‘Where? what? what house?’
‘In a house, near Povarsky. Not far from here. I even asked the doorkeeper who were the people living there.’
Nikolai Artemyevitch stamped with his feet.
‘Silence, scoundrel! How dare you?... Elena Nikolaevna, in the goodness of her heart, goes to visit the poor and you... Be off, fool!’
The terrified servant was rushing to the door.
‘Stop!’ cried Nikolai Artemyevitch. ‘What did the doorkeeper say to you?’
‘Oh no—nothing—he said nothing—He told me—a stu—student——’
‘Silence, scoundrel! Listen, you dirty beast; if you ever breathe a word in your dreams even——’
‘Mercy on us——’
‘Silence! if you blab—if any one—if I find out—you shall find no hiding-place even underground! Do you hear? You can go!’