A Peculiar Man (Chekhov)
Short summary
Late one night, a well-dressed gentleman called on Marya Petrovna Koshkin, a midwife, to assist his wife in childbirth. Before departing, he insisted on negotiating her fee, refusing to pay more than two roubles despite her request for five.
When she refused his terms, he left, only to return shortly after, unable to find another midwife. He reluctantly agreed to pay three roubles. They walked to his home where Marya Petrovna delivered his wife's baby.
Throughout her stay, Kiryakov's rigid personality and obsession with fairness made everyone uncomfortable. His wife confided that his excessive virtues made life suffocating for his family. The next morning, Marya Petrovna observed Kiryakov lecturing his son about the cost of food and the necessity of work.
The midwife looks at the boy's dull face, and it seems to her as though the very air is heavy, that a little more and the very walls will fall, unable to endure the crushing presence of the peculiar man.
Terrified and hating Kiryakov, Marya Petrovna hastily gathered her things and left. Halfway home, she realized she had forgotten to collect her three roubles, but after a moment's consideration, she decided to continue on her way rather than return to his oppressive presence.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The midnight negotiation between Kiryakov and the midwife
Between midnight and one o'clock, a tall gentleman wearing a top hat and coat with a hood rang the doorbell of Marya Petrovna Koshkin, a midwife and old maid. After the third ring, she appeared at the door in a man's overcoat thrown over her white petticoat, holding a lamp with a green shade that cast a greenish light over her sleepy, freckled face and scraggy neck.
The gentleman introduced himself as Collegiate Assessor Kiryakov and requested her services for his wife who was in labor. He asked her to make haste.
While Marya Petrovna prepared to leave, Kiryakov insisted on establishing her fee in advance. When she hesitated to name a price, explaining there was no fixed rate, Kiryakov offered two roubles. The midwife was shocked by this low amount and suggested five roubles instead. Kiryakov refused to pay more than two roubles, claiming he wanted to be fair. Marya Petrovna then offered to come for free rather than accept such a low fee, but Kiryakov insisted that all work deserved compensation.
I work myself and am accustomed to respect the work of others. I don't like injustice. It will be equally unpleasant to me if I pay you too little, or if you demand from me too much, and so I insist on your naming your charge.
Unable to reach an agreement, Kiryakov left. However, he returned shortly after, explaining that he could not find another midwife and reluctantly agreed to pay three roubles, though he warned there would be no extras or tips.
The journey to Kiryakovs home and the birth
Marya Petrovna and Kiryakov set out on foot through the cold, sloshy streets. The midwife looked for a cab but saw none. When she asked if the journey was far, Kiryakov merely replied that it was not. As they walked through several turnings, Kiryakov maintained his dignified stride, carefully stepping on smooth stones to protect his galoshes.
The midwife looks intently but does not see a cab... Kiryakov strides along, and even in his step his respectability and positiveness is apparent... he tries to step on the smooth stones to avoid spoiling his goloshes.
After a long walk, they finally arrived at Kiryakov's home. The midwife noticed that despite the woman being in labor, there were no relatives or old women present as was customary at births. Only a cook with a scared face rushed about the house while loud groans could be heard.
Marya Petrovna spent three hours at the bedside of Kiryakov's wife. The two women quickly formed a bond, sharing confidences and sighing together as the labor progressed.
Kiryakovs oppressive character and its effect on his family
Eventually, Kiryakov entered the room silently and sat down in a chair, stroking his whiskers. After a long silence, the midwife attempted to break the tension by remarking that there was now one more human being in the world. Kiryakov responded with a wooden expression that while this was agreeable, more children meant more expenses, as babies were not born fed and clothed.
"Yes, that's agreeable," said Kiryakov, preserving the wooden expression of his face, "though indeed, on the other hand, to have more children you must have more money. The baby is not born fed and clothed."
His comment caused a guilty expression to appear on his wife's face, as though she had brought a child into the world without permission. Kiryakov then left the room with a sigh and dignified stride.
After he left, the wife confided in Marya Petrovna about her husband's character. She explained that while Kiryakov was honest, fair, and prudent, his virtues were taken to such an extreme that they suffocated those around him. His relations had parted from him, servants never stayed longer than a month, and they had no friends. His wife and children lived in constant fear of every step they took.
He does not shout at them nor beat them, his virtues are far more numerous than his defects, but when he goes out of the house they all feel better, and more at ease. Why it is so the woman herself cannot say.
Later, Kiryakov returned to the bedroom and began giving instructions about properly washing the basins and storing the bottles for future use. Though his words were simple and ordinary, they made the midwife feel flustered and afraid. She began to shudder each time she heard his footsteps, feeling as though his presence was crushing.
The midwifes departure and final encounter with Kiryakov
The next morning, as Marya Petrovna prepared to leave, she encountered Kiryakov's son in the dining room having tea. Kiryakov stood opposite him, lecturing the boy in his flat, even voice about the relationship between eating and working.
"You know how to eat, you must know how to work too. You have just swallowed a mouthful but have not probably reflected that that mouthful costs money and money is obtained by work. You must eat and reflect..."
Looking at the boy's dull face, the midwife felt as though the very air was heavy and the walls might collapse under Kiryakov's crushing presence. Overcome with terror and now feeling hatred for the man, Marya Petrovna hastily gathered her belongings and departed.
Halfway home, she realized she had forgotten to ask for her three roubles. After stopping briefly to consider, she waved her hand dismissively and continued on her way, preferring to forgo payment rather than return to Kiryakov's oppressive household.