“Cut it short if you can, Stepan Trofimovitch.”

“ Mr. von Lembke is making a tour of the province now. En un mot , this Andrey Antonovitch, though he is a russified German and of the Orthodox persuasion, and even⁠—I will say that for him⁠—a remarkably handsome man of about forty⁠ ⁠…”

“What makes you think he’s a handsome man? He has eyes like a sheep’s.”

“Precisely so. But in this I yield, of course, to the opinion of our ladies.”

“Let’s get on, Stepan Trofimovitch, I beg you! By the way, you’re wearing a red necktie. Is it long since you’ve taken to it?”

“I’ve⁠ ⁠… I’ve only put it on today.”