“Come，whytellstories？Yakov！“laughedSavka。“Thereisnoneedforlying；thegentlemanknowswhyyouhavecome！Sitdown；youshallhavesupperwithus。“
　　Agafyalookedsidewaysatmeandsatdownirresolutely。
　　“Ithoughtyouweren’tcomingthisevening，“Savkasaid，afteraprolongedsilence。“Whysitlikethat？Eat！OrshallIgiveyouadropofvodka？“
　　“Whatanidea！“laughedAgafya；“doyouthinkyouhavegotholdofadrunkard？“
　　“Oh，drinkitup。Yourheartwillfeelwarmer。
　　There！“
　　SavkagaveAgafyathecrookedglass。Sheslowlydrankthevodka，atenothingwithit，butdrewadeepbreathwhenshehadfinished。
　　“You’vebroughtsomething，“saidSavka，untyingthebundleandthrowingacondescending，jestingshadeintohisvoice。“Womencannevercomewithoutbringingsomething。Ah，pieandpotatoes。
　　Theylivewell，“hesighed，turningtome。“Theyaretheonlyonesinthewholevillagewhohavegotpotatoesleftfromthewinter！“
　　InthedarknessIdidnotseeAgafya’sface，butfromthemovementofhershouldersandheaditseemedtomethatshecouldnottakehereyesoffSavka’sface。Toavoidbeingthethirdpersonatthistryst，Idecidedtogoforawalkandgotup。Butatthatmomentanightingaleinthewoodsuddenlyutteredtwolowcontraltonotes。Halfaminutelateritgaveatinyhightrillandthen，havingthustrieditsvoice，begansinging。Savkajumpedupandlistened。
　　“It’sthesameoneasyesterday，“hesaid。“Waitaminute。“
　　And，gettingup，hewentnoiselesslytothewood。
　　“Why，whatdoyouwantwithit？“Ishoutedoutafterhim，“Stop！“
　　Savkashookhishandasmuchastosay，“Don’tshout，“andvanishedintothedarkness。Savkawasanexcellentsportsmanandfishermanwhenheliked，buthistalentsinthisdirectionwereascompletelythrownawayashisstrength。Hewastooslothfultodothingsintheroutineway，andventedhispassionforsportinuselesstricks。Forinstance，hewouldcatchnightingalesonlywithhishands，wouldshootpikewithafowlingpiece，hewouldspendwholehoursbytherivertryingtocatchlittlefishwithabighook。
　　Leftalonewithme，Agafyacoughedandpassedherhandseveraltimesoverherforehead。Shebegantofeelalittledrunkfromthevodka。
　　“Howareyougettingon，Agasha？“Iaskedher，afteralongsilence，whenitbegantobeawkwardtoremainmuteanylonger。
　　“Verywell，thankGod。Don’ttellanyone，sir，willyou？“
　　sheaddedsuddenlyinawhisper。
　　“That’sallright，“Ireassuredher。“Buthowrecklessyouare，Agasha！WhatifYakovfindsout？“
　　“Hewon’tfindout。“
　　Butwhatifhedoes？“
　　“NoIshallbeathomebeforeheis。Heisonthelinenow，andhewillcomebackwhenthemailtrainbringshim，andfromhereIcanhearwhenthetrain’scoming。“
　　AgafyaoncemorepassedherhandoverherforeheadandlookedawayinthedirectioninwhichSavkahadvanished。Thenightingalewassinging。Somenightbirdflewlowdownclosetothegroundand，noticingus，wasstartled，fluttereditswingsandflewacrosstotheothersideoftheriver。
　　Soonthenightingalewassilent，butSavkadidnotcomeback。
　　Agafyagotup，tookafewstepsuneasily，andsatdownagain。
　　“Whatishedoing？“shecouldnotrefrainfromsaying。“Thetrain’snotcominginto-morrow！Ishallhavetogoawaydirectly。“
　　“Savka，“Ishouted。“Savka。“
　　Iwasnotansweredevenbyanecho。Agafyamoveduneasilyandsatdownagain。
　　“It’stimeIwasgoing，“shesaidinanagitatedvoice。“Thetrainwillbeheredirectly！Iknowwhenthetrainscomein。“
　　Thepoorwomanwasnotmistaken。Beforeaquarterofanhourhadpassedasoundwasheardinthedistance。
　　Agafyakepthereyesfixedonthecopseforalongtimeandmovedherhandsimpatiently。
　　“Why，wherecanhebe？“shesaid，laughingnervously。“Wherehasthedevilcarriedhim？Iamgoing！Ireallymustbegoing。“
　　Meanwhilethenoisewasgrowingmoreandmoredistinct。Bynowonecoulddistinguishtherumbleofthewheelsfromtheheavygaspsoftheengine。Thenweheardthewhistle，thetraincrossedthebridgewithahollowrumbleanotherminuteandallwasstill。
　　“I’llwaitoneminutemore，“saidAgafya，sittingdownresolutely。“Sobeit，I’llwait。
　　AtlastSavkaappearedinthedarkness。Hewalkednoiselesslyonthecrumblingearthofthekitchengardensandhummedsomethingsoftlytohimself。
　　“Here’sabitofluck；whatdoyousaytothatnow？“hesaidgaily。“AssoonasIgotuptothebushandbegantakingaimwithmyhanditleftoffsinging！Ah，thebalddog！Iwaitedandwaitedtoseewhenitwouldbeginagain，butIhadtogiveitup。“
　　SavkafloppedclumsilydowntothegroundbesideAgafyaand，tokeephisbalance，clutchedatherwaistwithbothhands。
　　“Whydoyoulookcross，asthoughyourauntwereyourmother？“heasked。
　　Withallhissoft-heartednessandgood-nature，Savkadespisedwomen。Hebehavedcarelessly，condescendinglywiththem，andevenstoopedtoscornfullaughteroftheirfeelingsforhimself。Godknows，perhapsthiscareless，contemptuousmannerwasoneofthecausesofhisirresistibleattractionforthevillageDulcineas。
　　Hewashandsomeandwell-built；inhiseyestherewasalwaysasoftfriendliness，evenwhenhewaslookingatthewomenhesodespised，butthefascinationwasnottobeexplainedbymerelyexternalqualities。Apartfromhishappyexteriorandoriginalmanner，onemustsupposethatthetouchingpositionofSavkaasanacknowledgedfailureandanunhappyexilefromhisownhuttothekitchengardensalsohadaninfluenceuponthewomen。
　　“Tellthegentlemanwhatyouhavecomeherefor！“Savkawenton，stillholdingAgafyabythewaist。“Come，tellhim，yougoodmarriedwoman！Ho-ho！Shallwehaveanotherdropofvodka，friendAgasha？“
　　Igotupand，threadingmywaybetweentheplots，Iwalkedthelengthofthekitchengarden。Thedarkbedslookedlikeflattened-outgraves。Theysmeltofdugearthandthetenderdampnessofplantsbeginningtobecoveredwithdew。Aredlightwasstillgleamingontheleft。Itwinkedgeniallyandseemedtosmile。
　　Iheardahappylaugh。ItwasAgafyalaughing。
　　“Andthetrain？“Ithought。“Thetrainhascomeinlongago。“
　　Waitingalittlelonger，Iwentbacktotheshanty。Savkawassittingmotionless，hislegscrossedlikeaTurk，andwassoftly，scarcelyaudiblyhummingasongconsistingofwordsofonesyllablesomethinglike:“Outonyou，fieonyouIandyou。“Agafya，intoxicatedbythevodka，bySavka’sscornfulcaresses，andbythestiflingwarmthofthenight，waslyingontheearthbesidehim，pressingherfaceconvulsivelytohisknees。Shewassocarriedawaybyherfeelingsthatshedidnotevennoticemyarrival。
　　“Agasha，thetrainhasbeeninalongtime，“Isaid。
　　“It’stime——it’stimeyouweregone，“Savka，tossinghishead，tookupmythought。“Whatareyousprawlingherefor？Youshamelesshussy！“
　　Agafyastarted，tookherheadfromhisknees，glancedatme，andsankdownbesidehimagain。
　　“Yououghttohavegonelongago，“Isaid。
　　Agafyaturnedroundandgotupononeknee。Shewasunhappy。Forhalfaminuteherwholefigure，asfarasI
　　coulddistinguishitthroughthedarkness，expressedconflictandhesitation。Therewasaninstantwhen，seemingtocometoherself，shedrewherselfuptogetuponherfeet，butthensomeinvincibleandimplacableforceseemedtopushherwholebody，andshesankdownbesideSavkaagain。
　　“Botherhim！“shesaid，withawild，gutturallaugh，andrecklessdetermination，impotence，andpaincouldbeheardinthatlaugh。
　　Istrolledquietlyawaytothecopse，andfromtheredowntotheriver，whereourfishinglineswereset。Theriverslept。Somesoft，fluffy-petalledfloweronatallstalktouchedmycheektenderlylikeachildwhowantstoletoneknowit’sawake。TopassthetimeIfeltforoneofthelinesandpulledatit。Ityieldedeasilyandhunglimply——nothinghadbeencaught。
　　Thefurtherbankandthevillagecouldnotbeseen。Alightgleamedinonehut，butsoonwentout。Ifeltmywayalongthebank，foundahollowplacewhichIhadnoticedinthedaylight，andsatdowninitasinanarm-chair。Isattherealongtime……Isawthestarsbegintogrowmistyandlosetheirbrightness；acoolbreathpassedovertheearthlikeafaintsighandtouchedtheleavesoftheslumberingosiers。
　　“A-ga-fya！“ahollowvoicecalledfromthevillage。“Agafya！“