I　can　work。〃
  The　peasant　declares　that　he　will　come；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　he　is
  not　deceiving　me；　and　that　he　intents　to　come。
  On　the　following　day　I　go　to　my　peasants；　and　inquire　whether　that
  man　has　arrived。　　He　has　not　been　there；　and　in　this　way　several　men
  deceived　me。　　And　those　also　deceived　me　who　said　that　they　only
  required　money　for　a　ticket　in　order　to　return　home；　and　who　chanced
  upon　me　again　in　the　street　a　week　later。　　Many　of　these　I
  recognized；　and　they　recognized　me；　and　sometimes；　having　forgotten
  me；　they　repeated　the　same　trick　on　me；　and　others；　on　catching　sight
  of　me；　beat　a　retreat。　　Thus　I　perceived；　that　in　the　ranks　of　this
  class　also　deceivers　existed。　　But　these　cheats　were　very　pitiable
  creatures：　　all　of　them　were　but　half…clad；　poverty…stricken；　gaunt；
  sickly　men；　they　were　the　very　people　who　really　freeze　to　death；　or
  hang　themselves；　as　we　learn　from　the　newspapers。
  CHAPTER　II。
  When　I　mentioned　this　poverty　of　the　town　to　inhabitants　of　the　town；
  they　always　said　to　me：　　〃Oh；　all　that　you　have　seen　is　nothing。　　You
  ought　to　see　the　Khitroff　market…place；　and　the　lodging…houses　for
  the　night　there。　　There　you　would　see　a　regular　'golden　company。'〃
  ｛1｝　　One　jester　told　me　that　this　was　no　longer　a　company；　but　a
  GOLDEN　REGIMENT：　　so　greatly　had　their　numbers　increased。　　The　jester
  was　right；　but　he　would　have　been　still　more　accurate　if　he　had　said
  that　these　people　now　form　in　Moscow　neither　a　company　nor　a
  regiment；　but　an　entire　army；　almost　fifty　thousand　in　number；　I
  think。　　＇The　old　inhabitants；　when　they　spoke　to　me　about　the　poverty
  in　town；　always　referred　to　it　with　a　certain　satisfaction；　as　though
  pluming　themselves　over　me；　because　they　knew　it。　　I　remember　that
  when　I　was　in　London；　the　old　inhabitants　there　also　rather　boasted
  when　they　spoke　of　the　poverty　of　London。　　The　case　is　the　same　with
  us。＇　｛2｝
  And　I　wanted　to　have　a　sight　of　this　poverty　of　which　I　had　been
  told。　　Several　times　I　set　out　in　the　direction　of　the　Khitroff
  market…place；　but　on　every　occasion　I　began　to　feel　uncomfortable　and
  ashamed。　　〃Why　am　I　going　to　gaze　on　the　sufferings　of　people　whom　I
  cannot　help？〃　said　one　voice。　　〃No；　if　you　live　here；　and　see　all　the
  charms　of　city　life；　go　and　view　this　also；〃　said　another　voice。　　In
  December　three　years　ago；　therefore；　on　a　cold　and　windy　day；　I
  betook　myself　to　that　centre　of　poverty；　the　Khitroff　market…place。
  This　was　at　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　of　a　week…day。　　As　I　passed
  through　the　Solyanka；　I　already　began　to　see　more　and　more　people　in
  old　garments　which　had　not　originally　belonged　to　them；　and　in　still
  stranger　foot…gear；　people　with　a　peculiar；　unhealthy　hue　of
  countenance；　and　especially　with　a　singular　indifference　to　every
  thing　around　them；　which　was　peculiar　to　them　all。　　A　man　in　the
  strangest　of　all　possible　attire；　which　was　utterly　unlike　any　thing
  else；　walked　along　with　perfect　unconcern；　evidently　without　a
  thought　of　the　appearance　which　he　must　present　to　the　eyes　of
  others。　　All　these　people　were　making　their　way　towards　a　single
  point。　　Without　inquiring　the　way；　with　which　I　was　not　acquainted；　I
  followed　them；　and　came　out　on　the　Khitroff　market…place。　　On　the
  market…place；　women　both　old　and　young；　of　the　same　description；　in
  tattered　cloaks　and　jackets　of　various　shapes；　in　ragged　shoes　and
  overshoes；　and　equally　unconcerned；　notwithstanding　the　hideousness
  of　their　attire；　sat；　bargained　for　something；　strolled　about；　and
  scolded。　　There　were　not　many　people　in　the　market　itself。　　Evidently
  market…hours　were　over；　and　the　majority　of　the　people　were　ascending
  the　rise　beyond　the　market　and　through　the　place；　all　still
  proceeding　in　one　direction。　　I　followed　them。　　The　farther　I
  advanced；　the　greater　in　numbers　were　the　people　of　this　sort　who
  flowed　together　on　one　road。　　Passing　through　the　market…place　and
  proceeding　along　the　street；　I　overtook　two　women；　one　was　old；　the
  other　young。　　Both　wore　something　ragged　and　gray。　　As　they　walked
  they　were　discussing　some　matter。　　After　every　necessary　word；　they
  uttered　one　or　two　unnecessary　ones；　of　the　most　improper　character。
  They　were　not　intoxicated；　but　merely　troubled　about　something；　and
  neither　the　men　who　met　them；　nor　those　who　walked　in　front　of　them
  and　behind　them；　paid　any　attention　to　the　language　which　was　so
  strange　to　me。　　In　these　quarters；　evidently；　people　always　talked
  so。　　Ascending　the　rise；　we　reached　a　large　house　on　a　corner。　　The
  greater　part　of　the　people　who　were　walking　along　with　me　halted　at
  this　house。　　They　stood　all　over　the　sidewalk　of　this　house；　and　sat
  on　the　curbstone；　and　even　the　snow　in　the　street　was　thronged　with
  the　same　kind　of　people。　　On　the　right　side　of　the　entrance　door　were
  the　women；　on　the　left　the　men。　　I　walked　past　the　women；　past　the
  men　（there　were　several　hundred　of　them　in　all）　and　halted　where　the
  line　came　to　an　end。　　The　house　before　which　these　people　were
  waiting　was　the　Lyapinsky　free　lodging…house　for　the　night。　　The
  throng　of　people　consisted　of　night　lodgers；　who　were　waiting　to　be
  let　in。　　At　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　the　house　is　opened；　and
  the　people　permitted　to　enter。　　Hither　had　come　nearly　all　the　people
  whom　I　had　passed　on　my　way。
  I　halted　where　the　line　of　men　ended。　　Those　nearest　me　began　to
  stare　at　me；　and　attracted　my　attention　to　them　by　their　glances。
  The　fragments　of　garments　which　covered　these　bodies　were　of　the　most
  varied　sorts。　　But　the　expression　of　all　the　glances　directed　towards
  me　by　these　people　was　identical。　　In　all　eyes　the　question　was
  expressed：　　〃Why　have　you；　a　man　from　another　world；　halted　here
  beside　us？　　Who　are　you？　　Are　you　a　self…satisfied　rich　man　who　wants
  to　enjoy　our　wretchedness；　to　get　rid　of　his　tedium；　and　to　torment
  us　still　more？　or　are　you　that　thing　which　does　not　and　can　not
  exist；a　man　who　pities　us？〃　　This　query　was　on　every　face。　　You
  glance　about；　encounter　some　one's　eye；　and　turn　away。　　I　wished　to
  talk　with　some　one　of　them；　but　for　a　long　time　I　could　not　make　up
  my　mind　to　it。　　But　our　glances　had　drawn　us　together　already　while
  our　tongues　remained　silent。　　Greatly　as　our　lives　had　separated　us；
  after　the　interchange　of　two　or　three　glances　we　felt　that　we　were
  both　men；　and　we　ceased　to　fear　each　other。　　The　nearest　of　all　to　me
  was　a　peasant　with　a　swollen　face　and　a　red　beard；　in　a　tattered
  caftan；　and　patched　overshoes　on　his　bare　feet。　　And　the　weather　was
  eight　degrees　below　zero。　｛3｝　　For　the　third　or　fourth　time　I
  encountered　his　eyes；　and　I　felt　so　near　to　him　that　I　was　no　longer
  ashamed　to　accost　him；　but　ashamed　not　to　say　something　to　him。　　I
  inquired　where　he　came　from？　he　answered　readily；　and　we　began　to
  talk；　others　approached。　　He　was　from　Smolensk；　and　had　come　to　seek
  employment　that　he　might　earn　his　bread　and　taxes。　　〃There　is　no
  work；〃　said　he：　　〃the　soldiers　have　taken　it　all　away。　　So　now　I　am
  loafing　about；　as　true　as　I　believe　in　God；　I　have　had　nothing　to　eat
  for　two　days。〃　　He　spoke　modestly；　with　an　effort　at　a　smile。　　A
  sbiten｛4｝…seller；　an　old　soldier；　stood　near　by。　　I　called　him　up。
  He　poured　out　his　sbiten。　　The　peasant　took　a　boiling…hot　glassful　in
  his　hands；　and　as　he　tried　before　drinking　not　to　let　any　of　the　heat
  escape　in　vain；　and　warmed　his　hands　over　it；　he　related　his
  adventures　to　me。　　These　adventures；　or　the　histories　of　them；　are
  almost　always　identical：　　the　man　has　been　a　laborer；　then　he　has
  changed　his　residence；　then　his　purse　containing　his　money　and　ticket
  has　been　stolen　from　him　in　the　night　lodging…house；　now　it　is
  impossible　to　get　away　from　Moscow。　　He　told　me　that　he　kept　himself
  warm　by　day　in　the　dram…shops；　that　he　nourished　himself　on　the　bits
  of　bread　in　these　drinking　places；　when　they　were　given　to　him；　and
  when　he　was　driven　out　of　them；　he　came　hither　to　the　Lyapinsky　house
  for　a　free　lodging。　　He　was　only　waiting　for　the　police　to　make　their
  rounds；　when；　as　he　had　no　passport；　he　would　be　taken　to　jail；　and
  then　despatched　by　stages　to　his　place　of　settlement。　　〃They　say　that
  the　inspection　will　be　made　on　Friday；〃　said　he；　〃then　they　will
  arrest　me。　　If　I　can　only　get　along　until　Friday。〃　　（The　jail；　and
  the　journey　by　stages；　represent　the　Promised　Land　to　him。）
  As　he　told　his　story；　three　men　from　among　the　throng　corroborated
  his　statements；　and　said　that　they　were　in　the　same　predicament。　　A
  gaunt；　pale；　long…nosed　youth；　with　merely　a　shirt　on　the　upper
  portion　of　his　body；　and　that　torn　on　the　shoulders；　and　a　cap
  without　a　visor；　forced　his　way　sidelong　through　the　crowd。　　He
  shivered　violently　and　incessantly；　but　tried　to　smile　disdainfully
  at　the　peasants'　remarks；　thinking　by　this　means　to　adopt　the　proper
  tone　with　me；　and　he　stared　at　me。　　I　offered　him　some　sbiten；　he
  also；　on　taking　the　glass；　warmed　his　hands　over　it；　but　no　sooner
  had　he　begun　to　speak；　than　he　was　thrust　aside　by　a　big；　black；
  hook…nosed　individual；　in　a　chintz　shirt　and　waistcoat；　without　a
  hat。　　The　hook…nosed　man　asked　for　some　sbiten　also。　　Then　came　a
  tall　old　man；　with　a　mass　of　beard；　clad　in　a　great…coat　girded　with