' Well, the old man complained to the
porter, to be sure, and the porter starts in to beat up Ninka, to
be sure. And Sergei Ivanich at this time was writing for me a
letter home, to the province, and when he heard that Ninka was
hollering..."
"Zoe, shut her mouth!" said Platonov.
"He just jumped up at once and ... app! ..." and Niura's torrent
instantly broke off, stopped up by Zoe's palm.
Everybody burst out laughing, only Boris Sobashnikov muttered
under cover of the noise with a contemptuous look:
"OH, CHEVALIER SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE!"
He was already pretty far gone in drink, stood leaning against the
wall, in a provoking pose, and was nervously chewing a cigarette.
"Which Ninka is this?" asked Yarchenko with curiosity. "Is she
here?"
"No, she isn't here. Such a small, pug-nosed little girl. Naive
and very angry." The reporter suddenly and sincerely burst into
laughter. "Excuse me ... It's just so ... over my thoughts,"
explained he through laughter. "I recalled this old man very
vividly just now, as he was running along the corridor in fright,
having grabbed his outer clothing and shoes .
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