From Bykov's account it followed, though, that Leskov re-wrote his novel in the 1880s. The author's contemporaries insisted that such work could have been done much earlier, in the 1860s. Later scholars were doubting Bykov's tale in general as well as particular details of it, like that concerning the author's reading the original text (7 printer sheets) to his friends in one sitting – only to declare his intention to re-work it. It was only logical for Leskov to gather his friends to read them the new version of the text. The question why he's never published it (under the new title, which apparently appeared in 1867) remained unanswered.
