benediction to Malania Sergievna. The spare little peasant had a
rouble given him, asked leave to see the new mistress, whose gossip[B]
he was, kissed her hand, and returned home.

[Footnote A: Literally, "from the _Blagochinny_" an ecclesiastic who
exercises supervision over a number of churches or parishes, a sort of
Rural Dean.]

[Footnote A: The word is used in its old meaning of fellow-sponsor.]

So Ivan Petrovich betook himself to St. Petersburg with a light heart.
An unknown future lay before him. Poverty might menace him; but he had
broken with the hateful life in the country, and, above all, he had
not fallen short of his instructors; he had really "put into action,"
and indeed done justice to, the doctrines of Rousseau, Diderot, and
the "Declaration of the Rights of Man." The conviction of having
accomplished a duty, a sense of pride and of triumph, filled his soul;
and the fact of having to separate from his wife did not greatly alarm
him; he would far sooner have been troubled by the necessity of having
constantly to live with her. He had now to think of other affairs. One
task was finished.

In St. Petersburg, contrary to his own expectations, he was
successful. The Princess Kubensky--whom M. Courtin had already flung
aside, but who had not yet contrived to die--in order that she might
at least to some extent, make amends for her conduct towards her
nephew, recommended him to all her friends, and gave him five thousand
roubles--almost all the money she had left--and a watch, with his
crest wrought on its back surrounded by a wreath of Cupids.