Chapter 9

           “Youwillnotdeny,Iamsure,”saidGavrilaArdalionovitch,turningtoBurdovsky,whosatlookingathimwithwide-openeyes,perplexedandastonished.“Youwillnotdeny,seriously,thatyouwerebornjusttwoyearsafteryourmother’slegalmarriagetoMr.Burdovsky,yourfather.Nothingwouldbeeasierthantoprovethedateofyourbirthfromwell-knownfacts;wecanonlylookonMr.Keller’sversionasaworkofimagination,andone,moreover,extremelyoffensivebothtoyouandyourmother.Ofcoursehedistortedthetruthinordertostrengthenyourclaim,andtoserveyourinterests.Mr.Kellersaidthathepreviouslyconsultedyouabouthisarticleinthepaper,butdidnotreadittoyouasawhole.Certainlyhecouldnothavereadthatpassage...”

           “Asamatteroffact,Ididnotreadit,”interruptedtheboxer,“butitscontentshadbeengivenmeonunimpeachableauthority,andI...”

           “Excuseme,Mr.Keller,”interposedGavrilaArdalionovitch.“Allowmetospeak.Iassureyouyourarticleshallbementionedinitsproperplace,andyoucanthenexplaineverything,butforthemomentIwouldrathernotanticipate.Quiteaccidentally,withthehelpofmysister,VarvaraArdalionovnaPtitsin,Iobtainedfromoneofherintimatefriends,MadameZoubkoff,aletterwrittentohertwenty-fiveyearsago,byNicolaiAndreevitchPavlicheff,thenabroad.Aftergettingintocommunicationwiththislady,IwentbyheradvicetoTimofeiFedorovitchViazovkin,aretiredcolonel,andoneofPavlicheff’soldestfriends.