Vassily had left his village and settled in town over two years ago.  As time went on he sent less and less money to his father, and he did not ask his wife, who remained at home, to join him.  He was in no need of her; he could in town have as many wives as he wished, and much better ones too than that clumsy, village-bred woman.  Vassily, with each recurring year, became more and more familiar with the ways of the town people, forgetting the conventions of a country life.  There everything was so vulgar, so grey, so poor and untidy.  Here, in town, all seemed on the contrary so refined, nice, clean, and rich; so orderly too.  And he became more and more convinced that people in the country live just like wild beasts, having no idea of what life is, and that only life in town is real.  He read books written by clever writers, and went to the performances in the Peoples’ Palace.  In the country, people would not see such wonders even in dreams.  In the country old men say:  “Obey the law, and live with your wife; work; don’t eat too much; don’t care for finery,” while here, in town, all the clever and learned people—­those, of course, who know what in reality the law is—­only pursue their own pleasures.  And they are the better for it.

Previous to the incident of the forged coupon, Vassily could not actually believe that rich people lived without any moral law.  But after that, still more after having perjured himself, and not being the worse for it in spite of his fears—­on the contrary, he had gained ten roubles out of it—­Vassily became firmly convinced that no moral laws whatever exist, and that the only thing to do is to pursue one’s own interests and pleasures.  This he now made his rule in life.  He accordingly got as much profit as he could out of purchasing goods for lodgers.  But this did not pay all his expenses.  Then he took to stealing, whenever chance offered—­money and all sorts of valuables.  One day he stole a purse full of money from Eugene Mihailovich, but was found out.  Eugene Mihailovich did not hand him over to the police, but dismissed him on the spot.

Vassily had no wish whatever to return home to his village, and remained in Moscow with his sweetheart, looking out for a new job.  He got one as yard-porter at a grocer’s, but with only small wages.  The next day after he had entered that service he was caught stealing bags.  The grocer did not call in the police, but gave him a good thrashing and turned him out.  After that he could not find work.  The money he had left was soon gone; he had to sell all his clothes and went about nearly in rags.  His sweetheart left him.  But notwithstanding, he kept up his high spirits, and when the spring came he started to walk home.

IX

Peter Nikolaevich Sventizky, a short man in black spectacles (he had weak eyes, and was threatened with complete blindness), got up, as was his custom, at dawn of day, had a cup of tea, and putting on his short fur coat trimmed with astrachan, went to look after the work on his estate.