Vladimir Nabokov. Un tipo bien plantado
"Galanterie, Gnadigste," said Kostenka, "is an innate property with us. Yes, I'm a foreigner. Russian. Here's an example: one day my father had gone for a walk on the grounds of his manor with an old pal, a well-known general. They happened to meet a peasant woman—a little old hag, you know, with a bundle of firewood on her back—and my fa ther took off his hat. This surprised the general, and then my father said, 'Would Your Excellency really want a simple peasant to be more courteous than a member of the gentry?' "
"I know a Russian—I'm sure you've heard his name, too—let me see, what was