"I found it in Ardalyon Borisitch's pocket," said Klavdia triumphantly. "He ate them himself and I'm blamed for it. Everyone knows that Ardalyon Borisitch likes sweet things. But why should it be put on others when ..." "Don't go so fast," said Peredonov, "you're telling lies. You put it there yourself. I didn't touch them." "Why should I do that, God forgive you!" said Klavdia, nonplussed. "How did you dare to touch other people's pockets!" shouted Varvara. "Are you looking for money?" "I don't touch other people's pockets," answered Klavdia angrily, "I took the coat down to brush it. It was covered with mud." "But why did you put your hand in the pocket?" "It fell out of the pocket by itself," said Klavdia, defending herself. "You're lying, Diushka," said Peredonov. "I'm not a 'diushka'--what sneerers you are!" shouted Klavdia. "The devil take you. I'll pay for those raisins and you can choke on them--you've gorged on them yourself and now I must pay for them. Yes, I'll pay for them--you've no conscience, you've no shame, and yet you call yourself gentry!" Klavdia went into the kitchen crying and abusing them. Peredonov suddenly began to laugh and said: "She's very touchy, isn't she?" "Yes, let her pay for them," said Varvara. "If you let them, they'll eat anything, these ravenous devils." And for a long time afterwards they tormented Klavdia with having eaten a pound of raisins. They deducted the price of the raisins from her wages and told the story to everyone who came to the house. The cat, as if attracted by this uproar, had left the kitchen, sidling along the walls, sat down near Peredonov and looked at him with its avid, evil eyes. Peredonov bent down to catch the animal, which snarled savagely, scratched Peredonov's hand and ran and hid behind the sideboard. It peeped out from there and its narrow green eyes gleamed. "It might be a were-wolf!" thought Peredonov in fear. In the meantime Varvara, still thinking about Pilnikov, said: "Why do you spend all your evenings playing billiards? You might occasionally drop in at the students' lodgings. They know that the instructors rarely come to see them and that the inspector only comes once a year, so that all sorts of indecencies, card-playing and drunkenness go on. You might, for instance, call on this disguised girl. You'd better go late, about bed-time--that would be a good time to find her out and embarrass her." Peredonov reflected a while and then burst out laughing. "Varvara's certainly a sly rogue!" he thought, "she can teach me a thing or two." CHAPTER XII