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　　’Whydon’tyouspeak？’saidSimon。’It’stoocoldtostayhere；wemustbegettinghome。Therenow，takemystick，andifyou’refeelingweak，leanonthat。Nowstepout！’

　　Themanstartedwalking，andmovedeasily，notlaggingbehind。

　　Astheywentalong，Simonaskedhim，’Andwheredoyoubelongto？’

　　’I’mnotfromtheseparts。’

　　’Ithoughtasmuch。Iknowthefolkshereabouts。Buthowdidyoucometobetherebytheshrine？’

　　’Icannottell。’

　　’Hassomeonebeenill-treatingyou？’

　　’Noonehasill-treatedme。Godhaspunishedme。

　　’OfcourseGodrulesall。Still，you’llhavetofindfoodandsheltersomewhere。Wheredoyouwanttogoto？’

　　’Itisallthesametome。’

　　Simonwasamazed。Themandidnotlooklikearogue，andhespokegently，butyethegavenoaccountofhimself。StillSimonthought，’Whoknowswhatmayhavehappened？’Andhesaidtothestranger:

　　’Wellthen，comehomewithme，andatleastwarmyourselfawhile。’

　　SoSimonwalkedtowardshishome，andthestrangerkeptupwithhim，walkingathisside。ThewindhadrisenandSimonfeltitcoldunderhisshirt。Hewasgettingoverhistipsinessbynow，andbegantofeelthefrost。Hewentalongsnifflingandwrappinghiswife’scoatroundhim，andhethoughttohimself:’Therenow——talkaboutsheepskins！Iwentoutforsheepskinsandcomehomewithoutevenacoattomybackandwhatismore，I’mbringinganakedmanalongwithme。Matry&oacute；nawon’tbepleased！’Andwhenhethoughtofhiswifehefeltsad；butwhenhelookedatthestrangerandrememberedhowhehadlookedupathimattheshrine，hisheartwasglad。

　　Simon’swifehadeverythingreadyearlythatday。Shehadcutwood，broughtwater，fedthechildreneatenherownmeal，andnowshesatthinking。Shewonderedwhensheoughttomakebread:noworto-morrow？Therewasstillalargepieceleft。

　　’IfSimonhashadsomedinnerintown，’thoughtshe，anddoesnoteatmuchforsupper，thebreadwilllastoutanotherday。’

　　Sheweighedthepieceofbreadinherhandagainandagain，andthought:

　　’Iwon’tmakeanymoreto-day。Wehaveonlyenoughflourlefttobakeonebatch。WecanmanagetomakethislastouttillFriday。’

　　SoMatry&oacute；naputawaythebread，andsatdownatthetabletopatchherhusband’sshirt。Whilesheworkedshethoughthowherhusbandwasbuyingskinsforawintercoat。

　　’Ifonlythedealerdoesnotcheathim。Mygoodmanismuchtoosimple；

　　hecheatsnobody，butanychildcantakehimin。Eightroublesisalotofmoney——heshouldgetagoodcoatatthatprice。

　　Nottannedskins，butstillaproperwintercoat。Howdifficultitwaslastwintertogetonwithoutawarmcoat。Icouldneithergetdowntotheriver，norgooutanywhere。Whenhewentoutheputonallwehad，andtherewasnothingleftforme。Hedidnotstartveryearlyto-day，butstillit’stimehewasback。Ionlyhopehehasnotgoneonthespree！’

　　HardlyhadMatry&oacute；nathoughtthis，whenstepswereheardonthethreshold，andsomeoneentered。Matry&oacute；nastuckherneedleintoherworkandwentoutintothepassage。Thereshesawtwomen:

　　Simon，andwithhimamanwithoutahat，andwearingfeltboots。

　　Matry&oacute；nanoticedatoncethatherhusbandsmeltofspirits。’Therenow，hehasbeendrinking，’thoughtshe。Andwhenshesawthathewascoatless，hadonlyherjacketon，broughtnoparcel，stoodtheresilent，andseemedashamed，herheartwasreadytobreakwithdisappointment。’Hehasdrunkthemoney，’thoughtshe，’andhasbeenonthespreewithsomegood-for-nothingfellowwhomhehasbroughthomewithhim。’

　　Matry&oacute；naletthempassintothehut，followedthemin，andsawthatthestrangerwasayoung，slightman，wearingherhusband’scoat。Therewasnoshirttobeseenunderit，andhehadnohat。Havingentered，hestoodneithermoving，norraisinghiseyes，andMatry&oacute；nathought:’Hemustbeabadman——he’safraid。’

　　Matry&oacute；nafrowned，andstoodbesidetheovenlookingtoseewhattheywoulddo。

　　Simontookoffhiscapandsatdownonthebenchasifthingswereallright。

　　’Come，Matry&oacute；na；ifsupperisready，letushavesome。’

　　Matry&oacute；namutteredsomethingtoherselfanddidnotmove，butstayedwhereshewas，bytheoven。Shelookedfirstattheoneandthenattheotherofthem，andonlyshookherhead。Simonsawthathiswifewasannoyed，buttriedtopassitoff。

　　Pretendingnottonoticeanything，hetookthestrangerbythearm。

　　’Sitdown，friend，’saidhe，’andletushavesomesupper。’

　　Thestrangersatdownonthebench。

　　’Haven’tyoucookedanythingforus？’saidSimon。

　　Matry&oacute；na’sangerboiledover。’I’vecooked，butnotforyou。

　　Itseemstomeyouhavedrunkyourwitsaway。Youwenttobuyasheep-skincoat，butcomehomewithoutsomuchasthecoatyouhadon，andbringanakedvagabondhomewithyou。I

　　havenosupperfordrunkardslikeyou。’

　　’That’senough，Matry&oacute；na。Don’twagyourtonguewithoutreason！

　　Youhadbetteraskwhatsortofman——’

　　’Andyoutellmewhatyou’vedonewiththemoney？’

　　Simonfoundthepocketofthejacket，drewoutthethree-roublenote，andunfoldedit。

　　’Hereisthemoney。Tr&iacute；fonofdidnotpay，butpromisestopaysoon。’

　　Matry&oacute；nagotstillmoreangry；hehadboughtnosheep-skins，buthadputhisonlycoatonsomenakedfellowandhadevenbroughthimtotheirhouse。

　　Shesnatchedupthenotefromthetable，tookittoputawayinsafety，andsaid:’Ihavenosupperforyou。Wecan’tfeedallthenakeddrunkardsintheworld。’

　　’Therenow，Matry&oacute；na，holdyourtongueabit。Firsthearwhatamanhastosay！’

　　’MuchwisdomIshallhearfromadrunkenfool。Iwasrightinnotwantingtomarryyou——adrunkard。Thelinenmymothergavemeyoudrank；andnowyou’vebeentobuyacoat——andhavedrunkittoo！’

　　Simontriedtoexplaintohiswifethathehadonlyspenttwentykopeks；

　　triedtotellhowhehadfoundtheman——butMatry&oacute；nawouldnotlethimgetawordin。Shetalkednineteentothedozen，anddraggedinthingsthathadhappenedtenyearsbefore。

　　Matry&oacute；natalkedandtalked，andatlastsheflewatSimonandseizedhimbythesleeve。

　　’Givememyjacket。ItistheonlyoneIhaveandyoumustneedstakeitfrommeandwearityourself。Giveithere，youmangydog，andmaythedeviltakeyou。’

　　Simonbegantopulloffthejacket，andturnedasleeveofitinsideout；Matry&oacute；naseizedthejacketanditburstitsseams。Shesnatcheditup，threwitoverherheadandwenttothedoor。Shemeanttogoout，butstoppedundecided——shewantedtoworkoffheranger，butshealsowantedtolearnwhatsortofamanthestrangerwas。

　　Matry&oacute；nastoppedandsaid:’Ifhewereagoodmanhewouldnotbenaked。Why，hehasn’tevenashirtonhim。Ifhewereallright，youwouldsaywhereyoucameacrossthefellow。’

　　’That’sjustwhatIamtryingtotellyou，’saidSimon。’AsIcametotheshrineIsawhimsittingallnakedandfrozen。Itisn’tquitetheweathertositaboutnaked！Godsentmetohim，orhewouldhaveperished。WhatwasItodo？Howdoweknowwhatmayhavehappenedtohim？SoItookhim，clothedhim，andbroughthimalong。Don’tbesoangry，Matry&oacute；na。Itisasin。

　　Remember，weallmustdieoneday。’

　　AngrywordsrosetoMatry&oacute；na’slips，butshelookedatthestrangerandwassilent。Hesatontheedgeofthebench，motionless，hishandsfoldedonhisknees，hisheaddroopingonhisbreast，hiseyesclosed，andhisbrowsknitasifinpain。

　　Matry&oacute；nawassilent，andSimonsaid:’Matry&oacute；na，haveyounoloveofGod？’

　　Matry&oacute；naheardthesewords，andasshelookedatthestranger，suddenlyherheartsoftenedtowardshim。Shecamebackfromthedoor，andgoingtotheovenshegotoutthesupper。Settingacuponthetable，shepouredoutsomekvas[7]。Thenshebroughtoutthelastpieceofbread，andsetoutaknifeandspoons。