“What did he do there? What did he say?”

“They couldn’t tell me themselves; they couldn’t make head or tail of it; but he frightened them all. He came to see the general, who was not at home; so he asked for Lizabetha Prokofievna. First of all, he begged her for some place, or situation, for work of some kind, and then he began to complain about us , about me and my husband, and you, especially you ; he said a lot of things.”

“Oh! couldn’t you find out?” muttered Gania, trembling hysterically.

“No⁠—nothing more than that. Why, they couldn’t understand him themselves; and very likely didn’t tell me all.”

Gania seized his head with both hands and tottered to the window; Varia sat down at the other window.