ampaign of
1807--Ah! I will tell to you how I crawled through the enclosure to see
a pretty little German." Here the chief closed one eye and executed a
diabolically sly smile.

"Where have you been to-day?" asked Ivan Ivanovitch, wishing to cut the
chief short and bring him more speedily to the object of his visit. He
would have very much liked to inquire what the chief meant to tell him,
but his extensive knowledge of the world showed him the impropriety of
such a question; and so he had to keep himself well in hand and await a
solution, his heart, meanwhile, beating with unusual force.

"Ah, excuse me! I was going to tell you--where was I?" answered the
chief of police. "In the first place, I report that the weather is fine
to-day."

At these last words, Ivan Ivanovitch nearly died.

"But permit me," went on the chief. "I have come to you to-day about a
very important affair." Here the chief's face and bearing assumed the
same careworn aspect with which he had ascended to the balcony.

Ivan Ivanovitch breathed again, and shook as if in a fever, omitting
not, as was his habit, to put a question. "What is the important matter?
Is it important?"

"Pray judge for yourself; in the first place I venture to report to
you, dear friend and benefactor, Ivan Ivanovitch, that you--I beg you
to observe that, for my own part, I should have nothing to say; but the
rules of government require it--that you have transgressed the rules of
propriety."

"What do you mean, Peter Feodorovitch? I don't understand at all."

"Pardon me, Ivan Ivanovitch! how can it be that you do not understand?
Your own beast has destroyed an important government document; and you
can still say, after that, that you do not understand!"

"What beast?"

"Your own brown sow, with your permission, be it said."

"How can I be responsible? Why did the door-keeper of the court open the
door?"

"But, Ivan Ivanovitch, your own brown sow. You must be responsible."

"I am extremely obliged to you for comparing me to a sow."

"But I did not say that, Ivan Ivanovitch! By Heaven! I did not say so!
Pray judge from your own clear conscience. It is known to you without
doubt, that in accordance with the views of the government, unclean
animals are forbidden to roam about the town, particularly in the
principal streets. Admit, now, that it is prohibited."

"God knows what you are talking about! A mighty important business that
a sow got into the street!"