: A woman appeals to a bank employee asking for payment of what her husband did not deduct from salaries. Having not achieved anything with explanations, they give her money from personal funds, if only she leaves.

Despite a night attack of gout, Kistunov goes to the service, where he begins to receive applicants and clients of the bank in a timely manner. The first he receives the petitioner Schukin. Her husband, a college assessor, was ill for five months, during which he lay at home and was treated. For these months, according to his wife, for no reason, he was dismissed and deducted twenty-four rubles from the salary thirty-six kopecks, because he "took from the friendly cashier and other officials vouched for him."

The assessor’s wife can’t understand in any way that the spouse could take money without her consent. She asks Kistunov to help return the deducted money, cries and complains about life.

I am a poor woman, I only feed on tenants ... I am weak, defenseless ... I suffer insults from all and I don’t hear a good word from anyone ...

Kistunov is trying to explain to the petitioner that she came to the wrong department, and the bank cannot solve this problem in any way, but she must go to her husband’s duty station.This does not reach Shchukin - she was in five places, and nowhere does she receive a petition. A son-in-law, also left without a place, advised the woman to turn to Kistunov.

The bank employee is trying to explain to Schukin that he can’t do anything in this situation, explains to her the difference between the military department and a private commercial institution.

Yes, understand that it’s as strange to contact us with such a request as to file a petition for divorce, for example, in a pharmacy or in an assay tent.

But all his explanations are in vain - she listens to him and again asks for help. Having spent a fair amount of time with her, but never having understood that her problem in this institution is not being solved, the exhausted Kistunov sends Schukin to another bank employee - Alexei Nikolayevich, who, too, quite tired, calls for an accountant's help ... They both unsuccessfully try to explain to the woman that she is not addressing.

They decide not to call the doorman, because "she will scream, and there are a lot of apartments in this house, and the devil knows about us what they might think ...". Enraged, Alexei Nikolayevich, after many inconclusive explanations, is trying to expel Shchukin, but she raises a squeal and threatens to go to a lawyer who has already sentenced her three residents.

The sick and exhausted Kistunov peeps out at the noise. He gives Schukin money from his personal funds, if only she left. She thanks and tries to find out if her husband can go back to her former place of work ... Leaving the woman unanswered, the sick Kistunov leaves for home, all the bank employees, having accepted a sedative, return to work, and Schukina sits in the front room for another two hours, waiting Kistunov’s return.Without waiting for him, a woman arrives the next day.