and Italian book-keeping, ha-ha ha-ha! and music! You doubt it, my dear
sir?'--he pounced suddenly upon me--'ask Alexander Daviditch if I'm not
first-rate on the bassoon. I should be a poor sort of Bohemian--Czech, I
should say--if I weren't! Yes, sir, I'm a Czech, and my native place is
ancient Prague! By the way, Alexander Daviditch, why haven't we seen you
for so long! We ought to have a little duet... ha-ha! Really!'

'I was at your place the day before yesterday, Ivan Demianitch,' replied
Fustov.

'But I call that a long while, ha-ha!'

When Mr. Ratsch laughed, his white eyes shifted from side to side in a
strange, restless way.

'You're surprised, young man, I see, at my behaviour,' he addressed me
again. 'But that's because you don't understand my temperament. You must
just ask our good friend here, Alexander Daviditch, to tell you about
me. What'll he tell you? He'll tell you old Ratsch is a simple,
good-hearted chap, a regular Russian, in heart, if not in origin, ha-ha!
At his christening named Johann Dietrich, but always called Ivan
Demianitch! What's in my mind pops out on my tongue; I wear my heart, as
they say, on my sleeve. Ceremony of all sorts I know naught about and
don't want to neither! Can't bear it! You drop in on me one day of an
evening, and you'll see for yourself. My good woman--my wife, that
is--has no nonsense about her either; she'll cook and bake you...
something wonderful! Alexander Daviditch, isn't it the truth I'm
telling?'

Fustov only smiled, and I remained silent.