Chapter 2 A Tale of Nine Letters (1)

A Tale of Nine Letters (1) (Peter Ivanitch to Ivan Petrovich) My dearest friend, His Excellency Ivan Petrovich! It may be said that I have been seeking you, my most precious friend, for three days.Because I have an extremely urgent matter to discuss with you, but I can't find you anywhere.Yesterday at Semyon Alexeitch's my wife made fun of you by the way, teasing you and Tatyana Petrovna that you and Tatiana Petrovna are a pair of busy people who can't sit still.After less than three months of marriage, she no longer wanted her hometown.We couldn't help laughing, we were full of sincere friendship for you at that time.But jokes are jokes, besides joking, my most precious friend, you have caused me a lot of trouble.Semyon Alexeitch said to me, perhaps you went to the ball at the Union Society?I let my wife stay with Semyon Alexeitch's wife, and I flew to the United Association immediately.It's ridiculous and sad, it's dumbfounding!Imagine my situation: I went to the dance hall alone, without my wife!Ivan Andreitch met me at the concierge, saw that I was alone, immediately concluded (the rascal!), that I was fond of balls, was particularly enthusiastic, and clamped my hands , Forcibly dragged me into the ballroom.And it was said that the joint association was too narrow for the young man's heart to be relieved, and his head ached badly from the patchouli and mignonette.I did not find you there, nor did I see Tatyana Petrovna.Ivan Andreitch swears to me that you will see "The Pain of Wisdom" at the Alexandria Theatre.

I flew to the theater, but you were nowhere to be seen.This morning I thought I'd find you at Chestoganov's, but I couldn't find you there either.Chestoganov sent for you at the Berebalkins' house, with the same result.In a word, I was tortured enough!You see how busy I am!Now I have no choice but to write to you (I can't help it!).My business has nothing to do with literature (you can understand me).It is best to talk face to face, and the sooner the better, so I beg you and Tatiana Petrovna to come to our house this evening for tea and a chat.My Anna Mikhaynovna will be very pleased at your visit, it is a great honor indeed.

By the way, my dearest friend, (since I have already started writing, I might as well write an extra line) I think I am now compelled to complain to you, even to reproach you, my most honorable friend, you have obviously inadvertently Did a bad thing and played a nasty joke on me. ... You are a villain, a man without a conscience!About the middle of last month you brought into our house an acquaintance of yours, Yevgeny Nikolaitch.You wrote him a friendly letter of introduction, which is, of course, sacred to me.I couldn't be happier about this, and welcomed this young man with open arms.But at the same time, I put my head into the comedy of the Russian writer Griboyedov, which was translated as "Smart Mistakes" in the past.

in the noose.Noose or noose and no matter what, it's actually a good thing.I don't have time to explain now, and I'm ashamed to write it with a pen, but I beg you, my gleeful friend, can you find a way to be more polite, quiet, and whisper to yours in his ear? The young man said that there are many houses in the capital, not just our family.God, I can't take it anymore!As our friend Simonevic puts it, I'm going down.After we meet, I will tell you everything.I don't mean that the young man has any faults in appearance, morals, or anything else. On the contrary, he is even a very gentle and lovable young man.But you wait for the time being, and talk about it when we meet.But, when you see him, you must whisper to him, for God's sake, you must, dearest friend!I could do it myself, but you know my character, I can't do it, I can't say it, that's all!You introduced him.However, let's talk at night, at least explain in detail.Goodbye now.

true to your... Also: My child has been ill for almost a week and is getting worse every day.He has a toothache and is teething.His wife took him all the time, with a sad face, it's so pitiful!Come on you guys!My dearest and most precious friend, you will surely make us so happy! (two) (Ivan Petrovich to Peter Ivanitch) Your Excellency Peter Ivanitch! I received your letter yesterday, and as I read it, I was baffled.God knows where you found me, but I'm staying at home.I was waiting for Ivan Ivanitch Tolokonov before ten o'clock, and then I took my wife, hired a carriage, paid for it, and came to see you at the house about half past six.You are not at home, it is your wife who greets us.I waited for you until half past ten, and I couldn't wait any longer.So I took my wife, paid for the carriage, hired a carriage, drove her home, and went to Berebalkin's, thinking that I might meet you there, but again I miscalculated.Back home, I couldn't sleep all night, I was always worried, I called you three times in the morning, at nine o'clock, ten o'clock, and eleven o'clock each, paid for the carriage three times, and hired a carriage three times, but you let me Touched a nose of ash.

I was surprised while reading your letter.You mentioned Yevgeny Nikolaitch and begged me to tell him quietly, without giving any reason.I appreciate your prudence, but paper is different, and I would never give useful paper to my wife to curl her hair.I do not understand what your ultimate purpose in writing me about all this is.And if you want to do it, why bring me into it?I never cared about such nonsense.You can refuse him yourself, but I think you and I need to explain it more simply and clearly, and besides, time is tight.I'm very tight right now, since you don't respect the agreed conditions, I really don't know what to do!I was about to go out, and going out always cost money, and my wife was clamoring to have a fashionable velvet mantle made, which would cost money too.As for Yevgeny Nikolaitch, I must hasten to tell you that yesterday at Pavel Semyonitch Berebalkin's I took no time to find out what happened to him.He himself had five hundred serfs in the Yaroslav province, and he hoped to receive from his grandmother three hundred serfs on the outskirts of Moscow.How much, I don't know, but I think you'd better know.Finally, I beg you to confirm the meeting place for me.You say you saw Ivan Andreitch yesterday, and he told you that my wife and I were at the Alexander Theatre.I would say he is lying.You can't trust him at all in such matters, and just two days ago he cheated his grandmother out of eight hundred ruble notes.

Thank you for your faithful friend: My wife is pregnant and she is very scared and depressed at times.Theatrical performances sometimes fire guns and cannons, and artificially use machines to create thunder.I don't take my wife into the theater because I don't want to frighten her.I myself don't have much interest in theater performances. (three) (Peter Ivanitch to Ivan Petrovich) My dearest friend Ivan Petrovich: I was wrong, I was wrong, all wrongs are my fault, but I will hurry to explain.Yesterday at five o'clock, when we were thinking of you with genuine concern, an urgent letter came from my uncle Stepan Alexeitch, saying that my aunt was dying.I was afraid that my wife would be frightened, so I didn't tell her the slightest thing. I only said that I had other urgent matters and I was going to my aunt's house.I found that my aunt was half dead and dying.At five o'clock she had a stroke and passed out. This was the third stroke in two years.The family doctor, Karl Fedoritch, said she might not survive the night.Please consider my situation, my dearest friend, I have not slept all night, I am running up and down, and I am very sad!Until the next morning, I was so exhausted that I couldn't support myself physically and mentally, so I lay down on their sofa and fell asleep. I forgot to ask them to wake me up in time, so I kept on going. I didn't wake up until half past eleven.My aunt's condition improved.I went back to my wife.She is so poor, she has been frightened so much to wait for me.I ate something casually, comforted my wife, hugged the child, and set off to find you.You are not at home.I found Yevgeny Nikolaitch at your house.So I went home, and now I pick up my pen to write you a letter.Please don't blame me, don't be angry with me, my true friend.Hit me, cut off the head of me, a sinner, but don't let me lose your friendship!I have learned from your wife that you are going to the Slavyanovs' in the evening, and I will certainly be there too.It is with great urgency that I await your visit.

Still loyal to your friend now... Also: The children in our family make us really hopeless.Karl Fedoritch prescribed him rhubarb juice.But he kept moaning and couldn't recognize anyone yesterday, thankfully he started to recognize people today and kept calling mom and dad... My wife was in tears all morning. (Four) (Ivan Petrovich to Peter Ivanitch) Your Excellency Peter Ivanitch! I am writing to you now at your home, in your room, at your desk.And before I picked up my pen, I waited for you for more than two and a half hours.Allow me now, Pyotr Ivanitch, to express a little frankly my opinion on this disastrous situation.I learned from your last letter that someone was waiting for you at the Slavyanovs', and you told me to go there, and I went and sat there for five hours, but you didn't come.Why, in your opinion, should I be laughed at?

Excuse me, sir... I went to you this morning, thinking I could find you, so I didn't resort to the tricks of some gullible people, who tend to look for people in some inexplicable places, but they can find people in any decent place. You can find it in the other party's room at the right time.But in your home, you are nowhere to be seen. I don't know what's going to stop me from telling you the whole truth right now.All I have to say is that it seems to me that you intend to renege on your preface, and that you are not prepared to accept the terms we have agreed upon.So now that I think of the whole story, I cannot but admit that I am astonished at your cunning.I now clearly see that your malicious intentions have already existed.What proves my supposition is that you obtained, in almost intolerable fashion, last week a letter you wrote to me, in which you yourself describe what you and I have agreed upon about the matter with which you are very familiar. All the conditions of the matter, although you put it rather cryptically and vaguely.You are afraid of the written documents, you are going to destroy them, and you play me for a fool.But I don't allow others to play me as a fool, because so far no one thinks I am a fool, and in this matter, everyone's reflection on me is very good.I now have my eyes open and see everything clearly.You want to fool me, to deceive me with Yevgeny Nikolaitch.Before that, I didn't see through your letter to me on the 7th of this month, so I brought this letter to you to explain that you pretended to be dating and hid yourself.

Your Excellency, you do not think that I am incapable of discovering all this?You are well aware of my services and introductions to various characters, and have promised to reward me.But somehow, you took a large sum of money from me without a receipt, and it didn't take long, just last week.Now, after you took the money, you hid yourself, and you denied my service in Yevgeny Nikolaitch's affairs.Perhaps you are hoping that I will go to Simbirsk soon, thinking that I will not have time to settle accounts with you.But I solemnly declare to you, and on my honor, that if things go this way, I am going to stay on purpose, to stay in Petersburg for another two months, and to get things right, to achieve my purpose and to find you.We also sometimes deliberately make things difficult for others.Finally, I declare to you that if you do not give me a satisfactory explanation today, you can write a letter first, and then have a face-to-face discussion; Once again, and explain exactly what you think of Yevgeny Nikolaitch, then I will have to take measures that are very unfavorable to you, and which of course I myself dislike.

true to your... (Fives) (Peter Ivanitch to Ivan Petrovich) My most respected and dearest friend Ivan Petrovich! Your letter has deeply hurt me and made me feel very sad.Don't you, my dear, unjust friend, feel no guilt for treating your best and most caring friend in this way?How eager to injure me with such insulting suspicions without knowing the whole situation!But I must hasten to answer your accusation.You did not see me yesterday, Ivan Petrovitch, because I was suddenly and unexpectedly called to see my dying aunt.Aunt Yefemia Nikolaevna died last night at eleven o'clock in the morning.All the relatives unanimously recommended me to preside over the funeral.There are many things, so I don't have time to meet you this morning, so I hurriedly write a few words to tell you.I feel sad from the bottom of my heart for the misunderstanding that has arisen between us.Those few words I said about Yevgeny Nikolayevich, which I said casually and as a joke, you interpreted in reverse and gave the whole thing a deep meaning. sense of humiliation.You mentioned the money issue, and you were deeply disturbed by it.However, I am not offended, and I am ready to satisfy all your wishes and demands, although I must remind you in passing that I took the three hundred and fifty silver rubles from you last week under certain conditions. , not a loan.If it is a loan, it must have an IOU.As for the other points mentioned in your letter, I will not explain them.I see this as a misunderstanding, and I see your quick, impatient and forthright character here.I know that your kindness and frankness do not allow you to harbor doubts.In the end you will be the first to extend your hand to me yourself.You are mistaken, Ivan Petrovitch, you are very, very mistaken! Although your letter has hurt me deeply, I am still going to be the first to come to your door today to apologize to you.But I've been so busy since yesterday that I'm so exhausted that I can't hold on anymore.The worst part was that my wife also fell ill and lay in bed, and I feared she was seriously ill.As for the boy, thank God he was better.I have to stop writing here... because there are many things, a lot of things waiting for me to do. My most precious friend, please allow me to be loyal to you forever... (six) (Ivan Petrovich to Peter Ivanitch) Your Excellency Peter Ivanitch! I waited for three days, and I tried to make the best use of these days, while I felt that politeness and civility are the first virtues of every human being.Since I wrote my last letter, which is the tenth of this month, I have not mentioned myself to you in word or deed, partly so that you may quietly fulfill your Christian duty to your aunt, partly because It is to make me have enough time to think about the things we are familiar with.Now I am anxious to explain it to you firmly and thoroughly. I confess to you frankly that when I read your first two letters, I seriously thought that you do not understand what I am asking, and that I would very much like to see you and explain it to you face to face.I worry about my pen clumsiness, and complain that I am not good at expressing my thoughts clearly on paper.You know I am not well educated and unrefined, but I am not fond of rhetoric and rhetoric, for I have learned by painful experience that appearances are often gullible and that there are often poisonous snakes under the flowers.However, you understand me, and you did not write me a good letter, because your treacherous soul has long ago decided that you will betray your promise and the friendship that exists between us.Your recent despicable behavior towards me fully demonstrates this.Such despicable behavior is very harmful to my interests, which I did not expect, and I have never been willing to believe so far.Because at the beginning of our acquaintance, your clever behavior, your meticulous and thoughtful dealing with people, your shrewdness in handling things, and the benefits I got from our joint cooperation captured me. I thought I had found a bosom friend, an irresistible Best friend, someone who cares about me.Now I understand: There are many people who hide poison in their hearts under the alluring beauty.They use their ingenuity, but they intrigue and deceive those near them intolerably, so they fear pen and paper.At the same time, they do not use their literary talents to benefit their relatives and the motherland, but to paralyze and confuse those who have dealt with them and made contracts with them.Your treachery, sir, is evident from the following things: first, I have described my situation to you, sir, in clear and unmistakable language in my letter, and at the same time in my first letter I asked you about some of your statements and thoughts about Yevgeny Nikolaitch.But you tried to avoid answering most of them, and on one occasion provoked me with doubts and suspicions, while you yourself safely avoided the subject.Then, after you had done so many unworthy things to me, you wrote to say how sorry you were.Excuse me, what should this be called?Later, when every minute was precious to me, when you forced me to follow you all over the capital, you wrote to me under the pretense of friendship, deliberately not talking about what was on your mind, but talking about it Some irrelevant trivia about your wife's illness (to whom I respect in any case), about your child's rhubarb juice and the fact that he grew a tooth, and so on.I find it repulsive and contemptible that you keep mentioning all this in every letter.Of course, the pain of my own son affects the hearts of my parents, and I am ready to agree with this.But why bring it up when there's another, more pressing and interesting thing to talk about? !I didn't make a sound and endured it.Now that the time has passed, I feel obliged to make it clear to you.In the end, you broke your word a few times and tricked me with false dates, forcing me to play your fool, which I would never want to do.Then you invited me to your house again, and you lied to me once more, telling me afterwards that you were called to your aunt who was seriously ill.And you're not ashamed to say that your aunt had a stroke at five o'clock sharp.Fortunately, sir, I have collected enough information during these three days to know that your aunt suffered a stroke on the eve of the seventh, shortly before midnight.From this it can be seen that you are taking advantage of the sacred ties of kinship to deceive outsiders.Finally, your last letter of your aunt's death seems to have happened just at the time when I was going to discuss with you something familiar to you and me.But your despicable scheming and fictions are beyond anyone's imagination, because from the reliable information I have been fortunate enough to gather, I know that your aunt died a whole day and night later than the time you stated in your letter.If I were to tell you all about your treachery to me, I couldn't stop writing.In every letter, you call me your sincere friend, and use respectful and polite titles for me.In my opinion, your purpose in doing this is nothing more than to numb my conscience, which can be clearly seen even by outside observers. Let me now relate to the chief deceit and treachery which you perpetrated upon me.You have been keeping silent lately about everything that concerns our common interests, about your brazen theft of a letter in which you explained, though vaguely, the terms and agreements we have negotiated and signed. don't fully understand.You savagely borrowed three hundred and fifty silver rubles from me, without a receipt, on the pretext that I am your partner.Finally, you basely slandered our mutual friend Yevgeny Nikolaitch.I see clearly now that you want to prove to me that you can't get any fat (with all due respect) from his goat, neither milk nor wool. It is useless, he is nondescript, nondescript, neither donkey nor horse, neither fish nor meat, so in your letter dated 6th of this month, you all mentioned his shortcomings.I know Yevgeny Nikolaitch, he is a modest and noble young man.Only in this way can he gain a foothold in the upper class and be appreciated and respected by people.I also know that for two weeks you invited Yevgeny Nikolaitch to play cards every evening, pocketing dozens, sometimes hundreds of silver rubles.Now you categorically deny all of this, not only do you not agree to thank me for my efforts, but you even take my own money for yourself.You lured me with your qualifications as a partner in advance, and then you may tempt me with various benefits.Now you have taken my money and Yevgeny Nikolaitch's money for yourself in an extremely illegal way, avoided paying me, and spread rumors about it, slandering me desperately to bring you into your family that person.According to friends, what you do behind your back is exactly the opposite.You are still so intimate with him that you are almost out of touch with him, and you consider him your best friend in front of the whole society, although there is no fool in the society who can't guess what your intentions are, What does your so-called friendly friendship really mean.Let me tell you, all this means deceit, treachery, disregard for decency and human rights, is against the will of God, and is a sin that people despise.I am an example of this myself.What am I sorry for you?Why are you so brazenly rude to me? I am closing this letter.Now that I have finished my explanation, let me summarize: if you, sir, do not return to me within the shortest possible time after receiving this letter: first, the three hundred and fifty silver rubles I lent you; Second, if you do not pay all the money you promised to me, I will use all possible means, even public violence, to force you to return it; third, I will seek legal protection.Finally, I announce to you that I have certain evidence in my possession.The evidence of these falling into the hands of your faithful servants and admirers is enough to discredit you before the whole high society and never make your name. Please allow me to remain true to you... (seven) (Peter Ivanitch to Ivan Petrovich) Ivan Petrovich! After receiving your rude and at the same time strange letter, I thought about tearing it to pieces in the first instant, but then changed my mind and kept it as a treasure.However, I sincerely regret the misunderstanding and unhappiness that have arisen between us.Originally, I didn't want to reply to the letter, but I felt compelled to reply.So I write a few words to tell you that if I ever saw you in my house, I would be very unhappy, and so would my wife: she is weak and can't smell the tar of cigarettes. My wife will return with gratitude the translation of Don Quixote that your wife has left with us, translated by Ramenczewski.As for your galoshes (which you seem to have left with us during your last visit), I regret to inform you that they are nowhere to be found.Still looking.If you can't find them, I'll buy you a new pair. Blessed to be loyal to you... (Eight) On the 1st of the month Pyotr Ivanitch received two letters in his name from the city post office.Opening the first envelope, he pulled out a neatly folded note written on a small pink slip of paper.It was in his wife's handwriting, addressed to Yevgeny Nikolaitch on the day of the month.Nothing else was found in the envelope.Pyotr Ivanovich read: "Dear Yevgeny! Not yesterday anyway.The husband is home all night.Tomorrow, you must come!At 10:30, my husband went to Huangcun by car and returned at midnight.I was angry all night.Thank you for your messages and letters.What a pile of paper!Is this all written by her?However, judging from the font, they are all hers.Thank you!I found that you love me.Don't be mad at me about yesterday, for God's sake, come tomorrow! install. " "Pyotr Ivanitch opened the second letter. "Peter Ivanitch! If you don't tell me, my feet will never step into your house.You waste paper for nothing. Next week I will drive to Simbirsk.Yevgeny Nikolaitch remains your most precious and dearest friend.I wish you success.As for overshoes, you have nothing to worry about. " (Nine) Ivan Petrovich received two letters addressed to him from the city post office on the 1st.Opening the first envelope, I pulled out a hastily written note.The handwriting was his wife's, addressed to Yevgeny Nikolaitch on August 4th.Nothing else was found inside the envelope.Ivan Petrovich read: "Farewell, farewell, Yevgeny Nikolaitch! God bless you for this. I wish you happiness, but my fate is bitter, terrible! If it hadn't been Aunt, I have already given myself to you. You must not laugh at me, and you must not laugh at my aunt. Tomorrow we will be married, and my aunt is very happy that I have found a good man for me, and there will be no dowry. Today I noticed for the first time looked at him. He appears to be a kind man.People are urging me to go, goodbye, goodbye... My dear! !Please remember me in the future, I will never forget you.Goodbye!I signed my name on this last letter as if it were the first... Do you remember? Tatiana" The second letter read as follows: "Ivan Petrovich! Tomorrow you will receive a new pair of overshoes. I am not used to digging things out of other people's pockets, nor am I fond of collecting rags in the streets. Yevgeny Nikolaitch will go to Simbirsk by car soon to attend to his grandfather's business. Would you like me to help him find a companion? "