§7
The Governor was once leaving a party; and, just as his carriage started, a careless driver, in charge of a small sledge, drove into him, striking the traces between the wheelers and leaders. There was a block for a moment, but the Governor was not prevented from driving home in perfect comfort. Next day he said to the inspector: “Do you know whose coachman ran into me last night? He must be taught better.”
“That coachman will not do it again, Your Excellency,” answered the inspector with a smile; “I have made him smart properly for it.”
“Whose coachman was it?”
“Councillor Kulakov’s, Your Excellency.”
At that moment the old Councillor, whom I found at Vyatka and left there still holding the same office, came into the room.
“You must excuse us,” said the Governor, “for giving a lesson to your coachman yesterday.”
The Councillor, quite in the dark, looked puzzled.
“He drove into my carriage yesterday. Well, you understand, if he did it to me, then ...”
“But, Your Excellency, my wife and I spent the evening at home, and the coachman was not out at all.”
“What’s the meaning of this?” asked the Governor.
But the inspector was not taken aback.
“The fact is, Your Excellency, I had such a press of business yesterday that I quite forgot about the coachman. But I confess I did not venture to mention to Your Excellency that I had forgotten. I meant to attend to his business at once.”
“Well, there’s no denying that you are the right man in the right place!” said the Governor.