t his mother, and in that look
could be read the entreaty: "Don't tell them at home that I cried
at the hospital."

The doctor examined his elbow, pressed it, heaved a sigh, clicked
with his lips, then pressed it again.

"You ought to be beaten, woman, but there is no one to do it," he
said. "Why didn't you bring him before? Why, the whole arm is done
for. Look, foolish woman. You see, the joint is diseased!"

"You know best, kind sir . . ." sighed the woman.

"Kind sir. . . . She's let the boy's arm rot, and now it is 'kind
sir.' What kind of workman will he be without an arm? You'll be
nursing him and looking after him for ages. I bet if you had had a
pimple on your nose, you'd have run to the hospital quick enough,
but you have left your boy to rot for six months. You are all like
that."

The doctor lighted a cigarette. While the cigarette smoked, he
scolded the woman, and shook his head in time to the song he was
humming inwardly, while he thought of something else. Pashka stood
naked before him, listening and looking at the smoke. When the
cigarette went out, the doctor started, and said in a lower tone:

"Well, listen, woman. You can do nothing with ointments and drops
in this case. You must leave him in the hospital."

"If necessary, sir, why not?

"We must operate on him. You stop with me, Pashka," said the doctor,
slapping Pashka on the shoulder. "Let mother go home, and you and
I will stop here, old man. It's nice with me, old boy, it's first-rate
here. I'll tell you what we'll do, Pashka, we will go catching
finches together. I will show you a fox! We will go visiting together!
Shall we? And mother will come for you tomorrow! Eh?"

Pashka looked inquiringly at his mother.

"You stay, child!" she said.

"He'll stay, he'll stay!" cried the doctor gleefully. "And there
is no need to discuss it. I'll show him a live fox! We will go to
the fair together to buy candy! Marya Denisovna, take him upstairs!"

The doctor, apparently a light-hearted and friendly fellow, seemed
glad to have company; Pashka wanted to oblige him, especially as
he had never in his life been to a fair, and would have been glad
to have a look at a live fox, but how could he do without his mother?

After a little reflection he decided to ask the doctor to let his
mother stay in the hospital too, but before he had time to open his
mouth the lady assistant was already taking him upstairs. He walked
up and looked about him with hi