"To-day. Now go. I will send for you later for the report."

Gavrila went away.

As he went through the drawing-room, the steward, by way of maintaining
order, moved a bell from one table to another; he stealthily blew his
duck-like nose in the hall, and went into the outer-hall. In the outer-
hall, on a locker, was Stepan asleep in the attitude of a slain warrior
in a battalion picture, his bare legs thrust out below the coat which
served him for a blanket. The steward gave him a shove, and whispered
some instructions to him, to which Stepan responded with something
between a yawn and a laugh. The steward went away, and Stepan got up,
put on his coat and his boots, went out and stood on the steps. Five
minutes had not passed before Gerasim made his appearance with a huge
bundle of hewn logs on his back, accompanied by the inseparable Mumu.
(The lady had given orders that her bedroom and boudoir should be heated
at times even in the summer.) Gerasim turned sideways before the door,
shoved it open with his shoulder, and staggered into the house with his
load. Mumu, as usual, stayed behind to wait for him. Then Stepan,
seizing his chance, suddenly pounced on her, like a kite on a chicken,
held her down to the ground, gathered her up in his arms, and without
even putting on his cap, ran out of the yard with her, got into the
first fly he met, and galloped off to a market-place. There he soon
found a purchaser, to whom he sold her for a shilling, on condition that
he would keep her for at least a week tied up; then he returned at once.
But before he got home, he got off the fly, and going right round the
yard, jumped over the fence into the yard from a back street. He was
afraid to go in at the gate for fear of meeting Gerasim.

His anxiety was unnecessary, however; Gerasim was no longer in the yard.