.

A RAID AT STEFAN TROFIMOVITCH'S.
Meanwhile an incident had occurred which astounded me and shattered Stepan Trofimovitch.

At eight o'clock in the morning Nastasya ran round to me from him with the news that her master was "raided." At first I could not make out what she meant; I could only gather that the "raid" was carried out by officials, that they had come and taken his papers, and that a soldier had tied them up in a bundle and "wheeled them away in a barrow." It was a fantastic story.

I hurried at once to Stepan Trofimovitch.
I found him in a surprising condition: upset and in great agitation, but at the same time unmistakably triumphant.

On the table in the middle of the room the samovar was boiling, and there was a glass of tea poured out but untouched and forgotten.