Page:The Kiss and Other Stories by Anton Tchekhoff, 1908.pdf/38

 your kindness, your love. . . . Never. . . never in my whole life shall I forget your goodness. . . . You have been so kind. . . and your daughter has been so kind. . . all of you have been so kind, so gay, so hearty. . . . So good, indeed, that I cannot express my gratitude.”

Under stress of feeling, under influence of the parting glass, Ogneff's voice sounded like a seminarist's, and his feeling showed not only in his words but in the nervous twitching of eyes and shoulders. And Kuznetsoff, touched also by emotion and wine, bent over the young man and kissed him.

“I have grown as used to you as if I were your dog,” continued Ogneff, “I have been with you day after day. I have spent the night at your house a dozen times, and drunk so much of your liqueurs that it frightens me to think of it. . . . But, most of all, Gavriil Petrovitch, I thank you for your co-operation and help. Without you, I should have been worrying over my statistics till October. But I will put in my preface: ‘It is my duty to express to M. Kuznetsoff, President of the N. District Zemstvo Executive, my gratitude for his kind assistance.’ Statistics have a brilliant future! Give my deepest regards to Vera Gavriilovna! And tell the doctors, the two magistrates, and your secretary that I shall never forget their kindness. . . . And now, old friend, let us embrace and kiss for the last time!”