“All neighbours here, almost all new friends, except my old uncle, and he is new too⁠—he only arrived in Petersburg yesterday to see to some business of his. We meet once in five years.”

“What is he?”

“He’s been stagnating all his life as a district postmaster; gets a little pension. He is sixty-five⁠—not worth talking about.⁠ ⁠… But I am fond of him. Porfiry Petrovitch, the head of the Investigation Department here⁠ ⁠… But you know him.”

“Is he a relation of yours, too?”

“A very distant one. But why are you scowling? Because you quarrelled once, won’t you come then?”

“I don’t care a damn for him.”

“So much the better. Well, there will be some students, a teacher, a government clerk, a musician, an officer and Zametov.”