“But no doubt it was afterwards proved to have been all nonsense.” “Certainly; the truth came out, never fear. Everything was made clear enough afterwards, though even now we don’t understand anything about it.... My poor apothecary couldn’t make out what it was all about. He only just felt for his liver, to see if they hadn’t squashed it to pieces; and as for me, when I came to my senses, I couldn’t make head or tail of the whole thing....” “And how was it all explained?” “Listen then; I’ll tell you all as it happened.... What they did with me, and where they put me, after that fight, I really can’t rightly tell you. I can only say one thing: I suffered enough from mortal fear, that’s true, but they didn’t do me any harm; I’m bound to say they treated me kindly and politely, and altogether like real gentlemen.... I thought it would be worse; but instead of that they soon began to look into it, and clear matters up.” “That’s just what I say,” interposed the steward; “they should have looked into it first, and not go hitting people right and left.” “You’re right there,” assented the narrator; “and it all turned out as you say.... When they called me up before the Member[56]—and there I was with my broken head all tied up in wet rags—he asked me— “‘What’s the matter with you? Are you ill?’ “‘Why, your Excellency,’ says I, ‘they knocked me about so!’ “‘What!’ he cried; ‘how dare they? On what ground?’ “So I told him they said they’d got a paper. “‘Oh, the scoundrels!’ and you should have heard him give it to them! He pitched into them hot and strong; and at last he turned round to me and said— “‘Just tell me what this is;’ and he showed me the box of pills. “At first I wouldn’t let on that I knew anything about it, because I wasn’t sure what might be up. I thought to myself, ‘How should I know? Maybe the apothecary’s got into some mess or other. These are dangerous times; I may get into trouble if I say I know him.’ So I said, ‘I don’t know anything about it.’ Then he asked me, ‘Don’t you know a person named Làptev?’ (Làptev was the apothecary’s name, you know.) And I said again, ‘No, I don’t!’ Then he pulled out the canvas that the box of pills was done up in, and showed it to me, and there was written on the canvas— “‘_Ivàn Ivànovich Popòv. Packet from Làptev; price 1 rouble._’ “‘You are Popòv, aren’t you?’ says he. “‘Yes.’ “‘And the packet is to you?’ “‘It must be.’ “‘Then you must know Làptev?’ “I saw I’d put my foot in it, and so I told him— “‘Very sorry, your Excellency—yes, I know him.’ “‘Why didn’t you say so at once?’ “‘I was afraid to, your Excellency.’ “‘What were your afraid of?’ “‘I don’t know.’ “‘That’s odd!’ “‘I’m afraid of everything, your Excellency! They nearly killed me, and for the life of me I can’t make out why!’ “Well, when I said that he began to laugh, and said— “‘Don’t you be afraid; just tell me the truth.’ “‘I’ll tell everything I know,’ said I. And he asked me—