Altogether the room gave one the impression that it had been scalded with boiling water.
The little man dropped the pen, bent over the table, drummed briskly on its edge with his fingers and began to sing softly in a faint voice: "Take the drum and fear not,--And kiss the sutler girl aloud--That's the sense of learning--And that's philosophy." Foma heaved a deed sigh and said: "May I have some seltzer ?" "Ah!" exclaimed the little man, and jumping up from his chair, appeared at the wide oilcloth-covered lounge, where Foma lay.

"How do you do, comrade! Seltzer?
Of course! With cognac or plain ?" "Better with cognac," said Foma, shaking the lean, burning hand which was outstretched to him, and staring fixedly into the face of the little man.
"Yegorovna!" cried the latter at the door, and turning to Foma, asked: "Don't you recognise me, Foma Ignatyevich ?" "I remember something.

It seems to me we had met somewhere before." "That meeting lasted for four years, but that was long ago! Yozhov." "Oh Lord!" exclaimed Foma, in astonishment, slightly rising from the lounge.

"Is it possible that it is you ?" "There are times, dear, when I don't believe it myself, but a real fact is something from which doubt jumps back as a rubber ball from iron." Yozhov's face was comically distorted, and for some reason or other his hands began to feel his breast.
"Well, well!" drawled out Foma.

"But how old you have grown! Ah-ah! How old are you ?" "Thirty." "And you look as though you were fifty, lean, yellow.