“Ipresumewearegoingtopassthenighthere？“Kalininatlengthqueried。
　　“No，formyintentionis，rather，tocontinuemyjourney。“
　　“Thenletusmakeanimmediatestart。“
　　“Butmydirectionwillnotbethesameasyours，Ithink？“
　　Previouslytothis，Kalininhadsquatteddownuponhishaunches，andtakensomebreadandafewpearsfromhiswallet；butnow，onhearingmydecision，hereplacedtheviandsinhisreceptacle，snapped——tothelidofitwithanairofvexation——andasked:
　　“Whydidyoucomewithmeatall？“
　　“BecauseIwantedtohaveatalkwithyou——Ihadfoundyouaninterestingcharacter。“
　　“Yes。AtleastIamTHAT；manylikemedonotexist。“
　　“Pardonme；Ihavemetseveral。“
　　“Perhapsyouhave。“Afterwhichutterance，doubtfullydrawled，thespeakeraddedmorestickstothefire。
　　Eventidewasfallingwithtardylanguor，but，asyet，thesun，thoughbecomeagigantic，dull，redlentilinappearance，wasnothidden，andthewaveswerestillpowerlesstobesprinklehisdownwardroadoffire。Presently，however，hesubsidedintoacloudbank；whereupondarknessfloodedtheearthlikewaterpouredfromanemptybasin，andthegreatkindlystarsshoneforth，andthenocturnalprofundity，envelopingtheworld，seemedtosoftenitevenasahumanheartmayberenderedgentle。
　　“Good-bye！“IsaidasIpressedmycompanion’ssmall，yieldinghand:whereuponhelookedmeintheeyesinhisopen，boyishway，andreplied:
　　“IwishIweregoingwithyou！“
　　“Well，comewithmeasfarasGudaout。“
　　“Yes，Iwill。“
　　SowesetforthoncemoretotraversethelandwhichI，soalientoitsinhabitants，yetsoatonewithallthatitcontained，lovedsodearly，andofwhichIyearnedtofertilisethelifeinreturnforthevitalitywithwhichithadfilledmyownexistence。
　　Fordaily，thethreadswithwhichmyheartwasboundtotheworldatlargeweregrowingmorenumerous；dailymyheartwasstoringupsomethingwhichhadatitsrootasenseofloveforlife，ofinterestinmyfellow-man。
　　Andthatevening，asweproceededonourway，theseawassingingitsvespertinalhymn，therockswererumblingasthewatercaressedthem，andonthefurthermostedgeofthedarkvoidtherewerefloatingdimwhitepatcheswherethesunset’sglowhadnotyetfaded——thoughalreadystarswereglowinginthezenith。
　　Meanwhileeveryslumberingtreetopwasaquiver，andasI
　　steppedacrossthescatteredrain-pools，theirwatergurgleddreamily，timidlyundermyfeet。
　　Yes，thatnightIwasatorchuntomyself，forinmybreastaredflamewassmoulderinglikealivingbeacon，andleadingmetolongthatsomefrightened，belatedwayfarershould，asitwere，sightmylittlespeckofradiancyamidthedarkness。
　　OneeveningIwassaunteringalongasoft，grey，dustytrackbetweentwobreast-highwallsofgrain。Sonarrowwasthetrackthathereandtheretar-besmearedcarswerelying——tangled，broken，andcrushed——intherutsofthecartway。
　　Fieldmicesqueakedasaheavycarfirstswayed——thenbentforwardstowardsthesun-bakedearth。Anumberofmartinsandswallowswereflittinginthesky，andconstitutingasignoftheimmediateproximityofdwellingsandariver；thoughforthemoment，asmyeyesrovedovertheseaofgold，theyencounterednaughtbeyondabelfryrisingtoheavenlikeaship’smast，andsometreeswhichfromafarlookedlikethedarksailsofaship。
　　Yes，therewasnothingelsetobeseensavethebrocaded，undulatingsteppewheregentlyitslopedawaysouth-westwards。
　　Andaswastheearth’soutwardappearance，sowasthatofthesky——equallypeaceful。
　　Invariably，thesteppemakesonefeellikeaflyonaplatter。
　　Invariably，itinclinesonetobelieve，whenthecentreoftheexpanseisreached，thattheearthlieswithinthecompassofthesky，withthesunembracingit，andthestarshemmingitaboutas，half-blinded，theystareatthesun’sbeauty。
　　Presentlythesun’shuge，rosy-reddiskimpingedupontheblueshadowsofthehorizonbeforepreparingtosinkintoasnow-whitecloud-bank；andasitdidsoitbathedtheearsofgrainaroundmeinradianceandcausedthecornflowerstoseemthedarkerbycomparison；andthestillness，theheraldofnight，toaccentuatemorethanevertheburdenoftheearth’ssong。
　　Fanwisethenspreadtheruddybeamsoverthefirmament；and，insodoing，theycastuponmybreastashaftoflightlikeMoses’
　　rod，andawokethereinafloodofcalm，butardent，sentimentswhichsetmelongingtoembracealltheeveningworld，andtopourintoitseargreat，eloquent，andneverpreviouslyvoiced，utterances。
　　Now，too，thefirmamentbegantospangleitselfwithstars；andsincetheearthisequallyastar，andispeopledwithhumankind，Ifoundmyselflongingtotraverseeveryroadthroughouttheuniverse，andtobehold，dispassionately，allthejoysandsorrowsoflife，andtojoinmyfellowsindrinkinghoneymixedwithgall。
　　Yetalsotherewasuponmeafeelingofhunger，fornotsincethemorninghadmywalletcontainedamorseloffood。Whichcircumstancehinderedtheprocessofthought，andintermittentlyvexedmewiththereflectionthat，richthoughistheearth，andmuchthencethoughhumanityhaswonbylabour，amanmayyetbeforcedtowalkhungry……
　　Suddenlythetrackswervedtotheright，andasthewallsofgrainopenedoutbeforeme，therelayrevealedasteppevalley，with，flowingatitsbottom，abluerivulet，andspanningtherivulet，anewly-constructedbridgewhich，withitsreflectioninthewater，lookedasyellowasthoughfashionedofrope。Onthefurthersideoftherivuletsomesevenwhitehutslaypressedagainstasmalldeclivitythatwascrownedwithacattle-fold，andamidthesilver-greytrunksofsometallblackpoplarswhoseshadows，wheretheyfelluponthehamlet，seemedassoftasdownaknee-halteredhorse，wasstumpingwithswishingtail。Andthoughtheair，redolentofsmokeandtarandhempensilage，wasfilledwiththesoundsofpoultrycacklingandababycryingduringtheprocessofbeingputtobed，thehubbubinnowayservedtodispeltheillusionthateverythinginthevalleywasbutpartofasketchexecutedbyanartistichand，andcastinsofttintswhichthesunhadsincecaused，insomemeasure，tofade。
　　Inthecentreofthesemi-circleofhutstherestoodabrick-
　　kiln，andnexttoit，ahigh，narrowredchapelwhichresembledaone-eyedwatchman。AndasIstoodgazingatthesceneingeneral，acranestoopedwithafaintandraucouscry，andawomanwhohadcomeouttodrawwaterlookedasthough，assheraisedbarearmstostretchherselfupwards——cloud-like，andwhite-robedfromheadtofoot——shewereabouttofloatawayaltogether。
　　Also，nearthebrick-kilntherelayapatchofblackmudintheglistening，crumpled-velvetbluesubstanceofwhichtwourchinsoffiveandthreewere，breechless，andnakedfromthewaistupwards，kneadingyellowfeetamidasilenceasabsorbedasthoughtheironedesireinlifehadbeentoimpregnatethemudwiththeredradianceofthesun。Andsomuchdidthislaudabletaskinterestme，andengagemysympathyandattention，thatI
　　stoppedtowatchthestrappingyoungsters，seeingthateveninmirethesunhasarightfulplace，forthereasonthatthedeeperthesunlight’spenetrationofthesoil，thebetterdoesthatsoilbecome，andthegreaterthebenefittothepeopledwellingonitssurface。
　　Viewedfromabove，thescenelay，asitwere，inthepalmofone’shand。True，bynomannerofmeanscouldsuchlowlyfarmcotsprovidemewithajob，butatleastshouldI，forthatevening，beabletoenjoytheluxuryofachatwiththecots’
　　kindlyinhabitants。Hence，with，inmymind，abaseandmischievousinclinationtoretailtothoseinhabitantstalesofthemarvellouskindofwhichIknewthemtostandwellnighasmuchinneedasofbread，Iresumedmyway，andapproachedthebridge。