strange man handed the letter and disappeared.

"How extraordinary!" said Eugene Mihailovich, and tore open the
envelope. To his great amazement several hundred rouble notes fell out.
"Four hundred roubles!" he exclaimed, hardly believing his eyes. "What
does it mean?"

The envelope also contained a badly-spelt letter, addressed to Eugene
Mihailovich. "It is said in the Gospels," ran the letter, "do good for
evil. You have done me much harm; and in the coupon case you made me
wrong the peasants greatly. But I have pity for you. Here are four
hundred notes. Take them, and remember your porter Vassily."

"Very extraordinary!" said Eugene Mihailovich to his wife and to
himself. And each time he remembered that incident, or spoke about it to
his wife, tears would come to his eyes.

XVII

FOURTEEN priests were kept in the Suzdal friary prison, chiefly for
having been untrue to the orthodox faith. Isidor had been sent to that
place also. Father Missael received him according to the instructions he
had been given, and without talking to him ordered him to be put into a
separate cell as a serious criminal. After a fortnight Father Missael,
making a round of the prison, entered Isidor's cell, and asked him
whether there was anything he wished for.

"There is a great deal I wish for," answered Isidor; "but I cannot
tell you what it is in the presence of anybody else. Let me talk to you
privately."

They looked at each other, and Missael saw he had nothing to be afraid
of in remaining alone with Isidor. He ordered Isidor to be brought into
his own room, and when they were alone, he said,--"Well, now you can
speak."

Isidor fell on his knees.

"Brother," said Isidor. "What are you doing to yourself! Have mercy on
your own soul. You are the worst villain in the world. You have offended
against all that is sacred . . ."

A month after Missael sent a report, asking that Isidor should be
released as he had repented, and he also asked for the release of the
rest of the prisoners. After which he resigned his post.

XVIII

TEN years passed. Mitia Smokovnikov had finished his studies in the
Technical College; he was now an engineer in the gold mines in Siberia,
and was very highly paid. One day he was about to make a round in the
district. The governor offered him a convict, Stepan Pelageushkine, to
accompany him on his journey.

"A convict, you say? But is not that dangerous?"

"Not if it is this one. He is a holy