“Ah, excuse me! I was going to tell you--where was I?” answered the chief of police. “In the first place, I report that the weather is fine to-day.” At these last words, Ivan Ivanovitch nearly died. “But permit me,” went on the chief. “I have come to you to-day about a very important affair.” Here the chief’s face and bearing assumed the same careworn aspect with which he had ascended to the balcony. Ivan Ivanovitch breathed again, and shook as if in a fever, omitting not, as was his habit, to put a question. “What is the important matter? Is it important?” “Pray judge for yourself; in the first place I venture to report to you, dear friend and benefactor, Ivan Ivanovitch, that you--I beg you to observe that, for my own part, I should have nothing to say; but the rules of government require it--that you have transgressed the rules of propriety.” “What do you mean, Peter Feodorovitch? I don’t understand at all.” “Pardon me, Ivan Ivanovitch! how can it be that you do not understand? Your own beast has destroyed an important government document; and you can still say, after that, that you do not understand!” “What beast?” “Your own brown sow, with your permission, be it said.” “How can I be responsible? Why did the door-keeper of the court open the door?” “But, Ivan Ivanovitch, your own brown sow. You must be responsible.” “I am extremely obliged to you for comparing me to a sow.” “But I did not say that, Ivan Ivanovitch! By Heaven! I did not say so! Pray judge from your own clear conscience. It is known to you without doubt, that in accordance with the views of the government, unclean animals are forbidden to roam about the town, particularly in the principal streets. Admit, now, that it is prohibited.” “God knows what you are talking about! A mighty important business that a sow got into the street!” “Permit me to inform you, Ivan Ivanovitch, permit me, permit me, that this is utterly inadvisable. What is to be done? The authorities command, we must obey. I don’t deny that sometimes chickens and geese run about the street, and even about the square, pray observe, chickens and geese; but only last year, I gave orders that pigs and goats were not to be admitted to the public squares, which regulations I directed to be read aloud at the time before all the people.” “No, Peter Feodorovitch, I see nothing here except that you are doing your best to insult me.” “But you cannot say that, my dearest friend and benefactor, that I have tried to insult you. Bethink yourself: I never said a word to you last year when you built a roof a whole foot higher than is allowed by law. On the contrary, I pretended not to have observed it. Believe me, my dearest friend, even now, I would, so to speak--but my duty--in a word, my duty demands that I should have an eye to cleanliness. Just judge for yourself, when suddenly in the principal street--” “Fine principal streets yours are! Every woman goes there and throws down any rubbish she chooses.”