n ambitious attempt at composition
sent him by over-enthusiastic students of the Conservatoire. Moreover,
towards the end of his first winter, the recluse began to have an
occasional caller; and at such times was wont to make disagreeable
demands that he get the amount of wood and peat for his fire that he
paid for: not those customary odd scraps of fuel which she usually found
him willing enough to accept. It was not as if his visitors had been
worth anything!--They were simply musical fellows like himself; and
dressed as such--without even so much as a touch of gold on cuff or
lapel!

The second summer proved a trying one to the good landlady. If her
lodger had not been with her so long, she vowed she could not have borne
with his actions--bringing home a new musical instrument every week;
from most of which he drew forth noises that either set one's teeth on
edge, or made her so mournful that she would be forced to ease her
feelings by a visit to the cemetery; where her faithful Makar lay
sleeping his last sleep. And yet, for all his preposterous
caterwaulings, on not one of these various instruments did Ivan really
learn to play! Long before he attained any proficiency upon one, he
would take that back to wherever it came from, and bring home another;
till at last she felt it a duty to remonstrate with the fellow upon the
fatuity of not getting something one wanted at first and then sticking
to it. Not that she wasn't well aware how little real liveliness was to
be got out of any of his instruments! She could understand his disgust
with them. But let him get something really musical, and he would see.
She was musical herself, and liked a tune as well as anybody. Now, "In
Berlin Sagt Er," on a concertina, say;--ah! There was something
possible, to be sure!

But all her advice to the silly fellow was soon seen to be completely
wasted. The idiot thanked her, solemnly, and with an air; but
immediately spoiled it all by explaining that he did not want to learn
to play any instrument; but was finding out the kind of sounds made by
each one.--As if any but a person born silly could care to learn
that!--And she did not think Mr. Gregoriev exactly a fool--or, at least,
weak-brained.

Well, he had gone on, and lived with her till four years rolled round,
and it was May again--the May of 1866; when Ivan, who looked thirty and
more, was not yet at his twenty-sixth birthday.

So much for Madame Stepniak, and her account of