"Everybody who works with us thinks so." "Everybody?
Everybody?
I think you are dreaming, Dumnoff.

What do you mean ?" "I mean that they think so because you have those queer fits of believing yourself a rich count every week, from Tuesday night till Thursday morning.

Schmidt was saying only yesterday to poor Vjera--" "Vjera?
Does she believe it too ?" asked the Count in an unsteady voice, not heeding the rest of the speech.
"Of course," said Dumnoff, carelessly.

"Schmidt was saying to me only yesterday that you were going to have a worse attack of it than usual because you were so silent." "Vjera, too!" repeated the Count in a low voice.

"And no one ever told me--" He passed his hand over his eyes.
"Tell me"-- Dumnoff began in the tone of jocular familiarity which he considered confidential--"tell me--the whole thing is just a joke of yours to amuse us all, is it not?
You do not really believe that you are a count, any more than I really believe that you are mad, you know.