The hero of VN's story "Подлец" (An
Affair of Honor, 1927?), Anton Petrovich, happens to be a namesake of
the hero of Remizov's tale Kanava ("The Ditch," 1924). The other Anton
Petrovich exclaims at the end of Remizov's tale: "Родится человек подлецом, и
пусть подлец подохнет подлецом, бесстыжий человек!" ("A shameless man, born a
rascal, may the rascal die the death of a rascal!") A coincidence?
Alexey Sklyarenko