“Butwhenareyougoing？“Savelypatteredaway。“That’swhatthepostisfor——togetthereingoodtime，doyouhear？I’lltakeyou。“
Thepostmanopenedhiseyes。Warmedandrelaxedbyhisfirstsweetsleep，andnotyetquiteawake，hesawasthroughamistthewhiteneckandtheimmovable，alluringeyesofthesexton’swife。Heclosedhiseyesandsmiledasthoughhehadbeendreamingitall。
“Come，howcanyougoinsuchweather！“heheardasoftfemininevoice；“yououghttohaveasoundsleepanditwoulddoyougood！“
“Andwhataboutthepost？“saidSavelyanxiously。“Who’sgoingtotakethepost？Areyougoingtotakeit，pray，you？
Thepostmanopenedhiseyesagain，lookedattheplayofthedimplesonRaissa’sface，rememberedwherehewas，andunderstoodSavely。Thethoughtthathehadtogooutintothecolddarknesssentachillshudderalldownhim，andhewinced。
“Imightsleepanotherfiveminutes，“hesaid，yawning。“Ishallbelate，anyway。“
“Wemightbejustintime，“cameavoicefromtheouterroom。
“Alldaysarenotalike；thetrainmaybelateforabitofluck。“
Thepostmangotup，andstretchinglazilybeganputtingonhiscoat。
Savelypositivelyneighedwithdelightwhenhesawhisvisitorsweregettingreadytogo。
“Giveusahand，“thedrivershoutedtohimasheliftedupamail-bag。
Thesextonranoutandhelpedhimdragthepost-bagsintotheyard。Thepostmanbeganundoingtheknotinhishood。Thesexton’swifegazedintohiseyes，andseemedtryingtolookrightintohissoul。
“Yououghttohaveacupoftea“shesaid。
“Iwouldn’tsaynobut，yousee，they’regettingready，“heassented。“Wearelate，anyway。“
“Dostay，“shewhispered，droppinghereyesandtouchinghimbythesleeve。
Thepostmangottheknotundoneatlastandflungthehoodoverhiselbow，hesitating。HefeltitcomfortablestandingbyRaissa。
“Whataneckyou’vegot！“Andhetouchedherneckwithtwofingers。Seeingthatshedidnotresist，hestrokedherneckandshoulders。
“Isay，youare“
“You’dbetterstayhavesometea。“
“Whereareyouputtingit？“Thedriver’svoicecouldbeheardoutside。“Layitcrossways。“
“You’dbetterstay。Harkhowthewindhowls。“
Andthepostman，notyetquiteawake，notyetquiteabletoshakeofftheintoxicatingsleepofyouthandfatigue，wassuddenlyoverwhelmedbyadesireforthesakeofwhichmail-bags，postaltrainsandallthingsintheworld，areforgotten。Heglancedatthedoorinafrightenedway，asthoughhewantedtoescapeorhidehimself，seizedRaissaroundthewaist，andwasjustbendingoverthelamptoputoutthelight，whenheheardthetrampofbootsintheouterroom，andthedriverappearedinthedoorway。Savelypeepedinoverhisshoulder。Thepostmandroppedhishandsquicklyandstoodstillasthoughirresolute。
“It’sallready，“saidthedriver。Thepostmanstoodstillforamoment，resolutelythrewuphisheadasthoughwakingupcompletely，andfollowedthedriverout。Raissawasleftalone。
“Come，getinandshowustheway！“sheheard。
Onebellsoundedlanguidly，thenanother，andthejinglingnotesinalongdelicatechainfloatedawayfromthehut。
Whenlittlebylittletheyhaddiedaway，Raissagotupandnervouslypacedtoandfro。Atfirstshewaspale，thensheflushedallover。Herfacewascontortedwithhate，herbreathingwastremulous，hereyesgleamedwithwild，savageanger，and，pacingupanddownasinacage，shelookedlikeatigressmenacedwithred-hotiron。Foramomentshestoodstillandlookedatherabode。Almosthalfoftheroomwasfilledupbythebed，whichstretchedthelengthofthewholewallandconsistedofadirtyfeather-bed，coarsegreypillows，aquilt，andnamelessragsofvarioussorts。ThebedwasashapelessuglymasswhichsuggestedtheshockofhairthatalwaysstooduponSavely’sheadwheneveritoccurredtohimtooilit。Fromthebedtothedoorthatledintothecoldouterroomstretchedthedarkstovesurroundedbypotsandhangingclouts。Everything，includingtheabsentSavelyhimself，wasdirty，greasy，andsmuttytothelastdegree，sothatitwasstrangetoseeawoman’swhiteneckanddelicateskininsuchsurroundings。
Raissaranuptothebed，stretchedoutherhandsasthoughshewantedtoflingitallabout，stampitunderfoot，andtearittoshreds。Butthen，asthoughfrightenedbycontactwiththedirt，sheleaptbackandbeganpacingupanddownagain。
WhenSavelyreturnedtwohourslater，wornoutandcoveredwithsnow，shewasundressedandinbed。Hereyeswereclosed，butfromtheslighttremorthatranoverherfaceheguessedthatshewasnotasleep。Onhiswayhomehehadvowedinwardlytowaittillnextdayandnottotouchher，buthecouldnotresistabitingtauntather。
“Yourwitcherywasallinvain:he’sgoneoff，“hesaid，grinningwithmalignantjoy。
Hiswiferemainedmute，butherchinquivered。Savelyundressedslowly，clamberedoverhiswife，andlaydownnexttothewall。
“To-morrowI’llletFatherNikodimknowwhatsortofwifeyouare！“hemuttered，curlinghimselfup。
Raissaturnedherfacetohimandhereyesgleamed。
“Thejob’senoughforyou，andyoucanlookforawifeintheforest，blastyou！“shesaid。“Iamnowifeforyou，aclumsylout，aslug-a-bed，Godforgiveme！“
“Come，comegotosleep！“
“HowmiserableIam！“sobbedhiswife。“Ifitweren’tforyou，I
mighthavemarriedamerchantorsomegentleman！Ifitweren’tforyou，Ishouldlovemyhusbandnow！Andyouhaven’tbeenburiedinthesnow，youhaven’tbeenfrozenonthehighroad，youHerod！“
Raissacriedforalongtime。Atlastshedrewadeepsighandwasstill。Thestormstillragedwithout。Somethingwailedinthestove，inthechimney，outsidethewalls，anditseemedtoSavelythatthewailingwaswithinhim，inhisears。Thiseveninghadcompletelyconfirmedhiminhissuspicionsabouthiswife。Henolongerdoubtedthathiswife，withtheaidoftheEvilOne，controlledthewindsandthepostsledges。Buttoaddtohisgrief，thismysteriousness，thissupernatural，weirdpowergavethewomanbesidehimapeculiar，incomprehensiblecharmofwhichhehadnotbeenconsciousbefore。Thefactthatinhisstupidityheunconsciouslythrewapoeticglamouroverhermadeherseem，asitwere，whiter，sleeker，moreunapproachable。
“Witch！“hemutteredindignantly。“Tfoo，horridcreature！“
Yet，waitingtillshewasquietandbeganbreathingevenly，hetouchedherheadwithhisfingerheldherthickplaitinhishandforaminute。Shedidnotfeelit。Thenhegrewbolderandstrokedherneck。
“Leaveoff！“sheshouted，andproddedhimonthenosewithherelbowwithsuchviolencethathesawstarsbeforehiseyes。
Thepaininhisnosewassoonover，butthetortureinhisheartremained。
INthevillageofReybuzh，justfacingthechurch，standsatwo-storeyedhousewithastonefoundationandanironroof。Inthelowerstoreytheownerhimself，FilipIvanovKashin，nicknamedDyudya，liveswithhisfamily，andontheupperfloor，whereitisapttobeveryhotinsummerandverycoldinwinter，theyputupgovernmentofficials，merchants，orlandowners，whochancetobetravellingthatway。Dyudyarentssomebitsofland，keepsatavernonthehighroad，doesatradeintar，honey，cattle，andjackdaws，andhasalreadysomethinglikeeightthousandroublesputbyinthebankinthetown。
Hiselderson，Fyodor，isheadengineerinthefactory，and，asthepeasantssayofhim，hehasrisensohighintheworldthatheisquiteoutofreachnow。Fyodor’swife，Sofya，aplain，ailingwoman，livesathomeatherfather-in-law’s。Sheisforevercrying，andeverySundayshegoesovertothehospitalformedicine。Dyudya’ssecondson，thehunchbackAlyoshka，islivingathomeathisfather’s。HehasonlylatelybeenmarriedtoVarvara，whomtheysingledoutforhimfromapoorfamily。Sheisahandsomeyoungwoman，smartandbuxom。Whenofficialsormerchantsputupatthehouse，theyalwaysinsistonhavingVarvaratobringinthesamovarandmaketheirbeds。
OneJuneeveningwhenthesunwassettingandtheairwasfullofthesmellofhay，ofsteamingdung-heapsandnewmilk，aplain-lookingcartdroveintoDyudya’syardwiththreepeopleinit:amanofaboutthirtyinacanvassuit，besidehimalittleboyofsevenoreightinalongblackcoatwithbigbonebuttons，andonthedriver’sseatayoungfellowinaredshirt。
Theyoungfellowtookoutthehorsesandledthemoutintothestreettowalkthemupanddownabit，whilethetravellerwashed，saidaprayer，turningtowardsthechurch，thenspreadarugnearthecartandsatdownwiththeboytosupper。Heatewithouthaste，sedately，andDyudya，whohadseenagoodmanytravellersinhistime，knewhimfromhismannersforabusinesslikeman，seriousandawareofhisownvalue。
Dyudyawassittingonthestepinhiswaistcoatwithoutacapon，waitingforthevisitortospeakfirst。Hewasusedtohearingallkindsofstoriesfromthetravellersintheevening，andhelikedlisteningtothembeforegoingtobed。Hisoldwife，Afanasyevna，andhisdaughter-in-lawSofya，weremilkinginthecowshed。Theotherdaughter-in-law，Varvara，wassittingattheopenwindowoftheupperstorey，eatingsunflowerseeds。
“Thelittlechapwillbeyourson，I’mthinking？“Dyudyaaskedthetraveller。
“No；adopted。Anorphan。Itookhimformysoul’ssalvation。“