"Tolstoy, Leo - Albert" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolstoy Leo)

He was already falling asleep when the sound of opening doors and of
footsteps in the hall roused him.

"Well, I'll be stricter with him," he thought, "that will be best; and I
must do it."

He rang.

"Have you brought him back?" he asked when Zakhar entered.

"A pitiable man, sir," said Zakhar, shaking his head significantly and
closing his eyes.

"Is he drunk?"

"He is very weak."

"And has he the violin?"

"I've brought it back. The lady gave it me."

"Well, please don't let him in here now. Put him to bed, and tomorrow be
sure not to let him leave the house on any account."

But before Zakhar was out of the room Albert entered it.

V

"Do you want to sleep already?" asked Albert with a smile. "And I have been
at Anna Ivanovna's and had a very pleasant evening. We had music, and
laughed, and there was delightful company. Let me have a glass of
something," he added, taking hold of a water-bottle that stood on a little
table, "- but not water."

Albert was just the same as he had been the previous evening: the same
beautiful smile in his eyes and on his lips, the same bright inspired
forehead, and the same feeble limbs. Zakhar's paletot fitted him well, and
the clean wide unstarched collar of the nightshirt encircled his thin white
neck picturesquely, giving him a particularly childlike and innocent look.
He sat down on Delesov's bed and looked at him silently with a happy and
grateful smile. Delesov looked into his eyes, and again suddenly felt
himself captivated by that smile. He no longer wanted to sleep, he forgot
that it was his duty to be stern: on the contrary he wished to make merry,
to hear music, and to chat amicably with Albert till morning. He told
Zakhar to bring a bottle of wine, some cigarettes, and the violin.

"There, that's splendid!" said Albert. "It's still early, and we'll have
some music. I'll play for you as much as you like."

Zakhar, with evident pleasure, brought a bottle of Lafitte, two tumblers,