Apollon Apollonovich Ableukhov a senator of a very respectable kind: he has Adam as his ancestor. However, if we talk about times not so distant, then during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the Kirkiz-Kaysatsky Mirza Ab-Lai entered the Russian service, Andrew was named in baptism and received the nickname of ears. He was brought by his great-great-grandfather to Apollon Apollonovich.
Apollon Apollonovich is preparing to go to the Institution, he was the head of the Institution and from there sent circulars throughout Russia. He controlled the circulars.
Apollon Apollonovich had already stood up, wrapped himself in cologne, and recorded in his “Diary” - which would be published after his death - a thought came to his head. He bit off coffee, inquired about his son, and, having learned that his son Nikolai Apollonovich had not yet got up, he grimaced. Every morning, the senator asked about his son and winced every morning. I sorted out the correspondence and put it aside, without having printed the letter that came from Spain from my wife Anna Petrovna. Two and a half years ago, the couple broke up, Anna Petrovna left with an Italian singer.
Young, in a black top hat, in a gray coat, pulling a black glove on the go, Apollon Apollonovich escapes from the porch and gets into the carriage.
The carriage flew to Nevsky. Flew in a greenish fog into the infinity of a rushing avenue, past the cubes of houses with strict numbering, past a circulating public, from which Apollon Apollonovich was reliably fenced with four perpendicular walls. The senator did not like open spaces, could not stand zigzag lines. He liked the geometric correctness of cubes, parallelepipeds, pyramids, the clarity of straight lines, the layout of St. Petersburg avenues. The islands rising in the mist, into which the arrows of the avenues pierced, aroused his fear. A resident of the islands, a diverse, factory people, inhabitants of chaos, considered the senator, threatening St. Petersburg.
From a huge gray house on the seventeenth line of Vasilievsky Island, down a black staircase dotted with cucumber peels, a stranger comes out with a black mustache. In the hands of a bundle, which he carefully holds. Through the Nikolaev bridge goes in a stream of people - blue shadows in the dusk of a gray morning - the shadow of a stranger to Petersburg. He hated Petersburg for a long time.
At the intersection, the carriage stopped ... Suddenly. Frightened, Apollon Apollonovich raised his gloved hands, as if trying to protect himself, leaned back in the depth of the carriage, hit the wall with a cylinder, laid bare a skull with huge protruding ears. A flaming, fixed look at him closely with the carriage of the walking soldier pierced him.
The carriage flew by. The stranger was further carried away by the stream of people.
A pair flowed along the Nevsky after a couple, the words fragments formed phrases, the Neva gossip braided: “They are going to ...”, “Throw ...”, “To whom ...”, “To Abl ...”. The provocation took a walk on Nevsky, the words in the stranger turned into provocation, the provocation was in him. “Look, what a courage, Elusive,” the stranger heard behind him.
From autumn dankness, a stranger enters the restaurant.
Apollon Apollonovich on this day was somehow especially concentrated. Idle thoughts played out, a brain game started. He recalls that he saw a stranger in his house. From a brain game of the senator, from an ephemeral being, a stranger came out and established himself in reality.
When the stranger disappeared at the restaurant door, two silhouettes appeared; fat, tall, clearly distinguished by the addition and next to the lousy figure of a short man with a huge wart on his face. Separate phrases of their conversation flew: “To Senator Ableukhov to publish a circular ...”, “The elusive is yet to ...”, “Nikolay Apollonovich is to be ...”, “The matter is set as a clockwork ...”, “Would get a salary” .
The figure of an unpleasant fat man appeared in the doorway of the establishment, the stranger turned around, and the lady waved her fur seal hat in a friendly manner. “Alexander Ivanovich ...”, “Lippanchenko”. The lady sits at the table. “Be careful,” a stranger warns him, noting that the fat man wants to put his elbow on a newspaper sheet: the sheet was covering the nodule. Lippanchenko's lips quivered. He asks the dangerous nodule to be deposited with Nikolai Apollonovich Ableukhov, and at the same time hand over the letter.
For two and a half years, Nikolai Apollonovich no longer meets his father for morning coffee, does not wake up before noon, walks in a Bukhara robe, Tatar slippers and a yarmulke. However, he still reads Kant and concludes, builds chains of logical premises. In the morning he received a box from the dresser: in the box satin red dominoes. Nikolai Apollonovich sets off for the dank Petersburg dusk, having thrown Nikolaev over his shoulders. A piece of red satin peeps out under nikolayevka. Memories of unsuccessful love gripped him, I remembered that foggy night, when he almost rushed from the bridge into the dark waters and when the plan matured in him to give a promise to one frivolous party.
Nikolai Apollonovich enters the porch of the house on the Moika and remains in the driveway darkness. A female shadow, having buried her face in a muff, runs along the sink, enters the porch. The maid opens the door and screams. In the dark streak of light, there is a red domino in a black mask. Putting the mask forward, the domino holds out a bloody sleeve. And when the door was slammed, the lady sees a business card lying at the door: a skull with bones instead of a noble crown and fashionable type words - “I’m waiting for you in a masquerade there, on such and such a date. Red jester. "
Sofya Petrovna Likhutina lives in the house on the Moika; she is married to Lieutenant Sergey Sergeyevich Likhutin; Nikolai Apollonovich was the best man at her wedding. Nikolai Apollonovich often visited this house, where the crest Lippanchenko and the student of Varvara Evgrafovna, secretly in love with Ableukhov, came. At first, the sight of the noble Nikolai Apollonovich enthralled Sofya Petrovna, but behind the antique mask something frog suddenly appeared in him. Sofya Petrovna both loved and hated Ableukhov, attracting, pushing away from herself and once in anger she called the Red Fool. Ableukhov stopped coming.
In the morning, a stranger with a mustache comes to Nikolai Apollonovich. The visit is not too pleasant for Ableukhov, he remembers recklessly this promise, thinks to refuse, but somehow it does not work out. A stranger asks for a bundle for storage, opened up, complains of insomnia, loneliness. All of Russia knows him as the Elusive, but he himself is locked in his apartment on Vasilievsky Island, and does not go anywhere. After Yakutskaya’s exile, he met with a special one in Helsingfors and now depends on the person.
Apollon Apollonovich arrives, his son introduces him a university student Alexander Ivanovich Dudkin. It recognizes Apollon Apollonovich of yesterday’s commoner.
A rumble is rolling around Petersburg. There will be a rally. Varvara Evgrafovna arrives to Sofia Petrovna with the news of the rally and asks to pass a letter to Nikolai Apollonovich Ableukhov, whom, according to rumors, Sofya Petrovna should meet at the Tsukatovs' ball. Nikolai Apollonovich knew that Sofya Petrovna would be at the rally. Varvara Evgrafovna always leads everyone to rallies. In Nikolaev, worn over a red domino, he rushes into the dusk of St. Petersburg.
Having burst out of the stuffy hall, where speakers were speaking and shouting “Strike!” Was heard, Sofya Petrovna runs to her home. She sees on the bridge: a red domino in a black mask rushed towards her. But a stone's throw from Sophia Petrovna, a red domino slips and falls, revealing light green pantaloons. “A frog, a freak, a red buffoon,” cries Sofya Petrovna and rewards her with kicks in the anger of a jester. She runs home upset and tells her husband everything in a rush. Sergey Sergeevich was in terrible excitement and, pale, clenching his fists, paced around the room. He forbade him to go to the ball to the Tsukatovs. Offended by Sofya Petrovna. Offended by her husband and Ableukhov, she printed the letter brought by Varvara Evgrafova, read it, and decided to take revenge.
In the costume of Mrs. Pompadour, despite the prohibition of her husband, Sofya Petrovna arrived at the ball. Apollon Apollonovich also arrived. Waited for the masks. And then a red domino appears, and then other masks. Madame Pompadour invites red dominoes to the dance, and in the dance she presents a letter. Doesn't recognize Sofya Petrovna Ableukhov. In the corner room, he tears off the envelope, picks up the mask and discovers himself. Scandal. Red domino - Nikolay Ableukhov. And already the undersized gentleman with a wart informs Apollo Apollonovich of this.
Having run out of the entrance, in the alley in the light of a lantern, Ableukhov again reads a letter. He does not believe his eyes. They remember this promise, they propose to blow up their own father with a time bomb, which is stored in the form of a sardine in a bundle handed to him. And then the undersized gentleman comes up, carries away with him, leads to the zucchini. First, he appears to be the illegitimate son of Apollon Apollonovich, and then Pavel Yakovlevich Morkovin, an agent of the security department. He says that if Nikolai Apollonovich does not comply with the requirements set out in the letter, he will arrest him.
When Sofya Petrovna, despite the ban, went to the ball, Sergey Sergeyevich Likhutin decides to commit suicide. He shaved his mustache and shaved his neck, smeared the rope with soap, attached it to the chandelier and climbed onto the chair. The doorbell rang, at that moment he stepped out of the chair and ... fell. Not hung up. For the second lieutenant Likhutin, suicide turned out to be even more humiliating. So Sofia Petrovna discovered him. She leaned over him and cried softly.
Apollon Apollonovich inwardly firmly decided that his son was a notorious villain; the scandal at the ball, that is, the appearance of Nikolai Apollonovich in the red domino, makes him decide to clarify the relationship. But at the last moment, Apollon Apollonovich learns about the arrival of Anna Petrovna and, unexpectedly for herself, only informs her son and looks not with hatred, but with love. Just a moment, and Nikolai Apollonovich would have thrown himself at his father’s feet in repentance, but, having noticed his movement, Apollon Apollonovich suddenly angrily points to the door and screams that Nikolay Apollonovich is no longer his son.
In his room, Nikolai Apollonovich takes out a sardinica, a terrible sardinica. Without a doubt, it should be thrown into the Neva, but for now ... for now at least postpone a terrible event by turning the clock mechanism key twenty times.
Alexander Ivanovich wakes up broken and sick. With difficulty he rises and goes out into the street. Here excited and indignant Nikolai Apollonovich flies upon him. From his confusing explanations, it becomes clear to Dudkin who the “sardinny of terrible content” is intended for, recalls the letter that he forgot to pass on to Nikolai Apollonovich and asked Varvara Evgrafovna to do this. Alexander Ivanovich assures Ableukhov that a misunderstanding has occurred, promises to settle everything and asks to immediately throw the sardine in the Neva.
The strange word "enfranchee" beats in the head of Alexander Ivanovich. He comes to a small house with a kindergarten. The cottage overlooked the sea, the window was beating a bush. His mistress Zoya Zakharovna Fleish meets him. She is talking to some Frenchman. Singing is heard from the next room. Zoya Zakharovna explains that this is Persian Shishnarfiev. The surname seemed familiar to Dudkin. Lippanchenko comes, he looks at Dudkin scornfully, even with disgust. Talking with a Frenchman, makes you wait with a conversation with yourself.
How does a high-ranking person treat him with Alexander Ivanovich. And the person now has power. Dudkin is removed, he has no influence, he is completely dependent on the person, and the person is not shy about threatening him. Dudkin is returning home. On the stairs he is met by darkness and strange shadows at the door of the apartment. His guest is waiting in the room, Shishnarfiev, assures that Petersburg, a city in a swamp, is in fact the kingdom of the dead; recalls the meeting in Helsingfors, when Alexander Ivanovich spoke out for the destruction of culture, said that Satanism will replace Christianity. "Enfranchish!" - exclaims Dudkin. “You called me, so I came,” the voice answers. The Persian thins out, turns into a silhouette, then simply disappears and speaks as if from Alexander Ivanovich himself. That's who he signed the contract with in Helsingfors, and Lippanchenko was just the image of these forces. But now Dudkin knows what he will do with Lippanchenko.
A hard-voiced gallop is heard outside the window. The Bronze Horseman enters the room. He puts his hand on Dudkin’s shoulder, breaking his collarbone: “Nothing: die, be patient,” and spills hot metal into his veins.
You need to find a metal place, in the morning Dudkin understands, goes to the little shop and buys scissors ...
On the street, Nikolai Apollonovich meets Likhutin. The one in civilian clothes, shaved, without a mustache; carries him along with him, takes him home for explanations, drags Ableukhov into the apartment, pushes the room into the back. Sergey Sergeyevich nervously paces, it seems he will beat Ableukhov now. Nikolai Apollonovich sorry sorry ...
That morning Apollon Apollonovich did not go to the Institution. In a dressing gown, with a rag in his hands, wiping the dust from bookshelves, his youthful gray-haired Anninsky gentleman, who arrived with the news of a general strike, catches up with him. Apollon Apollonovich is resigning, they began to speak in the Institution.
Apollon Apollonovich goes around his deserted house, enters his son’s rooms. An open drawer draws his attention. In distraction, he takes some strange heavy object, leaves with him and forgets in his office ...
Nikolai Apollonovich tried to escape from Likhutin, but was thrown back into the corner and lies humiliated, with his coat torn off his coat. “I will not kill you,” Sergey Sergeyevich says. He dragged Ableukhov to himself, because Sofya Petrovna told him about the letter. He wants to lock Ableukhov, go to his house, find the bomb and throw it into the Neva. Pride woke up in Nikolai Apollonovich, he was outraged that Sergey Sergeyevich could count him capable of killing his own father.
The cottage overlooked the sea, a bush was beating out of the window. Lippanchenko and Zoya Zakharovna sat in front of a samovar. The bush was boiling. A figure was hiding in its branches, languishing and trembling. She fancied that the rider with outstretched hand points to the windows of the summer house. The figure approached the house and again recoiled ... Lippanchenko looks around, the noise outside the windows attracts his attention, with a candle he walks around the house - nobody ... A small figure runs up to the house, breaks into the bedroom window and hides ... The candle casts fantastic shadows, Lippanchenko locks the door and goes to bed. In the ensuing phosphoric dusk, a shadow clearly appears and approaches it. Lippanchenko rushes to the door and feels as if a stream of boiling water passed over his back, and then felt a stream of boiling water under his belly button ... When they came to his room in the morning, Lippanchenko was not there, but was a corpse; and the figure of a man with a strange grin on his white face, seated on a dead man astride, clutching scissors in his hand.
Apollon Apollonovich arrived at the hotel to Anna Petrovna and returned home with her ... Nikolai Apollonovich in his room closet breaks off in search of a sardine. Nowhere is she. The servant enters with the news - Anna Petrovna arrived - and asks for the living room. After two and a half years, the Ableukhovs again dine with three of them ... Nikolai Apollonovich decides that Likhutin, in the absence of his sardine, has already taken. He escorts his mother to the hotel, calls in to the Likhutins, but their windows are dark, the Likhutins were not at home ...
Nikolai Apollonovich could not fall asleep that night. He stepped out into the corridor, squatted down, took a nap from fatigue. Woke up on the floor in the hallway. There was a heavy roar ...
Nikolai Apollonovich ran to the place where the door to his father’s office had just been. There was no door: there was a huge failure. In the bedroom, Apollo Apollonovich sat on his bed with his arms wrapped around his knees and roared. Seeing his son, he started to run away from him, ran through the corridor and locked himself in the toilet ...
Apollon Apollonovich resigned and moved to the village. Here he lived with Anna Petrovna, wrote memoirs, in the year of his death they saw the light of day.
Nikolai Apollonovich, who was in a fever all the time of the investigation, went abroad to Egypt. He returned to Russia only after the death of his father.
