PETUSHKÓV. The usual thing?

FÉDYA. No. I am sure; I know for certain that they remained pure. He is

a religious man, and considers marriage without the Church's blessing a

sin. So they began asking me to agree to a divorce. I should have had to

take the blame on myself. It would have been necessary to tell all sorts

of lies ... and I couldn't! Believe me, it would have been easier for me

to take my life than to tell such lies--and I wished to do so. But then

a kind friend came and said, "Why do it?" and arranged it all for me. I

wrote a farewell letter, and next day my clothes, pocket-book and

letters were found on the river bank. I can't swim.

PETUSHKÓV. Yes, but how about the body? They did not find that!

FÉDYA. They did! Fancy! A week later somebody's body was found. My wife

was called to identify the decomposing body. She just glanced at it. "Is

it he?" "It is." And so it was left. I was buried, and they married and

are living in this town, happily. And I--here I am, living and drinking!

Yesterday I passed their house. The windows were lit up, and someone's

shadow crossed the blind. Sometimes it's horrid, and sometimes not. It's

horrid when I've no money ... [Drinks].

ARTÉMYEV [approaches] Excuse me, but I heard your story. It's a very

good story, and more than that--a very useful one! You say it's horrid

when one has no money? There's nothing more horrid. But you, in your

position, should always have money. Aren't you a corpse? Well then ...

The Live Corpse