AndIvá；nalsowenttolaw。TheyweretriedbytheJusticeofthePeaceandbytheDistrictCourt。Whileallthiswasgoingon，thecoupling-pinofGabriel’scartdisappeared。Gabriel’swomenfolkaccusedIvan’ssonofhavingtakenit。Theysaid:’Wesawhiminthenightgopastourwindow，towardsthecart；andaneighboursayshesawhimatthepub，offeringthepintothelandlord。’
Sotheywenttolawaboutthat。Andathomenotadaypassedwithoutaquarrelorevenafight。Thechildren，too，abusedoneanother，havinglearnttodosofromtheirelders；andwhenthewomenhappenedtomeetbytheriver-side，wheretheywenttorinsetheclothes，theirarmsdidnotdoasmuchwringingastheirtonguesdidnagging，andeverywordwasabadone。
Atfirstthepeasantsonlyslanderedoneanother；butafterwardstheybeganinrealearnesttosnatchanythingthatlayhandy，andthechildrenfollowedtheirexample。Lifebecameharderandharderforthem。Ivá；nStcherbakó；fandLimpingGabrielkeptsuingoneanotherattheVillageAssembly，andattheDistrictCourt，andbeforetheJusticeofthePeaceuntilallthejudgesweretiredofthem。NowGabrielgotIvá；nfinedorimprisoned；thenIvá；ndidasmuchtoGabriel；andthemoretheyspitedeachothertheangriertheygrew——likedogsthatattackoneanotherandgetmoreandmorefuriousthelongertheyfight。Youstrikeonedogfrombehind，anditthinksit’stheotherdogbitinghim，andgetsstillfiercer。Sothesepeasants:theywenttolaw，andoneorotherofthemwasfinedorlockedup，butthatonlymadethemmoreandmoreangrywitheachother。’Waitabit，’theysaid，’andI’llmakeyoupayforit。’Andsoitwentonforsixyears。Onlytheoldmanlyingonthetopoftheovenkepttellingthemagainandagain:’Children，whatareyoudoing？Stopallthispayingback；keeptoyourwork，anddon’tbearmalice——itwillbebetterforyou。Themoreyoubearmalice，theworseitwillbe。’
Buttheywouldnotlistentohim。
Intheseventhyear，atawedding，Ivan’sdaughter-in-lawheldGabrieluptoshame，accusinghimofhavingbeencaughthorse-stealing。Gabrielwastipsy，andunabletocontainhisanger，gavethewomansuchablowthatshewaslaidupforaweek；andshewaspregnantatthetime。Ivá；nwasdelighted。