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He used to declare that he could not go without powder as he had to associate with generals and their ladies. Well, my name-day had come. Nastasey Nastasyeitch came to the house and said: "I have never made you a present up to now, godson, but to make up for that, look what a fine thing I have brought you to-day."
It can't be lost by magic, you say, but what's it to do with me? It may be magic for all I care! Stolen from you? Well, good luck to it then! What will Nastasey Nastasyeitch say? Damnation take him, your Nastasyeitch! I get nothing but annoyances and unpleasantness from him! Don't dare to worry me again! Do you hear?" My father slammed the door and went off to his own room.
And he took out of his pocket a silver watch, a regular turnip, with a rose tree engraved on the face and a brass chain. I was overwhelmed with delight, while my aunt, Pelageya Petrovna, shouted at the top of her voice: "Kiss his hand, kiss his hand, dirty brat!" I proceeded to kiss my godfather's hand, while my aunt went piping on: "Oh, Nastasey Nastasyeitch! Why do you spoil him like this?
My godfather was a certain Anastasy Anastasyevitch Putchkov, or more exactly Nastasey Nastasyeitch, for that was what everyone called him.
How can he take care of a watch? He will be sure to drop it, break it, or spoil it." My father walked in, looked at the watch, thanked Nastasey Nastasyeitch somewhat carelessly, and invited him to his study. And I heard my father say, as though to himself: "If you think to get off with that, my man...." But I could not stay still. I put on the watch and rushed headlong to show my present to David.
Understanding nothing, I followed my aunt, and, as I crossed the threshold of the drawing-room, I saw my father, striding up and down and ruffling up his hair, Yushka in tears by the door and, sitting on a chair in the corner, my godfather, Nastasey Nastasyeitch, with an expression of peculiar malignancy in his distended nostrils and in his fiery, slanting eyes.
"Go along, go to your father at once, sir!" she snapped out. "What pranks have you been up to, you shameless boy! You will catch it, both of you. Nastasey Nastasyeitch has shown up all your tricks! Go along, your father wants you.... Go along this very minute."
If Latkin had snatched a profitable job from my father, after the fashion of Nastasey, who replaced him later on, my father would have been no more indignant with him than with Nastasey, probably less.
He would not have accepted presents from Nastasey. But what am I to do now?" Give back the watch? Impossible! I did try to talk to David, to ask his advice. He told me that he never gave advice to anyone and that I had better do as I thought best. As I thought best!! I remember I did not sleep all night afterwards: I was in agonies of indecision.
"And you, my good friend, do you agree?" said my aunt, addressing Nastasey Nastasyeitch. "I am quite agreeable," responded the latter. During the whole proceedings he had not stirred and only snorting stealthily and stealthily rubbing the ends of his fingers, had fixed his foxy eyes by turns on me, on my father, and on Yushka. We afforded him real gratification!
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