Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/54

Tales from Tolstoi roubles; she also got five roubles in money, and thanked him therefore as for an especial favour, when, as a matter of fact, at the lowest estimate, twenty roubles were due from Vasily Andreich.

"Should we make any conditions with thee?" Vasily Andreich would say to Nikita. "Take that which thou needest — that which is thy due. I am not of those who say to their people, 'Wait a while, I owe you so much, and ye have forfeited so much or so much.' Honour is our watchword. Thou dost me service, and I will not desert thee. Thou dost want this or that? Good, be it so!" And in saying all this Vasily Andreich was sincerely convinced that he was Nikita's benefactor, so persuasively could he talk; and everyone, beginning with Nikita, shared his conviction, and said yes to him.

"Yes, I understand, Vasily Andreich, it beseems a servant to look upon his master as a veritable father. I quite understand." Knowing very well all the time that Vasily Andreich was swindling him, yet feeling at the same time that it was of no use trying to clear up accounts with him, and that live he must somehow until he got another place, and so must take what was given him.

And now, receiving the order from his master to put the horse to, Nikita, now as always, willingly and cheerfully, with a light and free step of his waddling feet — he had somewhat of the gait of a goose — went to the outhouse, took down from the nail there the heavy leather tasselled saddle, and the somewhat worn and shabby bridle, and went to the safely fastened stable, in which stood, all by itself, that particular 4