“H’m!” ejaculated Tikhon Ilitch sympathetically, although he knew full well that there is never smoke without fire. But Yakoff’s eyes were already wandering: “She complained to her husband; how she complained! And, just think, she wanted to poison me. Sometimes, for example, a fellow catches cold and smokes a bit to relieve his chest. Well, she noticed that--and stuck a cigarette under my pillow. If I hadn’t happened to see it--I’d have been done for!” “What sort of a cigarette?” “She had pounded up the bones of dead men, and stuffed it with that in place of tobacco.” “That boy of yours is a fool! He ought to teach her a lesson, in Russian style--the damned hussy!” “What are you thinking of! He climbed on my breast, so to speak. And he wriggled like a serpent. I grabbed him by the head, but his head was shaved! I grabbed hold of his stomach. I hated to tear his shirt!” Tikhon Ilitch shook his head, remained silent for a minute, and at last reached a decision: “Well, and how are things going with you over there? Are you still expecting the rebellion?” But thereupon Yakoff’s secrecy was restored instantaneously. He grinned and waved his hand. “Well!” he muttered volubly. “What would we do with a rebellion? Our folks are peaceable. Yes, a peaceable lot.” And he tightened the reins, as though his horse were restive and would not stand. “Then why did you have a village assembly last Sunday?” Tikhon Ilitch maliciously and abruptly interjected. “A village assembly, did you say? The plague only knows! They started an awful row, so to speak.” “I know what the row was about! I know!” “Well, what of it? I’m not making a secret of it. They gabbled, so to speak, said orders had been issued--orders had been issued--that no one was to work any more at the former price.” It was extremely mortifying to reflect that, because of wretched little Durnovka, affairs were escaping from his grasp. And there were only thirty homesteads altogether in that same Durnovka. And it was situated in a devil of a ravine: a broad gorge, with peasant cottages on one side, and on the other the tiny manor. And that manor exchanged glances with the cottages and from day to day expected some “order.” Ekh, he’d like to apply a few kazaks with their whips to the situation! IX