For a fortnight he was silent and gloomy and kept walking up and
down and thinking. In the end he overcame his sceptical vanity, and
going into his wife's room he said in a hollow voice:

"Zina, call up Fedyukov!"

The spiritualistic lady was delighted; she sent for a sheet of
cardboard and a saucer, made her husband sit down beside her, and
began upon the magic rites.

Fedyukov did not keep them waiting long. . . .

"What do you want?" asked Navagin.

"Repent," answered the saucer.

"What were you on earth?"

"A sinner. . . ."

"There, you see!" whispered his wife, "and you did not believe!"

Navagin conversed for a long time with Fedyukov, and then called
up Napoleon, Hannibal, Askotchensky, his aunt Klavdya Zaharovna,
and they all gave him brief but correct answers full of deep
significance. He was busy with the saucer for four hours, and fell
asleep soothed and happy that he had become acquainted with a
mysterious world that was new to him. After that he studied
spiritualism every day, and at the office, informed the clerks that
there was a great deal in nature that was supernatural and marvellous