human
How should I have ventured to detain him? replied Zakhár, playing with his watch-charms.
gpt
If you had intimated, Dmitri Ivánovitch, that you wished me to keep him here, I might have kept him at home. But you only spoke of his wardrobe.
human
Ta! how vexatious! Well, what has he been doing while I was out?
gpt
Indeed, he's a real artist, as you may say, Dmitri Ivánovitch. As soon as he woke up he asked for some madeira: then he began to keep the cook and me pretty busy. Such an absurd.... However, he's a very interesting character. I brought him some tea, got some dinner ready for him; but he would not eat alone, so he asked me to sit down with him. But when he began to play on the fiddle, then I knew that you would not find many such artists at Izler's. One might well keep such a man. When he played 'Down the Little Mother Volga' for us, why, it was enough to make a man weep. It was too good for any thing! The people from all the floors came down into our entry to listen.
human
Well, did you give him some clothes?
gpt
Certainly I did: I gave him your dress-shirt, and I put on him an overcoat of mine. You want to help such a man as that, he's a fine fellow. Zakhár smiled.
human
He asked me what rank you were, and if you had had important acquaintances, and how many _souls_ of peasantry you had.
gpt
Very good: but now we must send and find him; and henceforth don't give him any thing to drink, otherwise you'll do him more harm than good.
human
That is true, said Zakhár in assent.
gpt
He doesn't seem in very robust health: we used to have an overseer who, like him