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Once, when with obvious displeasure he asked me to lend him money the very next day he returned me the loan with ironical gratitude. During the whole winter my relations with Kolosov were utterly unchanged; I often compared myself with Gavrilov, and could not make out in what respect he was better than I.... But suddenly everything was changed.
'I have come to you, he began in a rather thick voice, 'because you care more for me than any of the others do.... I have lost my best friend' his voice shook a little 'and I feel lonely.... None of you knew Gavrilov ... none of you knew.... He got up, paced up and down the room, came rapidly towards me again.... 'Will you take his place? he said, and gave me his hand.
And where's Sevastian Sevastianovitch? 'Gavrilov is dead, answered Kolosov mournfully. 'Dead! you don't say so! And who's this? 'My relation I have the honour to present to you Nikolai Alexei.... 'All right, all right, Ivan Semyonitch cut him short, 'delighted, delighted. And does he play cards? 'Play, of course he does! 'Ah, then, that's capital; we'll sit down directly. Hey!
Kolosov liked us all equally, but was particularly friendly with a silent, flaxen-haired, and unobtrusive youth, called Gavrilov. From Gavrilov he was almost inseparable; he would often speak to him in a whisper, and used to disappear with him out of Moscow, no one knew where, for two or three days at a time.... Kolosov did not care to be questioned, and I was lost in surmises.
Reproaches were heard ... Sometimes I asked Kolosov with affected indifference, 'Well, shall we go to Ivan Semyonitch's to-day? ... He looked coldly at me, and answered quietly, 'No, we're not going. I sometimes fancied that he smiled slily when he spoke to me of Varia.... I failed generally to fill Gavrilov's place with him.... Gavrilov was a thousand times more good-natured and foolish than I.
I shan't give admittance to you by yourself. The next day Kolosov turned up with Gavrilov, and poor Sevastian Sevastianovitch had for a whole autumn and winter been playing cards in the evenings with the retired lieutenant; that worthy treated him without ceremony, as it is called in other words, fearfully rudely.
In the middle of April, Gavrilov fell ill, and died in the arms of Kolosov, who never left his room for an instant, and went nowhere for a whole week afterwards. We were all grieved for poor Gavrilov; the pale, silent lad seemed to have had a foreboding of his end.
'Well, if so, he brought out at last, 'take your cap and come along. 'Where to? 'Gavrilov did not ask me. I was silent at once. 'Can you play at cards? 'Yes. We went out, took a cab to one of the gates of the town. At the gate we got out. Kolosov went on in front very quickly; I followed him. We walked along the highroad. After we had gone three-quarters of a mile, Kolosov turned off.
I leaped up and flung myself on his breast. My genuine delight touched him.... I did not know what to say, I was choking.... Kolosov looked at me and softly laughed. We had tea. At tea he talked of Gavrilov; I heard that that timid, gentle boy had saved Kolosov's life, and I could not but own to myself that in Gavrilov's place I couldn't have resisted chattering about it boasting of my luck.
'Which of you is Luke Gavrilov? asked the captain. Lukishka took off his cap and came forward. 'I have reported your exploit to the Commander. I don't know what will come of it. I have recommended you for a cross; you're too young to be made a sergeant. Can you read? 'I can't. 'But what a fine fellow to look at! said the captain, again playing the commander. 'Put on your cap.
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