The Orloff Couple and Malva

tomed to the tedious weariness of their former life, felt at first very uncomfortable in the midst of this rapid, pulsating, busy rush into which they were suddenly thrown. Th

ded nevertheless in doing very little work, and too often got into the way of other people. Grigori felt more than once

er his right eyebrow, told Grigori to help one of the patients into the bath-room; the new attendant,

into the bath-room whole.... These words confused Orloff. The patient, however, a long thin fellow,

ey had to do under certain circumstances. At the end of his instructions he asked them if they had taken a bath lately, and then gave them out white aprons. The voice of this old gentleman had i

sobbed and sighed; water flowed splashing and hissing from the taps; and this blending of sounds seemed to fill the air, which was already saturated with sharp

er a few hours he was seized by the strong current of energy which flowed through everything. He pricked up his ears, and felt a burning desire to get into the swim, and

mate!" shouted o

th over there!" a thin little

! What's y

lof

at's right ... so.... I see you understand at once....

ent, long-haired and pock-marked, whilst he

in another patient!

nd see!... Help th

ed entirely under the mass of impressions which crowded in upon him at every moment. The dark-green rings round the glassy eyes of the patients, their leaden-coloured faces, their bones, which stood out

the corridor of the Infirmary; she seemed in these few hours

one of these hurried encounters. She could only

ary for him to have brought his wife with him into this hell? She might catch the in

clean; wash your hands very

are?" she asked, showing her little white teeth;

y made h

ven in such a place as this! What a p

mmendations. Matrona, having noticed the angry look on h

an at his post, and had sworn at him as he had passed by; they had never been on good terms together. And now he saw this man, such a short time before so strong

s one ever come into the world?" he thought to himself, "if such a ho

w of the three children of the dead man? Last year he lost his wife, and there had scarcely been

e began to stretch out and to straighten itself, and at the same time the mouth of the

r; and he rested the bier on the ground. "He is

he stretcher, turned round, looked at the corps

elf ready for his coffin? Don't you see how the cholera has twisted him up?.

ll moving!" protested Orl

other!... All our corpses here move, but I should advise you to be quiet about it Don't tell a soul that he has moved! Otherwise one will tell his neighbour, and his neighbour will add a little bit on to the story, and we shall soon have a regular

e of the other attendant-and his soft way

eeding, and the management, and everything are first-class.... We have all to die some day, every one recogn

?" repli

o at it?" They went off accordingly towards a quiet corner of the Infirmary, and pulled themselves together with a s

ave been drinking. They are very particular h

ot accustomed to the li

w them in the Turkish war.... And I was also at Ardahan and at Kars. They were indeed a brave lot, those ambulance people I Full of kind-heartedness and courage. We soldiers had at least our guns and cannons; but they went about among the bullets as if they had been walking about in some pleasant garden. And when they

of vodka which he held drunk, put Orl

he consoled himself with thinking, whilst he rubbed the fe

ntive voice-"Give me water!... Give me so

. Och!... Hohoho!... hotter still!... It does me good, doctor

ver here!" called out

man lay. He really did believe at heart that the police-officer was dead, but at times horrid doubts shot through his mind. Suppose the dead man were to suddenly jump up and shout! And he remembered how some one had told him once that those who had died of the cholera broke out of their coffins, and, so it was said, ran about alter each other. As he went backwards and forwards at his work, rubbing the limbs of one patient, helping another into a bat

owledging this much to himself was the cause of his mistaking his doubts as to her loyalty for the truth; and as a result of his jealousy he asked himself the question-"Why did I want to leave my cellar, and get into this kettle of hot water?" ... But all these, and other thoughts, stirred and whirled deep down at the bottom of his soul, they had

oughts seemed all scattered; near his heart he felt a dull, throbbing pain, and his legs were heavy with fatigue. He seemed to have no more strength left either for thought or desire, but stre

middle of the room the doctor began to dance the Russian national dance with Matrona, whilst Grischka himself played on the accordion and laughed light-heartedly, for the doctor's long legs were

eared at the door

eady, brother Grischka! Here you are playing on the accordion ... but you sent

rloff awoke, and scrambled up from the ground, whilst Doctor

ort of an attendant do you call yourself, if you go and lie here on the ground with nothing over your body?... If you get an inward chill, and knock up and die (which God f

ered Orloff in a low voice,

ke care.... It's a dangerous time jus

ary, swallowed in silence a small glass of medicine, which was handed

go and have a good sleep

or, and Orloff stood watching him. Suddenly a smile lit u

u so much

ed the doctor,

ou, for I like being here in all this bustle ... and you said just now y

joyful, excited face of the new att

ome then ... do your work well But not for my sake; do it for the sick people.... It's like a field of battle here; we have to save the si

e the doctor. He was' only sorry that Matrona had not overheard the conversation. But he would tell her about it to-morrow. She wo