Oblomov / Обломов. Книга для чтения на английском языке

«We’ve still got some cheese left», he said slowly, still stretching himself, «and – er – yes, bring me some Madeira; dinner won’t be for some time yet, so I think I’ll have a little lunch…»

В«Where was it left, sir?В» Zakhar said. В«There was nothing leftВ».

«What do you mean?» Oblomov interrupted him. «I remember very well – it was a piece as big as that».

В«No, sirВ», Zakhar insisted stubbornly.

«There wasn’t any piece left at all».

В«There was!В» said Oblomov.

«There wasn’t», replied Zakhar.

В«Well, go and buy someВ».

В«Give me the money, please, sirВ».

«There’s some change on the table, take it».

«There’s only one rouble forty copecks, sir, and the cheese costs one rouble sixty copecks».

В«There were some coppers there tooВ».

«I never saw them, sir», said Zakhar, shifting from one foot to another. «There was some silver and it’s still there, but there were no coppers».

«There were – the pedlar gave them to me himself yesterday».

В«Yes, sir, I saw him give you your changeВ», said Zakhar, В«but I never saw no coppersВ».

В«I wonder if Tarantyev took itВ», Oblomov thought irresolutely. В«But no, he would have taken all the changeВ».

В«What else is there left?В» he asked.

«Nothing, sir. There may be some ham left over from yesterday», said Zakhar. «I’ll go and ask Anisya.

«Bring what there is. But how is it there’s no cheese left?» «Well, there isn’t», said Zakhar, and went out.

Oblomov slowly and thoughtfully paced about the study.

«Yes», he said softly, «there’s plenty to do. Take the plan alone – lots of work still to be done on it! I’m sure there was some cheese left», he added thoughtfully. «It’s that Zakhar who’s eaten it and he’s just saying there wasn’t any.

A quarter of an hour later Zakhar opened the door with the tray, which he carried in both hands. As he came into the room, he wanted to shut the door with his foot, but missed it and nearly fell over; a wine-glass, the stopper of the decanter, and a roll dropped to the floor.

«You can’t take a step without dropping something», said Oblomov.