ANNA. We intend to live in St. Petersburg now. I must say, the atmosphere here is too village-like. I must say, it's extremely unpleasant. My husband, too--he'll be made a general there. GOVERNOR. Yes, confound it, gentlemen, I admit I should very much like to be a general. LUKA. May God grant that you get a generalship. RASTAKOVSKY. From man it is impossible, but from God everything is possible. AMMOS. High merits, high honors. ARTEMY. Reward according to service. AMMOS [aside]. The things he'll do when he becomes a general. A generalship suits him as a saddle suits a cow. It's a far cry to his generalship. There are better men than you, and they haven't been made generals yet. ARTEMY [aside]. The devil take it--he's aiming for a generalship. Well, maybe he will become a general after all. He's got the air of importance, the devil take him! [Addressing the Governor.] Don't forget us then, Anton Antonovich. AMMOS. And if anything happens--for instance, some difficulty in our affairs--don't refuse us your protection. KOROBKIN. Next year I am going to take my son to the capital to put him in government service. So do me the kindness to give me your protection. Be a father to the orphan. GOVERNOR. I am ready for my part--ready to exert my efforts on your behalf. ANNA. Antosha, you are always ready with your promises. In the first place, you won't have time to think of such things. And how can you--how is it possible for you, to burden yourself with such promises? GOVERNOR. Why not, my dear? It's possible occasionally. ANNA. Of course it's possible. But you can't give protection to every small potato. KOROBKIN'S WIFE. Do you hear the way she speaks of us? GUEST. She's always been that way. I know her. Seat her at table and she'll put her feet on it. SCENE VIII The same and the Postmaster, who rushes in with an unsealed letter in his hand. POSTMASTER. A most astonishing thing, ladies and gentlemen! The official whom we took to be an inspector-general is not an inspector-general. ALL. How so? Not an inspector-general? POSTMASTER. No, not a bit of it. I found it out from the letter. GOVERNOR. What are you talking about? What are you talking about? What letter? POSTMASTER. His own letter. They bring a letter to the postoffice, I glance at the address and I see Pochtamtskaya Street. I was struck dumb. "Well," I think to myself, "I suppose he found something wrong in the postoffice department and is informing the government." So I unsealed it. GOVERNOR. How could you?