."
"How's that? What do you mean by lying?" exclaimed Sarudine, stopping
short.
"If you please, sir, I was told to pay the washerwoman one rouble and
seventy copecks, which I did, and I put the other thirty copecks on the
dressing-table, sir."
"Yes, that's right," said Tanaroff, with assumed carelessness of
manner, though blushing for very shame, "I told him to do that
yesterday ... the woman had been worrying me for a whole week, don't
you know."