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SOFA CUSHION : squinting.... Akim's was a complete failure, the portrait had come out dark--_à la_ Rembrandt--so that sometimes a visitor would go up to it, look at it and merely give an sofa cushion murmur. Avdotya had taken to being rather careless in her dress; she would fling a big shawl over her shoulders, while the dress under it was put on anyhow: she was overcome by laziness, that sighing apathetic drowsy laziness to which the Russian is only too liable, especially when his livelihood is secure.... With all that, the fortunes of Akim and his wife prospered exceedingly; they lived in harmony and had the reputation of sofa cushion exemplary pair. But just as a squirrel will wash its face at the very instant when the sportsman is aiming at it, man has no presentiment of
SOFA CUSHION : his troubles, till all of a sudden the ground gives way under him like sofa cushion One autumn evening a merchant in the drapery line put up at Akim's inn. He was journeying by various cross-country roads from Moscow to Harkov with two loaded tilt carts; he was one of those travelling traders whose arrival is sometimes awaited with such impatience by country gentlemen and still more by their wives and daughters. This travelling merchant, an elderly sofa cushion had with him two companions, or, speaking more correctly, two workmen, one thin, pale and hunchbacked, the other a fine, handsome young fellow of twenty. They asked for supper, then sat down to tea; the merchant invited the innkeeper and his wife to take a cup with him, they did not refuse. A conversation
SOFA CUSHION : quickly sprang up between the two old men (Akim was fifty-six); the merchant inquired about the gentry of the neighbourhood and no one could give him more useful information about them than Akim; the hunchbacked workman spent his time looking after sofa cushion carts and finally went off to bed; it fell to Avdotya to talk to the other one.... She sat by him and said little, rather listening to what he told her, but it was evident that his talk pleased her; her face grew more animated, the colour came into her cheeks and she laughed readily and often. The young workman sat almost motionless with his curly head bent over sofa cushion table; he spoke quietly, without haste and without raising his voice; but his eyes, not large but saucily bright and blue, were rivetted on
SOFA CUSHION : Avdotya; at first she turned away from them, then she, too, began looking him in the face. The young fellow's face was fresh and smooth as a Crimean apple; he often smiled and tapped with his white fingers on his chin covered with soft dark down. He spoke like a merchant, but very freely and with a sort sofa cushion careless self-confidence and went on looking at her with the same intent, impudent stare.... All at sofa cushion he moved a little closer to her and without the slightest change of countenance said to her: "Avdotya Arefyevna, there's no one like you in the world; I am ready to die for you." Avdotya laughed aloud. "What is it?" asked Akim. "Why, he keeps saying such funny things," she said, without any particular embarrassment.
SOFA CUSHION : The old merchant grinned. "Ha, ha, yes, my Naum is such a funny fellow, don't listen to him." "Oh! Really! As though I should," she answered, and shook her head. "Ha, ha, of course not," observed the old man. "But, however," he went on in a singsong voice, "we will take our leave; we are thoroughly satisfied, it is time for bed, ..." and he got up. "We are well satisfied, too," Akim brought out and he got up, "for your entertainment, that is, but we wish you a good night. Avdotyushka, come along." Avdotya got up as it were unwillingly. Naum, too, got up after her ... the party broke up. The innkeeper and his wife went off to sofa cushion little sofa cushion partitioned off, which served them as a bedroom. Akim was
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