“Imaytellyou，“atlengththecrook-backedoldwomanremarkedassheattemptedtostraightenherself，“thatthoughmyhusbandwasnotwithoutenemies，healsohadaparticularfriendnamedAndrei，andthatwhenfailingstrengthwasbeginningtomakelifedifficultforusinouroldhomeontheDon，andfolktooktorevilingandgirdingatmyhusband，Andreicametousoneday，andsaid:’Yakov，letnotyourhandsfailyou，fortheearthislarge，andinallpartshasbeengiventomenfortheiruse。Iffolkbecruel，theyaresothroughstupidityandprejudice，andmustnotbejudgedforbeingso。Liveyourownlife。Lettheirsbetheirs，andyoursyours，sothat，dwellinginpeace，whileyieldingtonone，youshallintimeovercomethemall。’“
　　“ThatiswhatVasiltoousedtosay。Heusedtosay:’Lettheirsbetheirs，andoursours。’“
　　“Aye，neveragoodworddies，but，wheresoeveritbeuttered，fliesthencethroughtheworldlikeaswallow。“
　　Ufimcorroboratedthiswithanod。
　　“Trueindeed！“heremarked。“ThoughalsoithasbeensaidthatagoodwordisChrist’s，andabadwordthepriest’s。“
　　Oneoftheoldwomenshookherheadvigorouslyatthis，andcroaked:
　　“Thebadnessliesnotinanywordofapriest，butinwhatyouyourselfhavejustsaid。Youaregreyheaded，Ufim，yetoftenyouspeakwithoutthought。“
　　PresentlyUfim’swifereappeared，and，wavingherhandsasthoughshewerebrandishingasieve，begantoventrenewedvolleysofvirulentabuse。
　　“MyGod，“shecried，“whatsortofamanisthat？Why，amanwhoneitherspeaksnorlistens，butforeverkeepsbayingatthemoonlikeadog！“
　　“NOWshe’sstarted！“Ufimdrawled。
　　Westwardtherewerearising，andsoaringskyward，cloudsofsuchasimilaritytobluesmokeandblood-redflamethatthesteppeseemedalmosttobeindangerofcatchingfirethence。Meanwhileasofteveningbreezewascaressingtheexpanseasawhole，andcausingthegraintobenddrowsilyearthwardasgolden-redripplesskimmeditssurface。Onlyintheeasternquarterwhencenight’sblack，sultryshadowwasstealthilycreepinginourdirectionhaddarknessyetdescended。
　　Atintervalstherecameventedfromthewindowabovemyheadthehotodourofadeadbody；and，wheneverthathappened，thedog’sgreynostrilsandmuzzlewouldquiver，anditseyeswouldblinkpitifullyasitgazedaloft。Glancingattheheavens，Ufimremarkedwithconviction:
　　“Therewillbenoraintonight。“
　　“DoyoukeepsuchathingasaPsalterhere？“Iinquired。
　　“Suchathingasawhat？“
　　“AsaPsalter——abook？“
　　Noanswerfollowed。
　　Fasterandfasterthesouthernnightwentondescending，andwipingthelandcleanofheat，asthoughthatheathadbeendust。
　　UponmetherecameafeelingthatIshouldliketogoandburymyselfinsomesweet-smellinghay，andsleepthereuntilsunrise。
　　“MaybePanekhasoneofthosethings？“hazardedUfimafteralongpause。“AtanyratehehasdealingswiththeMolokans。“
　　Afterthat，thecompanyheldfurtherconverseinwhispers。Thenallsavethemorerotundoftheoldwomenlefttheforecourt，whileitsremainingoccupantsaidtomewithasigh:
　　“Youmaycomeandlookathimifyouwish。“
　　Smallandgentlelookedthewoman’smeeklyloweredheadas，foldingherhandsacrossherbreast，sheaddedinawhisper:
　　“OhpurestMotherofGod！OhThouofspotlesschastity！“
　　Incontrasttoherexpression，thatonthefaceofthedeadmanwasstemand，asitwere，fraughtwithimportancewherethickgreyeyebrowslaypartedoveralargenose，andthelattercurveddownwardstowardsamoustachewhichdividedintrospective，partiallyclosedeyesfromamouththatwassethalf-open。
　　Indeed，itwasasthoughthemanwereponderingsomethingofannoyance，sothatpresentlyhewouldmakeshifttodeliverhimselfofafinalandurgentinjunction。Thebluesmokeofameagrecandlequiveredmeanwhile，overhishead，thoughthewickdiffusedsofeeblealightthatthedeathblursundertheeyesandinthecheekfurrowslayuneffaced，andthedarkhandsandwrists，disposed，lumplike，onthefrontofthegreyish-blueshroud，seemedtohavehadtheirfingerstwistedinamannerwhichevendeathhadfailedtorectify。Andeverandanon，streamingfromdoortowindow，cameadraughtvariouslyfraughtwiththeodoursofwormwood，mint，andcorruption。
　　Presentlytheoldwoman’swhisperinggrewmoreanimatedandintelligible，whileconstantly，amidthewheezedmutterings，sheetlightningcuttheblacksquareofthewindowspacewithmenacingflashes，andseemed，withtheirblueglare，asitshotthroughthetomblikehut，tocausethecandle’sflickeringflametoundergoatemporaryextinction，atemporarywithdrawal，andthegreybristlesonthedeadman’sfacetogleamlikethescalesofafish，andhisfeaturestogatherthemselvesintoagrimfrown。Meanwhile，likeastreamofcold，bitterwaterdrippinguponmybreast，theoldwoman’swhisperedsoliloquymaintaineditsuninterruptedflow。
　　Atlengththererecurred，somehow，tomymindthewordswhich，impressivethoughtheybe，nevercanassuagesorrow——thewords:
　　“Weepnotforme，Martha，norgazeintothetomb，for，lo，Iamrisen！“
　　Nay，andneverwouldTHISmanriseagain……
　　PresentlythebonyoldwomanreturnedwithareportthatnowhereamongthehutscouldaPsalterbefound，butonlyabookofanotherkind。Woulditdo？
　　TheotherbookturnedouttobeagrammaroftheChurchSlavonicdialect，withthefirstpagestornout，andbeginningwiththewords，“Drug，drugi，druzhe。“[“Afriend，ofafriend，O
　　friend。“]
　　“What，then，arewetodo？“vexedlyaskedthesmallerofthedameswhenIhadexplainedtoherthatagrammarcouldworknobenefittoacorpse。Assheputthequery，hersmall，childlikefacequiveredwithdisappointment，andhereyesswelledandoverflowedwithtears。
　　“Mymanhaslivedhislife，“shesaidwithasob，“andnowhecannotevenbegivenproperburial！“
　　And，similarly，whennextIofferedtoreciteoverherhusbandeachandeveryprayerandpsalmthatIcouldcontrivetorecalltomyrecollection，onconditionthatallpresentshouldmeanwhileleavethehutforIfeltthat，sincethetaskwouldbeonenoveltome，theattendanceofauditorsmighthindermefrommusteringmyentirestockofpetitions，shesodisbelievedme，orfailedtounderstandme，thatforlongenoughshecouldonlystandtotteringinthedoorwayas，withtwitchingnose，shedrewhersleeveacrossherworn，diminutivefeatures。
　　Neverthelessshedid，atlast，takeherdeparture。
　　Lowoverthesteppe，strayflashesofsummerlightningstillgleamedagainstthejetblackskyastheyfloodedthehutwiththeirluridshimmer；andeachtimethatthedarknessofthesultrynightsweptbackintotheroom，thecandleflickered，andthecorpse’spronefigureseemedtoopenitshalf-closedeyesandglanceattheshadowswhichpalpitatedonitsbreast，anddancedoverthewhitewallsandceiling。
　　SimilarlydidIglancefromtimetotimeatHIM，yetglancewithaguardedeye，andwithafeelinginmethatwhenacorpseispresentanythingmayhappen；untilfinallyIralliedconsciencetomyaid，andrecitedundermybreath:
　　“PardonThouallwhohavesinned，whethertheybemen，orwhetherthey，beingnotmen，doyetstandhigherthanthebeastsofthefield。“
　　However，theonlyresultoftherecitationwastobringtomymindathoughtdirectlyatvariancewiththeimportofthewords，thethoughtthat“itisnotsinthatishardandbittertoensue，butrighteousness。“
　　“Sinswilfulandofignorance，“Icontinued。“Sinsknownandunknown。Sinscommittedthroughimprudenceandevilexample。Sinscommittedthroughforwardnessandsloth。“
　　“ThoughtoYOU，brother，“mentallyIaddedtothecorpse，“noneofthis，ofcourse，applies。“
　　Again，glancingatthebluestars，wheretheyhungglitteringinthefathomlessobscurityofthesky，Ireflected:
　　“Whointhishouseislookingatthemsavemyself？“
　　Presently，withapatteringofclawsoverthebeatenclayofthefloor，thereenteredthedog。Onceortwiceitpacedthelengthoftheroom。Then，withasniffatmylegs，andagrumbletoitself，itdepartedasithadcome。Perhapsthecreaturefelttoooldtobayadirgetoitsmasterafterthemannerofitskind。Inanycase，asitvanishedthroughthedoorway，theshadows——soI