He went with a single object before him⁠—to obtain a post with an income of five thousand. He was ready now to be satisfied with a post in any department, of any tendency, with any kind of work. He must only have a post⁠—a post with five thousand, in the executive department, the banks, the railways, the Empress Marya’s institutions, even in the customs duties⁠—what was essential was five thousand, and essential it was, too, to get out of the department in which they had failed to appreciate his value.

And, behold, this quest of Ivan Ilyitch’s was crowned with wonderful, unexpected success. At Kursk there got into the same first-class carriage F. S. Ilyin, an acquaintance, who told him of a telegram just received by the governor of Kursk, announcing a change about to take place in the ministry⁠—Pyotr Ivanovitch was to be superseded by Ivan Semyonovitch.