Page 460 - the-brothers-karamazov

That’s the common complaint. He is a liar. Sometimes he
tells such lies that you wonder why he is doing it. He told
me the year before last that his wife was dead and that he
had married another, and would you believe it, there was
not a word of truth in it? His wife has never died at all, she
is alive to this day and gives him a beating twice a week. So
what you have to find out is whether he is lying or speaking
the truth when he says he wants to buy it and would give
eleven thousand.’
‘I shall be no use in such a business. I have no eye either.’
‘Stay, wait a bit! You will be of use, for I will tell you the
signs by which you can judge about Gorstkin. I’ve done
business with him a long time. You see, you must watch his
beard; he has a nasty, thin, red beard. If his beard shakes
when he talks and he gets cross, it’s all right, he is saying
what he means, he wants to do business. But if he strokes his
beard with his left hand and grins — he is trying to cheat
you. Don’t watch his eyes, you won’t find out anything from
his eyes, he is a deep one, a rogue but watch his beard! I’ll
give you a note and you show it to him. He’s called Gorstkin,
though his real name is Lyagavy;* but don’t call him so, he
will be offended. If you come to an understanding with him,
and see it’s all right, write here at once. You need only write:
‘He’s not lying.’ Stand out for eleven thousand; one thou-
sand you can knock off, but not more. just think! there’s
a difference between eight thousand and eleven thousand.
It’s as good as picking up three thousand; it’s not so easy to
find a purchaser, and I’m in desperate need of money. Only
let me know it’s serious, and I’ll run over and fix it up. I’ll