A Faint Heart

The chief clerk Julian Mastakovich, having granted out of kindness the first official rank to a poor young man, Vasya Shumkov, and having become his “benefactor,” forces him to work not only at the office, but also in his personal interests—at home as well—tasking him with copying some very long and important “case” on time, and paying him with meager and rare handouts.

Because of the weakness of his heart, Vasya couldn’t withstand such endless labor. He is full of gratitude to his superior and is ready to work for him, but he also has his own personal interests and aspirations—love for a poor girl, Lizan’ka. At first he often went to her, “tormented by uncertainty,” and then, once he became her fiancé, he fell into an enthusiastic, dreamy state—and as a result neglected his urgent correspondence, risking losing the favor of his “benefactor.”