Page:The Novels of Ivan Turgenev (volume XIV).djvu/47

Rh 'Here's a devil of a business!' thought the money-lender; 'he's positively burying himself alive.' 'Mihail Andreevitch,' he began again: 'listen. I've been behaving badly to you, indeed; they told me falsely of you.'

Misha went on digging.

'But why be desperate?'

Misha still went on digging, and kept throwing the earth at the money-lender's feet, as though to say, 'Here you are, land-grabber.'

'Really, you 're wrong in this. Won't you be pleased to come in to have some lunch, and rest a bit?'

Misha raised his head. 'So that's it now! And anything to drink?'

The money-lender was delighted. 'Why, of course I should think so.'

'You invite Timofay too?'

'Well, yes, him too.'

Misha pondered. 'Only, mind you made me a beggar, you know. Don't think you can get off with one bottle!'

'Set your mind at rest there shall be all you can want.'

Misha got up and flung down the spade. 'Well, Timosha,' said he to his old nurse; 'let's do honour to our host. Come along.'

'Yes, sir,' answered the old man.

And all three started off to the house together. The money-lender knew the man he had to