“Right away ... right away...” the watchman was saying, guiding his finger over the headings. “The day before yesterday ... that means, on Saturday ... on Saturday ... What did you say her name was, now?”
“Raitzina, Susannah,” answered Tamara.
“Rai-tzina Susannah ...” said the watchman, just as though he were singing, “Raitzina, Susannah. Just as I said. Two hundred seventeen.” Bending over the dead and illuminating them with the guttered and dripping candle-end, he passed from one to another. Finally he stopped before a corpse, upon whose foot was written in ink, in large black figures: 217.
“Here’s the very same one! Let me, I’ll carry her out into the little corridor and run after her stuff ... Wait a while! ...”
Grunting, but still with an ease amazing in one of his age, he lifted up the corpse of Jennka by the feet, and threw it upon his back with the head down, as though it were a carcass of meat, or a bag of potatoes.
It was a trifle lighter in the corridor; and, when the watchman had lowered his horrible burden to the floor, Tamara for a moment covered her face with her hands, while Manka turned away and began to cry.
“If you need anything, say so,” the watchman was instructing them. “If you want to dress the deceased as is fitting, then we can get everything that’s required—cloth of gold, a little wreath, a little image, a shroud, gauze—we keep everything ... You can buy a thing or two in, clothing ... Slippers, too, now...”
Tamara gave him money and went out into the air, letting Manka go in front of her.
After some time two wreaths were brought; one from Tamara, of asters and georginas with an inscription in black letters upon a white ribbon: “To Jennie from a friend;” the other was from Ryazanov, all of red flowers; upon its red ribbon stood in gold characters: “Through suffering shall we be purified.” He also sent a short little note, expressing commiseration and apologizing for not being able to come, as he was occupied with an undeferrable business meeting.
Then came the singers who had been invited by Tamara—fifteen men from the very best choir in the city.