vexation. "Just consider my position... Why, this is duty. Lord,
there's no end of unpleasantnesses without that!"

The proprietress suddenly arises, shuffles in her slippers to the
door, and says, winking to the inspector with a sleepy,
expressionless eye of faded blue:

"Mr. Kerbesh, I would ask you to have a look at our alterations.
We want to enlarge the place a bit."

"A-ah! With pleasure..."

After ten minutes both return, without looking at each other.
Kerbesh's hand is crunching a brand-new hundred rouble note in his
pocket. The conversation about the seduced girl is not renewed.
The inspector, hastily finishing his Benedictine, complains of the
present decline in manners.

"I have a son, now, a schoolboy--Paul. He comes to me, the
scoundrel, and declares: 'Papa, the pupils swear at me, because
you are a policeman, and because you serve on Yamskaya, and
because you take bribes from brothels.' Well, tell me, for God's
sake, Madam Shoibes, if that isn't effrontery?"

"Ai, ai, ai! ... And what bribes can there be? Now with me..."

"I say to him: 'Go, you good-for-nothing, and let the principal
know, that there should be no more of this, otherwise papa will
inform on all of you to the governor.' And what do you think? He
comes to me and says: 'I am no longer a son to you--seek another