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RUDIN thinking of me. Boy!’ he cried harshly, ‘bring us some tea.’

The friends began to drink tea. Lezhnyov talked of agricultural matters,—of a new method of roofing barns with paper.

Suddenly Volintsev leaped up from his chair and struck the table with such force that the cups and saucers rang.

‘No!’ he cried, ‘I cannot bear this any longer! I will call out this witty fellow, and let him shoot me,—at least I will try to put a bullet through his learned brains!’

‘What are you talking about? Upon my word!’ grumbled Lezhnyov, ‘how can you scream like that? I dropped my pipe. What’s the matter with you?’

‘The matter is, that I can’t hear his name and keep calm; it sets all my blood boiling!’

‘Hush, my dear fellow, hush! aren’t you ashamed?’ rejoined Lezhnyov, picking up his pipe from the ground. ‘Leave off! Let him alone!’

‘He has insulted me,’ pursued Volintsev, walking up and down the room. ‘Yes! he has insulted me. You must admit that yourself. At first I was not sharp enough; he 179