Listen to what Father Cyril's wife had to tell me.

She said that, last night, a lady landowner named Madame Korobotchka arrived at the Archpriest's house--arrived all pale and trembling--and told her, oh, such things! They sound like a piece out of a book.

That is to say, at dead of night, just when every one had retired to rest, there came the most dreadful knocking imaginable, and some one screamed out, 'Open the gates, or we will break them down!' Just think! After this, how any one can say that the man is charming I cannot imagine." "Well, what of Madame Korobotchka?
Is she a young woman or good looking ?" "Oh dear no! Quite an old woman." "Splendid indeed! So he is actually engaged to a person like that?
One may heartily commend the taste of our ladies for having fallen in love with him!" "Nevertheless, it is not as you suppose.

Think, now! Armed with weapons from head to foot, he called upon this old woman, and said: 'Sell me any souls of yours which have lately died.' Of course, Madame Korobotchka answered, reasonably enough: 'I cannot sell you those souls, seeing that they have departed this world;' but he replied: 'No, no! They are NOT dead.

'Tis I who tell you that--I who ought to know the truth of the matter.