May I enquire your name?
Through arriving so late at night I have quite lost my wits." "Korobotchka, the widow of a Collegiate Secretary." "I humbly thank you.

And your Christian name and patronymic ?" "Nastasia Petrovna." "Nastasia Petrovna! Those are excellent names.

I have a maternal aunt named like yourself." "And YOUR name ?" queried the lady.

"May I take it that you are a Government Assessor ?" "No, madam," replied Chichikov with a smile.

"I am not an Assessor, but a traveller on private business." "Then you must be a buyer of produce?
How I regret that I have sold my honey so cheaply to other buyers! Otherwise YOU might have bought it, dear sir." "I never buy honey." "Then WHAT do you buy, pray?
Hemp?
I have a little of that by me, but not more than half a pood [16] or so." "No, madam.