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"All neighbours here, almost all new friends, except my old

uncle, and he is new too--he only arrived in Petersburg yesterday

to see to some business of his. We meet once in five years."

"What is he?"

"He's been stagnating all his life as a district postmaster; gets

a little pension. He is sixty-five--not worth talking about....

But I am fond of him. Porfiry Petrovitch, the head of the

Investigation Department here... But you know him."

"Is he a relation of yours, too?"

"A very distant one. But why are you scowling? Because you

quarrelled once, won't you come then?"

"I don't care a damn for him."

"So much the better. Well, there will be some students, a

teacher, a government clerk, a musician, an officer and Zametov."

"Do tell me, please, what you or he"--Zossimov nodded at

Raskolnikov--"can have in common with this Zametov?"