Intheeveningtheengineersentfiveroublesforthedamage，andthetwohorses，theponyandthebull-calf，withoutbeingfedorgivenwater，returnedhome，theirheadshangingwithaguiltyairasthoughtheywereconvictedcriminals。
OngettingthefiveroublestheLytchkovs，fatherandson，thevillageelderandVolodka，puntedovertheriverinaboatandwenttoahamletontheothersidewheretherewasatavern，andtherehadalongcarousal。TheirsingingandtheshoutingoftheyoungerLytchkovcouldbeheardfromthevillage。Theirwomenwereuneasyanddidnotsleepallnight。Rodiondidnotsleepeither。
“It’sabadbusiness，“hesaid，sighingandturningfromsidetoside。“Thegentlemanwillbeangry，andthentherewillbetrouble。Theyhaveinsultedthegentleman。Oh，they’veinsultedhim。It’sabadbusiness。“
Ithappenedthatthepeasants，Rodionamongstthem，wentintotheirforesttodividetheclearingsformowing，andastheywerereturninghometheyweremetbytheengineer。Hewaswearingaredcottonshirtandhighboots；asetterdogwithitslongtonguehangingout，followedbehindhim。
“Good-day，brothers，“hesaid。
Thepeasantsstoppedandtookofftheirhats。
“Ihavelongwantedtohaveatalkwithyou，friends，“hewenton。“Thisiswhatitis。Eversincetheearlyspringyourcattlehavebeeninmycopseandgardeneveryday。Everythingistrampleddown；thepigshaverootedupthemeadow，areruiningeverythinginthekitchengarden，andalltheundergrowthinthecopseisdestroyed。Thereisnogettingonwithyourherdsmen；
oneasksthemcivilly，andtheyarerude。DamageisdoneonmyestateeverydayandIdonothing——Idon’tfineyouormakeacomplaint；meanwhileyouimpoundedmyhorsesandmybullcalfandexactedfiveroubles。Wasthatright？Isthatneighbourly？“hewenton，andhisfacewassosoftandpersuasive，andhisexpressionwasnotforbidding。“Isthatthewaydecentpeoplebehave？Aweekagooneofyourpeoplecutdowntwooaksaplingsinmycopse。YouhaveduguptheroadtoEresnevo，andnowIhavetogotwomilesround。Whydoyouinjuremeateverystep？WhatharmhaveIdoneyou？ForGod’ssake，tellme！MywifeandIdoourutmosttolivewithyouinpeaceandharmony；wehelpthepeasantsaswecan。Mywifeisakind，warm-heartedwoman；sheneverrefusesyouhelp。Thatisherdream——tobeofusetoyouandyourchildren。Yourewarduswithevilforourgood。Youareunjust，myfriends。Thinkofthat。Iaskyouearnestlytothinkitover。Wetreatyouhumanely；repayusinthesamecoin。“
Heturnedandwentaway。Thepeasantsstoodalittlelonger，putontheircapsandwalkedaway。Rodion，whoalwaysunderstoodeverythingthatwassaidtohiminsomepeculiarwayofhisown，heavedasighandsaid:
“Wemustpay。’Repayincoin，myfriends’hesaid。“
Theywalkedtothevillageinsilence。OnreachinghomeRodionsaidhisprayer，tookoffhisboots，andsatdownonthebenchbesidehiswife。Stepanidaandhealwayssatsidebysidewhentheywereathome，andalwayswalkedsidebysideinthestreet；
theyateandtheydrankandtheysleptalwaystogether，andtheoldertheygrewthemoretheylovedoneanother。Itwashotandcrowdedintheirhut，andtherewerechildreneverywhere——onthefloors，inthewindows，onthestove。InspiteofheradvancedyearsStepanidawasstillbearingchildren，andnow，lookingatthecrowdofchildren，itwashardtodistinguishwhichwereRodion’sandwhichwereVolodka’s。Volodka’swife，Lukerya，aplainyoungwomanwithprominenteyesandanoselikethebeakofabird，waskneadingdoughinatub；Volodkawassittingonthestovewithhislegshanging。
“OntheroadnearNikita’sbuckwheattheengineerwithhisdogRodionbegan，afterarest，scratchinghisribsandhiselbow。“’Youmustpay，’sayshe’coin，’sayshe。
Coinornocoin，weshallhavetocollecttenkopecksfromeveryhut。We’veoffendedthegentlemanverymuch。Iamsorryforhim。
“We’velivedwithoutabridge，“saidVolodka，notlookingatanyone，“andwedon’twantone。“
“Whatnext；thebridgeisagovernmentbusiness。“
“Wedon’twantit。“
“Youropinionisnotasked。Whatisittoyou？“
“’Youropinionisnotasked，’“Volodkamimickedhim。“Wedon’twanttodriveanywhere；whatdowewantwithabridge？Ifwehaveto，wecancrossbytheboat。“
Someonefromtheyardoutsideknockedatthewindowsoviolentlythatitseemedtoshakethewholehut。
“IsVolodkaathome？“heheardthevoiceoftheyoungerLytchkov。
“Volodka，comeout，comealong。“
Volodkajumpeddownoffthestoveandbeganlookingforhiscap。
“Don’tgo，Volodka，“saidRodiondiffidently。“Don’tgowiththem，son。Youarefoolish，likealittlechild；theywillteachyounogood；don’tgo！“
“Don’tgo，son，“saidStepanida，andsheblinkedasthoughabouttoshedtears。“Ibettheyarecallingyoutothetavern。“
“’Tothetavern，’“Volodkamimicked。
“You’llcomebackdrunkagain，youcurrishHerod，“saidLukerya，lookingathimangrily。“Goalong，goalong，andmayyouburnupwithvodka，youtaillessSatan！“
“Youholdyourtongue，“shoutedVolodka。
“They’vemarriedmetoafool，they’veruinedme，alucklessorphan，youred-headeddrunkard“wailedLukerya，wipingherfacewithahandcoveredwithdough。“IwishIhadneverseteyesonyou。“
Volodkagaveherablowontheearandwentoff。
ElenaIvanovnaandherlittledaughtervisitedthevillageonfoot。Theywereoutforawalk。ItwasaSunday，andthepeasantwomenandgirlswerewalkingupanddownthestreetintheirbrightly-coloureddresses。RodionandStepanida，sittingsidebysideattheirdoor，bowedandsmiledtoElenaIvanovnaandherlittledaughterastoacquaintances。Fromthewindowsmorethanadozenchildrenstaredatthem；theirfacesexpressedamazementandcuriosity，andtheycouldbeheardwhispering:
“TheKutcherovladyhascome！TheKutcherovlady！“
“Good-morning，“saidElenaIvanovna，andshestopped；shepaused，andthenasked:“Well，howareyougettingon？“
“Wegetalongallright，thankGod，“answeredRodion，speakingrapidly。“Tobesurewegetalong。“
“Thelifewelead！“smiledStepanida。“Youcanseeourpovertyyourself，dearlady！Thefamilyisfourteensoulsinall，andonlytwobread-winners。Wearesupposedtobeblacksmiths，butwhentheybringusahorsetoshoewehavenocoal，nothingtobuyitwith。Weareworriedtodeath，lady，“shewenton，andlaughed。“Oh，oh，weareworriedtodeath。“
ElenaIvanovnasatdownattheentranceand，puttingherarmroundherlittlegirl，ponderedsomething，andjudgingfromthelittlegirl’sexpression，melancholythoughtswerestrayingthroughhermind，too；asshebroodedsheplayedwiththesumptuouslaceontheparasolshehadtakenoutofhermother’shands。
“Poverty，“saidRodion，“agreatdealofanxiety——youseenoendtoit。Here，Godsendsnorainourlifeisnoteasy，thereisnodenyingit。“
“Youhaveahardtimeinthislife，“saidElenaIvanovna，“butintheotherworldyouwillbehappy。“
Rodiondidnotunderstandher，andsimplycoughedintohisclenchedhandbywayofreply。Stepanidasaid:
“Dearlady，therichmenwillbeallrightinthenextworld，too。Therichputupcandles，payforservices；therichgivetobeggars，butwhatcanthepoormando？Hehasnotimetomakethesignofthecross。Heisthebeggarofbeggarshimself；howcanhethinkofhissoul？Andmanysinscomefrompoverty；fromtroublewesnarlatoneanotherlikedogs，wehaven’tagoodwordtosaytooneanother，andallsortsofthingshappen，dearlady——Godforbid！Itseemswehavenoluckinthisworldnorthenext。Alltheluckhasfallentotherich。“
Shespokegaily；shewasevidentlyusedtotalkingofherhardlife。AndRodionsmiled，too；hewaspleasedthathisoldwomanwassoclever，soreadyofspeech。
“Itisonlyonthesurfacethattherichseemtobehappy，“saidElenaIvanovna。“Everymanhashissorrow。HeremyhusbandandI
donotlivepoorly，wehavemeans，butarewehappy？Iamyoung，butIhavehadfourchildren；mychildrenarealwaysbeingill。I
amill，too，andconstantlybeingdoctored。“
“Andwhatisyourillness？“askedRodion。
“Awoman’scomplaint。Igetnosleep；acontinualheadachegivesmenopeace。HereIamsittingandtalking，butmyheadisbad，I
amweakallover，andIshouldpreferthehardestlabourtosuchacondition。Mysoul，too，istroubled；Iamincontinualfearformychildren，myhusband。Everyfamilyhasitsowntroubleofsomesort；wehaveours。Iamnotofnoblebirth。Mygrandfatherwasasimplepeasant，myfatherwasatradesmaninMoscow；hewasaplain，uneducatedman，too，whilemyhusband’sparentswerewealthyanddistinguished。Theydidnotwanthimtomarryme，buthedisobeyedthem，quarrelledwiththem，andtheyhavenotforgivenustothisday。Thatworriesmyhusband；ittroubleshimandkeepshiminconstantagitation；heloveshismother，lovesherdearly。SoIamuneasy，too，mysoulisinpain。“
Peasants，menandwomen，werebynowstandingroundRodion’shutandlistening。Kozovcameup，too，andstoodtwitchinghislong，narrowbeard。TheLytchkovs，fatherandson，drewnear。
“Andsaywhatyoulike，onecannotbehappyandsatisfiedifonedoesnotfeelinone’sproperplace。“ElenaIvanovnawenton。
“Eachofyouhashisstripofland，eachofyouworksandknowswhatheisworkingfor；myhusbandbuildsbridges——inshort，everyonehashisplace，whileI，Isimplywalkabout。Ihavenotmybittowork。Idon’twork，andfeelasthoughIwereanoutsider。Iamsayingallthisthatyoumaynotjudgefromoutwardappearances；ifamanisexpensivelydressedandhasmeansitdoesnotprovethatheissatisfiedwithhislife。“
Shegotuptogoawayandtookherdaughterbythehand。
“Ilikeyourplacehereverymuch，“shesaid，andsmiled，andfromthatfaint，diffidentsmileonecouldtellhowunwellshereallywas，howyoungandhowpretty；shehadapale，thinnishfacewithdarkeyebrowsandfairhair。Andthelittlegirlwasjustsuchanotherashermother:thin，fair，andslender。Therewasafragranceofscentaboutthem。