In the meantime, Efrém's wife, having convinced herself that her unbidden guest had taken himself off, was on the point of beginning her cooking, although it was hardly daylight out of doors as yet. She squatted down by the oven to get some coals, and saw that some one had already raked out the live embers thence; then she bethought herself of her knife--and did not find it; in conclusion, one of her four pots was missing. Efrém's wife bore the reputation of being anything but a stupid woman--and with good reason. She stood for a while in thought, then went to the lumber-room to her husband. It was not easy to arouse him fully--and still more difficult was it to make him understand why he had been awakened... To everything which his wife said, Chanter Efrém made one and the same reply: "He 's gone,--well, God be with him ... but what business is that of mine? He has carried off a knife and a pot--well, God be with him--but what business is that of mine?" But, at last, he rose, and after listening intently to his wife, he decided that it was a bad business, and that it could not be left as it now stood. "Yes,"--the chanter's wife insisted,--"'t is a bad business; I do believe he 'll do mischief out of desperation.... I noticed last night that he was not asleep as he lay there on the oven; it would n't be a bad idea for thee, Efrém Alexándritch, to find out whether ...." "See here, Ulyána Feódorovna, I 'll tell thee what,"--began Efrém;--"I 'll go to the inn myself immediately; and do thou be kind, dear little mother; give me a little glass of liquor to cure me of my drunkenness." Ulyána reflected. "Well,"--she decided at last,--"I 'll give thee some liquor, Efrém Alexándritch; only look out, don't dally." "Be at ease, Ulyána Feódorovna." And, having fortified himself with a glass of liquor, Efrém set out for the inn. Day had but just dawned when he rode up to the inn, and at the gate a cart was already standing harnessed, and one of Naúm's labourers was sitting on the driver's seat, holding the reins in his hands. "Whither art thou going?"--Efrém asked him. "To town,"--replied the labourer. "Why?" The labourer merely shrugged his shoulders and made no reply. Efrém sprang from his horse and entered the house. In the anteroom he ran across Naúm, fully dressed, and wearing a cap. "I congratulate the new landlord on his new domicile,"--said Efrém, who was personally acquainted with him.--"Whither away so early?" "Yes, there is cause for congratulation,"--replied Naúm, surlily.--"This is my first day, and I have almost been burnt out." Efrém started.--"How so?" "Why, just that; a kind man turned up, who tried to set the house on fire. Luckily, I caught him in the act; now I 'm taking him to town." "It can't be Akím, can it?".... asked Efrém, slowly.