he shut himself up in his house.  Another year passed and Ivan Petrovich suddenly broke down, became feeble, and utterly gave way.  His health having deserted him, the freethinker began to go to church, and to order prayers to be said for him[B]; the European began to steam himself in the Russian bath, to dine at two o’clock, to go to bed at nine, to be talked to sleep by the gossip of an old house-steward; the statesman burnt all his plans and all his correspondence, trembled before the governor, and treated the Ispravnik[C] with uneasy civility; the man of iron will whimpered and complained whenever he was troubled by a boil, or when his soup had got cold before he was served with it.  Glafira again ruled supreme in the house; again did inspectors, overseers[D], and simple peasants begin to go up the back staircase to the rooms occupied by the “old witch”—­as she was called by the servants of the house.

[Footnote A:  Arising from the conspiracy of the “Decembrists” and their attempts at a revolution, on the occasion of the death of Alexander I., and the accession of Nicholas to the throne.]

[Footnote B:  Molebni:  prayers in which the name of the person who has paid for them is mentioned.]

[Footnote C:  Inspector of rural police.]

[Footnote D:  Prikashchiki and Burmistrui:  two classes of overseers, the former dealing with economical matters only, the latter having to do with the administrative department also.]

The change which had taken place in Ivan Petrovich, produced a strong impression on the mind of his son.  He had already entered on his nineteenth year; and he had begun to think for himself, and to shake off the weight of the hand which had been pressing him down.  Even before this he had remarked how different were his father’s deeds from his words; the wide and liberal theories he professed from the hard and narrow despotism he practiced; but he had not expected so abrupt a transformation.  In his old age the egotist revealed himself in his full nature.  The young Lavretsky was just getting ready to go to Moscow, with a view to preparing himself for the university, when a new and unexpected misfortune fell on the head of Ivan Petrovich.  In the course of a single day the old man became blind, hopelessly blind.

Distrusting the skill of Russian medical men, he did all he could to get permission to travel abroad.  It was refused.  Then, taking his son with him, he wandered about Russia for three whole years, trying one doctor after another, incessantly journeying from place to place, and, by his impatient fretfulness, driving his doctors, his son, and his servants to the verge of despair.  Utterly used up[A], he returned to Lavriki a weeping and capricious infant.  Days of bitterness ensued, in which all suffered at his hands.  He was quiet only while he was feeding.  Never had he eaten so much, nor so greedily.  At all other moments he allowed neither himself nor any