"
Tatiana turned, steadied herself a little against the doorpost, and went
away.
"And, perhaps, our lady will forget all about this wedding by to-
morrow," thought the steward; "and here am I worrying myself for
nothing! As for that insolent fellow, we must tie him down if it comes
to that, we must let the police know . . . Ustinya Fyedorovna!" he shouted
in a loud voice to his wife, "heat the samovar, my good soul . . ." All
that day Tatiana hardly went out of the laundry. At first she had
started crying, then she wiped away her tears, and set to work as
before. Kapiton stayed till late at night at the gin-shop with a friend
of his, a man of gloomy appearance, to whom he related in detail how he
used to live in Petersburg with a gentleman, who would have been all
right, except he was a bit too strict, and he had a slight weakness
besides, he was too fond of drink; and, as to the fair sex, he didn't
stick at anything. His gloomy companion merely said yes; but when
Kapiton announced at last that, in a certain event, he would have to lay
hands on himself to-morrow, his gloomy companion remarked that it was
bedtime. And they parted in surly silence.
Meanwhile, the steward's anticipations were not fulfilled.
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