The Double Chapter VII

In which a modest gentleman, Mr. Golyadkin, receives a shy and distressed visitor who shares not only his name but a tale of hardship and misfortune, leading to an evening of cautious camaraderie and tentative trust. Their interrupted companionship is quietly observed by a grumbling servant, while Mr. Golyadkin, caught between hope and unease, drinks deeply of punch and conviviality before surrendering to restless sleep.