Chapter 14 14 The death of a small clerk

On a beautiful evening, Ivan, a general officer in a good mood,Dmitry.Tchervyakov, sitting in the second row of seats in the theater, was watching the operetta "The Bells of Cornevelli" with a telescope. 】.He watched the performance and felt extremely happy.But all of a sudden it's a lot in the novel but all of a sudden.The writers were right: life is full of surprises.But suddenly, his face wrinkled, his eyes rolled up, and his breath stopped. He put down the binoculars, lowered his head, and blew! ! !He sneezes, you see.No matter when and where, whoever sneezes cannot be prohibited.Peasants sneezed, sheriffs sneezed, and sometimes dignitaries too.Everyone sneezes.Tchervyakov did not panic, wiped his face with his handkerchief, and, like a polite man, looked around: had his sneeze splashed anyone?But at this moment he couldn't help but panic.He saw a little old man sitting on the first row of seats in front of him, wiping his bald head and neck vigorously with gloves, and muttering something.Tchervyakov recognized the man as a third-rank civil servant, General Brizalov, who worked in the Department of Communications.

My sneeze splashed him!Tchervyakov thought that although he was not my superior, but from another department, it would not be right.You should apologize to him. Tchervyakov coughed, leaned forward, and whispered in the general's ear: Please forgive me, my saliva splashed on you unintentionally nothing, nothing For God's sake, please forgive me.you know i didn't mean to Hey, please sit down!Let people listen! Tchervyakov was flustered, he smirked and began to look at the stage.He watched the show, but was no longer happy.He began to panic.During the intermission, he went up to Brizalov, walked up and down beside him, and finally overcame his timidity, and murmured:

I splashed you, my lord, please forgive me and know I didn't mean to Hey, that's enough!I have forgotten, why do you keep mentioning it!After the general finished speaking, he curled his lips impatiently. He said he forgot, but how fierce his eyes are!Tchervyakov thought to himself, looking at him suspiciously from time to time, and did not even want to say a word.It should be explained to him that I didn't do it completely unintentionally and that's the law of nature otherwise he'll think I spit on him on purpose.He doesn't think so now, but he will definitely think so in the future!

After returning home, Chervyakov told his wife about his gaffe.He feels his wife has been too flippant about what happened.She was frightened at first, but then she was relieved when she heard that Brizalov was from another department. But you'd better go and apologize, she said, and he'll think you've behaved inappropriately in public! That's right!I apologized just now, but he was a bit weird and didn't say a single pleasant word.And there was no time to talk about it. The next day Tchervyakov put on a new uniform, shaved, went to Brizalov to explain, and went into the general's reception room, where he saw many people asking for an audience.The general is also inside, and he has already begun to interview.After questioning several people, the general looked up at Tchervyakov.

Yesterday at the Arcadia Theater, if your excellency remembers, the steward began to report, I sneezed and accidentally splashed What nonsense!God knows what happened!The general turned his face away and said to the next visitor: What do you want? He doesn't want to say it!Chervyakov turned pale and thought to himself, it seems that he is angry, can't let this matter go like this, I have to explain it to him clearly When the general finished receiving the last visitor and was about to return to the inner room, Tchervyakov followed him one step at a time, and began to mutter again:

grown ups!If I dare to disturb your Excellency, it can be said that I did not mean it out of a repentant mood, please forgive me, Your Excellency! The general made a mournful face and waved his hand. You are joking, sir!After the general finished speaking, he disappeared through the door. How is this a joke?No joke at all, thought Tchervyakov!As a general, he doesn't understand the truth!In this case, I will never apologize to this airsy person again!Went to his!I wrote him a letter and never came again!Really, never again! Tchervyakov thought about it and went home.But the letter to the general was not completed.After much deliberation, I couldn't figure out how to write this letter.I had no choice but to explain to the general himself the next day.

I came to disturb your lord yesterday, when the general raised a questioning look at him, he began to mutter, I am not joking as you said.I came to apologize to you for splashing you when I sneezed, and it never occurred to me when your lord said you were joking.Do you dare to joke?If we are really joking, then there is no respect for adults at all Get out! !Suddenly, the general with a blue face and trembling body gave a loud shout. What, my lord?Tchervyakov asked in a low voice, petrified. Get out! !The general stamped his feet and shouted again. Tchervyakov felt something break in his stomach.Seeing nothing and hearing nothing, he retreated to the door step by step.He came out into the street and walked with difficulty. He came home in a daze, with his uniform on, and fell down on the couch, and died afterwards.