‘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!’
The brigadier began crossing himself. I could get nothing more out of
him, so I went away.