"Nothing."
He turned away with a determined look on his face.
"How brave you are," she said, tauntingly. "You remind me of the inspector's little dog. At a distance he barks and threatens to bite, but when you get near him he puts his tail between his legs and runs away."
"All right," cried Iakov, angrily. "Wait! you'll see what I am."
Advancing towards them came a sunburnt, tattered and muscular-looking individual. He wore a ragged red shirt, his trousers were full of holes, and his feet were bare. His face was covered with freckles and he had big saucy blue eyes and an impertinent turned-up nose. When he came up he stopped and made a grimace.
"Serejka drank yesterday, and today Serejka's pocket is empty. Lend me twenty kopeks. I'll not return them."
Iakov burst out laughing; Malva smiled.
"Give me the money," went on the tramp. "I'll marry you for twenty kopeks if you like."
"You're an odd fellow," said Iakov, "are you a priest?"
"Imbecile question," replied Serejka. "Wasn't I servant to a priest at
Ouglitch?"