“I know how,” said Poltinin confidently. “Of course you’d get a trifle compared with its real value--still we ought to get a half-million out of it.” This was followed by blasphemous jests. Yakov Poltinin had for some time entertained the secret ambition of accomplishing something on a grand scale, something that would cause a lot of talk. It is true the murder of the Chief of Police created a deep impression. Still, it was hardly as important as the affair he had in mind. To steal and destroy the miracle-working ikon--that would be something to crow about! Poltinin said: “The Socialist Revolutionaries are certain to be blamed for it. Expropriation for party purposes--why not? As for us, no one will even suspect us.” “The priests will never get over it,” declared Molin, a former instructor, who was a drunkard and a thief--a jail-bird deprived of his legal rights. The friends began preparations for the projected theft. Now one of them, now another, developed the habit of frequenting the monastery. Ostrov especially received an eager welcome there. He pleased, by his external piety, the older monks who were in authority. There were a number of convivial monks who were especially fond of Ostrov. The monks advised him to join the local union of the Black Hundred. They said that it would be pleasing to God. They engaged him in religious and patriotic conversations and invited him to drink with them. Poltinin and Potseluychikov were also well received in the monastery. Strange threads are woven into the relations of people at times. Although Piotr Matov met Ostrov under unfriendly circumstances, Ostrov managed to scrape up an acquaintance even with him. It reached a point when Piotr even agreed to make a journey with Ostrov to the monastery. Glafira Pavlovna Konopatskaya, the rich widow of a general, was an energetic, power-loving woman, and enjoyed considerable influence in town. She was a most generous contributor to the various enterprises of the Black Hundred. Her house served as the meeting-place of the local branch of this All-Russian organization as well as of another secret society, which bore the elaborate name of “The Union of Active Combat with Revolution and Anarchy.” The initiation ceremony of the union was very elaborately exulting. Especial efforts were made to attract working men. Each new member was presented with a badge, a Browning revolver, and a little money. The local patriots used to say about Glafira Pavlovna’s house: “Here dwells the Russian spirit, here it smells of Russia!”[21] After the meeting it usually smelt of vodka and shag.