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Presently he proposed to go to the shop where books for popular reading are published by the million at from one and a half to five kopeks. He had business there in connection with some popular editions of the masterpieces of all ages and literatures.
"So it is. Is the captain's signature worth so little? Tell me why." He could not, or would not. I made him wait while I wrote a petition to the police. The burden of it was: "Why? I was born an American and curious; not too curious, but just curious enough to be interested in the ethnographical and psychological problems of foreign lands. Why the twenty-five kopeks?
Four days before this, the landlady had given the laundress notice to leave the quarters: the latter was already sixty kopeks in debt, and she neither paid them, nor did the landlady foresee any possibility of getting them; and all the bunks were occupied, and the women all complained of the laundress's cough.
Sir Moses had an important interview with the Governor of the town respecting the employment of Jews to repair the high roads, they being willing to work for twenty kopeks a day, while labourers of other denominations receive thirty.
Serejka regarded his rents with a reproachful air and shook his head. "Give me one of your skirts, that'll be better." "Yes, I can," said Malva, laughing. "I'm serious. You must have an old one you don't want." "You'd do better to buy yourself a pair of trousers." "I prefer to drink the money." Serejka rose and, jingling his twenty kopeks, shuffled off, followed by a strange smile from Malva.
"But," said the proprietor, "it was on the table." Not being able to dispute that, I abandoned the question of wine. Various ices were in the bill. I had asked for a lump of ice in a glass of water on several occasions, supposing it to be a common article in a country on the edge of the Arctic circle, but for every lump of ice the charge was ten kopeks.
'May Christ bless you, replied Kasatsky without replacing his cap and bowing his bald head. He rejoiced particularly at this meeting, because he had disregarded the opinion of men and had done the simplest, easiest thing humbly accepted twenty kopeks and given them to his comrade, a blind beggar.
*Sudarynya is the genuine Russian word for "madam," but, like spasibo, "thank you," it is used only by the lower classes. Many merchants who know no French except madame use it as a delicate compliment to the patron's social position. She confessed, with a pitying sigh, that there was not, but returned to her plaint over the sinfully wasted kopeks.
Then Simon called on another peasant, but this one swore he had no money, and would only pay twenty kopeks which he owed for a pair of boots Simon had mended. Simon then tried to buy the sheep-skins on credit, but the dealer would not trust him. "Bring your money," said he, "then you may have your pick of the skins. We know what debt-collecting is like."
"At what price?" asked the woman; she wore mittens on her swollen fingers with which she rapidly handled picture-frames of different shapes. "These are fifty kopeks each; and these are a little more expensive. There is rather a pretty one, of quite a new style; one rouble and twenty kopeks." "All right, I will have this. But could not you make it cheaper? Let us say one rouble."
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