“Why, this official here,” said Stepan Trofimovitch, indicating him. Blum came forward with a face that admitted his responsibility but showed no contrition.

“ Vous ne faites que des bêtises ,” Lembke threw at him in a tone of vexation and anger, and suddenly he was transformed and completely himself again.

“Excuse me,” he muttered, utterly disconcerted and turning absolutely crimson, “all this⁠ ⁠… all this was probably a mere blunder, a misunderstanding⁠ ⁠… nothing but a misunderstanding.”