agreed with me yourself,
only you said it was premature."

"I didn't mean that when I agreed and said it was premature."

"You weigh every word you utter, though. He he! You are a careful man!"
Pyotr Stepanovitch observed gaily all of a sudden. "Listen, old friend.
I had to get to know you; that's why I talked in my own style. You are
not the only one I get to know like that. Maybe I needed to find out
your character."

"What's my character to you?"

"How can I tell what it may be to me?" He laughed again. "You see, my
dear and highly respected Andrey Antonovitch, you are cunning, but
it's not come to _that_ yet and it certainly never will come to it, you
understand? Perhaps you do understand. Though I did make an explanation
in the proper quarter when I came back from abroad, and I really don't
know why a man of certain convictions should not be able to work for
the advancement of his sincere convictions... but nobody _there_ has yet
instructed me to investigate your character and I've not undertaken any
such job from _them._ Consider: I need not have given those two names to
you. I might have gone straight _there;_ that is where I made my first
explanations. And if I'd been acting with a view to financial profit or
my own interest in any way, it would have been a bad speculation on my
part, for now they'll be grateful to you and not to me at headquarters.
I've done it solely for Shatov's sake," Pyotr Stepanovitch added
generously, "for Shatov's sake, because of our old friendship.... But
when you take up your pen to write to headquarters, you may put in
a word for me, if you like.... I'll make no objection, he he! _Adieu,_
though; I've stayed too long and there was no need to gossip so much!"
he added with some amiability, and he got up from the sofa.

"On the contrary, I am very glad that the position has been defined, so
to speak." Von Lembke too got up and he too looked pleasant, obviously
affected by the last words. "I accept your services and acknowledge
my obligation, and you may be sure that anything I can do by way of
reporting your zeal..."

"Six days--the great thing is to put it off for six days, and that you
shouldn't stir for those six days, that's what I want."

"So be it."

"Of course, I don't tie your hands and shouldn't venture to. You are
bound to keep watch, only don't flutter the nest too soon; I rely on
your sense and experience for that. But I should think you've plenty
of bloodhounds