usually did. His suspicions of the evening before were quite gone. I
called the guide to thank him for what he had done for us, and I told
Savéliitch to give him half a rouble as a reward.

Savéliitch frowned.

"Half a rouble!" cried he. "Why? Because you were good enough to bring
him yourself to the inn? I will obey you, excellency, but we have no
half roubles to spare. If we take to giving gratuities to everybody we
shall end by dying of hunger."

I could not dispute the point with Savéliitch; my money, according to my
solemn promise, was entirely at his disposal. Nevertheless, I was
annoyed that I was not able to reward a man who, if he had not brought
me out of fatal danger, had, at least, extricated me from an awkward
dilemma.

"Well," I said, coolly, to Savéliitch, "if you do not wish to give him
half a rouble give him one of my old coats; he is too thinly clad. Give
him my hareskin _touloup_."

"Have mercy on me, my father, Petr' Andréjïtch!" exclaimed Savéliitch.
"What need has he of your _touloup_? He will pawn it for drink, the
dog, in the first tavern he comes across."

"That, my dear old fellow, is no longer your affair," said the vagabond,
"whether I drink it or whether I do not. His excellency honours me with
a coat off his own back.[26] It is his excellency's will, and it is your
duty as a serf not to kick against it, but to obey."