? What kind of a teacher should I be, when you yourself, perhaps, are
ten times wiser than I am? I shall do what I'm asked to do. How can I help
it? I'd be a hog if I didn't; because I, it may be said, am loaded with
favors by you, and so are my kiddies. I'm too much of a fool to advise you;
you know your own business yourself better than anybody else.

BOLSHOV. Know my own business! That's the trouble; men like me, merchants,
blockheads, understand nothing; and this just serves the turn of such
leeches as you. And now you'll besiege me on every side and haunt me to
death.

RISPOLOZHENSKY. How can I help haunting you? If I didn't love you I
wouldn't haunt you. Haven't I any feelings? Am I really a mere dumb brute?

BOLSHOV. I know that you love me--you all love us; only one can't get
anything decent out of you. Here I'm worrying, worrying with this business
so that I'm worn out, if you believe me, with this one anxiety. If I could
only get it over with, and out of my head.

RISPOLOZHENSKY. Well, Samson Silych, you aren't the first, nor the last;
aren't others doing it?

BOLSHOV. How can they help it, brother? Others are doing it. But how do
they do it; without shame, without conscience! They ride in carriages with
easy springs; they live in three-storied houses. One of them will build a
belvedere with pillars, in which he's ashamed to show his ugly phiz;
and that's the end of him, and you can't get anything out of him. These
carriages will roll away, Lord knows where; all his houses are mortgaged,
and all the creditors will get out of it'll be three pairs of old boots.
That's the whole story. And who is it that he'll fool? Just some poor
beggars whom he'll send out into the world in nothing but their shirts. But
my creditors are all rich men; what difference will it make to them?

RISPOLOZHENSKY. Naturally. Why, Samson Silych, all that is in our hands.

BOLSHOV. I know that it's in our hands; but are you equal to handling this
affair? You see, you lawyers are a rum lot. Oh, I know you! You're nimble
enough in words, and then you go and mess things up.

RISPOLOZHENSKY. But come now, Samson Silych, if you please: do you think
this is the first time for me! As though I didn't know that already! He,
he, he! Yes, I've done such things before; and they've turned out fine.
They'd have sent anybody else long ago for such jobs to the other side of
nowhere.

BOLSHOV. Oho! What kind of a scheme will you get up?

RISPOL