Chapter XXIII
THE dawn was already approaching on the night after Golushkin's dinner when Solomin, after a brisk walk of about five miles, knocked at the gate in the high wall surrounding the factory. The watchman let him in at once and, followed by three house-dogs wagging their tails with great delight, accompanied him respectfully to his own dwelling. He seemed to be very pleased that the chief had got back safely. "How did you manage to get here at night, Vassily Fedotitch? We didn't expect you until tomorrow." "Oh, that's all right, Gavrilla. It's much nicer walking at night." The most unusually friendly relations existed between Solomin and his workpeople. They respected him as a superior, treated him as one of themselves, and considered him to be very learned. "Whatever Vassily Fedotitch says,
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