My grandmother took off her spectacles, and scanned Baburin from head to foot deliberately. He did not drop his eyes, he merely folded his hands behind his back. What particularly struck my fancy was his beard; it was very smoothly shaven, but such blue cheeks and chin I had never seen in my life! ‘Yakov Petrovitch,’ began my grandmother, ‘recommends you strongly in his letter as sober and industrious; why, then, did you leave his service?’ ‘He needs a different sort of person to manage his estate, madam.’ ‘A different ... sort? That I don’t quite understand.’ My grandmother rattled her beads again. ‘Yakov Petrovitch writes to me that there are two peculiarities about you. What peculiarities?’ Baburin shrugged his shoulders slightly. ‘I can’t tell what he sees fit to call peculiarities. Possibly that I ... don’t allow corporal punishment.’ My grandmother was surprised. ‘Do you mean to say Yakov Petrovitch wanted to flog you?’ Baburin’s swarthy face grew red to the roots of his hair. ‘You have not understood me right, madam. I make it a rule not to employ corporal punishment ... with the peasants.’ My grandmother was more surprised than ever; she positively threw up her hands. ‘Ah!’ she pronounced at last, and putting her head a little on one side, once more she scrutinised Baburin attentively. ‘So that’s your rule, is it? Well, that’s of no consequence whatever to me; I don’t want an overseer, but a counting-house clerk, a secretary. What sort of a hand do you write?’ ‘I write well, without mistakes in spelling.’ ‘That too is of no consequence to me. The great thing for me is for it to be clear, and without any of those new copybook letters with tails, that I don’t like. And what’s your other peculiarity?’ Baburin moved uneasily, coughed.... ‘Perhaps ... the gentleman has referred to the fact that I am not alone.’ ‘You are married?’ ‘Oh no ... but ...’ My grandmother knit her brows. ‘There is a person living with me ... of the male sex ... a comrade, a poor friend, from whom I have never parted ... for ... let me see ... ten years now.’ ‘A relation of yours?’ ‘No, not a relation--a friend. As to work, there can be no possible hindrance occasioned by him,’ Baburin made haste to add, as though foreseeing objections. ‘He lives at my cost, occupies the same room with me; he is more likely to be of use, as he is well educated--speaking without flattery, extremely so, in fact--and his morals are exemplary.’ My grandmother heard Baburin out, chewing her lips and half closing her eyes. ‘He lives at your expense?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You keep him out of charity?’ ‘As an act of justice ... as it’s the duty of one poor man to help another poor man.’ ‘Indeed! It’s the first time I’ve heard that. I had supposed till now that that was rather the duty of rich people.’ ‘For the rich, if I may venture to say so, it is an entertainment ... but for such as we ...’