“That’s quite a different thing, Timofey Semyonitch.”
“Of course, of course.”
“Well, what do you say then, Timofey Semyonitch?”
“Why, what can I do?”
“Give advice, guidance, as a man of experience, a relative! What are we to do? What steps are we to take? Go to the authorities and ...”
“To the authorities? Certainly not,” Timofey Semyonitch replied hurriedly. “If you ask my advice, you had better, above all, hush the matter up and act, so to speak, as a private person. It is a suspicious incident, quite unheard of. Unheard of, above all; there is no precedent for it, and it is far from creditable.... And so discretion above all.... Let him lie there a bit. We must wait and see....”
“But how can we wait and see, Timofey Semyonitch? What if he is stifled there?”
“Why should he be? I t
