Liubóff Liubímovna betook herself to Gavríla's room. What conversation took place between them is not known; but a while later a whole throng of domestics marched through the courtyard in the direction of Gerásim's little den; in front walked Gavríla, holding on his cap with his hand, although there was no wind; around him walked footmen and cooks; Uncle Tail gazed out of the window, and issued orders--that is to say, he merely spread his hands apart; in the rear of all, the small urchins leaped and capered, one half of them being strangers who had run in. On the narrow stairway leading to the den sat one sentry; at the door stood two others with clubs. They began to ascend the staircase, and occupied it to its full length. Gavríla went to the door, knocked on it with his fist, and shouted: "Open!" A suppressed bark made itself audible; but there was no reply. "Open, I say!"--he repeated. "But, Gavríla Andréitch,"--remarked Stepán from below:--"he 's deaf, you know--he does n't hear." All burst out laughing. "What is to be done?"--retorted Gavríla from the top of the stairs. "Why, he has a hole in his door,"--replied Stepán;--"so do you wiggle a stick around in it a bit." Gavríla bent down. "He has stuffed it up with some sort of coat, that hole." "But do you poke the coat inward." At this point another dull bark rang out. "See there, see there, she 's giving herself away!"--some one remarked in the crowd, and again there was laughter. Gavríla scratched behind his ear. "No, brother,"--he went on at last;--"do thou poke the coat through thyself, if thou wishest." "Why, certainly!" And Stepán scrambled up, took a stick, thrust the coat inside, and began to wiggle the stick about in the opening, saying: "Come forth, come forth!" He was still wiggling the stick when the door of the little chamber flew suddenly and swiftly open--and the whole train of menials rolled head over heels down the stairs, Gavríla in the lead. Uncle Tail shut the window. "Come, come, come, come!"--shouted Gavríla from the courtyard;--"just look out, look out!" Gerásim stood motionless on the threshold. The crowd assembled at the foot of the staircase. Gerásim stared at all these petty folk in their foreign kaftans from above, with his arms lightly set akimbo; in his scarlet peasant shirt he seemed like a giant in comparison with them. Gavríla advanced a pace. "See here, brother,"--said he:--"I 'll take none of thy impudence." And he began to explain to him by signs: "The mistress insists upon having thy dog: hand it over instantly, or 't will be the worse for thee." Gerásim looked at him, pointed to the dog, made a sign with his hand at his own neck, as though he were drawing up a noose, and cast an inquiring glance at the major-domo. "Yes, yes,"--replied the latter, nodding his head;--"yes, she insists."