Micesqueakedunderthefloor，andonthefurthersideoftheOkaanowlscreeched，whileamidthepitch-blackheavensIcouldseeanumberofblotchesintermittentlylighteningtoanelusiveredandblurringthefaintglitterofthestars。
“Itwasoneo’clockinthemorningwhenmyfatherdied，“Gubincontinued。“Anduponmyself，whowasseventeenandhadjustfinishedmycourseatthemunicipalschoolofRiazan，theredevolved，naturallyenough，alltheenmitythatmyfatherhadincurredduringhislifetime。’Heisjustlikehissire，’folksaid。Also，Iwasalone，absolutelyalone，intheworld，sincemymotherhadlostherreasontwoyearsbeforemyfather’sdeath，andpassedawayinafrenzy。However，Ihadanuncle，aretiredunter-officierwhowasbothasluggard，atippler，andaheroaherobecausehehadhadhiseyesshotoutatPlevna，andhisleftarminjuredinamannerwhichhadinducedparalysis，andhisbreastadornedwiththemilitarycrossandasetofmedals。Andsometimes，thisuncleofminewouldrallymeonmylearning。Forinstance，’Scholar，’hewouldsay，’whatdoes“tiversia“mean？’’Nosuchwordexists，’wouldbemyreply，andthereuponhewouldseizemebythehair，forhewasratheranawkwardpersontodealwith。Anotherfactorasconcernedmakingmeashamedofmyscholarshipwastheignoranceofthetownspeopleingeneral，andintheendIbecamethecommonbutt，asortof’holyidiot。’“
SogreatlydidtheserecollectionsmoveGubinthatheroseandtransferredhispositiontothedoorofthehut，where，adarkbluragainstthesquareofblue，helitagurglingpipe，andpuffedthereatuntilhislong，conicalnoseglowed。Presentlythesurgingstreamofwordsbeganagain:
“AttwentyImarriedanorphan，andwhenshefellillanddiedchildlessIfoundmyselfaloneoncemore，andwithoutanadviserorafriend。However，stillIcontinuedbothtoliveandtolookaboutme。Andintime，Iperceivedthatlifeisnotlivedwhollyasitshouldbe。“
“Whatinlifeis’notlivedwhollyasitshouldbe’？“
“Everythinginlife。Forlifeismerefolly，merefatuousnonsense。Thetruthisthatourdogsdonotbarkalwaysattherightmoment。Forinstance，whenIsaidtofolk，’Howwoulditbeifweweretoopenatechnicalschoolforgirls？’Theymerelylaughedandreplied，’Tradeworkersarehopelessdrunkards。Alreadyhaveweenoughofthem。Besides，hithertowomenhavecontrivedtogetonWITHOUTeducation。’AndwhennextIconceivedaschemeforinstitutingamatchfactory，itbefellthatthefactorywasburntdownduringitsfirstyearofexistence，andIfoundmyselfoncemoreatalooseend。Nextacertainwomangotholdofme，andIflittedaboutherlikeamartinaroundabelfry，andsolostmyheadastolivelifeasthoughIwerenotonearthatall——forthreeyearsIdidnotknowevenwhatIwasdoing，andonlywhenIrecoveredmysensesdidI
perceivemyselftobeapauper，andmyall，everysinglethingthatIhadpossessed，tohavepassedintoHERwhitehands。Yes，attwenty-eightIfoundmyselfabeggar。YetIhaveneverwhollyregrettedthefact，forcertainlyforatimeIlivedlifeasfewmeneverliveit。’Takemyall——takeit！’Iusedtosaytoher。
And，trulyenough，Ishouldneverhavedonemuchgoodwithmyfather’sfortune，whereasshe——well，soitbefell。SomehowI
thinkthatinthosedaysmyopinionsmusthavebeendifferentfromnow——nowthatIhavelosteverything……Yetthewomanusedtosay，’YouhaveNOTlosteverything，’andshehadwitenoughtofitoutawholetownfulofpeople。“
“Thiswoman——whowasshe？“
“Thewifeofamerchant。Wheneversheunrobedandsaid，’Come！
Whatisthisbodyofmineworth？’Iusedtomakereply，’Apricethatisbeyondcompute。’……SowithinthreeyearseverythingthatIpossessedvanishedlikesmoke。Sometimes，ofcourse，folklaughedatandjibedatme；nordidIeverrefutethem。ButnowthatIhavecometohaveabetterunderstandingoflife’saffairs，Iseethatlifeisnotwhollylivedasitshouldbe。Forthatmatter，too，Idonotholdmytongueonthesubject，forthatisnotmyway——stilllefttomeIhaveatongueandmysoul。
Thesamereasonaccountsforthefactthatnoonelikesme，andthatbyeveryoneIamlookeduponasafool。“
“How，inyouropinion，oughtlifetobelived？“
Withoutansweringmeatonce，Gubinsuckedathispipeuntilhisnosemadeaglowingredblurinthedarkness。Thenhemutteredslowly:
“Howlifeoughttobelivednoonecouldsayexactly。AndthisthoughIhavegivenmuchthoughttothesubject，andstillamdoingso。“
Ifounditnodifficultmattertoformamentalpictureofthedesolateexistencewhichthismanmustbeleading——thismanwhomallhisfellowsbothderidedandshunned。ForatthattimeItoowasbiddingfairtofailinlife，andhadmyheartinthegripofceaselessdespondency。
ThetruthisthatoffutilepeopleRussiaisover-full。ManysuchImyselfhaveknown，andalwaystheyhaveattractedmeasstronglyandmysteriouslyasamagnet。Alwaystheyhavestruckmemorefavourablythantheprovincial-mindedmajoritywholiveforfoodandworkalone，andputawayfromthemallthatcouldconceivablyrendertheirbread-winningdifficult，orpreventthemfromsnatchingbreadoutofthehandsoftheirweakerneighbours。Formostsuchfolkaregloomyandself-contained，withheartsthathaveturnedtowood，andanoutlookthateverrevertstothepast；unless，indeed，theybefolkofspuriousgoodnature，anadditiontotalkativeness，andanapparentbonhomiewhichveilsafrigid，greyinterior，andconveysanimpressionofcrueltyandgreedofallthatlifecontains。
Always，intheend，Ihavedetectedinsuchfolksomethingwintry，somethingthatmakesthemseem，asitwere，tobespendingspringandsummerinexpectationsolelyofthewinterseason，withitslongnights，anditscoldofanausteritywhichforcesoneforevertobeconsumingfood。
Yetseldomamongthisdistastefulandwearisomecrowdofwintryfolkistheretobeencounteredamanwhohasaltogetherprovedafailure。Butifhehasdoneso，hewillbefoundtobeamanwhosenatureisofamorethoughtful，amoretrulyexistent，amoreclear-sightedcastthanthatofhisfellows——amanwhoatleastcanlookbeyondtheboundariesofthetriteandcommonplace，andwhosementalityhasagreatercapacityforattainingspiritualfulfilment，andismoredesirousofdoingso，thanthementalityofhiscompeers。Thatistosay，insuchamanonecanalwaysdetectastrivingforspace，asamanwho，lovinglight，carrieslightinhimself。
Unfortunately，alltoooftenisthatlightonlythefugitivephosphorescenceofputrefaction；whereforeasonecontemplateshimonesoonbeginstorealisewithbitternessandvexationanddisappointmentthatheisbutasluggard，butabraggart，butonewhoispettyandweakandblindedwithconceitanddistortedwithenvy，butonebetweenwhosewordandwhosedeedtheregapesadisparityevenwideranddeeperthanthedisparitywhichdividesthewordfromthedeedofthemanofwinter，ofthemanwho，thoughhebeastardyasasnail，atleastismakingsomewayintheworld，incontradistinctionfromthefailurewhorevolveseverinasinglespot，likesomebarrenoldmaidbeforethereflectioninherlooking-glass。
Hence，asIlistenedtoGubin，thererecurredtomemorethanoneinstanceofhistype。
“Yes，Ihavesucceededinobservinglifethroughout，“hemuttereddrowsilyashisheadsankslowlyuponhisbreast。
Andsleepovertookmyselfwithsimilarsuddenness。Apparentlythatslumberwasofafewminutes’durationonly，yetwhatarousedmewasGubinpullingatmyleg。
“Getupnow，“hesaid。“Itistimethatwewereoff。“
Andashisbluish-greyeyespeeredintomyface，somehowI
derivedfromtheirmournfulexpressionasenseofintellectuality。Beneaththehaironhishollowcheekswerereddishveins，whilesimilarveins，bluishintint，coveredwithanetworkhistemples，andhisbarearmshadtheappearanceofbeingmadeoftannedleather。
Dawnhadnotyetbrokenwhenweroseandproceededthroughtheslumberingstreetsbeneathaskythatwasofadullyellow，andamidanatmospherethatwasfullofthesmellofburning。
“Fivedaysnowhastheforestbeenonfire，“observedGubin。
“Yetthefoolscannotsucceedinputtingitout。“
PresentlytheestablishmentofthemerchantsBirkinlaybeforeus，anestablishmentofcuriousaspect，sinceitconstituted，rather，aconglomerationofappendagestoamainbuildingofgroundfloorandattics，withfourwindowsfacingontothestreet，andaseriesofunderproppingannexes。Thatseriesextendedtothewing，andwassolidandpermanent，andbadefairtooverflowintothecourtyard，andthroughtheentrance-gates，andacrossthestreet，andtotheverykitchen-gardenandflower-gardenthemselves。Also，itseemedtohavebeenstolenpiecemealfromsomewhere，andatdifferentperiods，andfromdifferentlocalities，andtackedathaphazardontothewallsoftheparenterection。Moreover，allthewindowsofthelatterweresmall，andintheirgreenpanes，astheyconfrontedtheworld，therewasatimidandsuspiciousair，while，inparticular，thethreewindowswhichfaceduponthecourtyardhadironbarstothem。Lastly，therewereposted，sentinel-likeontheentrance-steps，twowater-buttsasaprecautionagainstfire。
“Whatthinkyouoftheplace？“Gubinmutteredashepeeredintothewell。“Isn’titabarbaroushole？Therightthingwouldbetopullitdownwholesale，andthenrebuilditonlargerandlessrestrictedlines。Yetthesefoolsmerelygotackingnewadditionsontotheold。“
Forawhilehislipsmovedasinanincantation。Thenhefrowned，glancedshrewdlyatthestructuresinquestion，andcontinuedsoftly:
“ImaysayinpassingthattheplaceisMINE。“
“YOURS？“
“Yes，mine。Atallevents，soitusedtobe。“
Andhepulledagrimaceasthoughhehadgotthetoothachebeforeaddingwithanairofcommand:
“Come！Iwillpumpoutthewater，andYOUshallcarryittotheentrance-stepsandfillthewater-butts。Hereisapail，andherealadder。“
Whereafter，withaconsiderabledisplayofstrength，hesetabouthisportionofthetask，whilstImyselftookpailinhandandadvancedtowardsthestepstofindthatthewater-buttsweresorottenthat，insteadofretainingthewater，theyletitleakoutintothecourtyard。Gubinsaidwithanoath: