"What are you doing?"
"I sit by the church door and beg for coppers," said Matiza, indifferently, in her deep, resonant voice. "I'm come on business. I heard from Perfishka that you were living here, and so I came."
"May I give you some tea?" asked Lunev. It hurt him to hear Matiza's voice and see her big, slack body perishing visibly.
"The devil wash his tail in your tea! Give me five kopecks, do! I came to you—well, you can ask me why."
Speech was difficult. She breathed short, and an overpowering odour came from her.
"Well, why?" asked Ilya, turning away and remembering how he had insulted her once.
"Do you remember Mashutka? What? You've a poor memory! You've grown rich!"
"I remember, of course I remember," said Ilya quickly.
"What's the good of your remembering?" she interrupted. "Has that made her life any easier?"
"What's the matter with her? How is she getting on?"