od, and jolly good; only, look here,
Ustinya Naumovna, and just consider it yourself, my friend: what am I going
to do with a nobleman for a son-in-law? I shan't dare say a word to him;
I'll be all at sea.

USTINYA NAUMOVNA. It's a little scary at first, my jewel, but afterwards
you'll get used to things, you'll manage somehow or other. But, here, we
must talk a bit with Samson Silych; he may even know him, this man of ours.

SCENE VIII

_The same and_ RISPOLOZHENSKY

RISPOLOZHENSKY. [_Entering_] I've come to you, my dear Agrafena
Kondratyevna. I was going to have a talk with Samson Silych, but he was
busy, I saw, so I thought: now, I'll go to Agrafena Kondratyevna. By
the way, is that vodka, near you? I'll just take a thimbleful, Agrafena
Kondratyevna. [_Drinks._

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. With my compliments, my dear sir. Please sit down,
won't you? How are you getting along?

RISPOLOZHENSKY. What a life I live! Well, I'm just loafing, Agrafena
Kondratyevna; you know yourself, my family's large, business is dull. But I
don't grumble; it's a sin to grumble, Agrafena Kondratyevna.

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. That's the last thing in the world to do, my dear
sir.

RISPOLOZHENSKY. Whoever grumbles, I think, offends against God, Agrafena
Kondratyevna. This is the way it happened--

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. What are your front names, my dear sir? I keep
forgetting.

RISPOLOZHENSKY. Sysoy Psoich, my dear Agrafena Kondratyevna.

USTINYA NAUMOVNA. What does Psoich mean, my jewel? What lingo is that[1]?

[Footnote 1: The name lends itself to the interpretation, "son of a dog
(_pes_)."]

RISPOLOZHENSKY. I can't tell you positively: they called my father
Psoy--well, naturally, that makes me Psoich.

USTINYA NAUMOVNA. But, Psoich, like that, Psoich! However, that's nothing;
there are worse, my jewel.

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. Well, Sysoy Psoich, what was it you were going to
tell us?

RISPOLOZHENSKY. Well, it was like this, my dear Agrafena Kondratyevna: it
isn't as if it were a proverb, in a kind of fable, but a real occurrence.
I'll just take a thimbleful, Agrafena Kondratyevna. [_Drinks._

AGRAFENA KONDRATYEVNA. Help yourself, my dear sir, help yourself.

RISPOLOZHENSKY. [_Sits down_] There was an old man, a venerable old
man--Here, I've forgotten where it was, my dear madam--only it was in some
desert spot. He had twelve daughters, my dear madam; each younger than the
other! He didn't have the strength to wor