Hecomplainedoftheelder，andkeptturningroundtothepeasantsasthoughinvitingthemtobearwitness；hisfaceflushedredandperspired，andhiseyesgrewsharpandangry。
“Idon’tknowwhyyouaresayingallthis，“saidthepoliceinspector。“IamaskingyouIamaskingyouwhyyoudon’tpayyourarrears。Youdon’tpay，anyofyou，andamItoberesponsibleforyou？“
“Ican’tdoit。“
“Hiswordshavenosequel，yourhonour，“saidtheelder。“TheTchikildyeevscertainlyareofadefectiveclass，butifyouwilljustasktheothers，therootofitallisvodka，andtheyareaverybadlot。Withnosortofunderstanding。“
Thepoliceinspectorwrotesomethingdown，andsaidtoOsipquietly，inaneventone，asthoughhewereaskinghimforwater:
“Beoff。“
Soonhewentaway；andwhenhegotintohischeapchaiseandclearedhisthroat，itcouldbeseenfromtheveryexpressionofhislongthinbackthathewasnolongerthinkingofOsiporofthevillageelder，noroftheZhukovoarrears，butwasthinkingofhisownaffairs。Beforehehadgonethree-quartersofamileAntipwasalreadycarryingoffthesamovarfromtheTchikildyeevs’cottage，followedbyGranny，screamingshrillyandstrainingherthroat:
“Iwon’tletyouhaveit，Iwon’tletyouhaveit，damnyou！“
Hewalkedrapidlywithlongsteps，andshepursuedhimpanting，almostfallingover，abent，ferociousfigure；herkerchiefslippedontohershoulders，hergreyhairwithgreenishlightsonitwasblownaboutinthewind。Shesuddenlystoppedshort，andlikeagenuinerebel，felltobeatingherbreastwithherfistsandshoutinglouderthaneverinasing-songvoice，asthoughsheweresobbing:
“GoodChristiansandbelieversinGod！Neighbours，theyhaveill-treatedme！Kindfriends，theyhaveoppressedme！Oh，oh！
dearpeople，takemypart。“
“Granny，Granny！“saidthevillageeldersternly，“havesomesenseinyourhead！“
ItwashopelesslydrearyintheTchikildyeevs’hutwithoutthesamovar；therewassomethinghumiliatinginthisloss，insulting，asthoughthehonourofthehuthadbeenoutraged。Betteriftheelderhadcarriedoffthetable，allthebenches，allthepots——
itwouldnothaveseemedsoempty。Grannyscreamed，Maryacried，andthelittlegirls，lookingather，cried，too。Theoldfather，feelingguilty，satinthecornerwithbowedheadandsaidnothing。AndNikolay，too，wassilent。Grannylovedhimandwassorryforhim，butnow，forgettingherpity，shefelluponhimwithabuse，withreproaches，shakingherfistrightinhisface。
Sheshoutedthatitwasallhisfault；whyhadhesentthemsolittlewhenheboastedinhislettersthathewasgettingfiftyroublesamonthattheSlavyanskyBazaar？Whyhadhecome，andwithhisfamily，too？Ifhedied，wherewasthemoneytocomefromforhisfuneral？AnditwaspitifultolookatNikolay，Olga，andSasha。
Theoldfatherclearedhisthroat，tookhiscap，andwentofftothevillageelder。Antipwassolderingsomethingbythestove，puffingouthischeeks；therewasasmellofburning。Hischildren，emaciatedandunwashed，nobetterthantheTchikildyeevs，werescramblingaboutthefloor；hiswife，anugly，freckledwomanwithaprominentstomach，waswindingsilk。
Theywereapoor，unluckyfamily，andAntipwastheonlyonewholookedvigorousandhandsome。Onabenchtherewerefivesamovarsstandinginarow。TheoldmansaidhisprayertoBattenburgandsaid:
“Antip，showtheDivinemercy。Givemebackthesamovar，forChrist’ssake！“
“Bringthreeroubles，thenyoushallhaveit。
“Ican’tdoit！“
Antippuffedouthischeeks，thefireroaredandhissed，andtheglowwasreflectedinthesamovar。Theoldmancrumpleduphiscapandsaidafteramoment’sthought:
“Yougiveitmeback。“
Theswarthyelderlookedquiteblack，andwaslikeamagician；heturnedroundtoOsipandsaidsternlyandrapidly:
“Italldependsontheruralcaptain。Onthetwenty-sixthinstantyoucanstatethegroundsforyourdissatisfactionbeforetheadministrativesession，verballyorinwriting。“
Osipdidnotunderstandaword，buthewassatisfiedwiththatandwenthome。
Tendayslaterthepoliceinspectorcameagain，stayedanhourandwentaway。Duringthosedaystheweatherhadchangedtocoldandwindy；theriverhadbeenfrozenforsometimepast，butstilltherewasnosnow，andpeoplefounditdifficulttogetabout。OntheeveofaholidaysomeoftheneighbourscameintoOsip’stositandhaveatalk。Theydidnotlightthelamp，asitwouldhavebeenasintowork，buttalkedinthedarkness。Thereweresomeitemsofnews，allratherunpleasant。Intwoorthreehouseholdshenshadbeentakenforthearrears，andhadbeensenttothedistrictpolicestation，andtheretheyhaddiedbecausenoonehadfedthem；theyhadtakensheep，andwhiletheywerebeingdrivenawaytiedtooneanother，shiftedintoanothercartateachvillage，oneofthemhaddied。Andnowtheywerediscussingthequestion，whowastoblame？
“TheZemstvo，“saidOsip。“Whoelse？“
“OfcourseitistheZemstvo。“
TheZemstvowasblamedforeverything——forthearrears，andfortheoppressions，andforthefailureofthecrops，thoughnooneofthemknewwhatwasmeantbytheZemstvo。Andthisdatedfromthetimewhenwell-to-dopeasantswhohadfactories，shops，andinnsoftheirownweremembersoftheZemstvos，weredissatisfiedwiththem，andtooktoswearingattheZemstvosintheirfactoriesandinns。
TheytalkedofGod’snotsendingthesnow；theyhadtobringinwoodforfuel，andtherewasnodrivingnorwalkinginthefrozenruts。InolddaysfifteentotwentyyearsagoconversationwasmuchmoreinterestinginZhukovo。Inthosedayseveryoldmanlookedasthoughheweretreasuringsomesecret；asthoughheknewsomethingandwasexpectingsomething。Theyusedtotalkaboutanedictingoldenletters，aboutthedivisionoflands，aboutnewland，abouttreasures；theyhintedatsomething。NowthepeopleofZhukovohadnomysteryatall；theirwholelifewasbareandopeninthesightofall，andtheycouldtalkofnothingbutpoverty，food，therebeingnosnowyet。
Therewasapause。Thentheythoughtagainofthehens，ofthesheep，andbegandiscussingwhosefaultitwas。
“TheZemstvo，“saidOsipwearily。“Whoelse？“
TheparishchurchwasnearlyfivemilesawayatKosogorovo，andthepeasantsonlyattendeditwhentheyhadtodosoforbaptisms，weddings，orfunerals；theywenttotheservicesatthechurchacrosstheriver。Onholidaysinfineweatherthegirlsdressedupintheirbestandwentinacrowdtogethertochurch，anditwasacheeringsighttoseethemintheirred，yellow，andgreendressescrossthemeadow；inbadweathertheyallstayedathome。Theywentforthesacramenttotheparishchurch。FromeachofthosewhodidnotmanageinLenttogotoconfessioninreadinessforthesacramenttheparishpriest，goingtheroundofthehutswiththecrossatEaster，tookfifteenkopecks。
TheoldfatherdidnotbelieveinGod，forhehardlyeverthoughtaboutHim；herecognizedthesupernatural，butconsidereditwasentirelythewomen’sconcern，andwhenreligionormiracleswerediscussedbeforehim，oraquestionwereputtohim，hewouldsayreluctantly，scratchinghimself:
“Whocantell！“
Grannybelieved，butherfaithwassomewhathazy；everythingwasmixedupinhermemory，andshecouldscarcelybegintothinkofsins，ofdeath，ofthesalvationofthesoul，beforepovertyandherdailycarestookpossessionofhermind，andsheinstantlyforgotwhatshewasthinkingabout。Shedidnotremembertheprayers，andusuallyintheevenings，beforelyingdowntosleep，shewouldstandbeforetheikonsandwhisper:
“HolyMotherofKazan，HolyMotherofSmolensk，HolyMotherofTroerutchitsy。“
MaryaandFyoklacrossedthemselves，fasted，andtookthesacramenteveryyear，butunderstoodnothing。Thechildrenwerenottaughttheirprayers，nothingwastoldthemaboutGod，andnomoralprincipleswereinstilledintothem；theywereonlyforbiddentoeatmeatormilkinLent。Intheotherfamiliesitwasmuchthesame:therewerefewwhobelieved，fewwhounderstood。AtthesametimeeveryonelovedtheHolyScripture，loveditwithatender，reverentlove；buttheyhadnoBible，therewasnoonetoreaditandexplainit，andbecauseOlgasometimesreadthemthegospel，theyrespectedher，andtheyalladdressedherandSashaasthoughtheyweresuperiortothemselves。
ForchurchholidaysandservicesOlgaoftenwenttoneighbouringvillages，andtothedistricttown，inwhichthereweretwomonasteriesandtwenty-sevenchurches。Shewasdreamy，andwhenshewasonthesepilgrimagesshequiteforgotherfamily，andonlywhenshegothomeagainsuddenlymadethejoyfuldiscoverythatshehadahusbandanddaughter，andthenwouldsay，smilingandradiant:
“Godhassentmeblessings！“
Whatwentoninthevillageworriedherandseemedtoherrevolting。OnElijah’sDaytheydrank，attheAssumptiontheydrank，attheAscensiontheydrank。TheFeastoftheIntercessionwastheparishholidayforZhukovo，andthepeasantsusedtodrinkthenforthreedays；theysquanderedondrinkfiftyroublesofmoneybelongingtotheMir，andthencollectedmoreforvodkafromallthehouseholds。OnthefirstdayofthefeasttheTchikildyeevskilledasheepandateofitinthemorning，atdinner-time，andintheevening；theyateitravenously，andthechildrengotupatnighttoeatmore。Kiryakwasfearfullydrunkforthreewholedays；hedrankupeverything，evenhisbootsandcap，andbeatMaryasoterriblythattheyhadtopourwateroverher。Andthentheywereallashamedandsick。
However，eveninZhukovo，inthis“Slaveytown，“therewasonceanoutburstofgenuinereligiousenthusiasm。ItwasinAugust，whenthroughoutthedistricttheycarriedfromvillagetovillagetheHolyMother，thegiveroflife。Itwasstillandovercastonthedaywhentheyexpected_Her_atZhukovo。Thegirlssetoffinthemorningtomeettheikon，intheirbrightholidaydresses，andbroughtHertowardstheevening，inprocessionwiththecrossandwithsinging，whilethebellspealedinthechurchacrosstheriver。Animmensecrowdofvillagersandstrangersfloodedthestreet；therewasnoise，dust，agreatcrush。AndtheoldfatherandGrannyandKiryak——allstretchedouttheirhandstotheikon，lookedeagerlyatitandsaid，weeping:
“Defender！Mother！Defender！“