ThisparticularRaskolnik，orOldBeliever，towhomTolstoitookme，wasaMuscovitemerchantofgreatwealth，livinginasuperbvillaontheoutskirtsofthecity，withalargeparkaboutit;
theapartments，forsizeandbeautyofdecoration，fitforaroyalpalace——theceilingscoveredwithbeautifulfrescos，andtheroomsfullofstatuesandpicturesbyeminentartists，mainlyRussianandFrench。Hewasamanofsomeeducation，possessedalargelibrary，lovedtoentertainscientificmenandtoaidscientificeffort，andmanagedtokeepongoodtermswithhismorefanaticalcoreligionistsononesideandwiththegovernmentontheother，sothatinemergencieshewasanefficientpeacemakerbetweenthem。Wefoundhimakindly，gentleoldman，withlong，whitehairandbeard，andheshoweduswithevidentpleasuretheprincipalstatuesandpictures，severaloftheformerbeingbyAntokolski，thegreatestcontemporaryRussiansculptor。Inthesumptuousdining—room，inwhichperhapsahundredpersonscouldsitattable，hedrewourattentiontosomefinepicturesofItalianscenesbySmieradsky，and，afterpassingthroughtheotherrooms，tookusintoacabinetfurnishedwiththerarestthingstobefoundintheOrientalbazaars。Finally，heconductedusintohisprivatechapel，where，ontheiconostas，——thescreenwhich，inaccordancewiththeGreekritual，standsbeforethealtar，——thesacredimagesoftheSaviourandvarioussaintswererepresentedsomewhatdifferentlyfromthoseintheRusso—GreekChurch，especiallyinthattheyextendedtwofingersinsteadofthree。TothisdifferenceI
calledhisattention，andheatoncebeganexplainingit。Soonhegrewwarm，andfinallyfervid。Saidhe:\"Whydowemakethesignofthecross？WedoittocommemoratethecrucifixionofourblessedLord。Whatiscommemoratedatthecrucifixion？Thesacrificeofhistwonatures——thedivineandthehuman。Howdowemakethesign？Wemakeitwithtwofingers，thus\"——accompaniedbyagesture。\"Whatdoesthisrepresent？Itrepresentswhatreallyoccurred:thesacrificeofthedivineandthehumannatureofourLord。HowdotheOrthodoxmakeit？\"Herehisvoicebegantorise。
\"Theymakeitwiththreefingers\"——andnowhisindignationburstallbounds，andwithatremendousgestureandalmostascreamofwrathhedeclared:\"andeverytimetheymakeittheycrucifyafresheveryoneofthethreepersonsoftheholyandundividedTrinity。\"
Theoldman’svoice，sogentleatfirst，hadsteadilyrisenduringthiscatechismofhis，inwhichhepropoundedthequestionsandrecitedtheanswers，untilthislastutterancecamewithanoutcryofhorror。Thebeginningofthiscatechismwasgivenmuchafterthemannerofaboyrecitingmechanicallytheponsasinorum，buttheendwaslikethetestimonyofanancientprophetagainstthesinswhichdoomedIsrael。