Petrístchef. What affairs? Our affairs are fie-nancial that is, our business is fie! It's also nancial, and besides it is financial.
Betsy. What does nancial mean?
Petrístchef. What a question! It means nothing, that's just the point.
Betsy. No, no, you have missed fire.
[Laughs.
Petrístchef. One can't always hit the mark, you know. It's something like a lottery. Blanks and blanks again, and at last you win!
[THEODORE IVÁNITCH goes into the study.
Betsy. Well, this was blank then; but tell me, were you at the Mergásofs' last night?
Petrístchef. Not exactly at the Mère Gásof's, but rather at the Père Gásof's, or better still, at the Fils Gásof's.
Betsy. You can't do without puns. It's an illness. And were the [Gypsies there?] [3]