people's houses clean?" urged Oblomof. "Just look at the
piano-tuner's rooms: see how neat they look, and only one maid--"

"Oh, these Germans!" exclaimed Zakhar suddenly interrupting. "Where do
they make any litter? Look at the way they live! Every family gnaws a
whole week on a single bone. The coat goes from the father's back to the
son's, and back from the son's to the father's. The wives and daughters
wear little short skirts, and when they walk they all lift up their legs
like ducks--where do they get any dirt? They don't do as we do--leave a
whole heap of soiled clothes in the closet for a year at a time, or fill
up the corners with bread crusts for the winter. Their crusts are never
flung down at random: they make zweiback out of them, and eat them when
they drink their beer!"

Zakhar expressed his disgust at such a penurious way of living by
spitting through his teeth.

"Say nothing more," expostulated Ilya Ilyitch. "Do better work with your
house-cleaning."

"One time I would have cleaned up, but you yourself would not allow it,"
said Zakhar.

"That is all done with! Don't you see I have entirely changed?"

"Of course you have; but still you stay at home all the time: how can
one begin to clean up when you are right here? If you will stay out of
the house for a whole day, then I will have a general clearing-up."

"What an idea! Get out of here. You had better go to your own room."

"All right!" persisted Zakhar; "but I tell you, the moment you go out,
Anisiya and I will clear the whole place up. And we two would finish
with it in short metre; then you will want some women to wash
everything."

"Oh, what schemes you invent! Women! away with you!" cried Ilya Ilyitch.

He was by this time disgusted with himself for having led Zakhar into
this conversation. He had quite forgotten that the attainment of this
delicate object was at the expense of considerable confusion. Oblomof
would have liked a state of perfect cleanliness, but he would require
that it should be brought about in some imperceptible manner, as it were
of itself; but Zakhar always induced a discussion as soon as he was
asked to have any sweeping done, or the floors washed, and the like. In
such a contingency he was sure to point out the necessity of a terrible
disturbance in the house, knowing very well that the mere suggestion of
such a thing would fill his master with horror.

Zakhar went away, and Oblomof relapsed into cogitation. Aft