“Very good.⁠ ⁠… Only what am I to do with all this? I say, you buy this furniture of mine! What do you say? It’s not expensive, eight thousand⁠ ⁠… ten.⁠ ⁠… The furniture, the carriage, the grand piano.⁠ ⁠…”

“Very good.⁠ ⁠… I will give you ten thousand.⁠ ⁠…”

“Well, that is capital! I will set off tomorrow. I shall go to Moscow. It’s impossible to live here. Everything is so dear! Awfully dear! The money fairly flies.⁠ ⁠… You can’t take a step without spending a thousand! I can’t go on like that. I have a child to bring up.⁠ ⁠… Well, thank God that you will buy my furniture.⁠ ⁠… That will be a little more in hand, or I should have been regularly bankrupt.⁠ ⁠…”

Groholsky got up, took leave of Bugrov, and went home rejoicing. In the evening he sent him ten thousand roubles.

Early next morning Bugrov and Mishutka were already at Feodosia.

Several months had passed; spring had come. With spring, fine bright days had come too. Life was not so dull and hateful, and the earth was more fair to look upon.⁠ ⁠… There was a warm breeze from the sea and the open country.⁠ ⁠… The earth was covered with fresh grass, fresh leaves were green upon the trees. Nature had sprung into new life, and had put on new array.

It might be thought that new hopes and new desires would surge up in man when everything in nature is renewed, and young and fresh⁠ ⁠… but it is hard for man to renew life.⁠ ⁠…