I　entered；　than　one　waiter　prepared　to　remove　my　coat　and　bring　me
  whatever　I　should　order。　　It　was　evident　that　they　had　been　trained
  to　brisk　and　accurate　service。　　I　inquired　for　the　enumerators。
  〃Vanya！〃　shouted　a　small　man；　dressed　in　German　fashion；　who　was
  engaged　in　placing　something　in　a　cupboard　behind　the　counter；　this
  was　the　landlord　of　the　tavern；　a　Kaluga　peasant；　Ivan　Fedotitch；　who
  hired　one…half　of　the　Zimins'　houses　and　sublet　them　to　lodgers。　　The
  waiter；　a　thin；　hooked…nosed　young　fellow　of　eighteen；　with　a　yellow
  complexion；　hastened　up。
  〃Conduct　this　gentleman　to　the　census…takers；　they　went　into　the　main
  building　over　the　well。〃　　The　young　fellow　threw　down　his　napkin；　and
  donned　a　coat　over　his　white　jacket　and　white　trousers；　and　a　cap
  with　a　large　visor；　and；　tripping　quickly　along　with　his　white　feet；
  he　led　me　through　the　swinging　door　in　the　rear。　　In　the　dirty；
  malodorous　kitchen；　in　the　out…building；　we　encountered　an　old　woman
  who　was　carefully　carrying　some　very　bad…smelling　tripe；　wrapped　in　a
  rag；　off　somewhere。　　From　the　out…building　we　descended　into　a
  sloping　court…yard；　all　encumbered　with　small　wooden　buildings　on
  lower　stories　of　stone。　　The　odor　in　this　whole　yard　was　extremely
  powerful。　　The　centre　of　this　odor　was　an　out…house；　round　which
  people　were　thronging　whenever　I　passed　it。　　It　merely　indicated　the
  spot；　but　was　not　altogether　used　itself。　　It　was　impossible；　when
  passing　through　the　yard；　not　to　take　note　of　this　spot；　one　always
  felt　oppressed　when　one　entered　the　penetrating　atmosphere　which　was
  emitted　by　this　foul　smell。
  The　waiter；　carefully　guarding　his　white　trousers；　led　me　cautiously
  past　this　place　of　frozen　and　unfrozen　uncleanness　to　one　of　the
  buildings。　　The　people　who　were　passing　through　the　yard　and　along
  the　balconies　all　stopped　to　stare　at　me。　　It　was　evident　that　a
  respectably　dressed　man　was　a　curiosity　in　these　localities。
  The　young　man　asked　a　woman　〃whether　she　had　seen　the　census…takers？〃
  And　three　men　simultaneously　answered　his　question：　　some　said　that
  they　were　over　the　well；　but　others　said　that　they　had　been　there；
  but　had　come　out　and　gone　to　Nikita　Ivanovitch。　　An　old　man　dressed
  only　in　his　shirt；　who　was　wandering　about　the　centre　of　the　yard；
  said　that　they　were　in　No。　30。　　The　young　man　decided　that　this　was
  the　most　probable　report；　and　conducted　me　to　No。　30　through　the
  basement　entrance；　and　darkness　and　bad　smells；　different　from　that
  which　existed　outside。　　We　went　down…stairs；　and　proceeded　along　the
  earthen　floor　of　a　dark　corridor。　　As　we　were　passing　along　the
  corridor；　a　door　flew　open　abruptly；　and　an　old　drunken　man；　in　his
  shirt；　probably　not　of　the　peasant　class；　thrust　himself　out。　　A
  washerwoman；　wringing　her　soapy　hands；　was　pursuing　and　hustling　the
  old　man　with　piercing　screams。　　Vanya；　my　guide；　pushed　the　old　man
  aside；　and　reproved　him。
  〃It's　not　proper　to　make　such　a　row；〃　said　me；　〃and　you　an　officer；
  too！〃　and　we　went　on　to　the　door　of　No。　30。
  Vanya　gave　it　a　little　pull。　　The　door　gave　way　with　a　smack；　opened；
  and　we　smelled　soapy　steam；　and　a　sharp　odor　of　spoilt　food　and
  tobacco；　and　we　entered　into　total　darkness。　　The　windows　were　on　the
  opposite　side；　but　the　corridors　ran　to　right　and　left　between　board
  partitions；　and　small　doors　opened；　at　various　angles；　into　the　rooms
  made　of　uneven　whitewashed　boards。　　In　a　dark　room；　on　the　left；　a
  woman　could　be　seen　washing　in　a　tub。　　An　old　woman　was　peeping　from
  one　of　these　small　doors　on　the　right。　　Through　another　open　door　we
  could　see　a　red…faced；　hairy　peasant；　in　bast　shoes；　sitting　on　his
  wooden　bunk；　his　hands　rested　on　his　knees；　and　he　was　swinging　his
  feet；　shod　in　bast　shoes；　and　gazing　gloomily　at　them。
  At　the　end　of　the　corridor　was　a　little　door　leading　to　the　apartment
  where　the　census…takers　were。　　This　was　the　chamber　of　the　mistress
  of　the　whole　of　No。　30；　she　rented　the　entire　apartment　from　Ivan
  Feodovitch；　and　let　it　out　again　to　lodgers　and　as　night…quarters。
  In　her　tiny　room；　under　the　tinsel　images；　sat　the　student　census…
  taker　with　his　charts；　and；　in　his　quality　of　investigator；　he　had
  just　thoroughly　interrogated　a　peasant　wearing　a　shirt　and　a　vest。
  This　latter　was　a　friend　of　the　landlady；　and　had　been　answering
  questions　for　her。　　The　landlady　herself；　an　elderly　woman；　was　there
  also；　and　two　of　her　curious　tenants。　　When　I　entered；　the　room　was
  already　packed　full。　　I　pushed　my　way　to　the　table。　　I　exchanged
  greetings　with　the　student；　and　he　proceeded　with　his　inquiries。　　And
  I　began　to　look　about　me；　and　to　interrogate　the　inhabitants　of　these
  quarters　for　my　own　purpose。
  It　turned　out；　that　in　this　first　set　of　lodgings；　I　found　not　a
  single　person　upon　whom　I　could　pour　out　my　benevolence。　　The
  landlady；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　poverty；　smallness　and　dirt
  of　these　quarters　struck　me　after　the　palatial　house　in　which　I
  dwell；　lived　in　comfort；　compared　with　many　of　the　poor　inhabitants
  of　the　city；　and　in　comparison　with　the　poverty　in　the　country；　with
  which　I　was　thoroughly　familiar；　she　lived　luxuriously。　　She　had　a
  feather…bed；　a　quilted　coverlet；　a　samovar；　a　fur　cloak；　and　a
  dresser　with　crockery。　　The　landlady's　friend　had　the　same
  comfortable　appearance。　　He　had　a　watch　and　a　chain。　　Her　lodgers
  were　not　so　well　off；　but　there　was　not　one　of　them　who　was　in　need
  of　immediate　assistance：　　the　woman　who　was　washing　linen　in　a　tub；
  and　who　had　been　abandoned　by　her　husband　and　had　children；　an　aged
  widow　without　any　means　of　livelihood；　as　she　said；　and　that　peasant
  in　bast　shoes；　who　told　me　that　he　had　nothing　to　eat　that　day。　　But
  on　questioning　them；　it　appeared　that　none　of　these　people　were　in
  special　want；　and　that；　in　order　to　help　them；　it　would　be　necessary
  to　become　well　acquainted　with　them。
  When　I　proposed　to　the　woman　whose　husband　had　abandoned　her；　to
  place　her　children　in　an　asylum；　she　became　confused；　fell　into
  thought；　thanked　me　effusively；　but　evidently　did　not　wish　to　do　so；
  she　would　have　preferred　pecuniary　assistance。　　The　eldest　girl
  helped　her　in　her　washing；　and　the　younger　took　care　of　the　little
  boy。　　The　old　woman　begged　earnestly　to　be　taken　to　the　hospital；　but
  on　examining　her　nook　I　found　that　the　old　woman　was　not　particularly
  poor。　　She　had　a　chest　full　of　effects；　a　teapot　with　a　tin　spout；
  two　cups；　and　caramel　boxes　filled　with　tea　and　sugar。　　She　knitted
  stockings　and　gloves；　and　received　monthly　aid　from　some　benevolent
  lady。　　And　it　was　evident　that　what　the　peasant　needed　was　not　so
  much　food　as　drink；　and　that　whatever　might　be　given　him　would　find
  its　way　to　the　dram…shop。　　In　these　quarters；　therefore；　there　were
  none　of　the　sort　of　people　whom　I　could　render　happy　by　a　present　of
  money。　　But　there　were　poor　people　who　appeared　to　me　to　be　of　a
  doubtful　character。　　I　noted　down　the　old　woman；　the　woman　with　the
  children；　and　the　peasant；　and　decided　that　they　must　be　seen　to；　but
  later　on；　as　I　was　occupied　with　the　peculiarly　unfortunate　whom　I
  expected　to　find　in　this　house；　I　made　up　my　mind　that　there　must　be
  some　order　in　the　aid　which　we　should　bestow；　first　came　the　most
  wretched；　and　then　this　kind。　　But　in　the　next　quarters；　and　in　the
  next　after　that；　it　was　the　same　story；　all　the　people　had　to　be
  narrowly　investigated　before　they　could　be　helped。　　But　unfortunates
  of　the　sort　whom　a　gift　of　money　would　convert　from　unfortunate　into
  fortunate　people；　there　were　none。　　Mortifying　as　it　is　to　me　to　avow
  this；　I　began　to　get　disenchanted；　because　I　did　not　find　among　these
  people　any　thing　of　the　sort　which　I　had　expected。　　I　had　expected　to
  find　peculiar　people　here；　but；　after　making　the　round　of　all　the
  apartments；　I　was　convinced　that　the　inhabitants　of　these　houses　were
  not　peculiar　people　at　all；　but　precisely　such　persons　as　those　among
  whom　I　lived。　　As　there　are　among　us；　just　so　among　them；　there　were
  here　those　who　were　more　or　less　good；　more　or　less　stupid；　happy　and
  unhappy。　　The　unhappy　were　exactly　such　unhappy　beings　as　exist　among
  us；　that　is；　unhappy　people　whose　unhappiness　lies　not　in　their
  external　conditions；　but　in　themselves；　a　sort　of　unhappiness　which
  it　is　impossible　to　right　by　any　sort　of　bank…note　whatever。
  CHAPTER　VI。
  The　inhabitants　of　these　houses　constitute　the　lower　class　of　the
  city；　which　numbers　in　Moscow；　probably；　one　hundred　thousand。
  There；　in　that　house；　are　representatives　of　every　description　of
  this　class。　　There　are　petty　employers；　and　master…artisans；
  bootmakers；　brush…makers；　cabinet…makers；　turners；　shoemakers；
  tailors；　blacksmiths；　there　are　cab…drivers；　young　women　living
  alone；　and　female　pedlers；　laundresses；　old…clothes　dealers；　money…
  lenders；　day…laborers；　and　people　without　any　definite　employment；
  and　also　beggars　and　dissolute　women。
  Here　were　many　of　the　very　people　whom　I　had　seen　at　the　entrance　to
  the　Lyapinsky　house；　but　here　these　people　were　scattered　about　among
  the　working…people。　　And　moreover；　I　had　seen　these　people　at　their
  most　unfortunate　time；　when　they　had　eaten　and　drunk　up　every　thing；
  and　when；　cold；　hungry；　and　driven