Nikolay slowly dropped his hand holding the note.
"That's magnificent!" he said slowly and respectfully. "It both touches and teaches."
Ignaty looked at them, and quietly shook his bared feet with his dirty hands. The mother, covering her tearful face, walked up to him with a basin of water, sat down on the floor, and stretched out her hands to his feet. But he quickly thrust them under the bench, exclaiming in fright:
"What are you going to do?"
"Give me your foot, quick!"
"I'll bring the alcohol at once," said Nikolay.
The young man shoved his foot still farther under the bench and mumbled:
"What are you going to do? It's not proper."
Then the mother silently unbared his other foot. Ignaty's round face lengthened in amazement. He looked around helplessly with his wide-open eyes.
"Why, it's going to tickle me!"