Svistunov hurries off.

ARTEMY. Let's go, let's go, Ammos Fiodorovich. We
may really get into trouble.

AMMOS. What have you got to be afraid of? Put
clean nightcaps on the patients and the thing's done.

ARTEMY. Nightcaps! Nonsense! The patients
were ordered to have oatmeal soup. Instead of that
there's such a smell of cabbage in all the corridors that
you've got to hold your nose.

AMMOS. Well, my mind's at ease. Who's going to
visit the court? Supposing he does look at the papers,
he'll wish he had left them alone. I have been on the
bench fifteen years, and when I take a look into a report,
I despair. King Solomon in all his wisdom could not tell
what is true and what is not true in it.

The Judge, the Superintendent of Charities, the School
Inspector, and Postmaster go out and bump up against
the Sergeant in the doorway as the latter returns.



SCENE IV