looking at.

MADAM ULANBÉKOV. [_Sits down_] Never mind, my dear. One must do good to his
neighbor.

VASILÍSA PEREGRÍNOVNA. But do they feel that good? Can they understand,
heartless creatures, how great is your condescension to them?

MADAM ULANBÉKOV. It's all the same to me, my dear! One must do good for his
own sake, for his own soul. Then I stopped in to see the chief of police,
and asked him to make NEGLIGÉNTOV head-clerk.

VASILÍSA PEREGRÍNOVNA. But, my benefactress, is he worthy?

MADAM ULANBÉKOV. Don't interrupt! A strange man, our chief of police! I
ask him, and he says: "There's no job!" I say to him: "You evidently don't
understand who's asking you?" "Well!" says he, "do you expect me to drive
out a good man for your godson?" Churlish fellow! However, he promised!

VASILÍSA PEREGRÍNOVNA. To think of his hesitating! I cannot understand how
he could even talk back to you. Here his ill-breeding shows up at once.
Maybe NEGLIGÉNTOV, because of his life, isn't worth saying much about;
nevertheless, the chief ought to do everything in the world for him for
your sake, no matter how worthless a scamp NEGLIGÉNTOV might be.

MADAM ULANBÉKOV. Don't you forget that he's my godson!

VASILÍSA PEREGRÍNOVNA. And for that very reason, benefactress, I add: he is
your godson; well, and that's all there is to it; the chief of police ought
not to listen to any kind of gossip. And, besides, what things they do say!