Matvey lighted a candle and began reading a book which he had
borrowed from the station policeman. While he was sitting over it
the service ended, and they all went to bed. Dashutka lay down,
too. She began snoring at once, but soon woke up and said, yawning:

"You shouldn't burn a candle for nothing, Uncle Matvey."

"It's my candle," answered Matvey; "I bought it with my own money."

Dashutka turned over a little and fell asleep again. Matvey sat up
a good time longer--he was not sleepy--and when he had finished
the last page he took a pencil out of a box and wrote on the book:

"I, Matvey Terehov, have read this book, and think it the very best
of all the books I have read, for which I express my gratitude to
the non-commissioned officer of the Police Department of Railways,
Kuzma Nikolaev Zhukov, as the possessor of this priceless book."

He considered it an obligation of politeness to make such inscriptions
in other people's books.

II

On Annunciation Day, after the mail train had been sent off, Matvey
was sitting in the refreshment bar, talking and drinking tea with
lemon in it.

The waiter and Zhukov the policeman were listening to him.