“Kapiton Eropegoff—not Captain Eropegoff!—Kapiton—major retired—Eropegoff—Kapiton.”
“Kapiton didn’t exist either!” persisted Gania, maliciously.
“What? Didn’t exist?” cried the poor general, and a deep blush suffused his face.
“That’ll do, Gania!” cried Varia and Ptitsin.
“Shut up, Gania!” said Colia.
But this intercession seemed to rekindle the general.
“What did you mean, sir, that he didn’t exist? Explain yourself,” he repeated, angrily.
“Because he didn’t exist—never could and never did—there! You’d better drop the subject, I warn you!”
“And this is my son—my own son—whom I—oh, gracious Heaven! Eropegoff—Eroshka Eropegoff didn’t exist!”
“Ha, ha! it’s Eroshka now,” laughed Hippolyte.
“No, sir, Kapitoshka—not Eroshka. I mean, Kapiton Alexeyevitch—retired major—married Maria Petrovna Lu—Lu—he was my friend and companion—Lutugoff—from our earliest beginnings. I closed his eyes for him—he was killed. Kapiton Eropegoff never existed! tfu!”
The general shouted in his fury; but it was to be concluded that his wrath was not kindled by the expressed doubt as to Kapiton’s existence. This was his scapegoat; but his excitement was caused by something quite different. As a rule he would have merely shouted down the doubt as to Kapiton, told a long yarn about his friend, and eventually retired