“Ido，“Ireplied。“Yes，Ido。“
　　“Good！“
　　Thebellofthemonasterystrucktwohastybeats——thenbecamesilent，sothatonlythesadechoofitsvoiceremainedreverberatingoverthecemetery。Oncemoremyinterlocutordrewouthiscigarette-case，silentlyofferedittomyself，andlightedandpuffedindustriouslyatanothercigarette。Ashedidsohishands，assmallandbrownastheclawsofabird，shookalittle，andhishead，bentdown，lookedlikeanEasteregginplush。
　　Stillsmoking，helookedmeintheeyeswithaself-diffidentfrown，andmuttered:
　　“Onlythroughthelabourofmandoestheearthattaindevelopment。Andonlybyfamiliarisinghimselfwith，andremembering，thepastcanmanobtainsupportinhisworkonearth。“
　　Inspeaking，theLieutenantloweredhisarm；whereuponontohiswristthereslippedthebroadgoldenbraceletadornedwithamedallion，andtheregazedatmethencetheminiatureofafair-hairedwoman:andsincethehandbelowitwasfreckled，anditsflexiblefingerswereswollenoutofshape，andhadlosttheirsymmetry，thewoman’sfine-drawnfacelookedthemorefulloflife，and，clearlypickedout，couldbeseentobesmilingasweetandslightlyimperioussmile。
　　“Yourwifeoryourdaughter？“Iqueried。
　　“MyGod！MyGod！“was，withasubduedsigh，theonlyresponsevouchsafed。ThentheLieutenantraisedhisarm，andthebraceletslidbacktoitsrestingplaceunderhiscuff。
　　Overthetownthecolumnsofcurlingsmokeweregrowingredder，andtheclatteringwindowsblushingtoatintofpinkthatrecalledtomymemorythelividcheeksofVirubov’s“niece，“ofthewomaninwhom，likeheruncle，therewasnothingthatcouldprovokeoneto“takeliberties。“
　　Next，therescaledthecemeterywallandstealthilystretchedthemselvesontheground，sothattheylookednotunlikethefar-flungshadowsofthecemetery’scrosses，afileofdark，tatteredfiguresofbeggars，whileonthefurthersideoftheslowlydarkeninggreeneryacantordrawledinsluggish，carelessaccents:
　　“E-e-ternalme-e——“
　　“Eternalmemoryofwhat？“exclaimedLieutenantKhorvatwithanangryshrugofhisshoulders。“Suppose，inhisday，amanhasbeenthebestcucumber-salterormushroom-picklerinagiventown。Orsupposehehasbeenthebestcobblerthere，orthatoncehesaidsomethingwhichthestreetwhereinhedweltcanstillremember。WouldnotTHATmanbeamanwhoserecordshouldbepreserved，andmadeaccessibletomyrecollection？“
　　AndagaintheLieutenant’sfacewreatheditselfinsolidringsofpungenttobaccosmoke。
　　Blowingsoftlyforamoment，thewindbentthelongstemsofgrassinthedirectionofthedecliningsun，anddiedaway。Allthatremainedaudibleamidthestillnesswasthepeevishvoicesofwomensaying:
　　“Totheleft，Isay。“
　　“Oh，whatistobedone，Tanechka？“
　　Expellingafreshcloudoftobaccosmokeincylindricalform，theoldmanmuttered:
　　“Itwouldseemthatthosewomenhaveforgottentheprecisespotwheretheirrelativeorfriendhappenstolieburied。“
　　Asahawkflewoverthesun-reddenedbelfry-cross，thebird’sshadowglidedoveramemorialstonenearthespotwhereweweresitting，glancedoffthecornerofthestone，andappearedanewbeyondit。Andinthewatchingofthisshadow，Isomehowfoundapleasantdiversion。
　　WentontheLieutenant:
　　“Isaythatagraveyardoughttoevincethevictoryoflife，thetriumphofintellectandoflabour，ratherthanthepowerofdeath。However，imaginehowthingswouldworkoutundermyscheme。UnderittherecordofwhichIhavespokenwouldconstituteahistoryofatown’slifewhich，ifanything，wouldincreasemen’srespectfortheirfellows。Yes，suchahistoryasTHATiswhatacemeteryoughttobe。Otherwisetheplaceisuseless。Similarlywillthepastproveuselessifitcangiveusnothing。Yetissuchahistoryevercompiled？Ifitis，howcanonesaythateventsarebroughtaboutby，forsooth，’servantsofGod’？“
　　Pointingtothetombswithagestureasthoughhewereswimming，hepausedforamomentortwo。
　　“Youareagoodman，“Isaid，“andamanwhomusthavelivedagoodandinterestinglife。“
　　Hedidnotlookatme，butansweredquietlyandthoughtfully:
　　“Atleastamanoughttobehisfellows’friend，seeingthattothemheisbeholdenforeverythingthathepossessesandforeverythingthathecontains。Imyselfhavelived——“
　　Here，withacontractionofhisbrows，hefelltogazingabouthim，asthoughhewereseekingthenecessaryword；until，seemingtofailtofindit，hecontinuedgravely:
　　“Menneedtobebroughtclosertogether，untillifeshallhavebecomebetteradjusted。Neverforgetthosewhoaredeparted，foranythingandeverythinginthelifeofa’servantofGod’
　　mayproveinstructiveandofprofoundsignificance。“
　　Onthewhitesidesofthememorial-stones，thesettingsunwascastingwarmluridreflections，untilthestoneworklookedasthoughithadbeensplashedwithhotblood。Moreover，everythingaroundusseemedcuriouslytohaveswelledandgrownlargerandsofterandlesscoldofoutline；thewholescene，thoughasmotionlessasever，appearedtohavetakenonasortofbright-redhumidity，anddepositedthathumidityinpurple，scintillating，quiveringdewontheturf’svariousspikesandtufts。Gradually，also，theshadowsweredeepeningandlengthening，whileonthefurthersideofthecemeterywallacowlowedatintervals，inagrossanddrunkenfashion，andapartyoffowlscackledwhatseemedtobecursesinresponse，andasawgratedandscreeched。
　　SuddenlytheLieutenantburstintoapealofsubduedlaughter，andcontinuedtodosountilhisshouldersshook。Atlengthhesaidthroughtheparoxysms，as，givingmeapush，hecockedhishatboyishly:
　　“Imustconfessthat，that——thattheviewwhichIfirsttookofyouwasratheratragicone。Yousee，whenIsawamanlyingproneonthegrassIsaidtomyself:’H’m！Whatisthat？’NextI
　　sawayoungfellowroamingaboutthecemeterywithafrownsettledonhisface，andhisbreechesbulging；andagainIsaidtomyself——“
　　“Abookislyinginmybreechespocket，“Iinterposed。
　　“Ah！ThenIunderstand。Yes，Imadeamistake，butavery，welcomeone。However，asIsay，whenIfirstsawyou，Isaidtomyself:’Thereisamanlyingnearthattomb。Perhapshehasabullet，awound，inhistemple？’And，asyouknow——“
　　Hestoppedtowinkatmewithanotheroutburstofsoft，good-humouredlaughter。Thenhecontinued。
　　“Nevertheless，theschemeofwhichIhavetoldyoucannotreallybecalledascheme，sinceitismerelyafancyofmyown。YetI
　　SHOULDliketoseelifelivedinbetterfashion。“
　　Hesighedandpaused，forevidentlyhewasbecominglostinthought。
　　“Unfortunately，“hecontinuedatlast，“thelatterisadesirewhichIhaveconceivedtoolate。IfonlyIhaddonesofifteenyearsago，whenIwasfillingthepostofInspectoroftheprisonatUsman——“
　　Hisleftarmstretcheditselfout，andoncemorethereslidontohiswristthebracelet。Foramomenthetoucheditsgoldwitharapid，butcareful，delicate，movement——thenherestoredthetrinkettoitsretreat，rosesuddenly，lookedabouthimforasecondortwowithafrown，andsaidindry，brisktonesashegavehisiron-greymoustacheanenergetictwist:
　　“NowImustbegoing。“
　　ForawhileIaccompaniedhimonhisway，forIhadakeendesiretohearhimsaysomethingmoreinthatpleasant，powerfulbassofhis；butthoughhesteppedpastthegravestoneswithstridesascarefulandregularasthoseofasoldieronparade，hefailedagaintobreaksilence。
　　Justaswepassedthechapelofthemonasterytherefloatedforthintothefaireveningstillness，fromthebars，ofawindow，whileyetnotreallystirringthatstillness，ahumofgruff，lazy，peevishejaculations。Apparentlytheywereutteredbytwopersonswhowereengagedinadispute，sinceoneofthemmuttered:
　　“Whathaveyoudone？Whathaveyoudone？“
　　Andtheotherrespondedcarelessly:
　　“Holdyourtongue，now！Prayholdyourtongue！“
　　ONARIVERSTEAMER
　　Thewateroftheriverwassmooth，anddullsilveroftint。
　　Also，sobarelyperceptiblewasthecurrentthatitseemedtobealmoststagnantunderthemistofthenoontideheat，andonlybythechangesintheaspectofthebankscouldonerealisehowquietlyandevenlytheriverwascarryingonitssurfacetheoldyellow-hulledsteamerwiththewhite-rimmedfunnel，andalsotheclumsybargewhichwasbeingtowedinherwake。
　　Dreamilydidthefloatsofthepaddle-wheelsslapthewater。
　　Undertheplanksofthedecktheenginestoiledwithoutceasing。