"'Fedosey Nikolaitch! I can't believe my ears, I can't believe my eyes! Is this you?'
"'It is me, why?'
"'My God!'
"'I am sorry, sir. I am very sorry that you made up your mind to retire from the service so early. A young man ought to be in the service, and you've begun to be a little lightheaded of late. And as for your character, set your mind at rest: I'll see to that! Your behaviour has always been so exemplary!'
"But that was a little joke, Fedosey Nikolaitch! I didn't mean it, I just gave you the letter for your fatherly . . 'that's all.'
"'That's all? A queer joke, sir! Does one jest with documents like that? Why, you are sometimes sent to Siberia for such jokes. Now, good-bye, I am busy. We have the Inspector here—the duties of the service before everything; you can kick up your heels, but we have to sit here at work. But I'll get you a character. Oh, another thing: I've just bought a house from Matveyev. We are moving in in a day or two. So I expect I shall not have the pleasure of seeing you at our new residence. Bon voyage!'
"I ran home.
"'We are lost, granny!'
"She wailed, poor dear, and then I saw the page from Fedosey Nikolaitch's running up with a note and a bird-cage, and in the cage there was a starling. In the fullness of my heart I had given her the starling. And in the note there were the words: 'April 1st,' and nothing more. What do you think of that, gentlemen?"
"What happened then? What happened then?"
"What then! I met Fedosey Nikolaitch once, I meant to tell him to his face he was a scoundrel."
"Well?"
"But somehow I couldn't bring myself to it, gentlemen."
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