beef in the market here. The Kholmogory merchants bring it,
and they are sober, well-behaved people. I'm sure I don't know where he
gets his bad meat from. But if anything is wrong, may I suggest that you
allow me to take you to another place?

KHLESTAKOV. No, I thank you. I don't care to leave. I know what
the other place is--the jail. What right have you, I should like
to know--how dare you?--Why, I'm in the government service at St.
Petersburg. [Puts on a bold front.] I--I--I--

GOVERNOR [aside]. My God, how angry he is. He has found out everything.
Those damned merchants have told him everything.

KHLESTAKOV [with bravado]. I won't go even if you come here with your
whole force. I'll go straight to the minister. [Bangs his fist on the
table.] What do you mean? What do you mean?

GOVERNOR [drawing himself up stiffly and shaking all over]. Have pity
on me. Don't ruin me. I have a wife and little children. Don't bring
misfortune on a man.

KHLESTAKOV. No, I won't go. What's that got to do with me? Must I go
to jail because you have a wife and little children? Great! [Bobchinsky
looks in at the door and disappears in terror.] No, much obliged to you.
I will not go.

GOVERNOR [trembling]. It was my inexperience. I swear to you, it was
nothing but my inexperience and insufficient means. Judge for yourself.
The salary I get is not enough for tea and sugar. And if I have taken
bribes, they were mere trifles--something for the table, or a coat or
two. As for the officer's widow to whom they say I gave a beating, she's
in business now, and it's a slander, it's a slander that I beat her.
Those scoundrels here invented the lie. They are ready to murder me.
That's the kind of people they are.

KHLESTAKOV. Well. I've nothing to do with them. [Reflecting.] I
don't see, though, why you should talk to me about your scoundrels or
officer's widow. An officer's widow is quite a different matter.--But
don't you dare to beat me. You can't do it to me--no, sir, you can't.
The idea! Look at him! I'll pay, I'll pay the money. Just now I'm out of
cash. That's why I stay here--because I haven't a single kopek.

GOVERNOR [aside]. Oh, he's a shrewd one. So that's what he's aiming
at? He's raised such a cloud of dust you can't tell what direction he's
going. Who can guess what he wants? One doesn't know where to begin. But
I will try. Come what may, I'll try--hit or miss. [Aloud.] H'm, if you
really are in want of money, I'm ready to s