Chekhov’s stories are indisputably among the greats, and this one, written rather late, is one of our favorites. Chekhov probes at both the frailty and the worth of humanity, not to mention the nature of life, both for the fortunate and the unfortunate. But like most of Chekhov’s stories, there’s no clear moral, there’s no obvious takeaway. Some men sit around and discuss their thoughts, and we listen, mulling over the subtleties for ourselves