Yes，shewastojourneyinthecompanyoftheMotherofGod。Sonomoreonthepointrequiredtobesaid。
　　Glancingagainatthetiny，inchoatefaceunderthebushes，hereyesdiffusedraysofwarmandkindlylightas，lickingherlips，she，withaslowmovement，smoothedthebreastofthelittleone。
　　ThenIarrangedsticksforafire，andalsoadjustedstonestosupportthekettle。
　　“SoonIwillhaveteareadyforyou，“Iremarked。
　　“AndthankfulindeedIshallbe，“sheresponded，“formybreastsaredriedup。“
　　“Whyhaveyourcompanionsdesertedyou？“Isaidnext。
　　“Theyhavenotdesertedme。ItwasIthatleftthemofmyownaccord。HowcouldIhaveexposedmyselfintheirpresence？“
　　Andwithaglanceatmesheraisedahandtoherfaceas，spittingagoutofblood，shesmiledasortofbashfulsmile。
　　“Thisisyourfirstchild，Itakeit？“
　　“Itis。Andwhoareyou？“
　　“Aman。“
　　“Yes，aman，ofcourse；but，areyouaMARRIEDman？“
　　“No，Ihaveneverbeenabletomarry。“
　　“Thatcannotbetrue。“
　　“Whynot？“
　　Withloweredeyesshesatawhileinthought。
　　“Because，ifso，howdoyoucometoknowsomuchaboutwomen’saffairs？“
　　ThistimeIDIDlie，forIreplied:
　　“Becausetheyhavebeenmystudy。Infact，Iamamedicalstudent。“
　　“Ah！Ourpriest’ssonalsowasastudent，butastudentfortheChurch。“
　　“Verywell。ThenyouknowwhatIam。NowIwillgoandfetchsomewater。“
　　Uponthissheinclinedherheadtowardsherlittlesonandlistenedforamomenttohisbreathing。Thenshesaidwithaglancetowardsthesea:
　　“Itooshouldliketohaveawash，butIdonotknowwhatthewaterislike。Whatisit？Brackishorsalt？“
　　“No；quitegoodwater——fitforyoutowashin。“
　　“Isitreally？“
　　“Yes，really。Moreover，itiswarmerthanthewaterofthestreamshereabouts，whichisascoldasice。“
　　“Ah！Well，youknowbest。“
　　Hereashaggy-earedpony，allskinandbone，wasseenapproachingusatafoot’space。Trembling，anddroopingitshead，itscannedus，asitdrewlevel，witharoundblackeye，andsnorted。Uponthat，itsriderpushedbackaraggedfurcap，glancedwarilyinourdirection，andagainsankhishead。
　　“Thefolkofthesepartsareuglytolookat，“softlycommentedthewomanfromOrlov。
　　ThenIdepartedinquestofwater。AfterIhadwashedmyfaceandhandsIfilledthekettlefromastreambrightandlivelyasquicksilverastreampresenting，astheautumnleavestossedintheeddieswhichwentleapingandsingingoverthestones，atrulyenchantingspectacle，and，returning，andpeepingthroughthebushes，perceivedthewomantobecrawlingonhandsandkneesoverthestones，andanxiouslypeeringabout，asthoughinsearchofsomething。
　　“Whatisit？“Iinquired，andthereupon，turninggreyinthefacewithconfusionshehastenedtoconcealsomearticleunderherperson，althoughIhadalreadyguessedthenatureofthearticle。
　　“Giveittome，“wasmyonlyremark。“Iwillgoandburyit。“
　　“Howso？For，asamatteroffact，itoughttobeburiedunderthefloorinfrontofsomestove。“
　　“ArewetobuildastoveHERE？Builditinfiveminutes？“I
　　retorted。
　　“Ah，Iwasjesting。Butreally，Iwouldrathernothaveitburiedhere，lestsomewildbeastshouldcomeanddevourit……
　　Yetitoughttobecommittedonlytotheearth。“
　　Thatsaid，she，withavertedeyes，handedmeamoistandheavybundle；andasshedidsoshesaidunderherbreath，withanairofconfusion:
　　“IbegofyouforChrist’ssaketoburyitaswell，asdeeply，asyoucan。OutofpityformysondoasIbidyou。“
　　Ididasshehadrequested；and，justasthetaskhadbeencompleted，Iperceivedherreturningfromthemarginoftheseawithunsteadygait，andanarmstretchedoutbeforeher，andapetticoatsoakedtothemiddlewiththeseawater。Yetallherfacewasalightwithinwardfire，andasIhelpedhertoregainthespotwhereIhadpreparedsomesticksIcouldnothelpreflectingwithsomeastonishment:
　　“Howstrongindeedsheis！“
　　Next，aswedrankamixtureofteaandhoney，sheinquired:
　　“Haveyounowceasedtobeastudent？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Andwhyso？Throughtoomuchdrink？“
　　“Evenso，goodmother。“
　　“Dearme！Well，yourfaceisfamiliartome。Yes，IrememberthatInoticedyouinSukhumwhenonceyouwerearguingwiththebarraquesuperintendentoverthequestionofrations。AsIdidsothethoughtoccurredtome:’Surelythatboldyoungfellowmusthavegoneandspenthismeansondrink？Yes，thatishowitmustbe。’“
　　Then，asfromherswollenlipsshelickedadropofhoney，sheagainbentherblueeyesinthedirectionofthebushunderwhichtheslumbering，newly-arrivedOrlovianwascouched。
　　“Howwillhelive？“thoughtfullyshesaidwithasigh——thenadded:
　　“Youhavehelpedme，andIthankyou。Yes，mythanksareyours，thoughIcannottellwhetherornotyourassistancewillhavehelpedHIM。“
　　And，drinkingtherestofhertea，sheateamorselofbread，thenmadethesignofthecross。Andsubsequently，asIwasputtingupmythings，shecontinuedtorockherselftoandfro，togivelittlestartsandcries，andtogazethoughtfullyatthegroundwitheyeswhichhadnowregainedtheiroriginalcolour。Atlastsherosetoherfeet。
　　“Youarenotgoingyet？“Iqueriedprotestingly。
　　“Yes，Imust。“
　　“But——“
　　“TheBlessedVirginwillgowithme。Sopleasehandmeoverthechild。“
　　“No，Iwillcarryhim。“
　　And，afteracontestforthehonour，sheyielded，andwewalkedawaysidebyside。
　　“IonlywishIwerealittlesteadieronmyfeet，“sheremarkedwithanapologeticsmileasshelaidahanduponmyshoulder，Meanwhile，thenewcitizenofRussia，thelittlehumanbeingofanunknownfuture，wassnoringsoundlyinmyarmsastheseaplashedandmurmured，andthrewoffitswhiteshavings，andthebusheswhisperedtogether，andthesunnowarrivedatthemeridianshonebrightlyuponusall。
　　Incalmcontentitwasthatwewalked；savethatnowandthenthemotherwouldhalt，drawadeepbreath，raiseherhead，scantheseaandtheforestandthehills，andpeerintoherson’sface。Andasshedidso，eventhemistbegottenoftearsofsufferingcouldnotdimthewonderfulbrilliancyandclearnessofhereyes。Forwiththesombrefireofinexhaustiblelovewerethoseeyesaflame。
　　Once，asshehalted，sheexclaimed:
　　“0God，0MotherofGod，howgooditallis！WouldthatforeverIcouldwalkthus，yes，walkandwalkuntotheveryendoftheworld！AllthatIshouldneedwouldbethatthou，myson，mydarlingson，shouldst，borneuponthymother’sbreast，growandwaxstrong！“
　　Andtheseamurmuredandmurmured。