Gavrilo gave a laugh, a strange laugh, like a sob. His head was bent,
so that Tchelkache could not see the expression of his face; he could
only perceive Gavrilo's ears, by turns red and white.

"Go to the devil!" exclaimed Tchelkache, motioning with his hand. "Are
you in love with me? Say? Look at you mincing like a young girl. Are
you distressed at leaving me? Eh! youngster, speak, or else I'm going!"

"You're going?" cried Gavrilo, in a sonorous voice. The deserted and
sandy beach trembled at this cry, and the waves of sand brought by the
waves of the sea seemed to shudder. Tchelkache also shuddered.
Suddenly Gavrilo darted from his place, and throwing himself at
Tchelkache's feet, entwined his legs with his arms and drew him toward
him. Tchelkache tottered, sat down heavily on the sand, and gritting
his teeth, brandished his long arm and closed fist in the air. But
before he had time to strike, he was stopped by the troubled and
suppliant look of Gavrilo.

"Friend! Give me . . . that money! Give it to me, in the name of
Heaven. What need have you of it? It is the earnings of one night
. . . a single night . . . And it would take me years to get as much
as that. . . Give it to me. . . I'll pray for you . . . all my life
. . . in three churches . . . for the safety of your soul. You'll
throw it to the winds, and I'll give it to the earth. Oh! give me that
money. What will you do with it, say? Do you care about it as much as
that? One night . . . and you are rich! Do a good deed! You are
lost, you! . . . You'll never come back again to the way, while I!
. . . Ah! give it to me!"

Tchelkache frightened, astonished and furious threw himself backward,