Tachevski’s property. Voynovski receives a letter from Pan Gideon which insults Tachevski, and all believe Anulka prompted him to write it. Chapters 9 –14 Father Voynovski writes a rude reply to Gideon and Anulka reads and is angered by it. However, she weeps tears of remorse over Yatsek but believes he will never return to Belchantska. Pan Gideon learns from the Bukoyemskis that Yatsek and Stanislav have both joined the Hussars. Pan Gideon meets his old friend, the prelate Tvorkovski, in whom he confides that he wishes to marry Anulka and asks him to put his case to her. Back at Gideon’s house the prelate speaks to Anulka and she accepts Gideon’s hand in marriage. Guests come to Belchantska for the engagement including his relatives. Pan Krepetski and his son, Martsian, nicknamed 'Pniak' (stump), a relative whom Gideon previously threw out of his house for making eyes at Anulka. At the engagement feast dark omens are observed and Pan Gideon collapses and dies in his chamber. Martsian and his father take over the house and the son confides that he plans to marry Anulka for whom he lusts. His sisters gradually start to dominate Anulka and steal her wedding trousseau. Chapters 15 - 19 Pan Serafin confides his worries over Anulka’s situation to Voynovski who is unsympathetic because of her treatment of Yatsek. The Bokoyemskis appear at Yeklinka one evening and confide they have lost all their horses and wealth through gambling in Warsaw. Lukasz slashed Podarski, their deceiver, in the face near the King’s palace, a capital crime, and was forced to flee. Pan Serafin is angry with them and they all go to Voynovski’s house. Serafin and Voynovski learn from Vilchopolski, Gideon’s former factor and now the manager of Vyrambki, how Anulka defended Gideon’s serfs from the rod. Martsian is resolved to have Anulka, even by force, and she fears his love even more than the hatred of his old maid sisters. He tells her he wants her as his wife but she spurns him and he beats her. Martsian’s butler tears him away and, after getting him back to his room where he gets drunk and spirits Anulka away to Pan Serafin’s who takes her in. The Bokoyemskis decide to exact revenge. The older Krepetski comes to Serafin to ask for Anulka back but he refuses. Their conversation is interrupted by shouting – the four Bokoyemskis are