PraisedbetheSonofGod！
　　EachsuccessivelineseemedtoinspireKalinin’svoicewithaddedyouthfulness，until，indeed，theconcludingwords——“TheOneandOnlyGod“——issuedinahigh，agreeabletenor。
　　Suddenlyaflashoflightningblazedbeforeus，whiledullthundercrashedamongthemountains，andsentitshundred-voicedechoesrollingoverlandandsea。Inhisconsternation，Kalininopenedhismouthuntilasetoffine，eventeethbecamebaredtoview。Then，withrepeatedcrossingsofhimself，hemuttered。
　　“0hdreadGod，0hbeneficentGod，0hGodwhosittestonhigh，andonagoldenthrone，andunderagildedcanopy，doThounowpunishSatan，lestheoverwhelmmeinthemidstofmysins！“
　　Whereafter，turningasmallandterrifiedfaceinmydirection，andblinkinghisbrighteyes，headdedwithhurrieddiction:
　　“Come，brother！Come！Letusrunonahead，forthunderstormsaremybane。Yes，letusrunwithallpossiblespeed，runANYWHERE，forsoontherainwillbepouringdown，andthesepartsarefulloflurkingfever。“
　　Off，therefore，westarted，withthewindsmitingusbehind，andourkettlesandteapotsjangling，andmywallet，inparticular，thumpingmeaboutthemiddleofthebodyasthoughithadbeenwieldingalarge，softfist。Yetafarcrywoulditbetothemountains，norwasanydwellinginsight，whileeverandanonbranchescaughtatourclothes，andstonesleaptaloftunderourtread，andtheairgrewsteadilydarker，andthemountainsseemedtobeginglidingtowardsus。
　　Oncemorefromtheblackcloud-masses，heavenbelchedafierydartwhichcausedtheseatoscintillatewithbluesapphiresinresponse，and，seemingly，torecoilfromtheshoreastheearthshook，andthemountaindefilesemittedagiganticscrunchingsoundoftheirrock-hewnjaws。
　　“0hHolyOne！0hHolyOne！0hHolyOne！“screamedKalininashedivedintothebushes。
　　Intherear，thewaveslashedusasthoughtheyhadamindtoarrestourprogress；fromthegloomtoourfrontcameasortofscrapingandrasping；longblackhandsseemedtowaveoverourheads；justatthepointwherethemountaincrestslayswathedintheirdensecoverletofcloud，thererumbledoncemorethedeafeningironchariotofthethunder-god；moreandmorefrequentlyflashedthelightningastheearthrang，andriftscleftbytheblueglaredisclosed，amidtheobscurity，greattreesthatwererustlingandrockingand，toallappearances，racingheadlongbeforethescourgeofacold，slantingrain。
　　Theoccasionwasaharassingbutbracingone，forasthefinebandsofrainbeatuponourfaces，ourbodiesfeltfilledwithaheadyvigourofakindtofitustorunindefinitely——atalleventstorununtilthisstormofrainandthundershouldbeoutpaced，andclearweatherbereachedagain。
　　SuddenlyKalininshouted:“Stop！Look！“
　　Thiswasbecausethefitfulilluminationofaflashhadjustshownupinfrontofusthetrunkofanoaktreewhichhadalargeblackhollowletintoitlikeadoorway。Sointothathollowwecrawledastwomicemighthavedone——laughingaloudinourgleeaswedidso。
　　“HerethereisroomforTHREEpersons，“mycompanionremarked。
　　“Evidentlyitisahollowthathasbeenburntout——thoughrascalsindeedmusttheburnershavebeentokindleafireinalivingtree！“
　　However，thespacewithinthehollowwasbothconfinedandredolentofsmokeanddeadleaves。Also，heavydropsofrainstillbespatteredourheadsandshoulders，andateverypealofthunderthetreequiveredandcreakeduntilthestridentdinaroundusgaveonetheillusionofbeingafloatinanarrowcaique。Meanwhileateveryflashofthelightning’sglare，wecouldseeslantingribandsofraincuttingtheairwithanetworkofblue，glistening，vitreouslines。
　　Presently，thewindbegantowhistlelessloudly，asthoughnowitfeltsatisfiedathavingdrivensomuchproductiverainintotheground，andwashedcleanthemountaintops，andloosenedthestonysoil。
　　“U-oh！U-oh！“hootedagreymountainowljustoverourheads。
　　“Why，surelyitbelievesthetimetobenight！“Kalinincommentedinawhisper。
　　“U-oh！U-u-u-oh！“hootedthebirdagain，andinresponsemycompanionshouted:
　　“Youhavemadeamistake，mybrother！“
　　Bythistimetheairwasfeelingchilly，andabrightgreyfoghadstreamedoverus，andwrappedasemi-transparentveilaboutthegnarled，barrel-liketrunkswiththeiroutgrowingshootsandthefewremainingleavesstilladhering。
　　Farandwidethemonotonousdincontinuedtorage——itdidsountilconsciousthoughtbeganalmosttobeimpossible。Yetevenasonestrainedone’sattention，andlistenedtotherainlashingthefallenleaves，andpoundingthestones，andbespatteringthetrunksofthetrees，andtothemurmuringandsplashingofrivuletsracingtowardsthesea，andtotheroaringoftorrentsastheythunderedovertherocksofthemountains，andtothecreakingoftreesbeforethewind，andtothemeasuredthud-thudofthewaves；asonelistenedtoallthis，thethousandsoundsseemedtocombineintoasingleheavinessofhurriedclamour，andinvoluntarilyonefoundoneselfstrivingtodisunitethem，andtospacethemevenasonespacesthewordsofasong。
　　Kalininfidgeted，nudgedme，andmuttered:
　　“Ifindthisplacetoocloseforme。AlwaysIhavehatedconfinement。“
　　NeverthelesshehadtakenfarmorecarethanItomakehimselfcomfortable，forhehadedgedhimselfrightintothehollow，and，bysquattingonhishaunches，reducedhisframetotheformofaball。Moreover，therain-drippingsscarcelyorinnowisetouchedhim，while，ingeneral，heappearedtohavedevelopedtothefullanaptitudeforvagrancyasapermanentcondition，andfortheallowingofnounpleasantcircumstancetodebarhimfrominvariablyfindingthemostconvenientvantage-groundatagivenjuncture。Presently，infact，hecontinued:
　　“Yes；despitetherainandcoldandeverythingelse，Iconsiderlifetobenotquiteintolerable。“
　　“Notquiteintolerableinwhat？“
　　“NotquiteintolerableinthefactthatatleastIamboundtotheserviceofnoonesaveGod。Forifdisagreeablenesseshavetobeendured，atalleventstheycomebetterfromHimthanfromone’sownspecies。“
　　“Thenyouhavenogreatloveforyourownspecies？“
　　“Onelovesone’sneighbourasthedoglovesthestick。“Towhich，afterapause，thespeakeradded:
　　ForWHYshouldIlovehim？“
　　Itpuzzledmetociteareasonoff-hand，but，fortunately，Kalinindidnotwaitforananswer——rather，hewentontoask:
　　“Haveyoueverbeenafootman？“
　　“No，“Ireplied。
　　“Thenletmetellyouthatitispeculiarlydifficultforafootmantolovehisneighbour。“
　　“Wherefore？“
　　“Goandbeafootman；THENyouwillknow。Infact，itisneverthecasethat，ifoneservesaman，onecanlovethatman……
　　Howsteadilytherainpersists！“
　　Indeed，oneveryhandtherewasinprogressatricklingandasplashingsoundasthoughtheweepingearthwereventingsoft，sorrowfulsobsoverthedepartureofsummerbeforewinteranditsstormsshouldarrive。
　　“HowcomeyoutobetravellingtheCaucasus？“Iaskedatlength。
　　“Merelythroughthefactthatmywalkingandwalkinghasbroughtmehither，“wasthereply。“Forthatmatter，everyoneendsbyheadingfortheCaucasus。“
　　“Whyso？“
　　“WhyNOT，seeingthatfromone’searliestyearsonehearsofnothingbuttheCaucasus，theCaucasus？Why，evenouroldGeneralusedtoharpuponthename，withhismoustachebristling，andhiseyesprotruding，ashedidso。Andthesameasregardsmymother，whohadvisitedthecountryinthedayswhen，asyet，theGeneralwasincommandbutofacompany。Yes，everyonetendshither。Andanotherreasonisthefactthatthecountryisaneasyonetolivein，acountrywhichenjoysmuchsunshine，andproducesmuchfood，andhasawinterlesslongandseverethanourownwinter，andthereforepresentspleasanterconditionsoflife。“
　　“Andwhatofthecountry’speople？“
　　“Whatofthecountry’speople？Oh，solongasyoukeepyourselftoyourselftheywillnotinterferewithyou。“
　　“Andwhywilltheynot？“
　　Kalininpaused，staredatme，smiledcondescendingly，and，finally，said:
　　“Whatadullardyouaretoaskaboutsuchsimplethings！Wereyounevergivenanysortofaneducation？Surelybythistimeyououghttobeabletounderstandsomething？“
　　Then，withachangeofsubject，andsubduinghistonetooneofsnufflingsupplication，headdedinthesing-songchantofapersonrecitingaprayer:
　　“’0hLord，suffermenottobecomebounduntotheclergythepriesthood，thediaconate，thetchinovstvo，[Theofficialclass]
　　ortheintelligentsia！’Thiswasapetitionwhichmymotherusedoftentorepeat。“