but I couldn't make such a blunder.

I don't contradict her, for, as you know yourself, it's dangerous to contradict her.

I may have dropped a word to her, for I know she likes that, but to suppose that I mentioned names to her as I have to you or anything of that sort! My good sir! Why am I appealing to you?
Because you are a man, anyway, a serious person with old-fashioned firmness and experience in the service.

You've seen life.

You must know by heart every detail of such affairs, I expect, from what you've seen in Petersburg.