“Come，whytellstories？Yakov！“laughedSavka。“Thereisnoneedforlying；thegentlemanknowswhyyouhavecome！Sitdown；youshallhavesupperwithus。“
Agafyalookedsidewaysatmeandsatdownirresolutely。
“Ithoughtyouweren’tcomingthisevening，“Savkasaid，afteraprolongedsilence。“Whysitlikethat？Eat！OrshallIgiveyouadropofvodka？“
“Whatanidea！“laughedAgafya；“doyouthinkyouhavegotholdofadrunkard？“
“Oh，drinkitup。Yourheartwillfeelwarmer。
There！“
SavkagaveAgafyathecrookedglass。Sheslowlydrankthevodka，atenothingwithit，butdrewadeepbreathwhenshehadfinished。
“You’vebroughtsomething，“saidSavka，untyingthebundleandthrowingacondescending，jestingshadeintohisvoice。“Womencannevercomewithoutbringingsomething。Ah，pieandpotatoes。
Theylivewell，“hesighed，turningtome。“Theyaretheonlyonesinthewholevillagewhohavegotpotatoesleftfromthewinter！“
InthedarknessIdidnotseeAgafya’sface，butfromthemovementofhershouldersandheaditseemedtomethatshecouldnottakehereyesoffSavka’sface。Toavoidbeingthethirdpersonatthistryst，Idecidedtogoforawalkandgotup。Butatthatmomentanightingaleinthewoodsuddenlyutteredtwolowcontraltonotes。Halfaminutelateritgaveatinyhightrillandthen，havingthustrieditsvoice，begansinging。Savkajumpedupandlistened。
“It’sthesameoneasyesterday，“hesaid。“Waitaminute。“
And，gettingup，hewentnoiselesslytothewood。
“Why，whatdoyouwantwithit？“Ishoutedoutafterhim，“Stop！“
Savkashookhishandasmuchastosay，“Don’tshout，“andvanishedintothedarkness。Savkawasanexcellentsportsmanandfishermanwhenheliked，buthistalentsinthisdirectionwereascompletelythrownawayashisstrength。Hewastooslothfultodothingsintheroutineway，andventedhispassionforsportinuselesstricks。Forinstance，hewouldcatchnightingalesonlywithhishands，wouldshootpikewithafowlingpiece，hewouldspendwholehoursbytherivertryingtocatchlittlefishwithabighook。
Leftalonewithme，Agafyacoughedandpassedherhandseveraltimesoverherforehead。Shebegantofeelalittledrunkfromthevodka。
“Howareyougettingon，Agasha？“Iaskedher，afteralongsilence，whenitbegantobeawkwardtoremainmuteanylonger。
“Verywell，thankGod。Don’ttellanyone，sir，willyou？“
sheaddedsuddenlyinawhisper。
“That’sallright，“Ireassuredher。“Buthowrecklessyouare，Agasha！WhatifYakovfindsout？“
“Hewon’tfindout。“
Butwhatifhedoes？“
“NoIshallbeathomebeforeheis。Heisonthelinenow，andhewillcomebackwhenthemailtrainbringshim，andfromhereIcanhearwhenthetrain’scoming。“
AgafyaoncemorepassedherhandoverherforeheadandlookedawayinthedirectioninwhichSavkahadvanished。Thenightingalewassinging。Somenightbirdflewlowdownclosetothegroundand，noticingus，wasstartled，fluttereditswingsandflewacrosstotheothersideoftheriver。
Soonthenightingalewassilent，butSavkadidnotcomeback。
Agafyagotup，tookafewstepsuneasily，andsatdownagain。
“Whatishedoing？“shecouldnotrefrainfromsaying。“Thetrain’snotcominginto-morrow！Ishallhavetogoawaydirectly。“
“Savka，“Ishouted。“Savka。“
Iwasnotansweredevenbyanecho。Agafyamoveduneasilyandsatdownagain。
“It’stimeIwasgoing，“shesaidinanagitatedvoice。“Thetrainwillbeheredirectly！Iknowwhenthetrainscomein。“
Thepoorwomanwasnotmistaken。Beforeaquarterofanhourhadpassedasoundwasheardinthedistance。
Agafyakepthereyesfixedonthecopseforalongtimeandmovedherhandsimpatiently。
“Why，wherecanhebe？“shesaid，laughingnervously。“Wherehasthedevilcarriedhim？Iamgoing！Ireallymustbegoing。“
Meanwhilethenoisewasgrowingmoreandmoredistinct。Bynowonecoulddistinguishtherumbleofthewheelsfromtheheavygaspsoftheengine。Thenweheardthewhistle，thetraincrossedthebridgewithahollowrumbleanotherminuteandallwasstill。
“I’llwaitoneminutemore，“saidAgafya，sittingdownresolutely。“Sobeit，I’llwait。
AtlastSavkaappearedinthedarkness。Hewalkednoiselesslyonthecrumblingearthofthekitchengardensandhummedsomethingsoftlytohimself。
“Here’sabitofluck；whatdoyousaytothatnow？“hesaidgaily。“AssoonasIgotuptothebushandbegantakingaimwithmyhanditleftoffsinging！Ah，thebalddog！Iwaitedandwaitedtoseewhenitwouldbeginagain，butIhadtogiveitup。“
SavkafloppedclumsilydowntothegroundbesideAgafyaand，tokeephisbalance，clutchedatherwaistwithbothhands。
“Whydoyoulookcross，asthoughyourauntwereyourmother？“heasked。
Withallhissoft-heartednessandgood-nature，Savkadespisedwomen。Hebehavedcarelessly，condescendinglywiththem，andevenstoopedtoscornfullaughteroftheirfeelingsforhimself。Godknows，perhapsthiscareless，contemptuousmannerwasoneofthecausesofhisirresistibleattractionforthevillageDulcineas。
Hewashandsomeandwell-built；inhiseyestherewasalwaysasoftfriendliness，evenwhenhewaslookingatthewomenhesodespised，butthefascinationwasnottobeexplainedbymerelyexternalqualities。Apartfromhishappyexteriorandoriginalmanner，onemustsupposethatthetouchingpositionofSavkaasanacknowledgedfailureandanunhappyexilefromhisownhuttothekitchengardensalsohadaninfluenceuponthewomen。
“Tellthegentlemanwhatyouhavecomeherefor！“Savkawenton，stillholdingAgafyabythewaist。“Come，tellhim，yougoodmarriedwoman！Ho-ho！Shallwehaveanotherdropofvodka，friendAgasha？“
Igotupand，threadingmywaybetweentheplots，Iwalkedthelengthofthekitchengarden。Thedarkbedslookedlikeflattened-outgraves。Theysmeltofdugearthandthetenderdampnessofplantsbeginningtobecoveredwithdew。Aredlightwasstillgleamingontheleft。Itwinkedgeniallyandseemedtosmile。
Iheardahappylaugh。ItwasAgafyalaughing。
“Andthetrain？“Ithought。“Thetrainhascomeinlongago。“
Waitingalittlelonger，Iwentbacktotheshanty。Savkawassittingmotionless，hislegscrossedlikeaTurk，andwassoftly，scarcelyaudiblyhummingasongconsistingofwordsofonesyllablesomethinglike:“Outonyou，fieonyouIandyou。“Agafya，intoxicatedbythevodka，bySavka’sscornfulcaresses，andbythestiflingwarmthofthenight，waslyingontheearthbesidehim，pressingherfaceconvulsivelytohisknees。Shewassocarriedawaybyherfeelingsthatshedidnotevennoticemyarrival。
“Agasha，thetrainhasbeeninalongtime，“Isaid。
“It’stime——it’stimeyouweregone，“Savka，tossinghishead，tookupmythought。“Whatareyousprawlingherefor？Youshamelesshussy！“
Agafyastarted，tookherheadfromhisknees，glancedatme，andsankdownbesidehimagain。
“Yououghttohavegonelongago，“Isaid。
Agafyaturnedroundandgotupononeknee。Shewasunhappy。Forhalfaminuteherwholefigure，asfarasI
coulddistinguishitthroughthedarkness，expressedconflictandhesitation。Therewasaninstantwhen，seemingtocometoherself，shedrewherselfuptogetuponherfeet，butthensomeinvincibleandimplacableforceseemedtopushherwholebody，andshesankdownbesideSavkaagain。
“Botherhim！“shesaid，withawild，gutturallaugh，andrecklessdetermination，impotence，andpaincouldbeheardinthatlaugh。
Istrolledquietlyawaytothecopse，andfromtheredowntotheriver，whereourfishinglineswereset。Theriverslept。Somesoft，fluffy-petalledfloweronatallstalktouchedmycheektenderlylikeachildwhowantstoletoneknowit’sawake。TopassthetimeIfeltforoneofthelinesandpulledatit。Ityieldedeasilyandhunglimply——nothinghadbeencaught。
Thefurtherbankandthevillagecouldnotbeseen。Alightgleamedinonehut，butsoonwentout。Ifeltmywayalongthebank，foundahollowplacewhichIhadnoticedinthedaylight，andsatdowninitasinanarm-chair。Isattherealongtime……Isawthestarsbegintogrowmistyandlosetheirbrightness；acoolbreathpassedovertheearthlikeafaintsighandtouchedtheleavesoftheslumberingosiers。
“A-ga-fya！“ahollowvoicecalledfromthevillage。“Agafya！“