"They search everybody at the gates now," said Samoylov.
The mother divined that something was expected of her. She understood that she could be useful to her son, and she hastened to ask:
"Well, now? What are we to do?"
Samoylov stood in the doorway to answer.
"Pelagueya Nilovna, you know Marya Korsunova, the peddler."
"I do. Well?"
"Speak to her; see if you can't get her to smuggle in our wares."
"We could pay her, you know," interjected Yegor.
The mother waved her hands in negation.
"Oh, no! The woman is a chatterbox. No! If they find out it comes from me, from this house—oh, no!"