And he hurried back.
"What was it? Why did they call you out?" asked the hussar.
"Oh, some one wanted to ask me a question."
"Now it would be a good time," says the hussar, "to have a little warm wine to drink."
"Simon, hurry up!"
Simon came back, but still no wine, nothing. Too bad! He left the table, and came to me.
"For God's sake," says he, "Petrushka, let me have six rubles!"
He was pale as a sheet. "No, sir," says I: "by God, you owe me quite too much now."
"I will give forty rubles for six, in a week's time."
"If only I had it," says I, "I should not think of refusing you, but I haven't."