Chapter IX. A Raid at Stefan Trofimovitch's

At dawn, Nastasya alerts the narrator that officials have “raided” Stepan Trofimovitch, carrying off his papers in a barrow. The narrator finds Stepan agitated yet triumphant, recounting how Blum, a provincial official, inspected his books and manuscripts and removed Herzen’s works, his poem copies, letters, drafts, and two manifestoes. Stepan insisted on keeping the matter quiet rather than invoking formal guarantees.

Left waiting, Stepan’s anxiety spirals. He lights a lamp before the ikon for effect, hides money in his waistcoat fearing sudden arrest, and listens for footsteps. He speculates about a Petersburg telegram and even doubts whether he inadvertently “belongs” to a secret society. He breaks down in tears, imagining exile or secret flogging, and frets most over disgrace in Varvara Petrovna’s eyes.

As the narrator tries to steady him, Stepan vacillates between indignation and pleading, disowns any link to the anonymous manifestoes, yet admits he had already distributed several. Startled by a noise, he erupts at Nastasya, then confides his deepest fear: not punishment, but humiliation. He refuses to inform Varvara Petrovna, convinced suspicion would linger forever.

After a long, tense lull, Stepan abruptly resolves to act. He dresses, declares his rights as a citizen, and decides to go straight to Governor Lembke for answers—even arrest if necessary. The narrator agrees to accompany him, planning to use a pretext about Yulia Mikhailovna’s fête duties to enter the house. They set out together, and an unexpected incident on the way further hardens Stepan’s resolve.