And of course this is behaving like a prince.
You are the generals, but l'm not your servant.
- l...
- This is behaving like a prince.
lf it were my personal affair.
Gentlemen, l only heard this minute
that you are here.
But what right had you, let me ask,
to submit Burdovsky's case
to the judgment of your friends.
But maybe we
don't wish the judgment of your friends.
Anyone can see
what the judgment of your friends would be.
Mr.Burdovsky,
if you don't wish to speak here
let us go into another room.
l repeat
l heard of you all this very minute.
You have no right. You have no right.
You have no...
Lef Nikioaevitch, read this at once.
This minute.
Read.
lt has to do with your business.
Wouldn't it be better not aloud.
l could read it alone afterwards.
Then you had better read it.
Read it aloud.
Read it aloud.
so that every one may hear.
Read.
Here is a strange anecdote
about a scion
of our decaying nobility.
Left a baby at his father's death
they say he was a lieutenant,
who died while in his trial
for a sudden disappearance
at cards of all the company's money
Our orphan was brought up
by the charity
Of a very rich
Russian landowner.
We'll call him ''P''.
He was apparently one of those
drones and sluggards,
who spend their idle
lives abroad.
ln summer at the waters,
and in winter at the Parisian Chateau des Fleurs
Be that as it may, the light-hearted P.
brought up the orphan like a prince.
Engaged governesses,
no doubt pretty ones,
whom he brought himself from Paris.
But the last scion of the noble house
was an idiot.
The governesses from the Chateau des Fleurs were of no use.
Up to his twentieth year our scion
not be taught to speak
any language,
not even Russian.
At last the happy whim entered
the heart of the serf-owner P.,
that the idiot might be taught sence
in Switzerland.
Thousands were spent on it.
The idiot, of course, didn't become sensible.
But he became like a human being,
no great shakes.
Suddenly P. died.
Go and tell her
we are together. Go.
A crowd of friends and acquaintances
gathered about our gaitered baron
who ran after a notorious beauty of easy virtue.
He even picked up the relations.
And above all he was pursued by
perfect crowds of young ladies,
hungering and thirsting for lawful matrimony.
That.
That passes my comprehension.
- Leave off, Colia.
Read it. Read it.
Whatever happens.
Prince, if you stop him reading,
we'll quarrel.
Let's.
Read it.
One morning
a well-known lawyer called on
our quickly made millionaire.
He was been instructed
by a young man.
This young man
was neither more nor less
then son if the deceased P,
thought he bore a different name.
The licentious P
had seduced a virtuous young girl
and remarking the inevitable
of the liaison
he made haste to get her marriage.
Some time passed
and P. died, leaving no will.
Meanwhile his son
who was adopted by the honourable character
of his mother's husband, who also died,
was thrown entirely on his own resources,
giving lessons,
with an grieving mother,
thought her death was hardly an alleviation to him.
Now the question, what would have been a just decision
for our noble scion to make?
You would doubtless, reader,
expect him to say to himself,
l've all my life
enjoyed all the gifts of P.
all that has been spent on me ought,
by right,
ought to have come to the son of P.
But no, gentlemen, wish a majestic air
using his million
to crush people with impunity,
our scion pulls out
a fifty-rouble note
and sends to the noble
young man
by way of insulting charity.
The money, of course,
was returned to him at once.
So to speak,
flung back in his face.
What resource have we left us?
There is no legal claim.
There is no resource but publicity.
What on earth.
As though fifty lackeys had met
together and composed it.
Allow me to ask you,
my dear sir,
How dare you make such
insulting suppositions?
This. This for an