s I had the pleasure of taking leave of you after you were good
enough to be bothered with the letter which you had received, sir, I ran
out--now, please don't keep interrupting, Dobchinsky. I know all about
it, all, I tell you.--So I ran out to see Korobkin. But not finding
Korobkin at home, I went off to Rastakovsky, and not seeing him, I went
to Ivan Kuzmich to tell him of the news you'd got. Going on from there I
met Dobchinsky--

DOBCHINSKY [interjecting]. At the stall where they sell pies--

BOBCHINSKY. At the stall where they sell pies. Well, I met Dobchinsky
and I said to him: "Have you heard the news that came to Anton
Antonovich in a letter which is absolutely reliable?" But Piotr
Ivanovich had already heard of it from your housekeeper, Avdotya, who, I
don't know why, had been sent to Filipp Antonovich Pachechuyev--

DOBCHINSKY [interrupting]. To get a little keg for French brandy.

BOBCHINSKY. Yes, to get a little keg for French brandy. So then I went
with Dobchinsky to Pachechuyev's.--Will you stop, Piotr Ivanovich?
Please don't interrupt.--So off we went to Pachechuyev's, and on the
way Dobchinsky said: "Let's go to the inn," he said. "I haven't eaten a
thing since morning. My stomach is growling." Yes, sir, his stomach was
growling. "They've just got in a supply of fresh salmon at the inn," he
said. "Let's take a bite." We had hardly entered the inn when we saw a
young man--

DOBCHINSKY [Interrupting]. Of rather good appearance and dressed in
ordinary citizen's clothes.

BOBCHINSKY. Yes, of rather good appearance and dressed in citizen's
clothes--walking up and down the room. There was something out of the
usual about his face, you know, something deep--and a manner about
him--and here [raises his hand to his forehead and turns it around
several times] full, full of everything. I had a sort of feeling, and I
said to Dobchinsky, "Something's up. This is no ordinary matter."
Yes, and Dobchinsky beckoned to the landlord, Vlas, the innkeeper,
you know,--three weeks ago his wife presented him with a baby--a
bouncer--he'll grow up just like his father and keep a tavern.--Well,
we beckoned to Vlas, and Dobchinsky asked him on the quiet, "Who," he
asked, "is that young man?" "That young man," Vlas replied, "that young
man"--Oh, don't interrupt, Piotr Ivanovich, please don't interrupt. You
can't tell the story. Upon my word, you can't. You lisp and one tooth in
your mouth makes you whistle. I know what I'm sa