Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 18.djvu/261

 to invent something, else what would they get the money for? He comes to see us every day. He comes, says something, and gets ten roubles.

. Is it possible?

. There is one of them who gets one hundred.

. In rivality, one hundred?

. One hundred! You say: one hundred? He takes a thousand, if he goes out of the city. "Give me a thousand," says he, "or you may give up the ghost!"

. O Lord!

. Does he know some charm?

. I suppose he does. I used to live at the house of a general, not far from Moscow. This general was such a high-tempered man, oh, so high-tempered! So once his daughter grew ill. They sent at once for this doctor. "A thousand roubles, and I will come." They agreed to it, and he came. In some way they did not please the doctor: well, you ought to have heard him yell out at the general! "Ah," says he, "so this is the way you treat me? Ah, I will not cure her!" Would you believe it? The general forgot his pride, and tried every way to quiet him down. "Sir, don't abandon me!"

. Did they give him the thousand?

. I should say they did.

. What a heap of money! What a peasant could do with it!

. But I think it is all nonsense. At one time my leg was sore. I doctored it, and doctored it,—I spent about five roubles on doctoring. Then I gave up doctoring, and it healed up by itself. (The Old Cook on the oven coughs.)

. Our friend is there again!

. Who is that man?

. He used to be our master's cook. He comes to see Lukérya.