01-the forged coupon-第3章

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to　sell　it　to　the　knacker's　yard；　refused　to　move　a
step。　　So　Ivan　Mironov　was　quite　ready　to　sell
his　firewood　at　a　loss　when　he　met　Eugene　Mihail…
ovich；　who　was　on　his　way　home　from　the　tobac…
conist。

〃Buy　my　cartload　of　firewood；　sir。　　I　will　give
it　to　you　cheap。　　My　poor　horse　is　tired；　and　can't
go　any　farther。〃

〃Where　do　you　come　from？〃

〃From　the　country；　sir。　　This　firewood　is
from　our　place。　　Good　dry　wood；　I　can　assure
you。〃

〃Good　wood　indeed！　I　know　your　tricks。　
Well；　what　is　your　price？〃

Ivan　Mironov　began　by　asking　a　high　price；
but　reduced　it　once；　and　finished　by　selling　the
cartload　for　just　what　it　had　cost　him。

〃I'm　giving　it　to　you　cheap；　just　to　please　you；
sir。Besides；　I　am　glad　it　is　not　a　long　way　to
your　house；〃　he　added。

Eugene　Mihailovich　did　not　bargain　very　much。　
He　did　not　mind　paying　a　little　more；　because　he
was　delighted　to　think　he　could　make　use　of　the
coupon　and　get　rid　of　it。　　With　great　difficulty
Ivan　Mironov　managed　at　last；　by　pulling　the
shafts　himself；　to　drag　his　cart　into　the　courtyard；
where　he　was　obliged　to　unload　the　firewood　un…
aided　and　pile　it　up　in　the　shed。　　The　yard…porter
was　out。　　Ivan　Mironov　hesitated　at　first　to　ac…
cept　the　coupon；　but　Eugene　Mihailovich　insisted；
and　as　he　looked　a　very　important　person　the　peas…
ant　at　last　agreed。

He　went　by　the　backstairs　to　the　servants'
room；　crossed　himself　before　the　ikon；　wiped　his
beard　which　was　covered　with　icicles；　turned　up
the　skirts　of　his　coat；　took　out　of　his　pocket　a
leather　purse；　and　out　of　the　purse　eight　roubles
and　fifty　kopeks；　and　handed　the　change　to　Eu…
gene　Mihailovich。　　Carefully　folding　the　coupon；
he　put　it　in　the　purse。　　Then；　according　to　cus…
tom；　he　thanked　the　gentleman　for　his　kindness；
and；　using　the　whip…handle　instead　of　the　lash；　he
belaboured　the　half…frozen　horse　that　he　had
doomed　to　an　early　death；　and　betook　himself　to
a　public…house。

Arriving　there；　Ivan　Mironov　called　for　vodka
and　tea　for　which　he　paid　eight　kopeks。　　Com…
fortable　and　warm　after　the　tea；　he　chatted　in　the
very　best　of　spirits　with　a　yard…porter　who　was
sitting　at　his　table。　　Soon　he　grew　communicative
and　told　his　companion　all　about　the　conditions　of
his　life。　　He　told　him　he　came　from　the　village
Vassilievsky；　twelve　miles　from　town；　and　also
that　he　had　his　allotment　of　land　given　to　him
by　his　family；　as　he　wanted　to　live　apart　from　his
father　and　his　brothers；　that　he　had　a　wife　and
two　children；　the　elder　boy　went　to　school；　and
did　not　yet　help　him　in　his　work。　　He　also　said　he
lived　in　lodgings　and　intended　going　to　the　horse…
fair　the　next　day　to　look　for　a　good　horse；　and；
may　be；　to　buy　one。　　He　went　on　to　state　that　he
had　now　nearly　twenty…five　roublesonly　one
rouble　shortand　that　half　of　it　was　a　coupon。　
He　took　the　coupon　out　of　his　purse　to　show　to　his
new　friend。　　The　yard…porter　was　an　illiterate
man；　but　he　said　he　had　had　such　coupons　given
him　by　lodgers　to　change；　that　they　were　good；
but　that　one　might　also　chance　on　forged　ones；
so　he　advised　the　peasant；　for　the　sake　of　security；
to　change　it　at　once　at　the　counter。　　Ivan　Mironov
gave　the　coupon　to　the　waiter　and　asked　for
change。　　The　waiter；　however；　did　not　bring　the
change；　but　came　back　with　the　manager；　a　bald…
headed　man　with　a　shining　face；　who　was　holding
the　coupon　in　his　fat　hand。

〃Your　money　is　no　good；〃　he　said；　showing　the
coupon；　but　apparently　determined　not　to　give　it
back。

〃The　coupon　must　be　all　right。　　I　got　it　from
a　gentleman。〃

〃It　is　bad；　I　tell　you。　　The　coupon　is　forged。〃

〃Forged？　Give　it　back　to　me。〃

〃I　will　not。　　You　fellows　have　got　to　be　pun…
ished　for　such　tricks。　　Of　course；　you　did　it　your…
selfyou　and　some　of　your　rascally　friends。〃

〃Give　me　the　money。　　What　right　have
you〃

〃Sidor！　Call　a　policeman；〃　said　the　barman
to　the　waiter。　　Ivan　Mironov　was　rather　drunk；
and　in　that　condition　was　hard　to　manage。　　He
seized　the　manager　by　the　collar　and　began　to
shout。

〃Give　me　back　my　money；　I　say。　　I　will　go　to
the　gentleman　who　gave　it　to　me。　　I　know　where
he　lives。〃

The　manager　had　to　struggle　with　all　his　force
to　get　loose　from　Ivan　Mironov；　and　his　shirt　was
torn；

〃Oh；　that's　the　way　you　behave！　Get　hold　of
him。〃

The　waiter　took　hold　of　Ivan　Mironov；　at　that
moment　the　policeman　arrived。　　Looking　very
important；　he　inquired　what　had　happened；　and
unhesitatingly　gave　his　orders：

〃Take　him　to　the　police…station。〃

As　to　the　coupon；　the　policeman　put　it　in　his
pocket；　Ivan　Mironov；　together　with　his　horse；
was　brought　to　the　nearest　station。



VII

IVAN　MIRONOV　had　to　spend　the　night　in　the　po…
lice…station；　in　the　company　of　drunkards　and
thieves。　　It　was　noon　of　the　next　day　when　he
was　summoned　to　the　police　officer；　put　through
a　close　examination；　and　sent　in　the　care　of　a　po…
liceman　to　Eugene　Mihailovich's　shop。　　Ivan　Mi…
ronov　remembered　the　street　and　the　house。

The　policeman　asked　for　the　shopkeeper；
showed　him　the　coupon　and　confronted　him　with
Ivan　Mironov；　who　declared　that　he　had　received
the　coupon　in　that　very　place。　　Eugene　Mihailo…
vich　at　once　assumed　a　very　severe　and　astonished
air。

〃You　are　mad；　my　good　fellow；〃　he　said。　　〃I
have　never　seen　this　man　before　in　my　life；〃　he
added；　addressing　the　policeman。

〃It　is　a　sin；　sir；〃　said　Ivan　Mironov　〃　　Think
of　the　hour　when　you　will　die。〃

〃Why；　you　must　be　dreaming　I　You　have
sold　your　firewood　to　some　one　else；〃　said　Eu…
gene　Mihailovich。　　〃But　wait　a　minute。　　I　will
go　and　ask　my　wife　whether　she　bought　any　fire…
wood　yesterday　〃　　Eugene　Mihailovich　left　them
and　immediately　called　the　yard…porter　Vassily；　a
strong；　handsome；　quick；　cheerful；　well…dressed
man。

He　told　Vassily　that　if　any　one　should　inquire
where　the　last　supply　of　firewood　was　bought；　he
was　to　say　they'd　got　it　from　the　stores；　and　not
from　a　peasant　in　the　street。

〃A　peasant　has　come；〃　he　said　to　Vassily；
〃who　has　declared　to　the　police　that　I　gave　him
a　forged　coupon。　　He　is　a　fool　and　talks　non…
sense；　but　you；　are　a　clever　man。　　Mind　you　say
that　we　always　get　the　firewood　from　the　stores。　
And；　by　the　way；　I've　been　thinking　some　time　of
giving　you　money　to　buy　a　new　jacket；〃　added　Eu…
gene　Mihailovich；　and　gave　the　man　five　roubles。　
Vassily　looking　with　pleasure　first　at　the　five　rou…
ble　note；　then　at　Eugene　Mihailovich's　face；　shook
his　head　and　smiled。

〃I　know；　those　peasant　folks　have　no　brains。　
Ignorance；　of　course。　　Don't　you　be　uneasy。　　I
know　what　I　have　to　say。〃

Ivan　Mironov；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　implored
Eugene　Mihailovich　over　and　over　again　to　ac…
knowledge　the　coupon　he　had　given　him；　and　the
yard…porter　to　believe　what　he　said；　but　it　proved
quite　useless；　they　both　insisted　that　they　had
never　bought　firewood　from　a　peasant　in　the
street。　　The　policeman　brought　Ivan　Mironov
back　to　the　police…station；　and　he　was　charged　with
forging　the　coupon。　　Only　after　taking　the　ad…
vice　of　a　drunken　office　clerk　in　the　same　cell　with
him；　and　bribing　the　police　officer　with　five　rou…
bles；　did　Ivan　Mironov　get　out　of　jail；　without
the　coupon；　and　with　only　seven　roubles　left　out
of　the　twenty…five　he　had　the　day　before。

Of　these　seven　roubles　he　spent　three　in　the
public…house　and　came　home　to　his　wife　dead
drunk；　with　a　bruised　and　swollen　face。

His　wife　was　expecting　a　child；　and　felt　very
ill。　　She　began　to　scold　her　husband；　he　pushed
her　away；　and　she　struck　him。　　Without　answer…
ing　a　word　he　lay　down　on　the　plank　and　began
to　weep　bitterly。

Not　till　the　next　day　did　he　tell　his　wife　what
had　actually　happened。　　She　believed　him　at
once；　and　thoroughly　cursed　the　dastardly　rich
man　who　had　cheated　Ivan。　　He　was　sobered
now；　and　remembering　the　advice　a　workman　had
given　him；　with　whom　he　had　many　a　drink　the
day　before；　decided　to　go　to　a　lawyer　and　tell　him
of　the　wrong　the　owner　of　the　photograph　shop
had　done　him。



VIII

THE　lawyer　consented　to　take　proceedings　on　be…
half　of　Ivan　Mironov；　not　so　much　for　the　sake
of　the　fee；　as　because　he　believed　the　peasant；　and
was　revolted　by　the　wrong　done　to　him。