"what! don’t you know about it yet? he doesn’t know imagine that! why, he’s shot himself. your uncle shot himself this very morning. i was told at two this afternoon. half the town must know it by now. they say there are three hundred and fifty thousand roubles, government money, missing; some say five hundred thousand. and i was under the impression that he would leave you a fortune! he’s whistled it all away. a most depraved old gentleman, really! well, ta, ta! bonne chance! surely you intend to be off there, don’t you? ha, ha! you’ve retired from the army in good time, i see! plain clothes! well done, sly rogue! nonsense! i see you knew it all before i dare say you knew all about it yesterday-"