"Chekhov had a very high opinion of Ibsen; the paragraph, I am sure, is by no means aimed at Ibsen. Most probably the paragraph, as well as many others in the Notes, is something which C. either personally or indirectly heard someone say. You will see that Kuprin ["Reminiscences of Chekhov," by Gorky, Kuprin and Bunin, New York: Huebsch.] told C. the anecdote about the actor whose wife asked him to whistle a melody on the stage during a rehearsal. In C.'s Notes you have that anecdote, somewhat shortened and the names changed, without mentioning the source." "The reader, on the whole, may puzzle his head over many paragraphs in the Notes, but he will hardly find explanations each time. What the reader has to remember is that the Notes are material used by C. in his creative activity and as such it throws a great deal of light on C.'s mentality and process of working."] * * * * * N. makes a living by exterminating bugs; and for the purposes of his trade he reads the works of ----. If in "The Cossacks," bugs are not mentioned, it means that "The Cossacks" is a bad book. * * * * * Man is what he believes. * * * * * A clever girl: "I cannot pretend ... I never tell a lie ... I have principles"--and all the time "I ... I ... I ..." * * * * * N. is angry with his wife who is an actress, and without her knowledge gets abusive criticisms published about her in the newspapers. * * * * * A nobleman boasts "This house of mine was built in the time of Dmitry Donskoy." * * * * * "Your Worship, he called my dog a bad name: 'son of a bitch.'" * * * * * The snow fell and did not lie on the ground reddened with blood. * * * * * He left everything to charity, so that nothing should go to his relations and children, whom he hated. * * * * * A very amorous man; he is no sooner introduced to a girl than he becomes a he-goat. * * * * * A nobleman Drekoliev. * * * * * I dread the idea that a chamberlain will be present at the opening of my petition. * * * * * He was a rationalist, but he had to confess that he liked the ringing of church bells. * * * * * The father a famous general, nice pictures, expensive furniture; he died; the daughters received a good education, but are slovenly, read little, ride, and are dull. * * * * * They are honest and truthful so long as it is unnecessary. * * * * * A rich merchant would like to have a shower bath in his W.C. * * * * * In the early morning they ate _okroshka_.[1]