Part 3 (1/2)

Two wives: one in Petersburg, the other in Kertch. Constant rows, threats, telegrams. They nearly reduce him to suicide. At last he finds a way: he settles them both in the same house. They are perplexed, petrified; they grow silent and quiet down.

His character is so undeveloped that one can hardly believe that he has been to the University.

And I dreamt that, as it were, what I considered reality was a dream, and the dream was reality.

I observed that after marriage people cease to be curious.

It usually takes as much time to feel happy as to wind up one's watch.

A dirty tavern near the station. And in every tavern like that you will find salted white sturgeon with horse radish. What a lot of sturgeon must be salted in Russia!

Z. goes on Sundays to the Sukharevka (a market-place in Moscow) to look for books; he finds a book, written by his father, with the inscription: ”To darling Nadya from the author.”

A Government official wears on his chest the portrait of the Governor's wife; he feeds a turkey on nuts and makes her a present of it.

One should be mentally clear, morally pure, and physically tidy.

It was said of a certain lady that she had a cat's factory; her lover tortured the cats by treading on their tails.

An officer and his wife went to the baths together, and both were bathed by the orderly, whom they evidently did not consider a man.

”And now he appeared with all his decorations.”

”And what decorations has he got?”

”He has a bronze medal for the census of 1897.”