"That villain has ruined both of us,"--began Avdótya in a voice which jingled and broke, and the tears streamed down her face.--"Thou must not let things stand as they are, Akím Semyónitch; thou must get the money from him. Do not spare me. I am ready to declare under oath that I lent the money to him. Lizavéta Prókhorovna had a right to sell our house, but why should he rob us?.... Get the money from him." "I have no money to receive from him,"--replied Akím, gloomily.--"He and I have settled our accounts." Avdótya was astounded.--"How so?" "Why, because we have. Knowest thou,"--pursued Akím, and his eyes began to blaze;--"knowest thou where I spent the night? Thou dost not know? In Naúm's cellar, bound hand and foot, like a ram, that 's where I spent last night. I tried to burn down his house, and he caught me, did Naúm; he 's awfully clever! And to-day he was preparing to carry me to the town, but he pardoned me; consequently, there is no money coming to me from him.... 'And when did I ever borrow any money of thee?' he will say. And am I to say: 'My wife took it out from under my floor, and carried it to thee?'--'Thy wife is a liar,' he will say. And would n't it be a big exposure for thee, Aréfyevna? Hold thy tongue, rather, I tell thee, hold thy tongue." "Forgive me, Semyónitch, forgive me,"--whispered the thoroughly frightened Avdótya. "That 's not the point,"--replied Akím, after remaining silent for a while:--"but what are we--thou and I--to do? We no longer have a home ... nor money either...." "We 'll get along somehow, Akím Semyónitch;--we will ask Lizavéta Prókhorovna and she will help us; Kiríllovna has promised me that." "No, Aréfyevna, thou mayest ask her for thyself along with thy Kiríllovna; thou and she are birds of a feather.[43] But I 'll tell thee what: do thou stay here, with God's blessing. I shall not stay here. Luckily, we have no children, and perhaps I shall not starve alone. One person can worry along alone." "What wilt thou do, Semyónitch--dost mean to go as carrier again?" Akím laughed bitterly. "A pretty carrier I would make, there 's no denying that! A fine, dashing young fellow thou hast picked out! No, Aréfyevna, that is not the same sort of business as marrying, for example; an old man is not fit for it. Only I will not remain here, that 's what; I won't have people pointing the finger at me .... understand? I shall go to pray away my sins, Aréfyevna, that 's where I shall go." "What sins hast thou, Semyónitch?"--articulated Avdótya, timidly. "Well, wife, I know what they are." "But in whose care wilt thou leave me, Semyónitch? How am I to live without a husband?" "In whose care shall I leave thee? Ekh, Aréfyevna, how thou sayest that, forsooth! Much need hast thou of a husband like me, and an old man and a ruined one to boot. The idea! Thou has dispensed with me before, thou canst dispense with me hereafter also. And what property we have left thou mayest take for thyself, curse it!...."