"She thought at first that I was joking, and she laughs. Then I say to her more seriously, 'My dear Olga Vassilyevna,' I say, 'd'you know they say that this is a girl?' But she wouldn't believe me. 'Nonsense,' she says, 'who put that into your head? I'm not blind.'" This tale left Varvara dumbfounded. She believed the whole story just as she heard it, and she believed that an assault from yet another side was being prepared for her intended husband. She must somehow have the mask torn off this disguised girl as quickly as possible. For a long time they deliberated as to how this was to be done, but so far they could not think of any way. When Varvara got home her annoyance was further increased by the disappearance of the raisins. When Peredonov returned Varvara quickly and agitatedly told him that Klavdia had hidden away somewhere the pound of raisins and would not admit it. "And what is more," said Varvara, "she suggests that they've been eaten by the master. She says that you were in the kitchen for some reason or other when she was washing the floors and that you stopped there for a long time." "I didn't stop there at all long," said Peredonov glumly, "I only washed my hands there and I didn't see any raisins." "Klavdiushka! Klavdiushka!" shouted Varvara, "Master says he didn't even see the raisins--that means you must have hidden them somewhere." Klavdia showed her reddened, tear-stained face from the kitchen. "I didn't take your raisins!" she shouted in a tear-choked voice. "I'll pay for them, but I didn't take them." "You'll pay for them all right," shouted Varvara angrily. "I'm not obliged to feed you on raisins." Peredonov burst out laughing and shouted: "Diushka's got away with a whole pound of raisins!" "Heartless wretches!" shouted Klavdia, and slammed the door. After dinner Varvara could not help telling Peredonov what she had heard about Pilnikov. She did not stop to reflect whether this would help her or do her harm, or how Peredonov would act--she spoke simply from malice. Peredonov tried to recall Pilnikov to his mind, but somehow he could not clearly visualise him. Until now, he had given little attention to this new pupil, and detested him for his prettiness and cleanness, and because he conducted himself so quietly, worked well, and was the youngest of the students in the fifth form. But now Varvara's story aroused in him a mischievous curiosity. Immodest thoughts slowly stirred in his obscure mind. "I must go to Vespers," he thought, "and take a look at this disguised girl." Suddenly Klavdia came in rejoicing and threw on the table a piece of crumpled blue paper and exclaimed: "There! You blamed me for taking the raisins, but what's this? As if I needed your raisins." Peredonov guessed what was the matter; he had forgotten to throw the paper bag away in the street and now Klavdia had found it in his overcoat pocket. "Oh! The devil!" he exclaimed. "What is it? Where did you get it?" cried Varvara.