ThedayhadbeenaSunday，andthehoureventide。Ontheburntplotofgroundsomebrokenglasshadbeenemittingareddishgleam，shootsofergothadbeendiffusingtheirgloss，childrenshoutingatplay，dogstrottingbackwardsandforwards，andallthings，seemingly，faringwell，sunkeninthestillnessoftheportionofthetownadjoiningtherolling，vacantsteppe，with，abovethem，onlythesky’slevel，dull-bluecanopy，andaroundthem，onlythecemetery，likeanislandamidstasea。
　　WithVirubov，Ihadbeensittingonabenchnearthewicket-gateofhishut，asintermittentlyhehadscrewedhislecherouseyesinthedirectionofthestout，ox-eyedlacemaker，MadameEzhov，who，afterdisposingofherformonabankhard-by，hadfallentopickingliceoutofthecurlsofhereight-year-oldPetkaKoshkodav。Presently，asswiftlyshehadrummagedtheboy’shairwithfingersgrownusedtosuchrapidmovement，shehadsaidtoherhusbandadealerinsecond-handarticles，whohadbeenseatedwithindoors，andthereforerenderedinvisible——shehadsaidwithoilyderision:
　　“Oh，yes，youbald-headedolddevil，you！Ofcourseyougotyourprice。Ye-es。Then，fool，yououghttohavehadaslippersmackedacrossthatKalmucksnoutofyours。Talkofmyprice，indeed！“
　　UponthisVirubovhadremarkedwithasigh，andinsluggish，sententioustones:
　　“Togranttheserfsemancipationwasasheermistake。Iamahumbleenoughservantofmycountry，yetIcanseethetruthofwhatIhavestated，sinceitfollowsasamatterofcourse。WhatoughttohavebeendoneisthatalltheestatesofthelandownersshouldhavebeenconveyedtotheTsar。Beyondadoubtthatisso。Thenboththepeasantryandthetownsfolk，thewholepeople，inshort，wouldhavehadbutasinglelandlord。Fornevercanthepeopleliveproperlysolongasitisignorantofthepointwhereitstands；andsinceitlovesauthority，itlovestohaveoveritanautocraticforce，foritscontrol。
　　Alwayscanitbeseenseekingsuchaforce。“
　　Then，bendingforward，andinfusingintoeachsoftlyutteredwordaperfectlusciousnessoffalsity，Virubovhadaddedtohisneighbour:
　　“Take，forexample，theworking-womanwhostandsfreeofeverytie。“
　　“HowdoIstandfreeofanything？“theneighbourhadretorted，incompletereadinessforaquarrel。
　　“Oh，Iamnotspeakinginyourdespite，Pavlushka，buttoyourcredit，“hastilyVirubovhadprotested。
　　“Thenkeepyourblandishmentsforthatheifer，your’niece，’“
　　hadbeenMadameEzhov’sresponse。
　　UponthisVirubovhadrisenheavily，andremarkedashemovedawaytowardsthecourtyard:
　　“Allfolkneedtobesupervisedbyanautocraticeye。“
　　Thereafterhadfollowedaboutofchoiceabusebetweenhisneighbourandhis“niece，“whileVirubovhimself，framedinthewicket-gate，andlisteningtothecontest，hadsmackedhislipsashegazedatthepair，andparticularlyatMadameEzhov。AtthebeginningoftheboutDikankahadscreeched:
　　“Itismyopinion，itismyopinion，that——“
　　“Don’ttreatmetoanyofYOURslop！“thelong-fangedPavlahadinterruptedforthebenefitofthestreetingeneral。Andthushadtheaffaircontinued……
　　LieutenantKhorvatblewthefag-endofhiscigarettefromhismouthpiece，glancedatme，andsaidwithseemingly，anotover-civil，twitchofhisbushymoustache:
　　“Ofwhatareyouthinking，ifImightinquire？“
　　“Iamtryingtounderstandyou。“
　　“Yououghtnottofindthatdifficult，“washisrejoinderasagainhedoffedhishat，andfannedhisfacewithit。“Thewholethingmaybesummedupintwowords。Itisthatwelackrespectbothforourselvesandforourfellowmen。DoyoufollowmeNOW？“
　　Hiseyeshadgrownoncemoreyoungandclear，and，seizingmyhandinhisstrongandagreeablywarmfingers，hecontinued:
　　“Whyso？FortheverysimplereasonthatIcannotrespectmyselfwhenIcanlearnnothing，simplynothing，aboutmyfellows。“
　　Movingnearertome，headdedinamysteriousundertone:
　　“InthisRussiaofoursnoneofusreallyknowswhyhehascomeintoexistence。True，eachofusknowsthathewasborn，andthatheisalive，andthatonedayhewilldie；butwhichofusknowsthereasonwhyallthatisso？“
　　Throughrenewedexcitement，itscolourhadcomebacktotheLieutenant’sface，andhisgesturesbecamesorapidastocausetheringonhisfingertoflashthroughtheairlikethelinkofachain。Also，Iwasabletodetectthefactthatonthesmall，neatwristunderhisleftcuff，therewasabraceletfinishedwithamedallion。
　　“Allthis，mygoodsir，isbecausepartiallythroughthefactthatmenforgetthepoint，andpartiallythroughthefactthatthatpointfailstobeunderstoodarighttheWORKdonebyamanisconcealedfromourknowledge。Formyownpart，Ihaveanidea，ascheme——yes，ascheme——intwowords，a，a——“
　　“N-n-o-u，n-n-o-u！“thebellofthemonasterytolledoverthetombsinlanguid，chillyaccents。
　　“——aschemethateverytownandeveryvillage，infact，everyunitofhomogeneouspopulation，shouldkeeparecordoftheparticularunit’saffairs，a，sotospeak，’bookoflife。’This’bookoflife’shouldbemorethanalistoftheresultsoftheunit’slabour；itshouldalsobealivingnarrativeoftheworkadayactivitiesaccomplishedbyeachmemberoftheunit。Eh？
　　And，ofcourse，therecordtobecompiledwithoutofficialinterference——solelybythetowncouncilordistrictadministration，orbyaspecial’board，oflifeandworks’orsomesuchbody，providedonlythatthetaskbenotcarriedoutbynomineesoftheGOVERNMENT。Andinthatrecordthereshouldbeenteredeverything——thatistosay，everythingofanaturewhichoughttobemadepublicconcerningeverymanwhohaslivedamongus，andhassincegonefromourmidst。“
　　HeretheLieutenantstretchedouthishandagaininthedirectionofthetombs。
　　“Myrightitis，“headded，“toknowhowthosefolktherespenttheirlives。Foritisbytheirlaboursandtheirthoughts，andevenontheproductoftheirbones，thatImyselfamnowsubsisting。Youagree，doyounot？“
　　InsilenceInodded；whereuponhecriedtriumphantly:
　　“Ah！Yousee，doyou？Yes，anindispensablepointisit，thatwhatsoeveramanmayhavedone，whethergoodorevil，shouldberecorded。Forexample，supposehehasmanufacturedastovespeciallygoodforheatingpurposes；recordthefact。Orsupposehehaskilledamaddog；recordthefact。Orsupposehehasbuiltaschool，orcleansedadirtystreet，orbeenapioneerintheteachingofsoundfarming，orstriven，bywordanddeed，hislifelong，tocombatofficialirregularities……
　　recordthefact。Again，supposeawomanhasborneten，orfifteen，healthychildren；recordthefact。Yes，andthislastwithparticularcare，sincetheconfermentofhealthychildrenuponthecountryisaworkofabsoluteimportance。“
　　Further，pointingtoagreyheadstonewithaworninscription，heshoutedoralmostdidso:
　　“Underthatstoneliesburiedthebodyofamanwhoneverinhislifelovedbutonewoman，butONEwoman。Now，THATisafactwhichoughttohavebeenrecordedabouthimforitisnotmerelyastringofnamesthatiswanted，butanarrativeofdeeds。Yes，Ihavenotonlyadesire，butaRIGHT，toknowtheliveswhichmenhavelived，andtheworkswhichtheyhaveperformed；andwheneveramanleavesourmidstweoughttoinscribeoverhistombfullparticularsofthe’crossandburden’whichhebore，asparticularsevertobeheldinremembrance，andinscribedtherebothformybenefitandforthebenefitoflifeingeneral，asconstitutingaclearandcircumstantialrecordofthegivencareer。Whydidthatmanlive？Tothequestionwritedown，always，theanswerinlargeandconspicuouscharacters。Eh？“
　　“Mostcertainly。“
　　ThisledtheLieutenant’senthusiasmtoincreasestillmoreas，forthethirdtimewavinghishandinthedirectionofthetombs，andmouthingeachword，hecontinued:
　　“Thefolkofthattownareliarspureandsimple，forofsetpurposetheyconcealtheparticularsofcareersthattheymaydepreciatethosecareersinoureyes，and，whileshowingustheinsignificanceofthedead，fillthelivingwithasenseofsimilarinsignificance，sinceinsignificantfolkaretheeasiesttomanage。Yes，itisaschemethoughtoutwithdiabolicalingenuity。Yet，formyself——well，tryandmakemedowhatIdon’tintendtodo！“
　　Towhich，withhisfacewrinkledwithdisgust，headdedinatonelikeashotfromapistol:
　　“Machinesarewe！Yes，machines，andnothingelse！“
　　Curiouswasittowatchtheoldman’sexcitementasonelistenedtothestrongbassvoiceamidthestillnessofthecemetery。
　　Oncemoreoverthetombs，therecamefloatingthelanguid，metallicnotesof“N-n-o-u！N-n-o-u！“
　　Theoilyglossonthewitheredgrasshadvanished，faded，andeverythingturneddull，thoughtheairremainedchargedwiththespringperfumeofthegeraniums，stocks，andnarcissiwhichencircledsomeofthegraves。
　　“Yousee，“continuedtheLieutenant，“onecouldnotdenythateachofushashisvalue。Bythetimethatonehaslivedthreescoreyears，oneperceivesthatfactveryclearly。NeverCONCEALthings，sinceeverylifelivedoughttobesetinthelight。Andiscapableofbeingso，inthateverymanisaworkmanfortheworldatlarge，andconstitutesaninstructoringoodorinevil，andthatlife，whenlookedinto，constitutes，asawhole，thesumofallthelabourdonebytheaggregateofuspetty，insignificantindividuals。Thatiswhyweoughtnottohideawayaman’swork，buttopublishitabroad，andtoinscribeonthecrossoverhistombhisdeeds，hisservices，intheirentirety。Yes，howevernegligiblemayhavebeenthosedeeds，thoseservices，holdthemupfortheperusalofthosewhocandiscovergoodeveninwhatisnegligible。NOWdoyouunderstandme？“