Notes From The Underground 84

Notes From The Underground 84

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‘Go, summon me,’ I roared, ‘go at once, this very minute, this very second! You are a torturer all the same! a tortur-er!’

But he merely looked at me, then turned, and regardless of my loud calls to him, he walked to his room with an even step and without looking round.

‘If it had not been for Liza nothing of this would have happened,’ I decided inwardly. Then, after waiting a minute, I went myself behind his screen with a dignified and solemn air, though my heart was beating slowly and violently.

‘Apollon,’ I said quietly and emphatically, though I was breathless, ‘go at once without a minute’s delay and fetch the police-officer.’

He had meanwhile settled himself at his table, put on his spectacles and taken up some sewing. But, hearing my or-der, he burst into a guffaw.

‘At once, go this minute! Go on, or else you can’t imagine what will happen.’

‘You are certainly out of your mind,’ he observed, with-out even raising his head, lisping as deliberately as ever and threading his needle. ‘Whoever heard of a man sending for the police against himself? And as for being frightened— you are upsetting yourself about nothing, for nothing will come of it.’

‘Go!’ I shrieked, clutching him by the shoulder. I felt I should strike him in a minute.

But I did not notice the door from the passage softly and slowly open at that instant and a figure come in, stop short, and begin staring at us in perplexity I glanced, nearly swooned with shame, and rushed back to my room. There, clutching at my hair with both hands, I leaned my head against the wall and stood motionless in that position.

Two minutes later I heard Apollon’s deliberate footsteps. ‘There is some woman asking for you,’ he said, looking at me with peculiar severity. Then he stood aside and let in Liza. He would not go away, but stared at us sarcastically.

‘Go away, go away,’ I commanded in desperation. At that moment my clock began whirring and wheezing and struck seven.


to be contd..


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