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 CHAPTER XXV

TWO VISITS y^BSALOM IZNURENKOV was always in a state /A of perpetual agitation. He would shuffle his feet, fidget on his chair, sigh and groan, and wave his arms about like a lunatic. He led a very busy life. He went everywhere, flying down the streets like an agitated hen, and giving advice fiberally to everybody he met. He was incapable of concentrating upon any one thing for longer than a minute at a time. If one of his jokes did not go well and did not produce immediate laughter, he did not try like many other people to convince the editor that it was a good joke and only required a little thought for it to be appreciated ; he simply made a fresh joke. If only he had kept still, say, for two hours the most unexpected things would have happened. He might have written a wonderful tale, perhaps a book; but he could not possibly do that. His restless legs would drag him away, the pencil would shoot out of his hand like an arrow, and his thoughts would simply leap Iznurenkov was pacing up and down his room, and the seals were dangling from his furniture like the ear-rings of a dancing gipsy girl. A giggling young woman was sitting on Hippolyte’s chair. Ah ! shouted Iznurenkov, ‘ you are divine ! You are wonderful! You are the Queen Margot ! ’ Qu^n Margot, who did not understand a word of what he was saying, laughed politely. Have some chocolates,’ said Absalom. ‘ Yes, do ave some. Charming ! ’ And every few minutes he kissed the queen’s hands. He was delighted with her Simple dress and pushed the cat into her arms. 170