Whistlingfromoffthesea，thewindwaschargedwithmoist，saltspray，anddashingfoamingbillowsashorewiththeirwhitemanesfullofsnakelike，gleamingblackribandsofseaweed，andcausingtherockstorumbleangrilyinresponse，andthetreestorustlewithadry，agitatedsoundastheirtopsswayedtoandfro，andtheirtrunksbentearthwardsasthoughtheywouldfainreeveuptheirroots，andbetakethemwhitherthemountainsstoodveiledinatogaofheavy，darkmist。
　　Overtheseathecloudswerehurryingtowardsthelandaseverandanontheyrentthemselvesintostrips，andrevealedfathomlessabyssesofbluewhereintheautumnsunburneduneasily，andsentcloud-shadowsglidingoverthepuckeredwasteofwaters，until，theshorereached，thewindfurtherharriedthemassesofvapourtowardsthesharpflanksofthemountains，and，afterdrawingthemupanddowntheslopes，relegatedthemtoclefts，andleftthemsteamingthere。
　　Therewasaboutthewholescenealouringappearance，anappearanceasthougheverythingwerecontendingwitheverything，asnowallthingsturnedsullenlydark，andnowallthingsemittedadullsheenwhichalmostblindedtheeyes。Alongthenarrowroad，aroadprotectedfromtheseabyalineofwave-
　　washeddykes，somewitheredleavesofoakandwildcherrywerescuddinginmutualchaseofoneanother；withthegeneralresultthatthecombinedsoundsofsplashingandrustlingandhowlingcametomergethemselvesintoasingledinwhichissuedasasongwitharhythmmarkedbythemeasuredblowsofthewavesastheystrucktherocks。
　　“Zmiulan，theKingoftheOcean，isabroad！“shoutedmyfellowtravellerinmyear。Hewasatall，round-shoulderedmanofchildishlychubbyfeaturesandboyishlybright，transparenteyes。
　　“WHOdoyousayisabroad？“Iqueried。
　　“KingZmiulan。“
　　Neverhavingheardofthemonarch，Imadenoreply。
　　Theextenttowhichthewindbuffetedusmighthaveledonetosupposethatitsprimaryobjectivewastodeflectoursteps，andturntheminthedirectionofthemountains。Indeed，attimesitspressurewassostrongthatwehadnochoicebuttohalt，toturnourbackstothesea，and，withfeetplantedapart，topriseourselvesagainstoursticks，andsoremain，poisedonthreelegs，untilwewerepastanyriskofbeingoverwhelmedwiththesoftincubusofthetempest，andhavingourcoatstornfromourshoulders。
　　Atintervalssuchgaspswouldcomefrommycompanionthathemightwellhavebeenstandingonthedrying-boardofabath。Nor，astheydidso，washisappearanceaughtbutcomical，seeingthathisears，appendageslargeandshaggylikeadog’s，andindifferentlyshieldedwithashabbyoldcap，keptbeingpushedforwardbythewinduntilhissmallheadboreanabsurdresemblancetoachinabowl。Andthat，tocompletetheresemblance，hislongandmassivenose，afeaturegrosslydisproportionatetotherestofhisdiminutiveface，mightequallywellhavepassedforthespoutofthereceptacleindicated。
　　Yetafaceoutofthecommonitwas，likethewholeofhispersonality。AndthiswasthefactwhichhadcaptivatedmefromthemomentwhenIhadbeheldhimparticipatinginavigilserviceheldintheneighbouringchurchofthemonasteryofNewAthos。
　　There，spare，butwithhiswitheredformerect，andhisheadslightlytilted，hehadbeengazingattheCrucifixwitharadiantsmile，andmovinghisthinlipsinasortofwhispered，confidential，friendlyconversationwiththeSaviour。Indeed，somuchhadtheman’ssmooth，roundfeaturesfeaturesasbeardlessasthoseofaSkopetz[AmemberoftheSkoptzi，anon-Orthodoxsectthemembersofwhich“domakeofthemselveseunuchsfortheLord’ssake。“]，savefortwobrighttuftsatthecornersofthemouthbeeninstinctwithintimacy，withaconsciousnessofactuallybeinginthepresenceoftheSonofGod，thatthespectacle，transcendinganythingofthekindthatmyeyeshadbeforebeheld，hadledme，withitstotalabsenceofthecustomarylaboured，servile，pusillanimousattitudetowardstheAlmightywhichIhadgenerallyfoundtobetherule，toaccordthemanmywholeinterest，and，aslongastheservicehadlasted，tokeepaneyeupononewhocouldthusconversewithGodwithoutrenderingHimconstantobeisance，oragainandagainmakingthesignofthecross，orinvariablymakingittotheaccompanimentofgroansandtearswhichhadalwayshithertoobtrudeditselfuponmynotice。
　　AgainhadIencounteredthemanwhenIhadhadsupperattheworkmen’sbarraque，andthenproceededtothemonastery’sguest-
　　chamber。Seatedatatableunderacircleoflightfallingfromalampsuspendedfromtheceiling，hehadgatheredaroundhimaknotofpilgrimsandtheirwomen，andwasholdingforthinlow，cheerfultonesthatyethadinthemthetelling，incisivenoteofthepreacher，ofthemanwhofrequentlyconverseswithhisfellowmen。
　　“Onethingitmaybebestalwaystodisclose，“hewassaying，“andanotherthingtoconceal。Ifaughtinourselvesseemsharmfulorsenseless，letusputtoourselvesthequestion:’Whyisthisso？’Contrariwiseoughtaprudentmannevertothrusthimselfforwardandsay:’HowdiscreetamI！’whilehewhomakesaparadeofhishardlot，andsays，’Goodfolk，seeyeandhearhowbittermylifeis，’alsodoeswrong。“
　　Hereapilgrimwithablackbeard，abrigand’sdarkeyes，andthewastedfeaturesofanasceticrosefromthefurthersideofthetable，straightenedhisvirileframe，andsaidinadullvoice:
　　“Mywifeandoneofmychildrenwereburnttodeaththroughthefallingofanoillamp。OnTHAToughtItokeepsilence？“
　　Noanswerfollowed。Onlysomeonemutteredtohimself:
　　“What？Again？“:untilthefirstspeaker，thespeakerseatednearthecornerofthetable，launchedintotheoppressivelulltheunhesitatingreply:
　　“ThatofwhichyouspeakmaybetakentohavebeenapunishmentbyGodforsin。“
　　“What？Forasincommittedbyonethreeyearsofagefor，indeed，mylittlesonwasnomore？Theaccidenthappenedofhispullingdownalampuponhimself，andofmywifeseizinghim，andherselfbeingburnttodeath。Shewasweak，too，forbutelevendayshadpassedsinceherconfinement。“
　　“No。WhatImeanisthatinthataccidentyouseeapunishmentforsinscommittedbythechild’sfatherandmother。“
　　Thisreplyfromthecornercamewithperfectconfidence。Theblack-beardedman，however，pretendednottohearit，butspreadouthishandsasthoughpartingtheairbeforehim，andproceededhurriedly，breathlesslytodetailthemannerinwhichhiswifeandlittleonehadmettheirdeaths。Andallthetimethathewasdoingsoonehadaninklingthatoftenbeforehadherecountedhisnarrativeofhorror，andthatoftenagainwouldherepeatit。
　　Hisshaggyblackeyebrows，ashedeliveredhisspeech，metinasinglestrip，whilethewhitesofhiseyesgrewbloodshot，andtheirdull，blackpupilsneverceasedtheirnervoustwitching。
　　Presentlythegloomyrecitalwasoncemoreroughly，unceremoniouslybrokeninuponbythecheerfulvoiceoftheChrist-lovingpilgrim。
　　“Itisnotright，brother，“thevoicesaid，“toblameGodforuntowardaccidents，orformistakesandfolliescommittedbyourselves。“
　　“ButifGodbeGod，Heisresponsibleforallthings。“
　　“Notso。Concedetoyourselfthefacultyofreason。“
　　“Pah！Whatavailsreasonifitcannotmakemeunderstand？“
　　“CannotmakeyouunderstandWHAT？“
　　“Themainpoint，thepointwhyMYwifehadtobeburntratherthanmyneighbour’s？“
　　Somewhereanoldwomancommentedinspitefullydistincttones:
　　“Ohho，ho！Thismancomestoamonastery，andstartsrailingassoonashegetsthere！“
　　Flashinghiseyesangrily，theblack-beardedmanloweredhisheadlikeabull。Then，thinkingbetterofhisposition，andcontentinghimselfwithagesture，hestrodeswiftly，heavilytowardsthedoor。UponthistheChrist-lovingpilgrimrosewithaswayingmotion，bowedtoeveryonepresent，andsetaboutfollowinghislateinterlocutor。
　　“Ithasallcomeofabrokenheart，“hesaidwithasmileashepassedme。Yetsomehowthesmileseemedtolacksympathy。
　　Withadisapprovingairsomeoneelseremarked:
　　“Thatfellow’sonethoughtistoenlargeandtoenlargeuponhistale。“
　　“Yes，andtonopurposedoeshedoso，“addedtheChrist-lovingpilgrimashehaltedinthedoorway。“Allthatheaccomplishesbyitistowearyhimselfandothersalike。Suchexperiencesarefarbetterputbehindone。“
　　PresentlyIfollowedthepairintotheforecourt，andneartheentrance-gatesheardavoicesayquietly:
　　“Donotdisturbyourself，goodfather。“
　　“Nevertheless“thesecondvoicewasthatoftheporterofthemonastery，FatherSeraphim，astrappingVetlugan“aspectrewalksherenightly。“
　　“Nevermindifitdoes。Asregardsmyself，nospectrewouldtouchme。“
　　HereImovedinthedirectionofthegates。
　　“Whocomesthere？“Seraphiminquiredashethrustahairyanduncouth，butinfinitelykindly，faceclosetomine。“Oh，itistheyoungfellowfromNizhniNovgorod！Youarewastingyourtime，mygoodsir，forthewomenhaveallgonetobed。“
　　Withwhichhelaughedandchuckledlikeabear。
　　Beyondthewalloftheforecourtthestillnessoftheautumnnightwasthelanguidinertiaofaworldexhaustedbysummer，andthewitheredgrassandotherobjectsoftheseasonwereexhalingasweetandbracingodour，andthetreeslookinglikefragmentsofcloudwheremotionlesstheyhunginthemoist，sultryair。