when I'm in earnest! And you too, my young friend, are a little puzzled,
I do believe.... Ha-ha-ha! That's because you don't know old Ratsch!'

'No.... I do know you now,' I thought, not without a feeling of some
alarm and disgust.

'You don't know the old fellow, you don't know him,' he repeated,
stroking himself on the stomach, as he accompanied me into the passage.
'I may be a tiresome person, knocked about by life, ha-ha! But I'm a
good-hearted fellow, 'pon my soul, I am!'

I rushed headlong from the stairs into the street. I longed with all
speed to get away from that good-hearted fellow.


XIV


'They hate one another, that's clear,' I thought, as I returned
homewards; 'there's no doubt either that he's a wretch of a man, and
she's a good girl. But what has there been between them? What is the
reason of this continual exasperation? What was the meaning of those
hints? And how suddenly it broke out! On such a trivial pretext!'

Next day Fustov and I had arranged to go to the theatre, to see
Shtchepkin in 'Woe from Wit.' Griboyedov's comedy had only just been
licensed for performance after being first disfigured by the censors'
mutilations. We warmly applauded Famusov and Skalozub. I don't remember
what actor took the part of Tchatsky, but I well remember that he was
indescribably bad. He made his first appearance in a Hungarian jacket,