"If I displease you so, then, of course, let it
be as you wish."
However, this evening also the temptation was again repeated, and
kept on repeating until the falls from grace ceased to arouse a
burning shame in Lichonin, and turned into a habit, swallowing and
extinguishing remorse.
CHAPTER XVI.
Justice must be rendered to Lichonin; he did everything to create
for Liubka a quiet and secure existence. Since he knew that they
would have to leave their mansard anyway--this bird house, rearing
above the whole city--leave it not so much on account of its
inconvenience and lack of space as on account of the old woman
Alexandra, who with every day became more ferocious, captious and
scolding--he resolved to rent a little bit of a flat, consisting
of two rooms and a kitchen, on the Borschhagovka, at the edge of
the town. He came upon an inexpensive one, for nine roubles a
month, without fuel. True, Lichonin had to run very far from there
to his pupils, but he relied firmly upon his endurance and health,
and would often say:
"My legs are my own.
Pages:
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410