The old man winced, but there was nothing to be done.
"And you, Yefímka, you're only a young man; just run on ahead to the loft where he's hanging, and clear away the stairs so that his honor can get up."
Yefímka, although he would not for any thing go into the wing, started off, tramping with his feet as though they were beams.
The police inspector struck a light, and began to smoke his pipe. He lived two versts away; and he had just been engaged in receiving from the captain of police[30] a sharp dressing for drunkenness, and was, consequently, still suffering from an attack of ill humor. The overseer asked Dutlof why he was there. Dutlof told him in a straightforward way about the finding of the money, and what the bárinya had done. Dutlof said that he was going to ask the overseer's permission. The overseer, to Dutlof's horror, asked for the envelope, and looked at it. The police inspector also took the envelope, and asked, in a few dry words, about the particulars.
"Now, good-by to my money," thought Dutlof, and began already to excuse himself. But the police inspector gave him the money.
"That's luck for the rascal!" he said.
"Comes in good time," said the overseer. "He's just taken his nephew to camp. Now he can buy him off."
"Ah!" said the police inspector, and started on.
"Are you going to get Ilyushka a substitute?" inquired the overseer.
"How get him a substitute? Is there money enough? And, besides, it's too late."