colouredsteppeandsnowcappedmountainpeaks。Yet，ohhowthatsteppe，bathedingoldensunshine，drawsonetoitselfanditssmoothdesolationofsweet，drygrassesastheparched，fragrantexpanserustlesunderthesoughingwind！
　　“Youaskaboutthatwoman，eh？“queriesKonev，whomIfindleaningagainstoneofthepoplartrunks，andembracingitwithanarm。
　　“Yes。Fromwheredoesshehail？“
　　“FromRiazan，shesays。AnotherstoryofhersisthathernameisTatiana。“
　　“Hasshebeenwithyoulong？“
　　“No。Infact，itwasonlythismorning，somethirtyverstsfromhere，thatIovertookherandhercompanion。However，Ihaveseenherbefore，atMaikop-on-Laba，duringtheseasonofhayharvest，whenshehadwithheranelderly，smoothfacedmuzhikwhomighthavebeenasoldier，andcertainlywaseitherherloveroranuncle，aswellasabullyandadrunkardofthetypewhich，beforeithasbeentwodaysinaplace，startsaboutasmanybrawls。Atpresent，however，sheistrampingwithnonebutthisfemalecompanion，for，afterthatthe’uncle’haddrunkawayhisverybelly-bandandreins，hewasclappedingaol。TheCossack，youknow，isanawkwardpersontodealwith。“
　　AlthoughKonevspeakswithoutconstraint，hiseyesarefixeduponthegroundinamannersuggestiveofsomedisturbingthought。Andasthebreezeruffleshisdishevelledbeardandraggedpea-jacketitendsbyrobbinghisheadofhiscap——ofthetattered，peaklesscloutwhich，withrentsinitslining，socloselyresemblesatchepchik[Woman’smob-cap]，astocommunicatetothepicturesquefeaturesofitsweareranappearancecomicallyfeminine。
　　“Ye-es，“expectorating，anddrawlingthewordsbetweenhisteeth，hecontinues:“Sheisaremarkablewoman，aregular，sotospeak，highstepper。YetitmusthavebeentheDevilhimselfthatblewthisyoungoafwiththebloatedjowlontothescene。
　　OtherwiseIshouldsoonhavefixedupmatterswithher。Thecurthatheis！“
　　“Butonceyoutoldmethatyouhadawifealready？“
　　Dartingatmeanangryglance，heturnsawaywithamutterof:
　　“AMItocarrymywifeaboutwithmeinmywallet？“
　　HeretherecomeslimpingacrossthesquareamoustachioedCossack。Inonehandheisholdingabunchofkeys，andintheotherhandabatteredCossackcap，peakinfront。Behindhim，sobbingandapplyinghisknucklestohiseyes，thereiscreepingacurly-headedurchinofeight，whiletherearisbroughtupbyashaggydogwhosedejectedcountenanceandloweredtailwouldseemtoshowthathetooisindisgrace。EachtimethattheboywhimpersmoreloudlythanusualtheCossackhalts，awaitsthelad’scominginsilence，cuffshimovertheheadwiththepeakofthecap，and，resuminghiswaywiththegaitofadrunkenman，leavestheboyandthedogstandingwheretheyare——theboylamenting，andthedogwaggingitstailasitsoldblackmuzzlesniffstheair。SomehowIdiscerninthedog’smienofholdingitselfpreparedforanythingthatmayturnup，acertainresemblancetoKonev’sbearing，savethatthedogisolderinappearancethanisthevagabond。
　　“Youmentionedmywife，Ithink？“presentlyheresumeswithasigh。“Yes，Iknow，butnotEVERYmaladyprovesmortal，andI
　　havebeenmarriednineteenyears！“
　　Therestiswell-knowntome，foralltoofrequentlyhaveIhearditandsimilartales。Unfortunately，Icannotnowtakethetroubletostophim；sooncemoreIamforcedtolethiscomplaintscomeoozingtediouslyintomyears。
　　“Thewenchwasplump，“saysKonev，“andpantingforlove；sowejustgotmarried，andbratsbegantocometumblingfromherlikebugsfromabunk。“
　　Subsidingalittle，thebreezetakes，asitwere，towhispering。
　　“Infact，Icouldscarcelyturnroundforthem。Evennowsevenofthemarealive，thoughoriginallythestudnumberedthirteen。
　　Andwhatwastheuseofsuchagang？For，consider:mywifeisforty-two，andIamforty-three。Sheiselderly，andIamwhatyoubehold。True，hithertoIhavecontrivedtokeepupmyspirits；yetpovertyiswearingmedown，andwhen，lastwinter，myoldwomanwenttopiecesIsetforthforwhatelsecouldI
　　do？totourthetowns。Infact，folklikeyouandmyselfhaveonlyonejobavailable——thejoboflickingone’schops，andkeepingone’seyesopen。Yet，totellyouthetruth，InosoonerperceivemyselftobegrowingsuperfluousinaplacethanIspituponthatplace，andclearoutofit。“
　　Nevertothissturdy，inveteraterascaldoesitseemtooccurtoinsinuatethathehasbeendoingworkofanykind，orthatheintheleastcarestodoany；whileatthesametimeallself-pityiseschewedinhisnarrative，andherelateshisexperiencesmuchasthoughtheyaretheexperiencesofanotherman，andnotofhimself。
　　Presently，astheCossackandtheboydrawlevelwithus，theformer，fingeringhismoustache，inquiresthickly:
　　“Whenceareyoucome？“
　　“FromRussia。“
　　“Allsuchfolkcomefromthere。“
　　Thereafter，withagestureofdisdain，thismanoftheabnormallybroadnose，eyesfloatinginfat，andflaxenheadshapedlikeaflounder’s，resumeshiswaytowardstheporchofthechurch。Asfortheboy，hewipeshisnoseandfollowshimwhilethedogsniffsatourlegs，yawns，andstretchesitselfbythechurchyardwall。
　　“Didyousee？“muttersKonev。“Ohyes，ItellyouthatthefolkherearefarlessamiablethanourownfolkinRussia……
　　Buthark！Whatisthat？“
　　Toourearstherehavecomefrombehindthecornerofthechurchyardwallawoman’sscreamandthesoundofdullblows。
　　Rushingthither，webeholdthefair-headedpeasantseatedontheprostrateformoftheyoungfellowfromPenza，andmethodically，gruntinglydeliveringblowafterblowupontheyoungfellow’searswithhisponderousfists，whilecountingtheblowsashedoesso。Vainly，atthesametime，thewomanfromRiazanisproddingtheassailantintheback，whilstherfemalecompanionisshrieking，andthecrowdatlargehasleapttoitsfeet，and，collectedintoaknot，isshoutinggleefully，“THAT’Stheway！
　　THAT’Stheway！“
　　“Five！“thefair-headedpeasantcounts。
　　“Whyareyoudoingthis？“theprostratemanprotests。
　　“Six！“
　　“Ohdear！“ejaculatesKonev，dancingwithnervousness。“Ohdear，ohdear！“
　　Thesmacking，smashingblowsfallinregularcadenceas，proneonhisface，theyoungfellowkicks，strugglesandpuffsupthedust。Meanwhileatall，dourmaninastrawhatisrollingupashirt-sleeve，andalternatelybendingandstretchingalongarm，whilstalithe，white-headedyoungstriplingishopping，sparrow-
　　like，fromoneonlookertoanother，andexclaiminginsuppressed，cautioustones:
　　“Stopit，praystopit，orweshallbearrestedforcreatingadisturbance！“
　　Presentlythetallmanstridestowardsthefair-headedpeasant，dealshimasingleblowwhichknockshimfromthebackoftheyoungfellow，and，turningtothecrowd，sayswithaninformingair:
　　“THAT’ShowwedoitinTambov！“
　　“Brutes！Villains！“screamsthewomanfromRiazan，asshebendsovertheyoungfellow。Hercheeksarelivid，andasshewipestheflushedfaceofthebeatenyouthwiththehemofhergown，herdarkeyesareflashingwithdrywrath，andherlipsquiveringsopainfullyastodiscloseasetoffine，levelteeth。
　　Konev，peckinguptoher，sayswithanairofadvice:
　　“Youhadbettertakehimaway，andgivehimsomewater。“
　　Uponthisthefair-headedmuzhik，risingtohisknees，stretchesafisttowardsthemanfromTambov，andexclaims:
　　“Whyshouldhehavegoneandbraggedofhisstrength，pray？“
　　“Wasthatagoodreasonforthrashinghim？“
　　“Andwhoareyou？“
　　“WhoamI？“
　　“Yes，whoareYOU？“
　　“Nevermind。SeethatIdon’tgiveyouanotherswipe！“
　　Uponthistheonlookersplungeintoaheateddebateastowhowasactuallythebeginnerofthedisturbance，whilethelitheyoungfellowcontinuestowringhishands，andcryimploringly:
　　“DON’Tmakesomuchnoiseaboutit！Rememberthatweareinastrangeland，andthatthefolkhereaboutsarestrict。“
　　Soqueerlydohisearsprojectfromhisheadthathewouldseemtobeable，ifhepleased，tofoldthemrightoverhiseyes。
　　Suddenlyfromtheroseateheavenscomesthevibrantnoteofabell；whereupon，thehubbubceasesandatthesamemomentayoungCossackwithafacestuddedwithfreckles，and，inhishands，acudgel，makeshisappearanceamongthecrowd。
　　“Whatdoesallthismean？“heinquiresnotuncivilly。
　　“Theyhavebeenbeatingaman，“thewomanfromRiazanreplies。
　　Asshedoessoshelookscomelyinspiteofherwrath。