“Just as I thought⁠ ⁠… it’s not your own. Why don’t you ever say anything like that yourself, so shortly and to the point, instead of dragging things out to such a length? That’s much better than what you said just now about administrative ardour⁠ ⁠…”

“ Ma foi, chère⁠ ⁠… why? In the first place probably because I’m not a Pascal after all, et puis ⁠ ⁠… secondly, we Russians never can say anything in our own language.⁠ ⁠… We never have said anything hitherto, at any rate.⁠ ⁠…”

“H’m! That’s not true, perhaps. Anyway, you’d better make a note of such phrases, and remember them, you know, in case you have to talk.⁠ ⁠… Ach, Stephan Trofimovitch. I have come to talk to you seriously, quite seriously.”

“ Chère, chère amie! ”