From the day when he heard of Foedor’s mysterious departure Gregory had his suspicions.  He was sure that he had seen Foedor enter Vaninka’s room, and unless he had gone out while he was going to seek the general, he did not understand why the latter had not found him in his daughter’s room.  Another thing occupied his mind, which it seemed to him might perhaps have some connection with this event—­the amount of money Ivan had been spending since that time, a very extraordinary amount for a slave.  This slave, however, was the brother of Vaninka’s cherished foster-sister, so that, without being sure, Gregory already suspected the source from whence this money came.  Another thing confirmed him in his suspicions, which was that Ivan, who had not only remained his most faithful friend, but had become one of his best customers, never spoke of Foedor, held his tongue if he were mentioned in his presence, and to all questions, however pressing they were, made but one answer:  “Let us speak of something else.”

In the meantime the Feast of Kings arrived.  This is a great day in St. Petersburg, for it is also the day for blessing the waters.

As Vaninka had been present at the ceremony, and was fatigued after standing for two hours on the Neva, the general did not go out that evening, and gave Ivan leave to do so.  Ivan profited by the permission to go to the Red House.

There was a numerous company there, and Ivan was welcomed; for it was known that he generally came with full pockets.  This time he did not belie his reputation, and had scarcely arrived before he made the sorok-kopecks ring, to the great envy of his companions.

At this warning sound Gregory hastened up with all possible deference, a bottle of brandy in each hand; for he knew that when Ivan summoned him he gained in two ways, as innkeeper and as boon companion.  Ivan did not disappoint these hopes, and Gregory was invited to share in the entertainment.  The conversation turned on slavery, and some of the unhappy men, who had only four days in the year of respite from their eternal labour, talked loudly of the happiness Gregory had enjoyed since he had obtained his freedom.

“Bah!” said Ivan, on whom the brandy had begun to take effect, “there are some slaves who are freer than their masters.”

“What do you mean?” said Gregory, pouring him out another glass of brandy.

“I meant to say happier,” said Ivan quickly.

“It is difficult to prove that,” said Gregory doubtingly.

“Why difficult?  Our masters, the moment they are born, are put into the hands of two or three pedants, one French, another German, and a third English, and whether they like them or not, they must be content with their society till they are seventeen, and whether they wish to or not, must learn three barbarous languages, at the expense of our noble Russian tongue, which they have sometimes completely forgotten by the time