BOUND　to　do　this。〃　　The　same　impression　was　produced　by　my
  communication　to　the　student…census…takers；　when　I　said　to　them；　that
  while　taking　our　statistics；　we　should　follow　up；　in　addition　to　the
  objects　of　the　census；　the　object　of　benevolence。　　When　we　discussed
  this；　I　observed　that　they　were　ashamed　to　look　the　kind…hearted　man；
  who　was　talking　nonsense；　in　the　eye。　　My　article　produced　the　same
  impression　on　the　editor　of　the　newspaper；　when　I　handed　it　to　him；
  on　my　son；　on　my　wife；　on　the　most　widely　different　persons。　　All
  felt　awkward；　for　some　reason　or　other；　but　all　regarded　it　as
  indispensable　to　applaud　the　idea　itself；　and　all；　immediately　after
  this　expression　of　approbation；　began　to　express　their　doubts　as　to
  its　success；　and　began　for　some　reason　（and　all　of　them；　too；　without
  exception）　to　condemn　the　indifference　and　coldness　of　our　society
  and　of　every　one；　apparently；　except　themselves。
  In　the　depths　of　my　own　soul；　I　still　continued　to　feel　that　all　this
  was　not　at　all　what　was　needed；　and　that　nothing　would　come　of　it；
  but　the　article　was　printed；　and　I　prepared　to　take　part　in　the
  census；　I　had　contrived　the　matter；　and　now　it　was　already　carrying
  me　a　way　with　it。
  CHAPTER　IV。
  At　my　request；　there　had　been　assigned　to　me　for　the　census；　a
  portion　of　the　Khamovnitchesky　quarter；　at　the　Smolensk　market；　along
  the　Prototchny　cross…street；　between　Beregovoy　Passage　and　Nikolsky
  Alley。　　In　this　quarter　are　situated　the　houses　generally　called　the
  Rzhanoff　Houses；　or　the　Rzhanoff　fortress。　　These　houses　once
  belonged　to　a　merchant　named　Rzhanoff；　but　now　belong　to　the　Zimins。
  I　had　long　before　heard　of　this　place　as　a　haunt　of　the　most　terrible
  poverty　and　vice；　and　I　had　accordingly　requested　the　directors　of
  the　census　to　assign　me　to　this　quarter。　　My　desire　was　granted。
  On　receiving　the　instructions　of　the　City　Council；　I　went　alone；　a
  few　days　previous　to　the　beginning　of　the　census；　to　reconnoitre　my
  section。　　I　found　the　Rzhanoff　fortress　at　once；　from　the　plan　with
  which　I　had　been　furnished。
  I　approached　from　Nikolsky　Alley。　　Nikolsky　Alley　ends　on　the　left　in
  a　gloomy　house；　without　any　gates　on　that　side；　I　divined　from　its
  appearance　that　this　was　the　Rzhanoff　fortress。
  Passing　down　Nikolsky　Street；　I　overtook　some　lads　of　from　ten　to
  fourteen　years　of　age；　clad　in　little　caftans　and　great…coats；　who
  were　sliding　down　hill；　some　on　their　feet；　and　some　on　one　skate；
  along　the　icy　slope　beside　this　house。　　The　boys　were　ragged；　and；
  like　all　city　lads；　bold　and　impudent。　　I　stopped　to　watch　them。　　A
  ragged　old　woman；　with　yellow；　pendent　cheeks；　came　round　the　corner。
  She　was　going　to　town；　to　the　Smolensk　market；　and　she　groaned
  terribly　at　every　step；　like　a　foundered　horse。　　As　she　came
  alongside　me；　she　halted　and　drew　a　hoarse　sigh。　　In　any　other
  locality；　this　old　woman　would　have　asked　money　of　me；　but　here　she
  merely　addressed　me。
  〃Look　there；〃　said　she；　pointing　at　the　boys　who　were　sliding；　〃all
  they　do　is　to　play　their　pranks！　　They'll　turn　out　just　such　Rzhanoff
  fellows　as　their　fathers。〃
  One　of　the　boys　clad　in　a　great…coat　and　a　visorless　cap；　heard　her
  words　and　halted：　　〃What　are　you　scolding　about？〃　he　shouted　to　the
  old　woman。　　〃You're　an　old　Rzhanoff　nanny…goat　yourself！〃
  I　asked　the　boy：
  〃And　do　you　live　here？〃
  〃Yes；　and　so　does　she。　　She　stole　boot…legs；〃　shouted　the　boy；　and
  raising　his　foot　in　front；　he　slid　away。
  The　old　woman　burst　forth　into　injurious　words；　interrupted　by　a
  cough。　　At　that　moment；　an　old　man；　all　clad　in　rags；　and　as　white　as
  snow；　came　down　the　hill　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　flourishing　his
  hands　＇in　one　of　them　he　held　a　bundle　with　one　little　kalatch　and
  baranki〃　｛6｝＇。　　This　old　man　bore　the　appearance　of　a　person　who　had
  just　strengthened　himself　with　a　dram。　　He　had　evidently　heard　the
  old　woman's　insulting　words；　and　he　took　her　part。
  〃I'll　give　it　to　you；　you　imps；　that　I　will！〃　he　screamed　at　the
  boys；　seeming　to　direct　his　course　towards　them；　and　taking　a　circuit
  round　me；　he　stepped　on　to　the　sidewalk。　　This　old　man　creates
  surprise　on　the　Arbata　by　his　great　age；　his　weakness；　and　his
  indigence。　　Here　he　was　a　cheery　laboring…man　returning　from　his
  daily　toil。
  I　followed　the　old　man。　　He　turned　the　corner　to　the　left；　into
  Prototchny　Alley；　and　passing　by　the　whole　length　of　the　house　and
  the　gate；　he　disappeared　through　the　door　of　the　tavern。
  Two　gates　and　several　doors　open　on　Prototchny　Alley：　　those
  belonging　to　a　tavern；　a　dram…shop；　and　several　eating　and　other
  shops。　　This　is　the　Rzhanoff　fortress　itself。　　Every　thing　here　is
  gray；　dirty；　and　malodorousboth　buildings　and　locality；　and　court…
  yards　and　people。　　The　majority　of　the　people　whom　I　met　here　were
  ragged　and　half…clad。　　Some　were　passing　through；　others　were　running
  from　door　to　door。　　Two　were　haggling　over　some　rags。　　I　made　the
  circuit　of　the　entire　building　from　Prototchny　Alley　and　Beregovoy
  Passage；　and　returning　I　halted　at　the　gate　of　one　of　these　houses。
  I　wished　to　enter；　and　see　what　was　going　on　inside；　but　I　felt　that
  it　would　be　awkward。　　What　should　I　say　when　I　was　asked　what　I
  wanted　there？　　I　hesitated；　but　went　in　nevertheless。　　As　soon　as　I
  entered　the　court…yard；　I　became　conscious　of　a　disgusting　odor。　　The
  yard　was　frightfully　dirty。　　I　turned　a　corner；　and　at　the　same
  instant　I　heard　to　my　left　and　overhead；　on　the　wooden　balcony；　the
  tramp　of　footsteps　of　people　running；　at　first　along　the　planks　of
  the　balcony；　and　then　on　the　steps　of　the　staircase。　　There　emerged；
  first　a　gaunt　woman；　with　her　sleeves　rolled　up；　in　a　faded　pink
  gown；　and　little　boots　on　her　stockingless　feet。　　After　her　came　a
  tattered　man　in　a　red　shirt　and　very　full　trousers；　like　a　petticoat；
  and　with　overshoes。　　The　man　caught　the　woman　at　the　bottom　of　the
  steps。
  〃You　shall　not　escape；〃　he　said　laughing。
  〃See　here；　you　cock…eyed　devil；〃　began　the　woman；　evidently　flattered
  by　this　pursuit；　but　catching　sight　of　me；　she　shrieked　viciously；
  〃What　do　you　want？〃
  As　I　wanted　nothing；　I　became　confused　and　beat　a　retreat。　　There　was
  nothing　remarkable　about　the　place；　but　this　incident；　after　what　I
  had　witnessed　on　the　other　side　of　the　yard；　the　cursing　old　woman；
  the　jolly　old　man；　and　the　lads　sliding；　suddenly　presented　the
  business　which　I　had　concocted　from　a　totally　different　point　of
  view。　　I　then　comprehended　for　the　first　time；　that　all　these
  unfortunates　to　whom　I　was　desirous　of　playing　the　part　of
  benefactor；　besides　the　time；　when；　suffering　from　cold　and　hunger；
  they　awaited　admission　into　the　house；　had　still　other　time；　which
  they　employed　to　some　other　purpose；　that　there　were　four　and　twenty
  hours　in　every　day；　that　there　was　a　whole　life　of　which　I　had　never
  thought；　up　to　that　moment。　　Here；　for　the　first　time；　I　understood；
  that　all　those　people；　in　addition　to　their　desire　to　shelter
  themselves　from　the　cold　and　to　obtain　a　good　meal；　must　still；　in
  some　way；　live　out　those　four　and　twenty　hours　each　day；　which　they
  must　pass　as　well　as　everybody　else。　　I　comprehended　that　these
  people　must　lose　their　tempers；　and　get　bored；　show　courage；　and
  grieve　and　be　merry。　　Strange　as　this　may　seem；　when　put　into　words；
  I　understood　clearly　for　the　first　time；　that　the　business　which　I
  had　undertaken　could　not　consist　alone　in　feeding　and　clothing
  thousands　of　people；　as　one　would　feed　and　drive　under　cover　a
  thousand　sheep；　but　that　it　must　consist　in　doing　good　to　them。
  And　then　I　understood　that　each　one　of　those　thousand　people　was
  exactly　such　a　man；with　precisely　the　same　past；　with　the　same
  passions；　temptations；　failings；　with　the　same　thoughts；　the　same
  perplexities；exactly　such　a　man　as　myself；　and　then　the　thing　that
  I　had　undertaken　suddenly　presented　itself　to　me　as　so　difficult　that
  I　felt　my　powerlessness；　but　the　thing　had　been　begun；　and　I　went　on
  with　it。
  CHAPTER　V。
  On　the　first　appointed　day；　the　student　enumerators　arrived　in　the
  morning；　and　I；　the　benefactor；　joined　them　at　twelve　o'clock。　　I
  could　not　go　earlier；　because　I　had　risen　at　ten　o'clock；　then　I　had
  drunk　my　coffee　and　smoked；　while　waiting　on　digestion。　　At　twelve
  o'clock　I　reached　the　gates　of　the　Rzhanoff　house。　　A　policeman
  pointed　out　to　me　the　tavern　with　a　side　entrance　on　Beregovoy
  Passage；　where　the　census…takers　had　ordered　every　one　who　asked　for
  them　to　be　directed。　　I　entered　the　tavern。　　It　was　very　dark；　ill…
  smelling；　and　dirty。　　Directly　opposite　the　entrance　was　the　counter；
  on　the　left　was　a　room　with　tables；　covered　with　soiled　cloths；　on
  the　right　a　large　apartment　with　pillars；　and　the　same　sort　of　little
  tables　at　the　windows　and　along　the　walls。　　Here　and　there　at　the
  tables　sat　men　both　ragged　and　decently　clad；　like　laboring…men　or
  petty　tradesmen；　and　a　few　women　drinking　tea。　　The　tavern　was　very
  filthy；　but　it　was　instantly　apparent　that　it　had　a　good　trade。
  There　was　a　business…like　expression　on　the　face　of　the　clerk　behind
  the　counter；　and　a　clever　readiness　about　the　waiters。　　No　sooner　had
  I　entered；　than　one　waiter　prepared　to　remove　my　coat　and　bring　me