We went into the room. The brigadier pulled his cap off his hair, which was soaked with perspiration, ejaculated, ‘Fa!’ ... squatted down on the edge of a chair ... bowed his head gloomily....
‘I have come to you, Vassily Fomitch,’ I began my diplomatic approaches, ‘because, as you have served under the leadership of the great Suvorov—have taken part altogether in such important events—it would be very interesting for me to hear some particulars of your past.’
The brigadier stared at me.... His face kindled strangely—I began to expect, if not a story, at least some word of approval, of sympathy....
‘But I, sir, must be going to die soon,’ he said in an undertone.
I was utterly nonplussed.
‘Why, Vassily Fomitch, ‘I brought out at last, ‘what makes you ... suppose that?’
The brigadier suddenly flung his arms violently up and down.
‘Because, sir ... I, as maybe you know ... often in my dreams see Agrippina Ivanovna—Heaven’s peace be with her!—and never can I catch her; I am always running after her—but cannot catch her. But last night—I dreamed—she was standing, as it were, before me, half-turned away, and laughing.... I ran up to her at once and caught her ... and she seemed to turn round quite and said to me: “Well, Vassinka, now you have caught me.”’
‘What do you conclude from that, Vassily Fomitch?’
‘Why, sir, I conclude: it has come, that we shall be together. And glory to God for it, I tell you; glory be to God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (the brigadier fell into a chant): as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, Amen!’