The Death of a Civil Servant

One fine evening, a moody plebeian Ivan Dmitry Chervyakov, sitting in the second row of seats at the theater, was watching the light opera "The Bells of Korneville" with his binoculars. He watched the performance and felt immensely happy. But suddenly ...... novels often appear this "but suddenly". The writers were right: life is indeed full of unexpected events. But suddenly, his face scrunched up, his eyes rolled upward, his breathing stopped ...... he put down his binoculars, lowered his head, and he ...... sneezed! He sneezed, you see. No matter when or where, who sneezes cannot be prohibited. The crop duster sneezes, the sheriff sneezes, and sometimes even the dignitaries are inevitable. Everyone sneezes. Chervyakov did not panic, took out a small handkerchief to wipe his face, and, like a polite man, looked around: did his sneeze splash anyone? But then he couldn't help but panic. He saw that a little old man sitting in the first row of seats in front of him was wiping his bald head and neck with his glove and muttering something under his breath. Chervyakov recognized the man as General Brizarov, the third-ranking civilian officer, who served in the transportation department.

"I splashed him with my sneeze!" Chervyakov thought, "He's not my superior, he's from another department, but it's not right. I should make it up to him."

Chervyakov coughed, leaned forward and whispered into the general's ear.

"I beg your Excellency's pardon, I spit on you ...... I did it out of inadvertence ......"

"Nothing, nothing ......"

"For God's sake, I beg your pardon. You know I ...... I didn't mean to ......"

"Hey, please sit down! Let people listen!"

Chervyakov got flustered, he giggled a little and started looking at the stage. He watched the performance, but no longer felt happy. He became frightened. During the interval he went up to Brizarov, walked around him, finally restrained his timidity, and mumbled.

"I splashed you, my lord ...... please forgive ...... know that I ...... did not mean to... ..."

"Hey, that's enough! ...... I have forgotten, why do you keep mentioning it!" The general finished, impatiently skimming his lower lip.

① A light opera by the French composer Prongate (1847-1903).

"He says he's forgotten, but what a fierce look in his eyes!" Chervyakov thought darkly, glancing at him suspiciously from time to time. "He doesn't even want to talk. It should be explained to him clearly that I had no intention at all ...... it is the law of nature ...... otherwise he will think that I deliberately spit on him. If he doesn't think so now, he will certainly think so afterwards! ......"

When he got home, Chervyakov told his wife about his disorder. He felt that his wife had been too flippant about what had happened. First she was frightened, but then she was relieved to hear that Brizarov was "from another department".

"But you'd better go and apologize," she said, "he'll think you behaved badly in public!"

"That's right! I apologized just now, but he was a bit odd ...... and didn't say a word. And there was no time to talk about it."

The next day, Chervyakov put on a new uniform, shaved his face, and went to Brzharov to explain ...... into the general's reception room, where he saw many people who had asked to see him. The general was among them, and he had already begun to receive them. After asking a few people, the general raised his eyes to Chervyakov.

"Yesterday in the theater of 'Alcagia'1, if you remember," began the officer, "I sneezed and inadvertently splashed... ...the service please your original ......"

"What nonsense! ...... God knows what happened!" The general turned his face to the next visitor and said, "What is your business?"

"He doesn't want to talk!" Chervyakov blushed furiously and thought to himself, "Looks like he's angry ...... No, this can't be put down like this ...... I have to explain it to him... ..."

When the general finished receiving the last visiting head and was about to return to the inner room, Chervyakov followed him step by step and began to mumble again, saying.

"My lord! If I dare to disturb your Excellency, then I can say that it is only out of a feeling of repentance ...... I did not mean to do so, I beg your understanding, my Lord!"

The general made a crying face and waved his hand a little.

"You are simply joking, sir!" The general finished and went into the door and disappeared.

"How is this a joke?" Chervyakov thought, "Not a joke at all! Being a general, but not knowing what to do! In that case, I'll never make amends to this good-for-nothing! To hell with him! I'll write him a letter and never come back! Really, never again!"

Chelyakov thought about it and returned home. But the letter to the general was not written. After thinking about it, he couldn't figure out how to write the letter. He had to explain to the general himself the next day.

①Ancient Greece was a continent where the inhabitants were engaged in sheep herding. The first time I saw it, I was in a state of peace and happiness.

"I came yesterday to disturb your Excellency," he began to mumble when the general raised a questioning gaze at him, "I did not come to joke, as you said. I came to apologize to you for splashing you when I sneezed, my lord. ...... When it comes to joking, I never thought of it. I dare to joke? If we really joked, in that case, it would not be the least bit respectful to your lordship ...... talk about ......"

"Get out!!!" Suddenly, the general who was blue and trembling shouted.

"What, my lord?" Chervyakov asked in a small voice, stunned.

"Get out!!!" The general shouted again as he stalled his feet.

Chervyakov felt something shatter in his stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he took a step back to the door. He came to the street and walked with difficult steps ...... He returned home in a daze, did not take off his uniform, fell on the long couch, and later died .......