LEONÍD. Why do they pine away, Potápych?

POTÁPYCH. Must be they don't like it, if they pine away.

LEONÍD. That's queer.

POTÁPYCH. The husbands mostly turn out ruffians.

LEONÍD. Is that so?

POTÁPYCH. Everybody hopes to get one of our protégées, because the mistress
right away becomes his patroness. Now in the case of these she marries to
government clerks, there's a good living for the husband; because if they
want to drive him out of the court, or have done so, he goes at once to
our mistress with a complaint, and she's a regular bulwark for him; she'll
bother the governor himself. And then the government clerk can get drunk or
anything else, and not be afraid of anybody, unless he is insubordinate or
steals a lot....

LEONÍD. But, say, Potápych, why is it that the girls run away from me?

POTÁPYCH. How can they help running? They must run, sir!

LEONÍD. Why must they?

POTÁPYCH. Hm! Why? Why, because, as you are still under age, the mistress
wants to watch over you as she ought to; well, and she watches over them,
too.