everything had been done, while he sent a postilion for a policeman in
case of need. The old lady tied a knot in her handkerchief, sprinkled
some eau-de-Cologne on it, sniffed at it, and rubbed her temples with
it, drank some tea, and, being still under the influence of the
cherrybay drops, fell asleep again.

An hour after all this hubbub the garret door opened, and Gerasim showed
himself. He had on his best coat; he was leading Mumu by a string.
Eroshka moved aside and let him pass. Gerasim went to the gates. All the
small boys in the yard stared at him in silence. He did not even turn
round; he only put his cap on in the street. Gavrila sent the same
Eroshka to follow him and keep watch on him as a spy. Eroshka, seeing
from a distance that he had gone into a cookshop with his dog, waited
for him to come out again.

Gerasim was well known at the cookshop, and his signs were understood.
He asked for cabbage soup with meat in it, and sat down with his arms on
the table. Mumu stood beside his chair, looking calmly at him with her
intelligent eyes. Her coat was glossy; one could see she had just been
combed down. They brought Gerasim the soup. He crumbled some bread into
it, cut the meat up small, and put the plate on the ground. Mumu began
eating in her usual refined way, her little muzzle daintily held so as
scarcely to touch her food. Gerasim gazed a long while at her; two big
tears suddenly rolled from his eyes; one fell on the dog's brow, the
other into the soup. He shaded his face with his hand. Mumu ate up half
the plateful, and came away from it, licking her lips. Gerasim got up,
paid for the soup, and went out, followed by the rather perplexed
glances of the waiter. Eroshka, seeing Gerasim, hid round a corner, and
letting him get in front, followed him again.