Itwasthehusband，whohadreturnedhome，andinalarmwaslookingforhiswifeinthevillage。Atthatmomenttherecamethesoundofunrestrainedlaughter:thewife，forgetfulofeverything，soughtinherintoxicationtomakeupbyafewhoursofhappinessforthemiseryawaitinghernextday。
Idroppedasleep。
WhenIwokeupSavkawassittingbesidemeandlightlyshakingmyshoulder。Theriver，thecopse，bothbanks，greenandwashed，treesandfields——allwerebathedinbrightmorninglight。
Throughtheslimtrunksofthetreestheraysofthenewlyrisensunbeatuponmyback。
“Sothat’showyoucatchfish？“laughedSavka。“Getup！“
Igotup，gavealuxuriousstretch，andbegangreedilydrinkinginthedampandfragrantair。
“HasAgashagone？“Iasked。
“Theresheis，“saidSavka，pointinginthedirectionoftheford。
IglancedandsawAgafya。Dishevelled，withherkerchiefdroppingoffherhead，shewascrossingtheriver，holdingupherskirt。
Herlegswerescarcelymoving。
“Thecatknowswhosemeatithaseaten，“mutteredSavka，screwinguphiseyesashelookedather。“Shegoeswithhertailhangingdown。Theyareslyascats，thesewomen，andtimidashares。Shedidn’tgo，sillything，intheeveningwhenwetoldherto！Nowshewillcatchit，andthey’llflogmeagainatthepeasantcourtallonaccountofthewomen。“
Agafyasteppeduponthebankandwentacrossthefieldstothevillage。Atfirstshewalkedfairlyboldly，butsoonterrorandexcitementgottheupperhand；sheturnedroundfearfully，stoppedandtookbreath。
“Yes，youarefrightened！“Savkalaughedmournfully，lookingatthebrightgreenstreakleftbyAgafyainthedewygrass。“Shedoesn’twanttogo！Herhusband’sbeenstandingwaitingforherforagoodhour。Didyouseehim？“
Savkasaidthelastwordswithasmile，buttheysentachilltomyheart。Inthevillage，nearthefurthesthut，Yakovwasstandingintheroad，gazingfixedlyathisreturningwife。Hestoodwithoutstirring，andwasasmotionlessasapost。Whatwashethinkingashelookedather？Whatwordswashepreparingtogreetherwith？Agafyastoodstillalittlewhile，lookedroundoncemoreasthoughexpectinghelpfromus，andwenton。Ihaveneverseenanyone，drunkorsober，moveasshedid。Agafyaseemedtobeshrivelledupbyherhusband’seyes。Atonetimeshemovedinzigzags，thenshemovedherfeetupanddownwithoutgoingforward，bendingherkneesandstretchingoutherhands，thenshestaggeredback。Whenshehadgoneanotherhundredpacesshelookedroundoncemoreandsatdown。
“Yououghtatleasttohidebehindabush“IsaidtoSavka。
“Ifthehusbandseesyou“
“Heknows，anyway，whoitisAgafyahascomefrom。Thewomendon’tgotothekitchengardenatnightforcabbages——weallknowthat。“
IglancedatSavka’sface。Itwaspaleandpuckeredupwithalookoffastidiouspitysuchasoneseesinthefacesofpeoplewatchingtorturedanimals。
“What’sfunforthecatistearsforthemouse。“hemuttered。
Agafyasuddenlyjumpedup，shookherhead，andwithaboldstepwenttowardsherhusband。Shehadevidentlypluckeduphercourageandmadeuphermind。
“WHATshallIwrite？“saidYegor，andhedippedhispenintheink。
Vasilisahadnotseenherdaughterforfouryears。HerdaughterYefimyahadgoneafterherweddingtoPetersburg，hadsentthemtwoletters，andsincethenseemedtovanishoutoftheirlives；
therehadbeennosightnorsoundofher。Andwhethertheoldwomanweremilkinghercowatdawn，orheatingherstove，ordozingatnight，shewasalwaysthinkingofoneandthesamething——whatwashappeningtoYefimya，whethershewerealiveoutyonder。Sheoughttohavesentaletter，buttheoldfathercouldnotwrite，andtherewasnoonetowrite。
ButnowChristmashadcome，andVasilisacouldnotbearitanylonger，andwenttothetaverntoYegor，thebrotheroftheinnkeeper’swife，whohadsatinthetaverndoingnothingeversincehecamebackfromthearmy；peoplesaidthathecouldwritelettersverywellifhewereproperlypaid。Vasilisatalkedtothecookatthetavern，thentothemistressofthehouse，thentoYegorhimself。Theyagreeduponfifteenkopecks。
Andnow——ithappenedontheseconddayoftheholidays，inthetavernkitchen——Yegorwassittingatthetable，holdingthepeninhishand。Vasilisawasstandingbeforehim，ponderingwithanexpressionofanxietyandwoeonherface。Pyotr，herhusband，averythinoldmanwithabrownishbaldpatch，hadcomewithher；
hestoodlookingstraightbeforehimlikeablindman。Onthestoveapieceofporkwasbeingbraisedinasaucepan；itwasspurtingandhissing，andseemedtobeactuallysaying:
“Flu-flu-flu。“Itwasstifling。
“WhatamItowrite？“Yegoraskedagain。
“What？“askedVasilisa，lookingathimangrilyandsuspiciously。
“Don’tworryme！Youarenotwritingfornothing；nofear，you’llbepaidforit。Come，write:’Toourdearson-in-law，AndreyHrisanfitch，andtoouronlybeloveddaughter，YefimyaPetrovna，withourlovewesendalowbowandourparentalblessingabidingforever。’“
“Written；fireaway。“
“’AndwewishthemahappyChristmas；wearealiveandwell，andIwishyouthesame，pleasetheLordtheHeavenlyKing。’“
Vasilisaponderedandexchangedglanceswiththeoldman。
“’AndIwishyouthesame，pleasetheLordtheHeavenlyKing，’“
sherepeated，beginningtocry。
Shecouldsaynothingmore。Andyetbefore，whenshelayawakethinkingatnight，ithadseemedtoherthatshecouldnotgetallshehadtosayintoadozenletters。Sincethetimewhenherdaughterhadgoneawaywithherhusbandmuchwaterhadflowedintothesea，theoldpeoplehadlivedfeelingbereaved，andsighedheavilyatnightasthoughtheyhadburiedtheirdaughter。
Andhowmanyeventshadoccurredinthevillagesincethen，howmanymarriagesanddeaths！Howlongthewintershadbeen！Howlongthenights！
“It’shot，“saidYegor，unbuttoninghiswaistcoat。“Itmustbeseventydegrees。Whatmore？“heasked。
Theoldpeopleweresilent。
“Whatdoesyourson-in-lawdoinPetersburg？“askedYegor。
“Hewasasoldier，mygoodfriend，“theoldmanansweredinaweakvoice。“Helefttheserviceatthesametimeasyoudid。Hewasasoldier，andnow，tobesure，heisatPetersburgatahydropathicestablishment。Thedoctortreatsthesickwithwater。
Sohe，tobesure，ishouse-porteratthedoctor’s。“
“Hereitiswrittendown，“saidtheoldwoman，takingaletteroutofherpocket。“WegotitfromYefimya，goodnessknowswhen。
Maybetheyarenolongerinthisworld。“
Yegorthoughtalittleandbeganwritingrapidly:
“Atthepresenttime“——hewrote——“sinceyourdestinythroughyourowndoingallottedyoutotheMilitaryCareer，wecounselyoutolookintotheCodeofDisciplinaryOffencesandFundamentalLawsoftheWarOffice，andyouwillseeinthatlawtheCivilizationoftheOfficialsoftheWarOffice。“
Hewroteandkeptreadingaloudwhatwaswritten，whileVasilisaconsideredwhatsheoughttowrite:howgreathadbeentheirwanttheyearbefore，howtheircornhadnotlastedeventillChristmas，howtheyhadtoselltheircow。Sheoughttoaskformoney，oughttowritethattheoldfatherwasoftenailingandwouldsoonnodoubtgiveuphissoultoGodbuthowtoexpressthisinwords？Whatmustbesaidfirstandwhatafterwards？
“Takenote，“Yegorwentonwriting，“involumefiveoftheArmyRegulationssoldierisacommonnounandaproperone，asoldierofthefirstrankiscalledageneral，andofthelastaprivate。“
Theoldmanstirredhislipsandsaidsoftly:
“Itwouldbeallrighttohavealookatthegrandchildren。“
“Whatgrandchildren？“askedtheoldwoman，andshelookedangrilyathim；“perhapstherearenone。“
“Well，butperhapsthereare。Whoknows？“
“Andtherebyyoucanjudge，“Yegorhurriedon，“whatistheenemywithoutandwhatistheenemywithin。TheforemostofourenemieswithinisBacchus。“Thepensqueaked，executinguponthepaperflourisheslikefish-hooks。Yegorhastenedandreadovereverylineseveraltimes。Hesatonastoolsprawlinghisbroadfeetunderthetable，well-fed，burstingwithhealth，withacoarseanimalfaceandaredbullneck。Hewasvulgarityitself:coarse，conceited，invincible，proudofhavingbeenbornandbredinapot-house；andVasilisaquiteunderstoodthevulgarity，butcouldnotexpressitinwords，andcouldonlylookangrilyandsuspiciouslyatYegor。Herheadwasbeginningtoache，andherthoughtswereinconfusionfromthesoundofhisvoiceandhisunintelligiblewords，fromtheheatandthestuffiness，andshesaidnothingandthoughtnothing，butsimplywaitedforhimtofinishscribbling。Buttheoldmanlookedwithfullconfidence。
Hebelievedinhisoldwomanwhohadbroughthimthere，andinYegor；andwhenhehadmentionedthehydropathicestablishmentitcouldbeseenthathebelievedintheestablishmentandthehealingefficacyofwater。
Havingfinishedtheletter，Yegorgotupandreadthewholeofitthroughfromthebeginning。Theoldmandidnotunderstand，buthenoddedhisheadtrustfully。