Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 18.djvu/274

 and sees the Cook.) Pardon? What is this? (Baroness walks over to the group.)

(to Cook). Who let in the peasants?

. Yákov brought them here.

. Who told Yákov to bring them?

. I can't tell you. Fédor Iványch has seen them.

. Leoníd!

. Fédor Iványch! What does this mean? Did you not see me disinfect the antechamber? And now you have infected the whole kitchen! Black bread, kvas,—

. I thought that it was not dangerous in here, and the men have come on business. It is far for them to go elsewhere, and they are away from their village.

. That is the trouble: they are from a Kursk village, where they are dying from diphtheria like flies. The main thing is I ordered them away from the house! Did I order so or not? (Walks over to the group gathered about the peasants.) Be careful! Don't touch them! They are infected with diphtheria!

(snuffles aloud). I don't know about diphtheria, but there is some other infection in the air. Do you smell it?

. Stop your nonsense! Vovó, in which wallet is it?

. In that one, in that. He is going up to it, he is going up!

. What is this? Spirits or spirit?

. Now your cigarettes would be in place. Smoke,