“IexpectPetrushkaisasleep，forprobablyhehastakentoomuchliquorattheBassanov’ssmotrini。[Afestivalatwhichafiancepayshisfirstvisittothehouseoftheparentsofhisbetrothed。]Aye，hewillbeasleep。AndasforJonah，HEwillhavegonetoVaskaKlochi。Sotonight，untilmorning，Nadezhdawillbeabletokickupherheelstoherheart’scontent。“
　　Itoohadbeguntosurmisethatthewomanwascomethitherforpurposesofherown。Yetthescenewasalmostdreamlikeinitsbeauty。Itthrilledmetothesoultowatchhowthewoman’sblueeyesgazedabouther——gazedasthoughshewereardently，caressinglywhisperingtoalllivingcreatures，asleeporawake:
　　“0hmydarlings！0hmydarlings！“
　　Besidemetheuncouth，broken-downGubinwentoninhoarseaccents:
　　“YoumustknowthatsheisPetrushka’sTHIRDwife，awomanwhomhetooktohimselffromthefamilyofamerchantofMurom。YetthetownhasitthatnotonlyPetrushka，butalsoJonah，makesuseofher——thatsheactsaswifetobothbrothers，andthereforelackschildren。AlsohasitbeensaidofherthatoneTrinitySundayshewasseenbyapartyofwomentomisconductherselfinthisgardenwithapolicesergeant，andthentositonhislapandweep。YetthislastIdonotwhollybelieve，forthesergeantinquestionisaveteranscarcelyabletoputonefootbeforetheother。Also，Jonah，thoughabrute，livesinabjectfearofhisstepmother。“
　　Hereaworm-eatenapplefelltotheground，andthewomanpaused；whereafter，withheadalittleraised，sheresumedherwaywithgreaterspeed。
　　AsforGubin，hecontinued，unchecked，thoughwithatriflelessanimosity，ratherasthoughhewerereadingaloudamanuscriptwhichhefoundwearisome:
　　“SeehowamanlikePeterBirkinmaypridehimselfuponhiswealth，andreceivehonourduringhislifetime，yetallthewhilehavethedevilgrinningoverhisshoulder！“
　　Thenhe，Gubin，keptsilentawhile，andmerelybreathedheavily，andtwistedhisbodyabout。Butsuddenly，heresumedinastrangewhisper:
　　“Fifteenyearsago——no，surelyitwaslongeragothanthat？——
　　MadameNadkin，Nadezhda’smother-in-law，madeitherpracticetocometothisspottomeetherlover。AndafinegallantHE
　　was！“
　　Somehow，asIwatchedthewomancreepingalong，andlookingasthoughshewereintendingtocommitatheft，orasthoughshefanciedthatatanymomentshemightseetheplumpbrothersBirkinissuefromthecourtyardintothegardenandcomeshufflingponderouslyoverthedarkenedground，withropesandcudgelsgraspedincoarse，redhandswhichknewnopity；
　　somehow，asIwatchedher，Ifeltsaddened，andpaidlittleheedtoGubin’swhisperedremarks，sointentlyweremyeyesfixeduponthegranarywallas，afterglidingalongitawhile，thewomanbentherheadanddisappearedthroughthedarkblueofthewashhousedoor。AsforGubin，hewenttosleepwithalastdrowsyremarkof:
　　“Lifeisallfalsity。Husbands，wives，fathers，children——allofthempractisedeceit。“
　　Intheeast，portionsoftheskywereturningtolightpurple，andotherportionstoadarkerhue，whilefromtimetotimeI
　　couldsee，loomingblackagainstthoseportions，coilsofsmokethedensityofwhichkeptbeingstabbedwithfieryspikesofflame，sothatthevague，toweringforestlookedlikeahillonthetopofwhichafierydragonwascrawlingabout，andwrithing，andintermittentlyraisingtremulous，scarletwings，andasoftenrelapsinginto，becomingsubmergedin，thebankofvapour。And，incontemplatingthespectacle，Iseemedactuallytobeabletohearthecruel，hissingdinofcombatbetweenredandblack，andtoseepale，frightenedrabbitsscuddingfromunderneaththerootsoftreesamidshowersofsparks，andpanting，half-suffocatedbirdsflutteringwildlyamidthebranchesasfurtherandfurtherafield，andmoreandmoretriumphantly，thescarletdragonunfurleditswings，andconsumedthedarkness，anddevouredtherain-soakedtimber。
　　Presentlyfromthedark，blurreddoorwayinthewallofthewashhousethereemergedadarkfigurewhichwentflittingawayamongthetrees，whileafteritsomeonecalledinasharp，incisivewhisper:
　　“Donotforget。YouMUSTcome。“
　　“Oh，Ishallbeonlytooglad！“
　　“Verywell。Inthemorningthelamewomanshallcalluponyou。
　　Doyouhear？“
　　Andasthewomandisappearedfromviewtheotherpersonsaunteredacrossthegarden，andscaledthefencewithaclatter。
　　ThatnightIcouldnotsleep，but，untildawn，laywatchingtheburningforestasgraduallythewearymoondeclined，andthelampofVenus，coldandgreenasanemerald，cameintoviewoverthecrossesonthePrince’sChurch。IndeedwasthelatterafittingplaceforVenustoillumineifreallyithadbeenthecasethatthePrinceandPrincesshad“passedtheirlivesinkindly，unchanginglove“！
　　Gradually，thedewclearedthetreesofthenightdarkness，andcausedthedamp，greyfoliagetosmileoncemorewithaniseedandredraspberry，andtosparklewiththegoldoftheirmildew。
　　Also，therecamehoveringaboutusgoldfincheswiththeirlittlered-hoodedcrests，andfussytomtitsintheircravatsofyellow，whileanimble，dark，bluewoodpeckerscaledthestemofanappletree。Andeverywhere，yellowleavesflutteredtoearth，and，indoingso，socloselyresembledbirdsastomakeitnotalwayseasytodistinguishwhetheraleaforatomtithadglimmeredforamomentintheair。
　　Gubinawoke，sighed，andwithhisgnarledknucklesgavehispuffyeyesarub。Thenheraisedhimselfuponall-fours，and，crawling，muchdishevelledwithsleep，outofthewatchman’shut，snuffedtheairaprocessinwhichhismovementsapproximatedcomicallytothoseofakeen-nosedwatch-dog。
　　Finallyherosetohisfeet，and，intheact，shookoneofthetreessoviolentlyastocauseaboughtosheditsburdenofripefruit，anddispersetheappleshitherandthitheroverthedrysurfaceoftheground，orcausethemtoburythemselvesamongthelonggrass。Threeofthejuiciestappleshedulyrecovered，and，afterexaminationoftheirexterior，probedwithhisteeth，whilekickingawayfromhimasmanyoftheremainderashecoulddescry。
　　“Whyspoilthoseapples？“Iqueried“Oh，soyouareNOTasleep？“hecounteredwithanodofhismelon-shapedcranium。“Asamatteroffact，afewappleswon’tbemissed，fortherearetoomanyofthemabout。Myownfatheritwasthatplantedthetreeswhichhavegrownthem。“
　　Then，turninguponmeakeen，good-humouredeye，andchuckling，headded:
　　“WhataboutthatNadezhda？Ah，sheisacleverwomanindeed！
　　YetIhaveasurpriseinstoreforherandherlover。“
　　“Whyshouldyouhave？“
　　“BecauseIdesiretobenefitmankindatlarge“thiswassaiddidactically，andwithafrown。“For，nomatterwhereIdetectevilorunderhandedness，itismyduty——Ifeelittobemyduty——
　　toexposethatevil，andtolayitbare。Thereexistpeoplewhoneedtobetaughtalesson，andtowhomIlongtocry:’Sinnersthatyouare，doyouleadmorerighteouslives！’“
　　Frombehindsomecloudsthesunwasrisingwithadiskasmurkyandmournfulasthefaceofanailingchild。Itwasasthoughhewerefeelingconsciousthathehaddoneamissinsolongdelayingtoshedlightupontheworld，insolongdallyingonhisbedofsoftcloudsamidthesmokeoftheforestfire。Butgraduallythecheeringbeamssuffusedthegardenthroughout，andevokedfromtheripeningfruitanintoxicatingwaveofscentinwhichtherecouldbedistinguishedalsothebracingbreathofautumn。
　　Simultaneouslythereroseintothesky，inthewakeofthesun，adensestratumofcloudwhich，blueandsnow-whiteincolour，laywithitssofthummocksreflectedinthecalmOka，andsowroughtthereinasecondaryfirmamentasprofoundandimpalpableasitsoriginal。
　　“Nowthen，Makar！“wasGubin’scommand，andoncemoreIpostedmyselfatthebottomofthewell。Aboutthreesazheniindepth，andlinedwithcold，dampmudtoabovethelevelofmymiddle，theorificewaschargedwithastiflingodourbothofrottenwoodandofsomethingmoreintolerablestill。Also，wheneverI
　　hadfilledthepailwithmud，andthenemptieditintothebucketandshouted“Rightaway！“thebucketwouldstartswingingagainstmypersonandbumpingit，asunwillinglyitwentaloft，andthereafterdischargeuponmyheadandshouldersclotsoffilthanddrippingsofwater——meanwhilescreening，withitscircularbottom，theglowingsunandnowscarcevisiblestars。Inpassing，thespectacleofthosestars’waningbothpainedandcheeredme，foritmeantthatforacompanioninthefirmamenttheynowhadthesun。Henceitwasuntilmyneckfeltalmostfractured，andmyspineandthenapeofmyneckwereachingasthoughclampedinacastofplasterofparis，thatI
　　keptmyeyesturnedaloft。Yes，anythingtogainasightofthestars！FromthemIcouldnotremovemyvision，fortheyseemedtoexhibittheheavensinanewguise，andtoconveytomethejoyfultidingsthatintheskytherewaspresentalsothesun。
　　Yetthough，meanwhile，Itriedtoponderonsomethinggreat，I
　　neverfailedtofindmyselfcherishingtheabsurd，obstinateapprehensionthatsoontheBirkinswouldleavetheirbeds，enterthecourtyard，andhaveNadezhdabetrayedtothembyGubin。
　　Andthroughouttherekeptdescendingtomefromabovethelatter’sinarticulate，asitweredamp-sodden，observations。
　　“Anotherrat！“Iheardhimexclaim。“Tothinkthatthosetwofellows，menofmoney，shouldneglectfortwowholeyearstocleanouttheirwell！Why，whatcanthebruteshavebeendrinkingmeanwhile？Lookoutbelow，you！“
　　Andoncemore，withacreakingofthepulley，thebucketwoulddescend——bumpingandthuddingagainsttheliningofthewellasitdidso，andbespatteringafreshmyheadandshoulderswithitsfilth。Rightlyspeaking，theBirkinsoughttohaveclearedoutthewellthemselves！