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'If I hadn't read them, I wouldn't have spoken about them. A dream-book, for instance ... that's not much of a book, is it? There are others too, of course ... only you won't read them either. 'Why? 'They are religious books. I was silent for a space.... Narkiz was silent too. 'What vexes me most, I began, 'is staying in the house in such weather.
'Here, near the dike, there's a seat, put up on the floating platform on purpose, Narkiz was beginning to explain to me, but he glanced ahead, and suddenly exclaimed: 'Aha! but our poor folk are here already ... they keep it up, it seems.
I craned my head to look from behind him, and saw on the floating platform, on the very seat of which he had been speaking, two persons sitting with their backs to us; they were placidly fishing. 'Who are they? I asked. 'Neighbours, Narkiz responded, with displeasure. 'They've nothing to eat at home, and so here they come to us. 'Are they allowed to?
I thought it useless to question Cucumber further, so gave him a few coppers, and set off homewards. At home I betook myself for further information to Narkiz. He, as I might have anticipated, was somewhat unapproachable, stood a little on his dignity, expressed his surprise that such paltry matters could 'interest' me, and, finally, told me what he knew. I heard the following details.
Do you hear? "One thing in them unquenchable, Subduing, sweet, desirable, To nurse their mutual flame in love!" And you talk about Agrafena! Narkiz chuckled half-contemptuously, half-indifferently. 'What a queer fish it is! he said to himself. But the brigadier had again relapsed into dejection, the rod had dropped from his hands and slipped into the water.
'Any bites? Narkiz inquired haughtily, as in leisurely fashion he unwound his reel. 'We've caught a matter of five loaches, answered Cucumber in a cracked and husky voice: 'and he took a good-sized perch. 'Yes, a perch, repeated the brigadier in a shrill pipe. I fell to watching closely not him, but his reflection in the pond.
But now he has only a corner given him out of charity, and he lives ... on what God sends him. But, by the way, what are we to do? They've taken the best place.... We shall have to disturb our precious visitors. 'No, Narkiz, please don't disturb them. We'll sit here a little aside; they won't interfere with us. I should like to make acquaintance with the brigadier. 'As you like.
'Of course I did. 'H'm. Narkiz looked at me again and shook his head as it were with commiseration. 'If you 'd care to amuse yourself with reading, he continued: 'there are some books left of my old master's; I'll get them you, if you like; only you won't read them, I expect. 'Why? 'They're books of no value; not written for the gentlemen of these days. 'Have you read them?
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