Голод
Part II
wornout,doyousay?Youmustnotmakeslipswhenyouspeak?IwouldliketoseethepersonwhowearsoutlessbuttonsthanIdo,Icantellyou!Ialwaysgowithmycoatopen;itisahabitofmine,anidiosyncrasy....No,no;ofcourse,ifyouwon’t,well!ButImusthaveapennyforthem,atleast....Noindeed!whosaidyouwereobligedtodoit?Youcanholdyourtongue,andleavemeinpeace....Yes,well,youcanfetchapoliceman,can’tyou?I’llwaitherewhilstyouareoutlookingforhim,andIwon’tstealanythingfromyou.Well,good-day!Good-day!Myname,bytheway,isTangen;havebeenoutalittlelate.
Someonecomesupthestairs.Iamrecalledatoncetoreality.Irecognize"Scissors,"andputthebuttonscarefullyintomypocket.Heattemptstopass;doesn’tevenacknowledgemynod;issuddenlyintentlybusiedwithhisnails.Istophim,andinquirefortheeditor.
"Notin,doyouhear."
"Youlie,"Isaid,and,withacheekthatfairlyamazedmyself,Icontinued,"Imusthaveawordwithhim;itisanecessaryerrand—communicationsfromtheStiftsgaarden.5
"Well,can’tyoutellmewhatitis,then?"
"Tellyou?"andIlooked"Scissors"upanddown.Thishadthedesiredeffect.Heaccompaniedmeatonce,andopenedthedoor.Myheartwasinmymouthnow;Isetmyteeth,totryandrevivemycourage,knocked,andenteredtheeditor’sprivateoffice.
"Good-day!Isityou?"heaskedkindly;"sitdown.