come to permit such a thing?" Here his
Excellency turned on Evstafiy Ivanovitch. I only listen, and the
sounds of the words reach me: "It's gross carelessness. Heedlessness!
You'll get yourself into trouble!" I tried to open my mouth for some
purpose or other. I seemed to want to ask forgiveness, but I couldn't;
to run away, but I didn't dare to make the attempt: and then--then, my
dearest, something so dreadful happened that I can hardly hold my pen
even now for the shame of it. My button--deuce take it--my button,
which was hanging by a thread, suddenly broke loose, jumped off,
skipped along (evidently I had struck it by accident), clattered and
rolled away, the cursed thing, straight to his Excellency's feet, and
that in the midst of universal silence. And that was the whole of my
justification, all my excuse, all my answer, everything which I was
preparing to say to his Excellency!

The results were terrible! His Excellency immediately directed his
attention to my figure and my costume. I remembered what I had seen in
the mirror; I flew to catch the button! A fit of madness descended
upon me! I bent down and tried to grasp the button, but it rolled and
twisted, and I couldn't get hold of it, in short, and I also
distinguished myself in the matter of dexterity. Then I felt my last
strength fail me, and knew that all, all was lost! My whole reputation
was lost, the whole man ruined! And then, without rhyme or reason,
Teresa and Faldoni began to ring in both my ears. At last I succeeded
in seizing the button, rose upright, drew myself up in proper salute,
but like a fool, and stood calmly there with my hands lined down on
the seams of my trousers! No, I didn't, though. I began to try to fit
the button on the broken thread, just as though it would stick fast by
that means; and moreover, I began to smile and went on smiling.

At first his Excellency turned away; then he scrutinized me again, and
I heard him say to Evstafiy Ivanovitch:--"How's this? See what a
condition he is in! What a looking man! What's the matter with him?"
Ah, my own dearest, think of that--"What a looking man!" and "What's
the matter with him!"--"He has distinguished himself!" I heard
Evstafiy say; "he has no bad marks, no bad marks on any score, and his
conduct is exemplary; his salary is adequate, in accordance with the
rates." "Well then, give him some sort of assistance," says his
Excellency; "make him an advance on his salary."--"But he has h