he and his wife and daughter had served them with food; and
what is more, read out of the Bible, and prayed with them. Such
atrocious crimes, of course, could not go unpunished; Morgatch, to make
sure of the condemnation of his victims, brought forward evidence to
prove that, not content with holding those pernicious doctrines
themselves, they had endeavoured to instil them into others. This, too,
was clearly proved. Saveleff had not a word to say in his defence, nor
had his wife, but rather they boldly confessed and gloried in their
crime. Had they been serfs, their owners might have claimed them; but
they were free, and the old couple, without the power of appeal, were
condemned to be transported to Siberia. No mercy was shown them on
account of their grey hairs and their excellent character. They were
sent off with felons, murderers, thieves, and traitors, to Moscow. One
consolation is, that ere this they have probably sunk down, overcome
with fatigue and ill usage, and been released from their sufferings by
death.'

"I groaned as I heard these words; I had no questions to ask concerning
my parents--the worst was revealed to me. `And Aneouta, their daughter,
what became of her?' I gasped out. `Ah, poor girl, her fate was a hard
one. She would have been transported also, but that--hum!--Morgatch
proved that she was a serf, the property of a brother of our Barin's,
the Count; that her father and mother were serfs, and that she had never
been manumitted, as old Saveleff, who had adopted her, supposed.
Instead, therefore, of being sent to Siberia, she was packed off without
ceremony to her native village, to work in the fields, I suppose, or--
But what is the matter, young man? You are ill, surely,' continued the
good-natured Soukhoroukof, extending a hand to me, as he saw me at these
words about to sink on the ground.

"`Oh, nothing, nothing,' I answered, trying to conceal my agitation, but
in vain.

"`Young men do not look like that for nothing,' he replied. `Come
along--come into my house. You require food; perhaps a glass of kvass
will do you good. Come along,' and seizing my arm he led me, scarcely
conscious of where I was going, to his own cottage.

"Had I had time for consideration I would not have allowed the good man
to have run the risk of harbouring me. He made me sit down at his
table, and gave me food, and the kvass he promised. I ate and drank
mechanically.

"`When did all this happen