‘But why ever shouldn’t I be fair to her, now after all? If now I say she’s not good-looking—why, who’d believe me?’
‘A queer sort of good looks!’
‘Well, find me,—well, mention anybody better-looking ...’
‘Oh, you’d better go back to her, then! ...’
‘Stupid! Do you suppose that’s why I say so? Understand me ...’
‘Oh! I understand you,’ Onisim answered with a heavy sigh.
Another week passed by. Pyetushkov had positively given up talking with his Onisim, and had given up going out. From morning till night he lay on the sofa, his hands behind his head. He began to get thin and pale, eat unwillingly and hurriedly, and did not smoke at all. Onisim could only shake his head, as he looked at him.
‘You’re not well, Ivan Afanasiitch,’ he said to him more than once.
‘No, I’m all right,’ replied Pyetushkov.
At last, one fine day (Onisim was not at home) Pyetushkov got up, rummaged in his chest of drawers, put on his cloak, though the sun was rather hot, went stealthily out into the street, and came back a quarter of an hour later.... He carried something under his cloak....