第903页 / 共1294页

"What an imbecile! Look, look! Why was he brought? But as to

Pyotr Petrovitch, I always had confidence in him," Katerina

Ivanovna continued, "and, of course, he is not like..." with an

extremely stern face she addressed Amalia Ivanovna so sharply and

loudly that the latter was quite disconcerted, "not like your

dressed up draggletails whom my father would not have taken as

cooks into his kitchen, and my late husband would have done them

honour if he had invited them in the goodness of his heart."

"Yes, he was fond of drink, he was fond of it, he did drink!"

cried the commissariat clerk, gulping down his twelfth glass of

vodka.