Thefirstoutlinevisibleinthedarknesswasabluecircle——
　　thelittleroundwindow；thenlittlebylittleGusevcoulddistinguishhisneighbourinthenexthammock，PavelIvanitch。
　　Themansleptsittingup，ashecouldnotbreathelyingdown。Hisfacewasgrey，hisnosewaslongandsharp，hiseyeslookedhugefromtheterriblethinnessofhisface，histemplesweresunken，hisbeardwasskimpy，hishairwaslong。Lookingathimyoucouldnotmakeoutofwhatclasshewas，whetherhewereagentleman，amerchant，orapeasant。Judgingfromhisexpressionandhislonghairhemighthavebeenahermitoralaybrotherinamonastery——butifonelistenedtowhathesaiditseemedthathecouldnotbeamonk。Hewaswornoutbyhiscoughandhisillnessandbythestiflingheat，andbreathedwithdifficulty，movinghisparchedlips。NoticingthatGusevwaslookingathimheturnedhisfacetowardshimandsaid:
　　“Ibegintoguess。Yes。Iunderstanditallperfectlynow。“
　　“Whatdoyouunderstand，PavelIvanitch？“
　　“I’lltellyou。Ithasalwaysseemedtomestrangethatterriblyillasyouareyoushouldbehereinasteamerwhereitissohotandstiflingandwearealwaysbeingtossedupanddown，where，infact，everythingthreatensyouwithdeath；nowitisallcleartome。Yes。Yourdoctorsputyouonthesteamertogetridofyou。Theygetsickoflookingafterpoorbruteslikeyou。Youdon’tpaythemanything，theyhaveabotherwithyou，andyoudamagetheirrecordswithyourdeaths——
　　so，ofcourse，youarebrutes！It’snotdifficulttogetridofyou。Allthatisnecessaryis，inthefirstplace，tohavenoconscienceorhumanity，and，secondly，todeceivethesteamerauthorities。Thefirstconditionneedhardlybeconsidered，inthatrespectweareartists；andonecanalwayssucceedinthesecondwithalittlepractice。Inacrowdoffourhundredhealthysoldiersandsailorshalfadozensickonesarenotconspicuous；
　　well，theydroveyouallontothesteamer，mixedyouwiththehealthyones，hurriedlycountedyouover，andintheconfusionnothingamisswasnoticed，andwhenthesteamerhadstartedtheysawthattherewereparalyticsandconsumptivesinthelaststagelyingaboutonthedeck。“
　　GusevdidnotunderstandPavelIvanitch；butsupposinghewasbeingblamed，hesaidinself-defence:
　　“IlayonthedeckbecauseIhadnotthestrengthtostand；whenwewereunloadedfromthebargeontotheshipIcaughtafearfulchill。“
　　“It’srevolting，“PavelIvanitchwenton。“Theworstofitistheyknowperfectlywellthatyoucan’tlastoutthelongjourney，andyettheyputyouhere。SupposingyougetasfarastheIndianOcean，whatthen？It’shorribletothinkofit。
　　Andthat’stheirgratitudeforyourfaithful，irreproachableservice！“
　　PavelIvanitch’seyeslookedangry；hefrownedcontemptuouslyandsaid，gasping:
　　“Thosearethepeoplewhooughttobepluckedinthenewspaperstillthefeathersflyinalldirections。“
　　Thetwosicksoldiersandthesailorwereawakeandalreadyplayingcards。Thesailorwashalfreclininginhishammock，thesoldiersweresittingnearhimonthefloorinthemostuncomfortableattitudes。Oneofthesoldiershadhisrightarminasling，andthehandwasswathedupinaregularbundlesothatheheldhiscardsunderhisrightarmorinthecrookofhiselbowwhileheplayedwiththeleft。Theshipwasrollingheavily。Theycouldnotstandup，nordrinktea，nortaketheirmedicines。
　　“Wereyouanofficer’sservant？“PavelIvanitchaskedGusev。
　　“Yes，anofficer’sservant。“
　　“MyGod，myGod！“saidPavelIvanitch，andheshookhisheadmournfully。“Totearamanoutofhishome，draghimtwelvethousandmilesaway，thentodrivehimintoconsumptionand。
　　andwhatisitallfor，onewonders？ToturnhimintoaservantforsomeCaptainKopeikinormidshipmanDirka！Howlogical！“
　　“It’snothardwork，PavelIvanitch。Yougetupinthemorningandcleantheboots，getthesamovar，sweeptherooms，andthenyouhavenothingmoretodo。Thelieutenantisallthedaydrawingplans，andifyoulikeyoucansayyourprayers，ifyoulikeyoucanreadabookorgooutintothestreet。Godgranteveryonesuchalife。“
　　“Yes，verynice，thelieutenantdrawsplansallthedayandyousitinthekitchenandpineforhome。Plansindeed！
　　Itisnotplansthatmatter，butahumanlife。Lifeisnotgiventwice，itmustbetreatedmercifully。“
　　“Ofcourse，PavelIvanitch，abadmangetsnomercyanywhere，neitherathomenorinthearmy，butifyouliveasyououghtandobeyorders，whohasanyneedtoinsultyou？Theofficersareeducatedgentlemen，theyunderstand。InfiveyearsIwasneveronceinprison，andIwasneverstruckablow，sohelpmeGod，butonce。“
　　“Whatfor？“
　　“Forfighting。Ihaveaheavyhand，PavelIvanitch。FourChinamencameintoouryard；theywerebringingfirewoodorsomething，I
　　don’tremember。Well，IwasboredandIknockedthemaboutabit，one’snosebeganbleeding，damnthefellow。Thelieutenantsawitthroughthelittlewindow，hewasangryandgavemeaboxontheear。“
　　“Foolish，pitifulman“whisperedPavelIvanitch。“Youdon’tunderstandanything。“
　　Hewasutterlyexhaustedbythetossingoftheshipandclosedhiseyes；hisheadalternatelyfellbackanddroppedforwardonhisbreast。Severaltimeshetriedtoliedownbutnothingcameofit；hisdifficultyinbreathingpreventedit。
　　“AndwhatdidyouhitthefourChinamenfor？“heaskedalittlewhileafterwards。
　　“Oh，nothing。TheycameintotheyardandIhitthem。“
　　Andastillnessfollowed。Thecard-playershadbeenplayingfortwohourswithenthusiasmandloudabuseofoneanother，butthemotionoftheshipovercamethem，too；theythrewasidethecardsandlaydown。AgainGusevsawthebigpond，thebrickbuilding，thevillage。Againthesledgewascomingalong，againVankawaslaughingandAkulka，sillylittlething，threwopenherfurcoatandstuckherfeetout，asmuchastosay:
　　“Look，goodpeople，mysnowbootsarenotlikeVanka’s，theyarenewones。“
　　“Fiveyearsold，andshehasnosenseyet，“Gusevmutteredindelirium。“Insteadofkickingyourlegsyouhadbettercomeandgetyoursoldieruncleadrink。Iwillgiveyousomethingnice。“
　　ThenAndronwithaflintlockgunonhisshoulderwascarryingaharehehadkilled，andhewasfollowedbythedecrepitoldJewIsaitchik，whoofferstobarterthehareforapieceofsoap；
　　thentheblackcalfintheshed，thenDomnasewingatashirtandcryingaboutsomething，andthenagainthebull’sheadwithouteyes，blacksmoke。
　　Overheadsomeonegavealoudshout，severalsailorsranby，theyseemedtobedraggingsomethingbulkyoverthedeck，somethingfellwithacrash。Againtheyranby。Hadsomethinggonewrong？Gusevraisedhishead，listened，andsawthatthetwosoldiersandthesailorwereplayingcardsagain；PavelIvanitchwassittingupmovinghislips。Itwasstifling，onehadn’tstrengthtobreathe，onewasthirsty，thewaterwaswarm，disgusting。Theshipheavedasmuchasever。
　　Suddenlysomethingstrangehappenedtooneofthesoldiersplayingcards。Hecalledheartsdiamonds，gotmuddledinhisscore，anddroppedhiscards，thenwithafrightened，foolishsmilelookedroundatallofthem。
　　“Ishan’tbeaminute，mates，I’ll“hesaid，andlaydownonthefloor。
　　Everybodywasamazed。Theycalledtohim，hedidnotanswer。
　　“Stephan，maybeyouarefeelingbad，eh？“thesoldierwithhisarminaslingaskedhim。“Perhapswehadbetterbringthepriest，eh？“
　　“Haveadrinkofwater，Stepan“saidthesailor。“Here，lad，drink。“
　　“Whyareyouknockingthejugagainsthisteeth？“saidGusevangrily。“Don’tyousee，turniphead？’
　　“What？“
　　“What？“Gusevrepeated，mimickinghim。“Thereisnobreathinhim，heisdead！That’swhat！Whatnonsensicalpeople，Lordhavemercyonus！“
　　TheshipwasnotrockingandPavelIvanitchwasmorecheerful。Hewasnolongerill-humoured。Hisfacehadaboastful，defiant，mockingexpression。Helookedasthoughhewantedtosay:“Yes，inaminuteIwilltellyousomethingthatwillmakeyousplityoursideswithlaughing。“ThelittleroundwindowwasopenandasoftbreezewasblowingonPavelIvanitch。Therewasasoundofvoices，oftheplashofoarsinthewater。Justunderthelittlewindowsomeonebegandroninginahigh，unpleasantvoice:
　　nodoubtitwasaChinamansinging。
　　“Hereweareintheharbour，“saidPavelIvanitch，smilingironically。“OnlyanothermonthandweshallbeinRussia。Well，worthygentlemenandwarriors！IshallarriveatOdessaandfromtheregostraighttoHarkov。InHarkovIhaveafriend，aliteraryman。Ishallgotohimandsay，’Come，oldman，putasideyourhorridsubjects，ladies’amoursandthebeautiesofnature，andshowuphumandepravity。’“
　　Foraminutehepondered，thensaid:
　　“Gusev，doyouknowhowItookthemin？“
　　“Tookinwhom，PavelIvanitch？“
　　“Why，thesefellows。Youknowthatonthissteamerthereisonlyafirst-classandathird-class，andtheyonlyallowpeasants——thatistherift-raft——togointhethird。Ifyouhavegotonareeferjacketandhavethefaintestresemblancetoagentlemanorabourgeoisyoumustgofirst-class，ifyouplease。Youmustforkoutfivehundredroublesifyoudieforit。
　　Why，Iask，haveyoumadesucharule？DoyouwanttoraisetheprestigeofeducatedRussiansthereby？Notabitofit。Wedon’tletyougothird-classsimplybecauseadecentpersoncan’tgothird-class；itisveryhorribleanddisgusting。Yes，indeed。I