Then some one printed the statement that he was dead and promised an obituary notice of him.

Stepan Trofimovitch instantly perked up and assumed an air of immense dignity.

All his disdain for his contemporaries evaporated and he began to cherish the dream of joining the movement and showing his powers.

Varvara Petrovna's faith in everything instantly revived and she was thrown into a violent ferment.

It was decided to go to Petersburg without a moment's delay, to find out everything on the spot, to go into everything personally, and, if possible, to throw themselves heart and soul into the new movement.