The Duel and Other Stories - LightNovelsOnl.com
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He got up, put on his dressing-gown, and staggering, half asleep, flopped in his slippers to the shop.
"What . . . is it?" he asked Obtyosov.
"Give me . . . give me four pennyworth of peppermint lozenges."
Sniffing continually, yawning, dropping asleep as he moved, and knocking his knees against the counter, the chemist went to the shelf and reached down the jar.
Two minutes later the chemist's wife saw Obtyosov go out of the shop, and, after he had gone some steps, she saw him throw the packet of peppermints on the dusty road. The doctor came from behind a corner to meet him. . . . They met and, gesticulating, vanished in the morning mist.
"How unhappy I am!" said the chemist's wife, looking angrily at her husband, who was undressing quickly to get into bed again. "Oh, how unhappy I am!" she repeated, suddenly melting into bitter tears.
"And n.o.body knows, n.o.body knows. . . ."
"I forgot fourpence on the counter," muttered the chemist, pulling the quilt over him. "Put it away in the till, please. . . ."
And at once he fell asleep again.
