nate an hour in each city for his subordinates to present themselves — naturally, he set the time by his own watch, and was greatly shocked when, in Moscow, the officials had not assembled at the appointed hour on his timepiece.
— What is the meaning of this? — cried the enraged Count. He was told that Moscow clocks did not agree with those of St. Petersburg, since Moscow and St. Petersburg lie on different meridians. Kleinmikhel was satisfied with this explanation, but in Nizhny Novgorod the very same thing happened, and the furious general shouted:
— What is this? It seems every wretched little town wants its own meridian? Well, all right, Moscow may have one — it is the ancient capital, the first-throned city — but Nizhny too must have a meridian!