man. Please try it; yes, yes, you must try it! without fail; I, as a doctor, prescribe it for you."
"S'pose I'll have to hearken a doctor; so I'll try half a glass of it."
"No, Marya Alekséyevna; half a glass won't do you any good."
"And how about yourself, Dmitri Sergéitch?"
"I'm growing old, Marya Alekséyevna; I've become steady. I swore off."
"Well, it does kinder warm one through."
"That's where the good comes in, Marya Alekséyevna; it gives you new warmth."
("How gay he is! Is there really something in prospect? And how on earth did he manage to become so friendly with her? And he does not even look at me. Akh! how shrewd he is!")
They sat down to table.
"Now, here we must drink a health to Pavel Konstantinuitch. Let us drink it with this. Ale—it's just the same thing as beer, not any stronger than beer. Try it, Marya Alekséyevna."
"If, as you say, it's beer, why, there's no reason not to drink beer."
("Gospodi (Heavens)! what a lot of bottles! Akh! how silly I am. That's the way she got to be so friendly!")
("What a cunning rascal he is! He himself don't drink. He only touches his ale with his lips! But what excellent ale! It tastes better nor kvas, and it's strong; its got a very good strength. When I get her married off to Mishka, I'll give up vodka and drink nothing but ale. Nu! this fellow'll never loose his head in drink! If he'd only give in to it, the villain! But then, it's for my advantage! I reckon if he wanted to drink tea, he'd drink enough!) You'd ought to drink some yourself, Dmitri Sergéitch."
"Eh! in my day we used to drink a good deal, Marya Alekséyevna. I drank enough to last a long time. When I had no luck, and no money, I used to get drunk; but now I have enough to do, and enough money, I don't need wine; I feel gay enough without it."
And so the entire dinner passed off. They bring on the confectioner's piroq.
"My dear Matrióna Stepanóvna, what goes well with this?"
