NikolayandOlgarealizedfromthefirstglancewhatlifewaslikehere，butsaidnothingtooneanother；insilencetheyputdowntheirbundles，andwentoutintothevillagestreet。Theirhutwasthethirdfromtheend，andseemedtheverypoorestandoldest-looking；thesecondwasnotmuchbetter；butthelastonehadanironroof，andcurtainsinthewindows。Thathutstoodapart，notenclosed；itwasatavern。Thehutswereinasinglerow，andthewholeofthelittlevillage——quietanddreamy，withwillows，elders，andmountain-ashtreespeepingoutfromtheyards——hadanattractivelook。
Beyondthepeasantshomesteadstherewasaslopedowntotheriver，sosteepandprecipitousthathugestonesjuttedoutbarehereandtherethroughtheclay。Downtheslope，amongthestonesandholesdugbythepotters，ranwindingpaths；bitsofbrokenpottery，somebrown，somered，laypiledupinheaps，andbelowtherestretchedabroad，level，brightgreenmeadow，fromwhichthehayhadbeenalreadycarried，andinwhichthepeasants’
cattlewerewandering。Theriver，three-quartersofamilefromthevillage，rantwistingandturning，withbeautifulleafybanks；beyonditwasagainabroadmeadow，aherdofcattle，longstringsofwhitegeese；then，justasonthenearside，asteepascentuphill，andonthetopofthehillahamlet，andachurchwithfivedomes，andatalittledistancethemanor-house。
“It’slovelyhereinyourparts！“saidOlga，crossingherselfatthesightofthechurch。“Whatspace，ohLord！“
JustatthatmomentthebellbeganringingforserviceitwasSaturdayevening。Twolittlegirls，downbelow，whoweredraggingupapailofwater，lookedroundatthechurchtolistentothebell。
“AtthistimetheyareservingthedinnersattheSlavyanskyBazaar，“saidNikolaydreamily。
Sittingontheedgeoftheslope，NikolayandOlgawatchedthesunsetting，watchedthegoldandcrimsonskyreflectedintheriver，inthechurchwindows，andinthewholeair——whichwassoftandstillandunutterablypureasitneverwasinMoscow。
Andwhenthesunhadsettheflocksandherdspassed，bleatingandlowing；geeseflewacrossfromthefurthersideoftheriver，andallsankintosilence；thesoftlightdiedawayintheair，andtheduskofeveningbeganquicklymovingdownuponthem。
MeanwhileNikolay’sfatherandmother，twogaunt，bent，toothlessoldpeople，justofthesameheight，cameback。Thewomen——thesisters-in-lawMaryaandFyokla——whohadbeenworkingonthelandowner’sestatebeyondtheriver，arrivedhome，too。Marya，thewifeofNikolay’sbrotherKiryak，hadsixchildren，andFyokla，thewifeofNikolay’sbrotherDenis——whohadgoneforasoldier——hadtwo；andwhenNikolay，goingintothehut，sawallthefamily，allthosebodiesbigandlittlemovingaboutonthelockers，inthehangingcradlesandinallthecorners，andwhenhesawthegreedwithwhichtheoldfatherandthewomenatetheblackbread，dippingitinwater，herealizedhehadmadeamistakeincominghere，sick，penniless，andwithafamily，too——agreatmistake！
“AndwhereisKiryak？“heaskedaftertheyhadexchangedgreetings。
“Heisinserviceatthemerchant’s，“answeredhisfather；“akeeperinthewoods。Heisnotabadpeasant，buttoofondofhisglass。“
“Heisnogreathelp！“saidtheoldwomantearfully。“Ourmenareagrievouslot；theybringnothingintothehouse，buttakeplentyout。Kiryakdrinks，andsodoestheoldman；itisnousehidingasin；heknowshiswaytothetavern。TheHeavenlyMotheriswroth。“
Inhonourofthevisitorstheybroughtoutthesamovar。Theteasmeltoffish；thesugarwasgreyandlookedasthoughithadbeennibbled；cockroachesrantoandfrooverthebreadandamongthecrockery。Itwasdisgustingtodrink，andtheconversationwasdisgusting，too——aboutnothingbutpovertyandillnesses。
Butbeforetheyhadtimetoemptytheirfirstcupstherecamealoud，prolonged，drunkenshoutfromtheyard:
“Ma-arya！“
“ItlooksasthoughKiryakwerecoming，“saidtheoldman。“Speakofthedevil。“
Allwerehushed。Andagain，soonafterwards，thesameshout，coarseanddrawn-outasthoughitcameoutoftheearth:
“Ma-arya！“
Marya，theeldersister-in-law，turnedpaleandhuddledagainstthestove，anditwasstrangetoseethelookofterroronthefaceofthestrong，broad-shouldered，uglywoman。Herdaughter，thechildwhohadbeensittingonthestoveandlookedsoapathetic，suddenlybrokeintoloudweeping。
“Whatareyouhowlingfor，youplague？“Fyokla，ahandsomewoman，alsostrongandbroad-shouldered，shoutedtoher。“Hewon’tkillyou，nofear！“
FromhisoldfatherNikolaylearnedthatMaryawasafraidtoliveintheforestwithKiryak，andthatwhenhewasdrunkhealwayscameforher，madearow，andbeathermercilessly。
“Ma-arya！“theshoutsoundedclosetothedoor。
“Protectme，forChrist’ssake，goodpeople！“falteredMarya，breathingasthoughshehadbeenplungedintoverycoldwater。
“Protectme，kindpeople。“
Allthechildreninthehutbegancrying，andlookingatthem，Sasha，too，begantocry。Theyheardadrunkencough，andatall，black-beardedpeasantwearingawintercapcameintothehut，andwasthemoreterriblebecausehisfacecouldnotbeseeninthedimlightofthelittlelamp。ItwasKiryak。Goinguptohiswife，heswunghisarmandpunchedherinthefacewithhisfist。
Stunnedbytheblow，shedidnotutterasound，butsatdown，andhernoseinstantlybeganbleeding。
“Whatadisgrace！Whatadisgrace！“mutteredtheoldman，clamberingupontothestove。“Beforevisitors，too！It’sasin！“
Theoldmothersatsilent，bowed，lostinthought；Fyoklarockedthecradle。
Evidentlyconsciousofinspiringfear，andpleasedatdoingso，KiryakseizedMaryabythearm，draggedhertowardsthedoor，andbellowedlikeananimalinordertoseemstillmoreterrible；butatthatmomenthesuddenlycaughtsightofthevisitorsandstopped。
“Oh，theyhavecome，“hesaid，lettinghiswifego；“myownbrotherandhisfamily。“
Staggeringandopeningwidehisred，drunkeneyes，hesaidhisprayerbeforetheimageandwenton:
“Mybrotherandhisfamilyhavecometotheparentalhome
fromMoscow，Isuppose。ThegreatcapitalMoscow，tobesure，themotherofcities。Excuseme。“
Hesankdownonthebenchnearthesamovarandbegandrinkingtea，sippingitloudlyfromthesaucerinthemidstofgeneralsilence。Hedrankoffadozencups，thenreclinedonthebenchandbegansnoring。
Theybegangoingtobed。Nikolay，asaninvalid，wasputonthestovewithhisoldfather；Sashalaydownonthefloor，whileOlgawentwiththeotherwomenintothebarn。
“Aye，aye，dearie，“shesaid，lyingdownonthehaybesideMarya；
“youwon’tmendyourtroublewithtears。Bearitinpatience，thatisall。ItiswrittenintheScriptures:’Ifanyonesmitetheeontherightcheek，offerhimtheleftonealso。’Aye，aye，dearie。“
TheninalowsingsongmurmurshetoldthemaboutMoscow，aboutherownlife，howshehadbeenaservantinfurnishedlodgings。
“AndinMoscowthehousesarebig，builtofbrick，“shesaid；
“andthereareeversomanychurches，fortytimesforty，dearie；
andtheyareallgentryinthehouses，sohandsomeandsoproper！“
MaryatoldherthatshehadnotonlyneverbeeninMoscow，buthadnotevenbeenintheirowndistricttown；shecouldnotreadorwrite，andknewnoprayers，noteven“OurFather。“BothsheandFyokla，theothersister-in-law，whowassittingalittlewayofflistening，wereextremelyignorantandcouldunderstandnothing。Theybothdislikedtheirhusbands；MaryawasafraidofKiryak，andwheneverhestayedwithhershewasshakingwithfear，andalwaysgotaheadachefromthefumesofvodkaandtobaccowithwhichhereeked。Andinanswertothequestionwhethershedidnotmissherhusband，Fyoklaansweredwithvexation:
“Misshim！“
Theytalkedalittleandsankintosilence。
Itwascool，andacockcrowedatthetopofhisvoicenearthebarn，preventingthemfromsleeping。Whenthebluishmorninglightwasalreadypeepingthroughallthecrevices，Fyoklagotupstealthilyandwentout，andthentheyheardthesoundofherbarefeetrunningoffsomewhere。
II
Olgawenttochurch，andtookMaryawithher。Astheywentdownthepathtowardsthemeadowbothwereingoodspirits。Olgalikedthewideview，andMaryafeltthatinhersister-in-lawshehadsomeonenearandakintoher。Thesunwasrising。Lowdownoverthemeadowfloatedadrowsyhawk。Theriverlookedgloomy；therewasahazehoveringoverithereandthere，butonthefurtherbankastreakoflightalreadystretchedacrossthehill。Thechurchwasgleaming，andinthemanorgardentherookswerecawingfuriously。
“Theoldmanisallright，“Maryatoldher，“butGrannyisstrict；sheiscontinuallynagging。OurowngrainlastedtillCarnival。Webuyflournowatthetavern。Sheisangryaboutit；
shesaysweeattoomuch。“
“Aye，aye，dearie！Bearitinpatience，thatisall。Itiswritten:’ComeuntoMe，allyethatlabourandareheavyladen。’