His talk with the Revolutionists had troubled and irritated him. “They say that all we have done⁠—what Haltoúrin, Kibáltchitch, Sophie Peróvsky did⁠—was unnecessary, and even harmful; and that we caused the reaction of Alexander III ’s time⁠ ⁠… that, thanks to us, the people are convinced that the whole Revolutionary movement comes from landlords, who killed the Tsar because he took the serfs from them! What rubbish! What a want of understanding, and what insolence to imagine it!” he thought, continuing to pace the corridor. All the cells had now been closed, except the one where the new Revolutionists were. As he drew near he heard the laughter of the dark woman who was so antipathetic to him, and the rasping, determined sound of Román’s voice. Román was saying:

“… unable to understand the laws of economy, they took no account of what they were doing. And in a great measure it was⁠ ⁠…”