vant; and besides that, all the documents, testifying that you're
that very person you give yourself out to be; an affidavit, for
instance, from your district and from the university, and all that sort
of thing. For you, I hope, are registered? Or, perhaps, you are now,
eh? ... Of the illegal ones?

"No, I am registered!" retorted Lichonin, beginning to lose patience.

"And that's splendid. But the young lady, about whom you're troubling
yourself?"

"No, she's not registered as yet. But I have her blank in my
possession, which, I hope, you'll exchange for a real passport for me,
and then I'll register her at once."

Kerbesh spread his arms out wide, then again began toying with the
cigar case.

"Can't do anything for you, Mr. Student, just nothing at all, until you
present all the papers required. As far as the girl's concerned, why,
she, as one not having the right of residence, will be sent to the
police without delay, and there detained; unless she personally desires
to go there, where you've taken her from. I've the honour of wishing
you good day."

Lichonin abruptly pulled his hat over his eyes and went toward the
door. But suddenly an ingenious thought flashed through his head, from
which, however, he himself became disgusted. And feeling nausea in the
pit of his stomach, with clammy, cold hands, experiencing a sickening
pinching in his toes, he again walked up to the table and said as
though carelessly, but with a catch in his voice:

"Pardon me, inspector. I've forgotten the most important thing; a
certain mutual acquaintance of ours has instructed me to transmit to
you a small debt of his."

"Hm! An acquaintance?" asked Kerbesh, opening wide his magnificent
azure eyes. "And who may he be?"

"Bar ... Barbarisov."

"Ah, Barbarisov? So, so, so, I recollect, I recollect!"

"So then, won't you please accept these ten roubles?"

Kerbesh shook his head, but did not take the bit of paper.

"Well, but this Barbarisov of yours--that is, ours--is a swine. It
isn't ten roubles he owes me at all, but a quarter of a century. What a
scoundrel! Twenty-five roubles and some small change besides. Well, the
small change, of course, I won't count up to him. God be with him!
This, you see, is a billiard debt. I must say that he's a blackguard,
plays crookedly ... And so, young man, dig up fifteen more."

"Well, but you are a knave, Mr. Inspector!" said Lichonin, getting out
the money.

"Oh, mercy!" by now altoge