"Why, of course. Mother, it's true, heard it first through Alyona Frolovna, my nurse; your Nastasya ran round to tell her. You told Nastasya, didn't you? She says you told her yourself." "I... I did once speak," Stepan Trofimovitch faltered, crimsoning all over, "but... I only hinted... _j'étais si nerveux et malade, et puis_..." She laughed. "And your confidant didn't happen to be at hand, and Nastasya turned up. Well that was enough! And the whole town's full of her cronies! Come, it doesn't matter, let them know; it's all the better. Make haste and come to us, we dine early.... Oh, I forgot," she added, sitting down again; "listen, what sort of person is Shatov?" "Shatov? He's the brother of Darya Pavlovna." "I know he's her brother! What a person you are, really," she interrupted impatiently. "I want to know what he's like; what sort of man he is." _"C'est un pense-creux d'ici. C'est le meilleur et le plus irascible homme du monde."_ "I've heard that he's rather queer. But that wasn't what I meant. I've heard that he knows three languages, one of them English, and can do literary work. In that case I've a lot of work for him. I want someone to help me and the sooner the better. Would he take the work or not? He's been recommended to me...." "Oh, most certainly he will. _Et vous ferez un bienfait_...." "I'm not doing it as a _bienfait_. I need someone to help me." "I know Shatov pretty well," I said, "and if you will trust me with a message to him I'll go to him this minute." "Tell him to come to me at twelve o'clock to-morrow morning. Capital! Thank you. Mavriky Nikolaevitch, are you ready?" They went away. I ran at once, of course, to Shatov. _"Mon ami!"_ said Stepan Trofimovitch, overtaking me on the steps. "Be sure to be at my lodging at ten or eleven o'clock when I come back. Oh, I've acted very wrongly in my conduct to you and to every one." VIII I did not find Shatov at home. I ran round again, two hours later. He was still out. At last, at eight o'clock I went to him again, meaning to leave a note if I did not find him; again I failed to find him. His lodging was shut up, and he lived alone without a servant of any sort. I did think of knocking at Captain Lebyadkin's down below to ask about Shatov; but it was all shut up below, too, and there was no sound or light as though the place were empty. I passed by Lebyadkin's door with curiosity, remembering the stories I had heard that day. Finally, I made up my mind to come very early next morning. To tell the truth I did not put much confidence in the effect of a note. Shatov might take no notice of it; he was so obstinate and shy. Cursing my want of success, I was going out of the gate when all at once I stumbled on Mr. Kirillov. He was going into the house and he recognised me first. As he began questioning me of himself, I told him how things were, and that I had a note. "Let us go in," said he, "I will do everything."