The Clothesmender by Nikolay Leskov Summary

The narrator is staying in Moscow and lamenting the inadequate services of the local hotel. An associate tells him of a room that is available, and states that not only is the lodging cheap and good but that it includes free and excellent repair or alteration of clothing. The two men then proceed to the house of Vasily Konych, oddly known widely as the maître tailleur Lepoutant. The narrator agrees to switch lodgings and on the way to the new house inquires about Lepoutant, wondering if he is French—his associate insists that Lepoutant is wholly Russian. Arriving at the house, the narrator sees the signage in French but again his associate insists that Lepoutant is wholly Russian. The narrator finds the lodging suitable and rents a room. Over the next weeks he...