AsIdidso，therearosefromtheground-levelananimatedclodofearthintheshapeofasturdyindividual。Unwashedandunshaven，hehadhangingonhisframeanopencanvasshirt，greywithdust，andbaggybluebreeches。
　　“Goodevening，“Isaidtothefellow。
　　“Iwishyouthesame，“hereplied。“Whitherareyoubound？“
　　“Firstofall，whatisthenameofthisriver？“
　　“Whatisitsname？Why，itistheSagaidak，ofcourse。“
　　Ontheman’slarge，roundheadtherewasashockofbristling，grizzledcurls，whilependenttothemoustachebelowitwereendslikethoseofthemoustacheofaChinaman。Also，ashissmalleyesscannedmewithanairofimpudentdistrust，Icoulddetectthattheywereengagedincountingtheholesanddamsinmyraiment。Onlyafteralongintervaldidhedrawadeepbreathasfromhispocketheproducedaclaypipewithacanemouthpiece，and，knittinghisbrowsattentively，felltopeeringintothepipe’sblackbowl。Thenhesaid:
　　“Haveyoumatches？“
　　Irepliedintheaffirmative。
　　“Andsometobacco？“
　　Forawhilehecontinuedtocontemplatethesunwherethatluminaryhungsuspendedaboveacloud-bankbeforefinallydeclining。Thenheremarked:
　　“Givemeapinchofthetobacco。Asformatches，Ihavesome。“
　　Sobothofuslitup；afterwhichherestedhiselbowsuponthebalustradeofthebridge，leantbackagainstthecentralstanchions，andforsometimecontinuedmerelytoemitandinhalebluecoilsofsmoke。Thenhisnosewrinkled，andheexpectorated。
　　“Muscovitetobaccoisit？“heinquired。
　　“No——Roman，Italian。“
　　“Oh！“Andasthewrinklesofhisnosestraightenedthemselvesagainheadded:“Thenofcourseitisgoodtobacco。“
　　Toenteradwellinginadvanceofone’shostisabreachofdecorum；wherefore，IfoundmyselfforcedtoremainstandingwhereIwasuntilmyinterlocutor’staleofquestionsastomypreciseidentity，myexactplaceoforigin，mytruedestination，andmyrealreasonsfortravellingshouldtardilywinitswaytoafinish。Greatlytheprocessvexedme，forIwaseager，rather，tolearnwhatthesteppesettlementmighthaveinstoreformydelectation。
　　“Work？“thefellowdrawledthroughhisteeth。“Ohno，thereisnoworktobegothere。Howcouldtherebeatthisseasonoftheyear？“
　　Turningaside，hespatintotherivulet。
　　Onthefurtherbankofthelatter，agoosewasstruttingimportantlyattheheadofastringofround，fluffy，yellowgoslings，whilstdrivingthebroodweretwolittlegirls——theoneachildbutlittlelargerthanthegooseitself，dressedinaredfrock，andarmedwithaswitch；andtheotheroneayoungsterabsolutelyofasizewiththebird，paleoffeature，plumpofbody，bowedofleg，andgraveofexpression。
　　“Ufim！“cameatthismomentinthestridentvoiceofawomanunseen，butincensed；uponwhichmycompanionbestoweduponmeasidelongnod，andmutteredwithanairofappreciation:
　　“THERE’Slungsforyou！“
　　Whereafter，hefelltotwitchingthetoesofachafedandblackenedfoot，andtogazingattheirnails。Hisnextquestionwas:
　　“Areyou，maybe，ascholar？“
　　“Whydoyouask？“
　　“Because，ifyouare，youmightliketoreadtheBookoveracorpse。“
　　Andsoproud，apparently，washeoftheproposalthatafaintsmilecrossedhisflaccidcountenance。
　　“Yousee，itwouldbework，“headdedwithhisbrowneyesveiled，“whilst，inaddition，youwouldbepaidtenkopecksforyourtrouble，andallowedtokeeptheshroud。“
　　“Andshouldalsobegivensomesupper，Isuppose？“
　　“Yes——andshouldalsobegivensomesupper。“
　　“Whereisthecorpselying？“
　　“Inmyownhut。Shallwegothere？“
　　Offweset。Enrouteweheardoncemoreastridentshoutof:
　　“Ufi-i-im！“
　　Asweproceeded，shadowsoftreesglidedalongthesoftroadtomeetus，whilebehindaclumpofbushesonthefurtherbankoftherivuletsomechildrenwereshoutingattheirplay。Thus，whatwiththechildren’svoices，andthepurlingofthewater，andthenoiseofsomeoneplaningapieceofwood，theairseemedfulloftremulous，suspendedsound。Meanwhile，myhostsaidtomewithadrawl:
　　“Oncewedidhaveareaderhere。Anoldwomanshewas，aregularoldwitchwhoatlasthadtoberemovedtothetownforamputationofthefeet。Theymightwellhavecutoffhertonguetoowhilsttheywereaboutit，since，thoughusefulenough，shecouldrailindeed！“
　　Presentlyablackpuppy，acreatureofaboutthesizeofatoad，cameambling，three-leggedfashion，underourfeet。Uponthatitstiffeneditstail，growled，andsnuffedtheairwithitstinypinknose。
　　Nexttherepoppedupfromsomewhereoranotherabarefootedyoungwoman。Clappingherhands，shebawled:
　　“Here，youUfim，howIhavebeencallingforyou，andcallingforyou！“
　　“Eh？Well，Ineverheardyou。“
　　“Wherewereyou，then？“
　　Bywayofreply，myconductorsilentlypointedinmydirectionwiththestemofhispipe。Thenheledmeintotheforecourtofthehutnexttotheonewhencetheyoungwomanhadissued，whilstsheproceededtoprojectfreshvolleysofabuse，andfreshexpressionsofaccentuatednon-amiability。
　　Inthelittledoorwayofthedwellingnexttohers，wefoundseatedtwooldwomen。Oneofthemwasasrotundanddishevelledasabattered，leathernball，andtheotheronewasawomanbonyandcrookedofback，swarthyofskin，andirritableoffeature。
　　Atthewomen’sfeetlay，lollingoutarag-liketongue，ashaggydogwhich，redandpatheticofeye，couldboastofaframenearlyaslargeasasheep’s。
　　Firstofall，Ufimrelatedindetailhowhehadfalleninwithmyself。ThenhestatedthepurposeforwhichheconceiveditwaspossiblethatImightproveuseful。Andallthetimethathewasspeaking，twopairsofeyescontemplatedhiminsilence；
　　until，onthecompletionofhisrecital，oneoftheoldwomengaveajerktoathin，darkneck，andtheotherolddameinvitedmetotakeaseatwhilstshepreparedsomesupper。
　　Amidthetangledherbageoftheforecourt，aspotovergrownwithmallowandbrambleshoots，therewasstandingacartwhich，lackingwheels，haditsaxle-pointsdarkwithmildew。Presentlyaherdofcattlewasdrivenpastthehut，andoverthehamletthereseemedtoarise，drift，andfloat，aperfectwaveofsound。
　　Also，aseveningdescended，Icouldseeanever-increasingnumberofgreyshadowscomecreepingforthfromtheforecourt’srecesses，andoverlayinganddarkeningtheturf。
　　“Onedayallofusmustdie，“remarkedUfim，withempressementashetappedthebowlofhispipeagainstawall。
　　Thenextmomentthebarefooted，red-cheekedyoungwomanshowedherselfatthegate，andaskedintonesratherlessvehementthanrecently:
　　“Areyoucoming，orareyounot？“
　　“Presently，“repliedUfim。“Onethingatatime。“
　　ForsupperIwasgivenahunchofbreadandabowlofmilk；
　　whereuponthedogrose，laiditsaged，slobberingmuzzleuponmyknee，andgazedintomyfacewithitsdimeyesasthoughitweresaying，“MayItoohaveabite？“
　　Next，likeaneventidebreezeamongwitheredherbage，therefloatedacrosstheforecourtthehoarsevoiceofthecrook-backedoldwoman。
　　“Letuspray，“shesaid。“OhGod，takeawayfromusallsorrow，andreceivethereforerequitementintwofoldmeasure！“
　　Assherecitedtheprayerwithamienasdarkasfate，thesupplicantrolledherlongneckfromsidetoside，andnoddedherophidian-shapedheadinaccordancewithasortofregular，lethargicrhythm。NextIheardsinktoearth，atmyfeet，somesenilewordsutteredinasortofsingsong。
　　“Somefolkneedworkjustasmuchastheywish，andothersneeddonoworkatall。YetOURfolkhavetoworkbeyondtheirstrength，andtoworkwithoutanyrecompenseforthetoilwhichtheyundergo。“
　　Uponthisthesmalleroftheoldcroneswhispered:
　　“ButtheMotherofGodwillrecompensethem。Sherecompenseseveryone。“
　　Thenadeadsilencefell——aweightysilence，asilenceseeminglyfraughtwithmattersofimport，andinspiringinoneanassurancethatpresentlytherewouldbebroughtforthimpressivereflections——therewouldreachtheearwordsofmark。