Atthestationtheywenttotherefreshmentroomanddrankaglassofsherryeach。Hisfatherfeltinhispocketforhispursetopay。
“Iwillstandtreat，“saidAnisim。Theoldman，touchedanddelighted，slappedhimontheshoulder，andwinkedtothewaiterasmuchastosay，“SeewhatafinesonIhavegot。“
“Yououghttostayathomeinthebusiness，Anisim，“hesaid；
“youwouldbeworthanypricetome！Iwouldshowergoldonyoufromheadtofoot，myson。“
“Itcan’tbedone，papa。“
Thesherrywassourandsmeltofsealing-wax，buttheyhadanotherglass。
WhenoldTsybukinreturnedhomefromthestation，forthefirstmomenthedidnotrecognizehisyoungerdaughter-in-law。Assoonasherhusbandhaddrivenoutoftheyard，Lipawastransformedandsuddenlybrightenedup。Wearingathreadbareoldpetticoat，withherfeetbareandhersleevestuckeduptotheshoulders，shewasscrubbingthestairsintheentryandsinginginasilverylittlevoice，andwhenshebroughtoutabigtubofdirtywaterandlookedupatthesunwithherchildlikesmileitseemedasthoughshe，too，werealark。
Anoldlabourerwhowaspassingbythedoorshookhisheadandclearedhisthroat。
“Yes，indeed，yourdaughters-in-law，GrigoryPetrovitch，areablessingfromGod，“hesaid。“Notwomen，buttreasures！“
OnFridaythe8thofJuly，Elizarov，nicknamedCrutch，andLipawerereturningfromthevillageofKazanskoe，wheretheyhadbeentoaserviceontheoccasionofachurchholidayinthehonouroftheHolyMotherofKazan。AgooddistanceafterthemwalkedLipa’smotherPraskovya，whoalwaysfellbehind，asshewasillandshortofbreath。Itwasdrawingtowardsevening。
“A-a-a“saidCrutch，wonderingashelistenedtoLipa。
“A-a！We-ell！
“Iamveryfondofjam，IlyaMakaritch，“saidLipa。“Isitdowninmylittlecorneranddrinkteaandeatjam。OrIdrinkitwithVarvaraNikolaevna，andshetellssomestoryfulloffeeling。Wehavealotofjam——fourjars。’Havesome，Lipa；eatasmuchasyoulike。’“
“A-a-a，fourjars！“
“Theyliveverywell。Wehavewhitebreadwithourtea；andmeat，too，asmuchasonewants。Theyliveverywell，onlyIamfrightenedwiththem，IlyaMakaritch。Oh，oh，howfrightenedI
am！“
“Whyareyoufrightened，child？“askedCrutch，andhelookedbacktoseehowfarPraskovyawasbehind。
“Tobeginwith，whentheweddinghadbeencelebratedIwasafraidofAnisimGrigoritch。AnisimGrigoritchdidnothing，hedidn’till-treatme，onlywhenhecomesnearmeacoldshiverrunsalloverme，throughallmybones。AndIdidnotsleeponenight，I
trembledalloverandkeptprayingtoGod。AndnowIamafraidofAksinya，IlyaMakaritch。It’snotthatshedoesanything，sheisalwayslaughing，butsometimessheglancesatthewindow，andhereyesaresofierceandthereisagleamofgreeninthem——liketheeyesofthesheepintheshed。TheHryminJuniorsareleadingherastray:’Youroldman，’theytellher，’hasabitoflandatButyokino，ahundredandtwentyacres，’theysay，’andthereissandandwaterthere，soyou，Aksinya，’theysay，’buildabrickyardthereandwewillgosharesinit。’Bricksnowaretwentyroublesthethousand，it’saprofitablebusiness。
YesterdayatdinnerAksinyasaidtomyfather-in-law:’IwanttobuildabrickyardatButyokino；I’mgoingintobusinessonmyownaccount。’Shelaughedasshesaidit。AndGrigoryPetrovitch’sfacedarkened，onecouldseehedidnotlikeit。’AslongasI
live，’hesaid，’thefamilymustnotbreakup，wemustgoonaltogether。’Shegavealookandgrittedherteeth。
Fritterswereserved，shewouldnoteatthem。“
“A-a-a！“Crutchwassurprised。
“Andtellme，ifyouplease，whendoesshesleep？“saidLipa。
“Shesleepsforhalfanhour，thenjumpsupandkeepswalkingandwalkingabouttoseewhetherthepeasantshavenotsetfiretosomething，havenotstolensomething。Iamfrightenedwithher，IlyaMakaritch。AndtheHryminJuniorsdidnotgotobedafterthewedding，butdrovetothetowntogotolawwitheachother；andfolksdosayitisallonaccountofAksinya。Twoofthebrothershavepromisedtobuildherabrickyard，butthethirdisoffended，andthefactoryhasbeenatastandstillforamonth，andmyuncleProhoriswithoutworkandgoesaboutfromhousetohousegettingcrusts。’Hadn’tyoubettergoworkingonthelandorsawingupwood，meanwhile，uncle？’Itellhim；’whydisgraceyourself？’’I’vegotoutofthewayofit，’hesays；’I
don’tknowhowtodoanysortofpeasant’sworknow，Lipinka。’
TheystoppedtorestandwaitforPraskovyanearacopseofyoungaspen-trees。Elizarovhadlongbeenacontractorinasmallway，buthekeptnohorses，goingonfootalloverthedistrictwithnothingbutalittlebaginwhichtherewasbreadandonions，andstalkingalongwithbigstrides，swinginghisarms。Anditwasdifficulttowalkwithhim。
Attheentrancetothecopsestoodamilestone。Elizarovtouchedit；readit。Praskovyareachedthemoutofbreath。Herwrinkledandalwaysscared-lookingfacewasbeamingwithhappiness；shehadbeenatchurchto-daylikeanyoneelse，thenshehadbeentothefairandtherehaddrunkpearcider。Forherthiswasunusual，anditevenseemedtohernowthatshehadlivedforherownpleasurethatdayforthefirsttimeinherlife。Afterrestingtheyallthreewalkedonsidebyside。Thesunhadalreadyset，anditsbeamsfilteredthroughthecopse，castingalightonthetrunksofthetrees。Therewasafaintsoundofvoicesahead。TheUkleevogirlshadlongbeforepushedonaheadbuthadlingeredinthecopse，probablygatheringmushrooms。
“Hey，wenches！“criedElizarov。“Hey，mybeauties！“
Therewasasoundoflaughterinresponse。
“Crutchiscoming！Crutch！Theoldhorseradish。“
Andtheecholaughed，too。Andthenthecopsewasleftbehind。
Thetopsofthefactorychimneyscameintoview。Thecrossonthebelfryglittered:thiswasthevillage:“theoneatwhichthedeaconateallthecaviareatthefuneral。“Nowtheywerealmosthome；theyonlyhadtogodownintothebigravine。LipaandPraskovya，whohadbeenwalkingbarefooted，satdownonthegrasstoputontheirboots；Elizarsatdownwiththem。IftheylookeddownfromaboveUkleevolookedbeautifulandpeacefulwithitswillow-trees，itswhitechurch，anditslittleriver，andtheonlyblotonthepicturewastheroofofthefactories，paintedforthesakeofcheapnessagloomyashengrey。Ontheslopeonthefurthersidetheycouldseetherye——someinstacksandsheaveshereandthereasthoughstrewnaboutbythestorm，andsomefreshlycutlyinginswathes；theoats，too，wereripeandglistenednowinthesunlikemother-of-pearl。Itwasharvest-time。To-daywasaholiday，to-morrowtheywouldharvesttheryeandcarrythehay，andthenSundayaholidayagain；everydaythereweremutteringsofdistantthunder。Itwasmistyandlookedlikerain，and，gazingnowatthefields，everyonethought，Godgrantwegettheharvestinintime；andeveryonefeltgayandjoyfulandanxiousatheart。
“Mowersaskahighpricenowadays，“saidPraskovya。“Oneroubleandfortykopecksaday。“
PeoplekeptcomingandcomingfromthefairatKazanskoe:peasantwomen，factoryworkersinnewcaps，beggars，children。Hereacartwoulddrivebystirringupthedustandbehinditwouldrunanunsoldhorse，anditseemedgladithadnotbeensold；
thenacowwasledalongbythehorns，resistingstubbornly；thenacartagain，andinitdrunkenpeasantsswingingtheirlegs。Anoldwomanledalittleboyinabigcapandbigboots；theboywastiredoutwiththeheatandtheheavybootswhichpreventedhisbendinghislegsattheknees，butyetblewunceasinglywithallhismightatatintrumpet。Theyhadgonedowntheslopeandturnedintothestreet，butthetrumpetcouldstillbeheard。
“Ourfactoryownersdon’tseemquitethemselves“saidElizarov。“There’strouble。Kostukovisangrywithme。’Toomanyboardshavegoneonthecornices。’’Toomany？Asmanyhavegoneonitaswereneeded，VassilyDanilitch；Idon’teatthemwithmyporridge。’’Howcanyouspeaktomelikethat？’saidhe，’yougood-for-nothingblockhead！Don’tforgetyourself！ItwasImadeyouacontractor。’’That’snothingsowonderful，’saidI。’EvenbeforeIwasacontractorIusedtohaveteaeveryday。’’Youarearascal’hesaid。Isaidnothing。’Wearerascalsinthisworld，’thoughtI，’andyouwillberascalsinthenext。’
Ha-ha-ha！Thenextdayhewassofter。’Don’tyoubearmaliceagainstmeformywords，Makaritch，’hesaid。’IfIsaidtoomuch，’sayshe，’whatofit？Iamamerchantofthefirstguild，yoursuperior——yououghttoholdyourtongue。’’You，’saidI，’areamerchantofthefirstguildandIamacarpenter，that’scorrect。AndSaintJosephwasacarpenter，too。OursisarighteouscallingandpleasingtoGod，andifyouarepleasedtobemysuperioryouareverywelcometoit，VassilyDanilitch。’
Andlateron，afterthatconversationImean，Ithought:’Whichwasthesuperior？Amerchantofthefirstguildoracarpenter？’
Thecarpentermustbe，mychild！“
Crutchthoughtaminuteandadded:
“Yes，that’showitis，child。Hewhoworks，hewhoispatientisthesuperior。“