Bynowthesunhadsetandathickmistaswhiteasmilkwasrisingovertheriver，inthechurchenclosure，andintheopenspacesroundthefactories。Nowwhenthedarknesswascomingonrapidly，whenlightsweretwinklingbelow，andwhenitseemedasthoughthemistswerehidingafathomlessabyss，Lipaandhermotherwhowereborninpovertyandpreparedtolivesotilltheend，givinguptootherseverythingexcepttheirfrightened，gentlesouls，mayhavefanciedforaminuteperhapsthatinthevast，mysteriousworld，amongtheendlessseriesoflives，they，too，countedforsomething，andthey，too，weresuperiortosomeone；theylikedsittinghereatthetop，theysmiledhappilyandforgotthattheymustgodownbelowagainallthesame。
Atlasttheywenthomeagain。Themowersweresittingonthegroundatthegatesneartheshop。AsaruletheUkleevopeasantsdidnotgotoTsybukin’stowork，andtheyhadtohirestrangers，andnowinthedarknessitseemedasthoughthereweremensittingtherewithlongblackbeards。Theshopwasopen，andthroughthedoorwaytheycouldseethedeafmanplayingdraughtswithaboy。Themowersweresingingsoftly，scarcelyaudibly，orloudlydemandingtheirwagesforthepreviousday，buttheywerenotpaidforfeartheyshouldgoawaybeforeto-morrow。OldTsybukin，withhiscoatoff，wassittinginhiswaistcoatwithAksinyaunderthebirch-tree，drinkingtea；alampwasburningonthetable。
“Isay，grandfather，“amowercalledfromoutsidethegates，asthoughtauntinghim，“payushalfanyway！Hey，grandfather。“
Andatoncetherewasthesoundoflaughter，andthenagaintheysanghardlyaudibly。Crutch，too，satdowntohavesometea。
“Wehavebeenatthefair，youknow，“hebegantellingthem。“Wehavehadawalk，averynicewalk，mychildren，praisetheLord。
Butanunfortunatethinghappened:Sashkatheblacksmithboughtsometobaccoandgavetheshopmanhalfaroubletobesure。Andthehalfroublewasafalseone“——Crutchwenton，andhemeanttospeakinawhisper，buthespokeinasmotheredhuskyvoicewhichwasaudibletoeveryone。“Thehalf-roubleturnedouttobeabadone。Hewasaskedwherehegotit。’AnisimTsybukingaveitme，’hesaid。’WhenIwenttohiswedding，’hesaid。Theycalledthepoliceinspector，tookthemanaway。Lookout，GrigoryPetrovitch，thatnothingcomesofit，notalk。“
“Gra-ndfather！“thesamevoicecalledtauntinglyoutsidethegates。“Gra-andfather！“
Asilencefollowed。
“Ah，littlechildren，littlechildren，littlechildren“
Crutchmutteredrapidly，andhegotup。Hewasovercomewithdrowsiness。“Well，thankyouforthetea，forthesugar，littlechildren。Itistimetosleep。Iamlikeabitofrottentimbernowadays，mybeamsarecrumblingunderme。Ho-ho-ho！Isupposeit’stimeIwasdead。“
Andhegaveagulp。OldTsybukindidnotfinishhisteabutsatonalittle，pondering；andhisfacelookedasthoughhewerelisteningtothefootstepsofCrutch，whowasfarawaydownthestreet。
“Sashkatheblacksmithtoldalie，Iexpect，“saidAksinya，guessinghisthoughts。
Hewentintothehouseandcamebackalittlelaterwithaparcel；heopenedit，andtherewasthegleamofroubles——
perfectlynewcoins。Hetookone，trieditwithhisteeth，flungitonthetray；thenflungdownanother。
“Theroublesreallyarefalse“hesaid，lookingatAksinyaandseemingperplexed。“ThesearethoseAnisimbrought，hispresent。Takethem，daughter，“hewhispered，andthrusttheparcelintoherhands。“Takethemandthrowthemintothewell。confoundthem！Andmindthereisnotalkaboutit。Harmmightcomeofit。Takeawaythesamovar，putoutthelight。“
Lipaandhermothersittinginthebarnsawthelightsgooutoneaftertheother；onlyoverheadinVarvara’sroomtherewereblueandredlampsgleaming，andafeelingofpeace，content，andhappyignoranceseemedtofloatdownfromthere。Praskovyacouldnevergetusedtoherdaughter’sbeingmarriedtoarichman，andwhenshecameshehuddledtimidlyintheouterroomwithadeprecatingsmileonherface，andteaandsugarweresentouttoher。AndLipa，too，couldnotgetusedtoiteither，andafterherhusbandhadgoneawayshedidnotsleepinherbed，butlaydownanywheretosleep，inthekitchenorthebarn，andeverydayshescrubbedthefloororwashedtheclothes，andfeltasthoughshewerehiredbytheday。Andnow，oncomingbackfromtheservice，theydrankteainthekitchenwiththecook，thentheywentintothebarnandlaydownonthegroundbetweenthesledgeandthewall。Itwasdarkhereandsmeltofharness。Thelightswentoutaboutthehouse，thentheycouldhearthedeafmanshuttinguptheshop，themowerssettlingthemselvesabouttheyardtosleep。InthedistanceattheHryminJuniors’theywereplayingontheexpensiveconcertina。PraskovyaandLipabegantogotosleep。
Andwhentheywereawakenedbysomebody’sstepsitwasbrightmoonlight；attheentranceofthebarnstoodAksinyawithherbeddinginherarms。
“Maybeit’sabitcoolerhere，“shesaid；thenshecameinandlaydownalmostinthedoorwaysothatthemoonlightfellfulluponher。
Shedidnotsleep，butbreathedheavily，tossingfromsidetosidewiththeheat，throwingoffalmostallthebedclothes。Andinthemagicmoonlightwhatabeautiful，whataproudanimalshewas！Alittletimepassed，andthenstepswereheardagain:theoldfather，whiteallover，appearedinthedoorway。
“Aksinya，“hecalled，“areyouhere？“
“Well？“sherespondedangrily。
“Itoldyoujustnowtothrowthemoneyintothewell，haveyoudoneso？“
“Whatnext，throwingpropertyintothewater！Igavethemtothemowers。“
“OhmyGod！“criedtheoldman，dumbfoundedandalarmed。“OhmyGod！youwickedwoman。“
Heflunguphishandsandwentout，andhekeptsayingsomethingashewentaway。AndalittlelaterAksinyasatupandsighedheavilywithannoyance，thengotupand，gatheringupherbedclothesinherarms，wentout。
“Whydidyoumarrymeintothisfamily，mother？“saidLipa。
“Onehastobemarried，daughter。Itwasnotuswhoordainedit。“
Andafeelingofinconsolablewoewasreadytotakepossessionofthem。Butitseemedtothemthatsomeonewaslookingdownfromtheheightoftheheavens，outofthebluefromwherethestarswereseeingeverythingthatwasgoingoninUkleevo，watchingoverthem。Andhowevergreatwaswickedness，stillthenightwascalmandbeautiful，andstillinGod’sworldthereisandwillbetruthandjusticeascalmandbeautiful，andeverythingonearthisonlywaitingtobemadeonewithtruthandjustice，evenasthemoonlightisblendedwiththenight。
Andboth，huddlingclosetooneanother，fellasleepcomforted。
NewshadcomelongbeforethatAnisimhadbeenputinprisonforcoiningandpassingbadmoney。Monthspassed，morethanhalfayearpassed，thelongwinterwasover，springhadbegun，andeveryoneinthehouseandthevillagehadgrownusedtothefactthatAnisimwasinprison。AndwhenanyonepassedbythehouseortheshopatnighthewouldrememberthatAnisimwasinprison；
andwhentheyrangatthechurchyardforsomereason，that，too，remindedthemthathewasinprisonawaitingtrial。
Itseemedasthoughashadowhadfallenuponthehouse。Thehouselookeddarker，theroofwasrustier，theheavy，iron-bounddoorintotheshop，whichwaspaintedgreen，wascoveredwithcracks，or，asthedeafmanexpressedit，“blisters“；andoldTsybukinseemedtohavegrowndingy，too。Hehadgivenupcuttinghishairandbeard，andlookedshaggy。Henolongersprangjauntilyintohischaise，norshoutedtobeggars:“Godwillprovide！“Hisstrengthwasonthewane，andthatwasevidentineverything。
Peoplewerelessafraidofhimnow，andthepoliceofficerdrewupaformalchargeagainsthimintheshopthoughhereceivedhisregularbribeasbefore；andthreetimestheoldmanwascalleduptothetowntobetriedforillicitdealinginspirits，andthecasewascontinuallyadjournedowingtothenon-appearanceofwitnesses，andoldTsybukinwaswornoutwithworry。
Heoftenwenttoseehisson，hiredsomebody，handedinapetitiontosomebodyelse，presentedaholybannertosomechurch。HepresentedthegovernoroftheprisoninwhichAnisimwasconfinedwithasilverglassstandwithalongspoonandtheinscription:“Thesoulknowsitsrightmeasure。“
“Thereisnoonetolookafterthingsforus，“saidVarvara。
“Tut，tut。Yououghttoasksomeoneofthegentlefolks，theywouldwritetotheheadofficials。Atleasttheymightlethimoutonbail！Whywearthepoorfellowout？“
She，too，wasgrieved，buthadgrownstouterandwhiter；shelightedthelampsbeforetheikonsasbefore，andsawthateverythinginthehousewasclean，andregaledtheguestswithjamandapplecheese。ThedeafmanandAksinyalookedaftertheshop。Anewprojectwasinprogress——abrickyardinButyokino——andAksinyawenttherealmosteverydayinthechaise。Shedroveherself，andwhenshemetacquaintancesshestretchedouthernecklikeasnakeoutoftheyoungrye，andsmilednaivelyandenigmatically。LipaspenthertimeplayingwiththebabywhichhadbeenborntoherbeforeLent。Itwasatiny，thin，pitifullittlebaby，anditwasstrangethatitshouldcryandgazeaboutandbeconsideredahumanbeing，andevenbecalledNikifor。Helayinhisswingingcradle，andLipawouldwalkawaytowardsthedoorandsay，bowingtohim:
“Good-day，NikiforAnisimitch！“
Andshewouldrushathimandkisshim。Thenshewouldwalkawaytothedoor，bowagain，andsay:
’Good-day，NikiforAnisimitch！
Andhekickeduphislittleredlegs，andhiscryingwasmixedwithlaughterlikethecarpenterElizarov’s。
Atlastthedayofthetrialwasfixed。Tsybukinwentawayfivedaysbefore。Thentheyheardthatthepeasantscalledaswitnesseshadbeenfetched；theiroldworkmanwhohadreceivedanoticetoappearwenttoo。
ThetrialwasonaThursday。ButSundayhadpassed，andTsybukinwasstillnotback，andtherewasnonews。TowardstheeveningonTuesdayVarvarawassittingattheopenwindow，listeningforherhusbandtocome。InthenextroomLipawasplayingwithherbaby。
Shewastossinghimupinherarmsandsayingenthusiastically:
“Youwillgrowupeversobig，eversobig。Youwillbeapeasant，weshallgoouttoworktogether！Weshallgoouttoworktogether！“