Theyearwastheyear’92——theyearofleanness——thesceneaspotbetweenSukhumandOtchenchiri，ontheriverKodor，aspotsoneartotheseathatamidthejoyousbabbleofasparklingrivulettheocean’sdeep-voicedthunderwasplainlydistinguishable。
　　Also，theseasonbeingautumn，leavesofwildlaurelwereglisteningandgyratingonthewhitefoamoftheKodorlikeaquantityofmercurialsalmonfry。AndasIsatonsomerocksoverlookingtheriverthereoccurredtomethethoughtthat，aslikelyasnot，thecauseofthegulls’andcormorants’fretfulcrieswherethesurflaymoaningbehindabeltoftreestotherightwasthat，likemyself，theykeptmistakingtheleavesforfish，andasoftenfindingthemselvesdisappointed。
　　Overmyheadhungchestnuttreesdeckedwithgold；atmyfeetlayamassofchestnutleaveswhichresembledtheamputatedpalmsofhumanhands；ontheoppositebank，wheretherewaved，tanglewise，thestrippedbranchesofahornbeam，anorange-tintedwoodpeckerwasdartingtoandfro，asthoughcaughtinthemeshoffoliage，and，incompanywithatroupeofnimbletitmiceandbluetree-creepersvisitorsfromthefar-distantNorth，tappingthebarkofthestemwithablackbeak，andhuntingforinsects。
　　Totheleft，thetopsofthemountainshungfringedwithdense，fleecycloudsofthekindwhichpresagesrain；andthesecloudsweresendingtheirshadowsglidingoverslopesgreenandovergrownwithboxwoodandthatpeculiarspeciesofhollowbeech-stumpwhichoncecameneartoeffectingthedownfallofPompey’shost，throughdeprivinghisiron-builtlegionsoftheuseoftheirlegsastheyrevelledintheintoxicatingsweetnessofthe“mead“orhoneywhichwildbeesmakefromtheblossomsofthelaurelandtheazalea，andtravellersstillgatherfromthosehollowstemstokneadintolavashiorthincakesofmilletflour。
　　OnthepresentoccasionItooaftersufferingsundrystingsfrominfuriatedbeeswasthusengagedasIsatontherocksbeneaththechestnuts。Dippingmorselsofbreadintoapotfulofhoney，Iwasmunchingthemforbreakfast，andenjoying，atthesametime，theindolentbeamsofthemoribundautumnsun。
　　InthefalloftheyeartheCaucasusresemblesagorgeouscathedralbuiltbygreatcraftsmenalwaysgreatcraftsmenaregreatsinnerstoconcealtheirpastfromthepryingeyesofconscience。Whichcathedralisasortofintangibleedificeofgoldandturquoiseandemerald，andhasthrownoveritshillsrarecarpetssilk-embroideredbyTurcomanweaversofShemiandSamarkand，andcontains，heapedeverywhere，plunderbroughtfromallthequartersoftheworldforthedelectationofthesun。
　　Yes，itisasthoughmensoughttosaytotheSunGod:“Allthingsherearethine。Theyhavebeenbroughthitherfortheebythypeople。“
　　Yes，mentallyIseelong-bearded，grey-headedsupermen，beingspossessedoftheroundedeyesofhappychildren，descendingfromthehills，anddeckingtheearth，andsowingitwithsheerlykaleidoscopictreasures，andcoatingthetopsofthemountainswithmassivelayersofsilver，andtheloweredgeswithalivingweboftrees。Yes，Iseethosebeingsdecoratingandfashioningthesceneuntil，thankstotheirlabours，thisgraciousmorseloftheearthhasbecomefairbeyondallconception。
　　Andwhataprivilegeitistobehuman！Howmuchthatiswonderfulleapstotheeye-howthepresenceofbeautycauses。
　　thehearttothrobwithavoluptuousrapturethatisalmostpain！
　　Andthoughthereareoccasionswhenlifeseemshard，andthebreastfeelsfilledwithfieryrancour，andmelancholydriesandrendersathirsttheheart’sblood，thisisnotamoodsentusinperpetuity。Forattimeseventhesunmayfeelsadashecontemplatesmen，andseesthat，despiteallthathehasdoneforthem，theyhavedonesolittleinreturn……
　　No，itisnotthatgoodfolkarelacking。Itisthattheyneedtoberoundedoff——betterstill，tobemadeanew。
　　Suddenlytherecameintoviewoverthebushestomyleftafileofdarkheads，whilethroughthesurgingofthewavesandthebabbleofthestreamIcaughtthesoundofhumanvoices，asoundemanatingfromapartyof“faminepeople“orfolkwhowerejourneyingfromSukhumtoOtchenchiritoobtainworkonalocalroadtheninprocessofconstruction。
　　TheownersofthevoicesIknewtobeimmigrantsfromtheprovinceofOrlov。IknewthemtobesoforthereasonthatI
　　myselfhadlatelybeenworkingincompanywiththemalemembersoftheparty，andhadtakenleaveofthemonlyyesterdayinorderthatImightsetoutearlierthanthey，and，afterwalkingthroughthenight，greetthesunwhenheshouldariseabovethesea。
　　Themembersofthepartycomprisedfourmenandawoman——thelatterayoungfemalewithhighcheek-bones，afigureswollenwithmanifestpregnancy，andapairofgreyish-blueeyesthathadfixedinthemastareofapprehension。Atthepresentmomentherheadandyellowscarfwerejustshowingoverthetopsofthebushes；andwhileInotedthatnowitwasswayingfromsidetosidelikeasunflowershakenbythewind，IrecalledthefactthatshewasawomanwhosehusbandhadbeencarriedoffatSukhumbyasurfeitoffruit——thisfactbeingknowntomethroughthecircumstancethatintheworkmen’sbarraquewherewehadsharedquartersthesefolkhadobservedthegoodoldRussiancustomofconfidingtoastrangerthewholeoftheirtroubles，andhaddonesointonesofsuchamplitudeandpenetrationthatthequerulouswordsmusthavebeenaudibleforfiveverstsaround。
　　AndasIhadtalkedtotheseforlornpeople，thesehumanbeingswholaycrushedbeneaththemisfortunewhichhaduprootedthemfromtheirbarrenandexhaustedlands，andblownthem，likeautumnleaves，towardstheCaucasuswherenature’sluxuriant，butunfamiliar，aspecthadblindedandbewilderedthem，andwithitsonerousconditionsoflabourquenchedtheirlastsparkofcourage；asIhadtalkedtothesepoorpeopleIhadseenthemglancingaboutwithdull，troubled，despondenteyes，andheardthemsaytooneanothersoftly，andwithpitifulsmiles:
　　“Whatacountry！“
　　“Aye，——thatitis！——acountrytomakeonesweat！“
　　“Ashardasastoneitis！“
　　“Aye，anevilcountry！“
　　Afterwhichtheyhadgoneontospeakoftheirnativehaunts，whereeveryhandfulofsoilhadrepresentedtothemthedustoftheirancestors，andeverygrainofthatsoilhadbeenwateredwiththesweatoftheirbrows，andbecomechargedwithdearandintimaterecollections。
　　Previouslytherehadjoinedthepartyawomanwho，tallandstraight，hadhadbreastsasflatasaboard，andjawboneslikethejawbonesofahorse，andaglanceinherdull，sidelongblackeyeslikeagleaming，smoulderingfire。
　　Andeveryeveningthiswomanhadbeenwonttostepoutsidethebarraquewiththewomanintheyellowscarfandtoseatherselfonarubbishheap，and，restinghercheeksonthepalmsofherhands，andincliningherheadsideways，tosinginahighandshrewishvoice:
　　Behindthegraveyardwall，Wherefairgreenbushesstand。
　　I’llspreadmeonthesandAshroudaswhiteassnow。
　　AndnotlongwillitbeBeforemyheart’sadored，Mymasterandmylord，Shallanswermycurtseylow。
　　Usuallyhercompanion，thewomanintheyellowscarf，had，withheadbentforwardandeyesfixeduponherstomach，remainedsilent；butonrare，unexpectedoccasionsshehad，inthehoarse，sluggishvoiceofapeasant，sungasongwiththesobbingrefrain:
　　Ah，mybeloved，sweetheartofmine，Neveragainwilltheseeyesseekthine！
　　NoramidthestiflingblacknessofthesouthernnighthadthesevoiceseverfailedtobringbacktomymemorythesnowywastesoftheNorth，andtheicy，wailingstorm-wind，andthedistanthowlingofunseenwolves。
　　Intime，thesquint-eyedwomanhadbeentakenillofafever，andremovedtothetowninatiltedambulance；andasshehadlainquiveringandmoaningonthestretchershehadseemedstilltobesingingherlittledittyaboutthegraveyardandthesand。
　　Theheadwiththeyellowscarfrose，dipped，anddisappeared。
　　AfterIhadfinishedmybreakfastIthatchedthehoney-potwithsomeleaves，fasteneddownthelid，andindolentlyresumedmywayinthewakeoftheparty，myblackthornstafftiptappingagainstthehardtreadofthetrackasIproceeded。
　　Thetrackloomed——agrey，narrowstrip——beforeme，whileonmyrighttherestless，darkblueseahadtheairofbeingceaselesslyplanedbythousandsofinvisiblecarpenters；soregularlydidthestressofawindasmoistandsweetandwarmasthebreathofahealthywomancauseever-rustlingcurlsoffoamtodrifttowardsthebeach。Also，careeningontoitsportquarterunderafullsetofbellyingsails，aTurkishfeluccawasglidingtowardsSukhum；and，asitheldonitscourse，itputmeinmindofacertainpompousengineerofthetownwhohadbeenwonttoinflatehisfatcheeksandsay:“Bequiet，you，orIwillhaveyoulockedup！“Thismanhad，forsomereasonoranother，anextraordinaryweaknessforcausingarreststobemade；and，exceedinglydoIrejoicetothinkthatbynowthewormsofthegraveyardmusthaveconsumedhimdowntotheverymarrowofhisbones。Wouldthatcertainotheracquaintancesofmineweresimilarlyreceivingbeneficentattention！
　　Walkingprovedaneasyenoughtask，forIseemedtobeborneonair，whileachorusofpleasantthoughts，ofmany-colouredrecollections，keptsinginggentlyinmybreast——achorusresembling，indeed，thewhite-manedbillowsintheregularitywithwhichnowitrose，andnowitfell，torevealin，asitwere，soft，peacefuldepthsthebright，supplehopesofyouth，likesomanysilverfishcradledinthebosomoftheocean。
　　Suddenly，asittrendedseawards，theroadexecutedahalf-turn，andskirtedastripofthesandymargintowhichthewaveskeptrollinginsuchhaste。Andinthatspoteventhebushesseemedtohaveamindtolookthewavesintheeyes——sostrenuouslydidtheyleanacrosstheriband-likepath，andnodinthedirectionoftheblue，waterywaste，whilefromthehillsawindwasblowingthatpresagedrain。
　　Buthark！Fromsomepointamongthebushesalowmoanarose——thesoundwhichneverfailstothrillthesoulandmoveittoresponsivequivers！
　　Thrustingasidethefoliage，Ibeheldbeforemethewomanintheyellowscarf。Seatedwithherbackrestingagainstthestemofahazel-bush，shehadherheadsunkendeeplybetweenhershoulders，hermouthhideouslyagape，hereyesstaringvaguelybeforeher，herhandspressedtoherswollenstomach，herbreathissuingwithunnaturalvehemence，andherabdomenconvulsively，spasmodicallyrisingandfalling。Meanwhilefromherthroatwereissuingmoanswhichattimescausedheryellowteethtoshowbarelikethoseofawolf。
　　“Whatisthematter？“IsaidasIbentoverher。“Hasanyoneassaultedyou？“
　　Theonlyresultwasthat，shufflingbarefeetinthesandlikeafly，sheshookhernervelesshand，andgasped:
　　“Away，villain！Awaywithyou！“