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"And I dislike him very much."
"What for?"
"For everything. When you grow wiser, you will know it yourself.
Your father was a better man."
"Of course!" said Foma, proudly.
After this conversation an attachment sprang up between them almost
immediately, and growing stronger from day to day, it soon developed
into friendship, though a somewhat odd friendship it was.
Though Luba was not older than her god-brother, she nevertheless
treated him as an older person would treat a little boy. She spoke
to him condescendingly, often jesting at his expense; her talk was
always full of words which were unfamiliar to Foma; and she pronounced
these words with particular emphasis and with evident satisfaction.
She was especially fond of speaking about her brother Taras, whom she
had never seen, but of whom she was telling such stories as would make
him look like Aunt Anfisa's brave and noble robbers. Often, when
complaining of her father, she said to Foma:
"You will also be just such a skinflint."
All this was unpleasant to the youth and stung his vanity.


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