Akím recovered himself... It was as though he had been drenched with cold water. "Announce to the mistress, Piótr Evgráfitch,"--he said, with a low obeisance,--"that Akím wishes to see her...." "Good,... I will go .... I will announce thee .... but evidently thou art drunk. Wait,"--grumbled the lackey, and withdrew. Akím dropped his eyes and became confused, as it were.... His boldness had swiftly abandoned him from the very moment he had entered the anteroom. Lizavéta Prókhorovna was also disconcerted when Akím's arrival was announced to her. She immediately gave orders that Kiríllovna should be called to her in her boudoir. "I cannot receive him,"--she said hurriedly, as soon as the latter made her appearance;--"I cannot possibly do it. What can I say to him? Did n't I tell thee that he would be sure to come and would complain?"--she added, with vexation and agitation;--"I said so...." "Why should you receive him, ma'am?"--calmly replied Kiríllovna;--"that is not necessary, ma'am. Why should you disturb yourself, pray?" "But what am I to do?" "If you will permit me, I will talk with him." Lizavéta Prókhorovna raised her head. "Pray, do me the favour, Kiríllovna. Do talk with him. Do thou tell him .... there--well, that I found it necessary ... and, moreover, that I will make it up to him .... well, there now, thou knowest what to say. Pray, do, Kiríllovna." "Please do not fret, madam,"--returned Kiríllovna, and withdrew, with squeaking shoes. A quarter of an hour had not elapsed when their squeaking became audible again, and Kiríllovna entered the boudoir with the same composed expression on her face, with the same crafty intelligence in her eyes. "Well,"--inquired her mistress,--"how about Akím?" "'T is all right, ma'am. He says, ma'am, that everything is in your power, he submits himself wholly to the will of your Graciousness, and if only you keep well and prosperous, he will forever be satisfied with his lot." "And he made no complaint?" "None whatever, ma'am. What was there for him to complain about?" "But why did he come, then?"--said Lizavéta Prókhorovna, not without some surprise. "Why, he came to ask, ma'am, until he receives compensation, whether you will not be so gracious as to remit his quit-rent for the coming year, that is to say ...." "Of course I will! I will remit it,"--put in Lizavéta Prókhorovna, with vivacity;--"of course. And, tell him, in general terms, that I will reward him. Well, I thank thee, Kiríllovna. And he is a good peasant, I see. Stay,"--she added:--"here, give him this from me."--And she took out of her work-table a three-ruble bill.--"Here, take this and give it to him." "I obey, ma'am,"--replied Kiríllovna, and coolly returning to her own room, she coolly locked up the bank-bill in an iron-bound casket which stood by the head of her bed; she kept in it all her ready money, and the amount was not small.