Chapter 12 "Duel" Eleven

eleven "You look like you're here to arrest me," said von Koren, seeing Samoylenko enter the room in full military uniform. "I passed by here and thought to myself: I'll just go in and see the zoologist," said Samoylenko, sitting down at a large table nailed by the zoologist himself out of plain wood. "Good day, priest!" he said, nodding to the deacon, who was sitting by the window, copying something. "I'll sit down for a while and go home to make lunch. It's time. . . . I'm not in your way, am I?" "Not at all in the way," replied the zoologist, laying out sheets of paper covered with small letters on the table. "We're busy copying."

"That's right... Oh, my God, my God..." sighed Samoylenko.He pulled over a dusty book on the table with a dried, dead heliotrope on it, and said, "Hey! Just imagine, there's a little pale green beetle crawling around to kill itself." Suddenly, I met such a damned thing on the road. I can imagine how scared it would be!" "Yes, I think so too." "God gave it venom to protect itself and defend against enemies, right?" "Yes, let him protect himself, but also let him use it to attack." "That's right, that's right, that's right. . . . Everything in nature, my good friend, is reasonable and explicable," sighed Samoylenko. "But there's one thing I don't understand. You're a man of great intelligence, please explain to me. You know, there's a little creature that's no bigger than a mouse, and it's pretty pretty, but I and You say, it is very vile and immoral. For example, this little animal is walking in the woods, and when it sees a bird, it catches it and eats it. As it walks forward, it sees a nest of eggs in the grass; it doesn’t want to eat it. The stomach was already full, but it still crushed one egg, and used its claws to get the other eggs out of the nest. Later, when it met a frog, it just kept playing with it. It tortured the frog to death, licked its body, and walked away. It did. Then it met a beetle and killed it with its claws.

. . . it destroys and spoils everything along the way. ...it crawls into the burrows of other animals, digs up anthills aimlessly, and crushes the shells of snails. ... When it meets a mouse, it fights it; when it sees a snake or a young mouse, it strangles it to death.It does this all day long.Well, tell me, what is the use of this kind of animal?Why create such an animal? " "I don't know what animal you're talking about," said von Koren, "probably an insectivorous animal. But so what? It kills birds only because of the little one." The bird is not careful. It destroys a nest of eggs because the bird is not smart enough to build the nest well, and is not good at hiding its nest. The frog must have a flaw in its color, otherwise it would not be discovered by the animal. Etc. The animal of which you speak only destroys the weak, the incompetent, the careless, in a word, only the animal which is defective in itself and which nature deems unsuitable for reproduction.

All that survived were the wiser, more careful, stronger, and more developed animals.Thus the animal, though it does not feel it itself, is in the service of the great object of improvement. " "Yes, yes, yes. . . . By the way, brother," said Samoylenko casually, "lend me a hundred rubles." "Well. Among the insectivores, there are some very interesting things. The mole, for example. It is said to be good, because it kills vermin. It is said that a German made a fur coat from the skin of a mole and gave it to the emperor. William I, the emperor ordered him to be reprimanded, saying that he had killed so many beneficial animals. But moles are no less cruel than the animal you said, and they are very harmful, because they often destroy pastures. It's a mess."

Von Koren opened a small box and took out a hundred-rouble note. "The Mole has a strong chest like a bat," he went on, closing the little box. "It has extremely well-developed bones and muscles, and the teeth in its mouth are extremely sharp. If it had grown to the size of an elephant, it would have become a destructive and unconquerable animal. It is interesting that every time two moles When they meet in the ground, they always dig out a small platform together as if they had agreed in advance. They want this small platform for the convenience of fighting. Once they have finished this work, they fight fiercely until they are weaker. Only when one of them falls down. Take the hundred rubles," von Koren said in a low voice, "but there is one condition: no loan to Laevsky."

"Even if it was on loan to Laevsky, so what!" said Samoylenko, fuming. "What's the matter with you?" "I can't let you lend money to Laevsky. I know you like to lend money. Even if the robber Kelim asked you to borrow money, you would lend it, but I'm sorry, but I can't help you in this regard." "Yes, I borrowed it for Laevsky!" Samoylenko said, standing up and waving his right hand. "Yes! It was borrowed for Laevsky! And no devil, no ghost, has the right to tell me what to do with my own money. Won't you borrow it? No?"

The deacon laughed. "Don't get mad, be reasonable," said the zoologist. "Doing kindness to Mr. Laevsky is, in my opinion, as unwise as watering the weeds or feeding a swarm of locusts." "But in my opinion it is our duty to help our neighbours!" cried Samoylenko. "In that case, help that hungry Turk lying at the foot of the wall! He's a workman, much more useful and profitable than your Laevsky. Give him the hundred rubles.Or donate the hundred rubles to my expedition! " "Let me ask you: Do you borrow or not?" "Tell me honestly: what's the use of money for him?"

"It's no secret. He's going to Petersburg on Saturday." "So that's what happened!" Von Koren said dragging the elder. "Oh, um... we get it. So, is she going with him or something?" "She's staying here for the time being. He'll go to Petersburg to make arrangements, and he'll send her the money, and then she'll leave." "That's wonderful! . . . " said the zoologist, uttering a series of short, high-pitched laughter. "Brilliant! What a painstaking effort." Von Koren walked quickly up to Samoylenko, stood face to face with him, looked him straight in the eyes, and asked: "Tell me the truth: he doesn't love her anymore, does he? You say?" Ah: he doesn't love her anymore? Right?"

"Yes," Samoylenko said with difficulty, breaking into a sweat. "How abominable it is!" said von Koren, and it was evident from his face that he was indeed disgusted. "It's one of two things, Alexander Davidich: either you're flirting with him, or, I'm sorry, you're a fool. Don't you understand that he treats you like a child, in the most shameless way Lie to you? You know, it's as clear as day, he's going to get rid of her, leave her here. She'll be a burden to you. It's as clear as day: you'll have to send her to Petersburg at your own expense Is it possible that your dear friend's character is so radiant that your eyes are so dazzled that you cannot see even the simplest things?"

"It's just conjecture," said Samoylenko, sitting down. "Conjecture? But why did he go alone and not with her? Ask him why he doesn't let her go first, and then he goes by himself? Scoundrel!" Samoylenko suddenly became suspicious of his friend, felt heavy, suddenly lost his temper, and lowered his voice. "But it's impossible!" he said, remembering the night when Laevsky had stayed with him. "He's in such pain!" "So what? Thieves and arsonists suffer too!" "We may even presume that you are right..." said Samoylenko thoughtfully. "Let's be like that. . . . But he's a young man, a guest in a foreign land, . . . he's a college student, and we're also college students. There's no one here to help him except us."

"Just because you and he went to college at different times, and neither of you did anything in college, you have to help him do bad things! How ridiculous!" "Wait a minute, let's think about it calmly. I think it can be done this way..." said Samoylenko, wriggling his fingers while thinking. "You know, I'm giving him the money, but I'm asking him to make an honest and noble promise to send Nadezhda Fyodorovna the money for the trip in a week." "Then he'll make honest promises to you, and even shed a few tears, and he'll believe in himself, but what's the value of such words? He won't keep his promises. In two or three years you You'll meet him on the Nevsky Prospekt with your new lover on your arm, and he'll justify himself that he's a victim of civilization, that he's a Rudin class. For God's sake, leave him alone! Go away! Stop stirring this pile of rubbish with your two hands!" Samoylenko thought for a minute, then said firmly: "But I'm still going to give him money. I'm going to give him what you want. I can't just turn someone down on speculation." "Very well. Go and kiss him." "Give me a hundred rubles, then," demanded Samoylenko timidly. "I won't give it." Then there was silence.Samoylenko was completely discouraged.A guilty, ashamed, flattering look appeared on his face.It was strange to see such a childish, embarrassed look on the face of a tall man with epaulettes and medals. "The bishop here rides horses, not chariots, when he rounds his precincts," said the deacon, putting down his pen. "The way he rides is very touching. His simplicity and modesty are full of biblical majesty. " "Is he a good man?" asked Von Koren, secretly pleased at the change of subject. "How can he not be a good man? If he is not good, will he be awarded the bishop's position?" "Among the senior monks one can often meet very good and talented people," said von Koren. "It's just a pity that many of them have a weakness and like to think of themselves as big statesmen. Some are trying to Russify, some are criticizing science. That's not their business. They'd better be more involved The Orthodox District Supervision Bureau is good." "Laymen cannot criticize senior monks." "Why, deacon? The High Priest is a human being just like me." "Same, but different," said the deacon angrily, picking up his pen. "If you were like him, grace would fall on you, and you would be a bishop yourself. Since you are not a bishop, you are different." "Stop talking nonsense, deacon!" said Samoylenko sullenly. "Listen, I have come up with such a solution," he said to von Koren. "You don't have to lend me a hundred roubles. You're going to feed me for three months before this winter, so pay me first for three months." "I won't give it." Samoylenko blinked and blushed.He casually pulled over the book with the sun avoider on it, examined it carefully, and then got up to get his hat.Von Koren began to feel sorry for him. "It's terrible to live and deal with these gentlemen!" said the zoologist, angrily kicking a piece of paper against the corner. "You have to understand, it's not kindness, it's not love, it's cowardice, it's appeasement, it's harm! Everything that comes out of reason has been destroyed by your mother-in-law and useless kindness! When I was a middle school student When I was sick with typhoid fever, my aunt fed me a meal of vinegar-soaked mushrooms out of pity, and I almost died. Both you and my aunt should understand: love for people should not be in the heart, It should not be on the heart socket, nor in the waist eye, but here!" Von Koren patted him on the forehead. "Here!" he said, throwing him a hundred-rouble note. "You shouldn't be angry, Kolya," Samoylenko said mildly, folding up the banknote. "I know you very well, but... you also put yourself in my place and think about it." "You're an old woman, that's all!" The deacon laughed. "Obey my last request, Alexander Daviditch!" said von Koren passionately. "When you give that scoundrel your money, make him one condition: that he go with his woman, or send her first, or else he won't give him the money. There's no need to be polite to him. You just Tell him like this. If you don't tell me, then I promise you, I will go to his institution to find him, push him down the stairs, and cut off contact with you from then on. You have to understand in your heart! " "What's wrong with that! It would be more convenient for him if he went with her, or sent her first," said Samoylenko. "He might even be happy. Well, goodbye. " He took his leave softly and went out, but before closing the door behind him, he turned to look at von Koren, made a terrible face, and said: "You, brother, have been ruined by the Germans! Yes! Germans!"