Mr. Prokharchin

In the darkest, least noticeable part of the apartment, Ustinya Fedorovna rented a room to Semyon Ivanovich Prokharchin—an elderly man, sensible and level-headed. Owing to his modest position and the corresponding pay, he could afford to pay no more than five rubles a month for housing. There were rumors that Ustinya Fedorovna had her own motives for such a low rent—but whatever the case, Mr. Prokharchin, it seemed, was acting almost in spite of his detractors...