VII

IVAN MIRONOV had to spend the night in the police-station, in the
company of drunkards and thieves. It was noon of the next day when he
was summoned to the police officer; put through a close examination,
and sent in the care of a policeman to Eugene Mihailovich's shop. Ivan
Mironov remembered the street and the house.

The policeman asked for the shopkeeper, showed him the coupon and
confronted him with Ivan Mironov, who declared that he had received the
coupon in that very place. Eugene Mihailovich at once assumed a very
severe and astonished air.

"You are mad, my good fellow," he said. "I have never seen this man
before in my life," he added, addressing the policeman.

"It is a sin, sir," said Ivan Mironov. "Think of the hour when you will
die."

"Why, you must be dreaming! You have sold your firewood to some one
else," said Eugene Mihailovich. "But wait a minute. I will go and ask my
wife whether she bought any firewood yesterday." Eugene Mihailovich left
them and immediately called the yard-porter Vassily, a strong, handsome,
quick, cheerful, well-dressed man.

He told Vassily that if any one should inquire where the last supply of
firewood was bought, he was to say they'd got it from the stores, and
not from a peasant in the street.