HereVologonovlowershisvoice，andcontinueswithsomethingofthegrowlofanangrydog:
“Itoohavehadsons，oneofwhomwaskilledatKushkaadocumenthascertifiedtothateffect，anotherwasdrownedwhilstdrunk，threemorediedininfancy，andonlytwoarestillalive。Oftheselast，IknowthatoneisactingasawaiterinahotelatSmolensk，whiletheother，Melenti，waseducatedfortheChurch，senttostudyinaseminary，inducedtoabscondandgetintotrouble，andeventuallydispatchedtoSiberia。Therenow！Yes，theRussianiswhatmightbecalleda’lightweighted’
individual，anindividualwho，unlessheholdshimselfdownbythehead，issooncarriedoffbythewindlikeachicken’sfeather——forwearetooself-confidentandrestless。Beforenow，Imyselfhavebeenagull，amanlackingbalance:forneverdoesyouthrealiseitsowninsignificance，orknowhowtowait。“
Dissertationsofthekinddropfromtheoldmanlikewaterfromaleakypipeonacold，blusterydayinautumn。Wagginghisgreybeard，hetalksandtalks，untilIbegintothinkthathemustbeanevilwizard，andmasterofthisremote，barren，swampy，ravine-pittedregion——thatheitiswhooriginallyplantedthetowninthisuncomfortable，clayeyhollow，andhasthrownthehousesintoheaps，andentangledthestreets，andwantonlycreatedthetown’sunaccountablyrudeandroughanddeadlyexistence，andaddledmen’sbrainswithdisconnectednonsense，andconsumedtheirheartswithafearoflife。Yes，itcomestomethatitmustbehewho，duringthelongsixmonthsofwinter，causescruelsnowstormsfromtheplaintoinvadethetown，andwithfrostcompressesthebuildingsofthetownuntiltheirrafterscrack，andstingingcoldbringsbirdstotheground。
Lastly，Ibecomeseizedwiththeideathatitmustbehewho，almosteverysummer，envelopsthetowninthoseterriblevisitationsofheatbynightwhichseemalmosttocausethehousestomelt。