Akakiy goes home from work in a very cheerful state of mind, carefully hanging up his new overcoat where he can see and admire it while he rests before going to the party. When it's time, he dresses and dons his coat, heading out to walk to his superior's home. As he walks through the dusk, Akakiy finds himself paying more attention to his surroundings, even pausing to look at a painting of a woman in a shop window. The streets gradually change from the shabby ones he's used to, to wealthier, more elegant surroundings as he nears his superior's abode. When servants let Akakiy into the apartment, it's obvious the party is already in full swing, with drinks being served and card tables set up for games of whist. When his presence is noticed, a cry goes up and Akakiy is swarmed by people who congratulate him and enter the anteroom to view his overcoat where it's carefully hung on the wall. Akakiiy is gratified by the admiration for his coat but personally uncomfortable with the attention, so is relieved when everyone returns to their cards and conversations. Unused to social situations, Akakiy is awkward and uncomfortable, unsure where to stand or what to do with his hands; once the conversation shifts away from his overcoat, he doesn't know what to talk about. He eventually sits quietly, watching the card games and, when a good deal of time has passed, decides it's time to go and attempts to take leave of his host. They won't allow him to leave so early however, giving him a glass of champagne and convincing him to stay through a rich meal of many courses. Akakiy is more relaxed after the champagne, but as midnight rolls around, he is uncomfortably aware of the lateness of the hour and steals quietly out of the room so that he won't be further detained. He finds that his overcoat has fallen on the floor; Akakiy picks it up, carefully brushes it off, then dons it and goes out into the night to return home. The surrounding streets are still quite bright, with a good number of people out and about, coming from parties and clubs, and Akakiy is in quite good humour, looking around interestedly and even quickening his pace momentarily when a pretty woman passes by him before settling back down, surprised at himself. Soon though, as he gets further away from the fashionable section of town, the streets become darker and far less busy. As he nervously starts to cross a deserted square, Akakiy notes that there is a watchman's box at the far end, but still has a bad feeling, which is justified when he is suddenly approached by several menacing men. When he attempts to call the Watch, they rough him up, knocking him unconscious. When Akakiy awakens, he is laying in the snow and his overcoat is gone. He staggers to his feet and runs across the square towards the watchman- who is leaning near his box- shouting in anguish that he must be asleep if he did not see a man being robbed only a short distance away. The watchman replies unconcernedly that he saw the men approach Akakiy but thought they must be friends of his. He says that, instead of yelling at him, Akakiy should go to the police the following day and report his missing overcoat. Akakiy returns home in complete disarray: his hair on end, coatless, bruised, and covered in snow. He has to pound on the door so that his landlady wakes up and lets him in, and listens sympathetically to his tale of woe. She tells him that it will do no good to go to the local police officer because he's useless. She advises Akakiy to go straight to the district chief of police; she has seen him praying in church and says he appears to be a good man. Akakiy takes himself sadly to his room to spend a sleepless night. (To Be Continued...)
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