“Finemastersthese——masterswhogrudgeoneagroat，andsquanderarouble！WhatifafireWEREtobreakout？Oh，theblockheads！“
Presently，theproprietorsinpersonissuedintothecourtyard——thestout，baldPeterBirkin，amanwhosefacewasflushedeventothewhitesofhisshiftyeyes，and，closebehindhim，ekehisshadow，JonahBirkin——apersonofsandy，sullenmien，andoverhangingbrows，anddull，heavyeyes。
“Goodday，dearsir，“saidPeterBirkinthinly，aswithapuffyhandheraisedfromhisheadaclothcap，whileJonahnodded。
Andthen，withasidelongglanceatmyself，askedinadeepbassvoice:
“Whoisthisyoungman？“
Largeandimportantlikepeacocks，thepairthenshuffledacrossthewetyard，andinsodoing，wenttomuchtroubletoavoidsoilingtheirpolishedshoes。NextPetersaidtohisbrother:
“Haveyounoticedthatthewater-buttsarerotted？Oh，thatfineYakinika！Heoughtlongagotohavebeendismissed。“
“Whoisthatyoungmanoverthere？“Jonahrepeatedwithanairofasperity。
“Thesonofhisfatherandmother，“Gubinrepliedquietly，andwithoutsomuchasaglanceatthebrothers。
“Well，comealong，“snuffledPeterwithadrawlingofhisvowels。“Itishightimethatweweremoving。Itdoesn’tmatterwhotheyoungmanmaybe。“
Andwiththattheyslip-sloppedacrosstotheentrancegates，whileGubingazedafterthemwithknittedbrows，andasthebrothersweredisappearingthroughthewicketsaidcarelessly:
“Theoldsheep！Theylivesolelybythewitsoftheirstepmother，andifitwerenotforher，theywouldlongagohavecometogrief。Yes，sheisawomanbeyondwordsclever。Onceuponatimetherewerethreebrothers——Peter，Alexis，andJonah；
but，unfortunately，Alexisgotkilledinabrawl。Afine，tallfellowHEwas，whereasthesetwoareapairofgluttons，likeeveryoneelseinthistown。Notfornothingdothreeloavesfigureonthemunicipalarms！Now，toworkagain！Orshallwetakearest？“
Heretheresteppedontotheverandaatall，well-grownyoungwomaninanopenpinkbodiceandablueskirtwho，shadingblueeyeswithherhand，scannedthecourtyardandthesteps，andsaidwithsomediffidence:
“Goodday，YakovVasilitch。“
Withagood-humouredglanceinresponse，andhismouthopen，Gubinwavedahandingreeting:
“GooddaytoYOU，NadezhdaIvanovna，“hereplied。“Howareyouthismorning？“
Somehowthismadeherblush，andcrossherarmsuponheramplebosom，whileherkindly，rounded，eminentlyRussianfaceevincedtheghostofashysmile。Atthesametime，itwasafacewhereinnotasinglefeaturewasofakindtoremainfixedinthememory，afaceasvacantasthoughnaturehadforgottentostampthereonasinglewish。Hence，evenwhenthewomansmiledthereseemedtoremainadoubtwhetherthesmilehadreallymaterialised。
“HowisNataliaVasilievna？“continuedGubin。
“Muchasusual，“thewomanansweredsoftly。
Whereafterhesitantly，andwithdowncasteyes，sheessayedtocrossthecourtyard。AsshepassedmeIcaughtawhiffofraspberriesandcurrants。
Disappearingintothegreymistthroughasmalldoorwithironstaples，shesoonreissuedthencewithahencoop，and，seatingherselfonthestepsofthedoorway，andsettingthecooponherknees，tookbetweenhertwolargepalmssomefluttering，chirping，downy，goldenchicks，andraisedthemtoherruddylipsandcheekswithamurmurof:
“0hmylittledarlings！0hmylittledarlings！“
Andinhervoice，somehow，therewasanoteasofintoxication，ofabandonment。Meanwhiledull，reddishsunbeamswerebeginningtopeerthroughthefence，andtowarmthelong，pointedstapleswithwhichitwasfastenedtogether。Whileinastreamofwaterthatwasdrippingfromtheeaves，andtricklingoverthefloorofthecourt，andaroundthewoman’sfeet，asinglebeamwasbathingandquiveringasthoughitwouldfaineffectanadvancetothewoman’slapandthehencoop，and，withthesoft，downychicks，enjoythecaressesofthewoman’sbarewhitearms。
“Ah，littlethings！“againshemurmured。“Ah，littlechildrenofmine！“
UponthatGubinsuddenlydesistedfromhistaskofhaulingupthebucket，and，ashesteadiedtheropewithhisarmsraisedabovehishead，saidquickly:
“NadezhdaIvanovna，yououghtindeedtohavehadsomechildren——sixattheleast！“
Yetnoreplycame，nordidthewomanevenlookathim。
Theraysofthesunwerenowspreading，smokelikeandgreyish-yellow，overthesilverriver。Abovetheriver’scalmbedamuslintextureofmistwascoiling。Againstthenebulousheavenstheblueoftheforestwasrearingitselfamidthefragrant，pungentfumesfromtheburningtimber。
Yetstillasleepamiditsshelteringhalf-circleofforestwasthequietlittletownofMiamlin，whilebehindit，andencompassingitaswithapairofdarkwings，theforestinquestionlookedasthoughitwererufflingitsfeathersinpreparationforfurtherflightbeyondthepointwhere，thepeacefulOkareached，thetreesstooddarkening，overshadowingthewater’scleardepths，andlookingatthemselvestherein。
Yet，thoughthehourwassoearly，everythingseemedtohaveaboutitanairofsadness，amienasthoughthedaylackedpromise，asthoughitsfacewereveiledandmournful，asthough，notyetcometobirth，itneverthelesswerefeelingwearyinadvance。
SeatingmyselfbyGubinonsometrampledstrawinthehutordinarilyusedbythewatchmanoftheBirkins’extensiveorchard，Ifoundthat，owingtotheorchardbeingsetonahillside，Icouldseeoverthetopsoftheappleandpearandfigtrees，wheretheirtopshungbespangledwithdewaswithquicksilver，andviewthewholetownanditsmulticolouredchurches，yellow，newly-paintedprison，andyellow-paintedbank。
Andwhileinthetown’slurid，four-squarebuildingsIcouldtraceacertainresemblancetotheacesofclubsstampeduponconvicts’backs，inthegreystripsofthestreetsIcouldtraceacertainresemblancetoanumberofrentsinanold，ragged，faded，dustycoat。Indeed，thatmorningallcomparisonsseemedtotakeonatingeofmelancholy；thereasonbeingthatthroughoutthepreviouseveningtherehadbeenmoaninginmysoulamournfuldirgeonthefuturelife。
Withnothing，however，werethechurchesofthetownofwhichI
amspeakingexactlycomparable，formanyofthemhadattainedadegreeofbeautythecontemplationofwhichcausedthetowntoassumethroughout——adifferent，amorepleasingandseductive，aspect。ThoughtItomyself:“Wouldthatmenhadfashionedallotherbuildingsinthetownasthechurcheshavebeenfashioned！“
Oneofthelatter，anold，squatedificetheblankwindowsofwhichweredeeplysunkeninthestuccoedwalls，wasknownasthe“Prince’sChurch，“forthereasonthatitenshrinedtheremainsofalocalPrinceandhiswife，personsofwhomitstoodrecordedthat“theydidpassalltheirlivesinkindly，unchanginglove。“……
ThefollowingnightGubinandIchancedtoseePeterBirkin’stall，pale，timidyoungwifetraversethegardenonherwaytoatrystinthewashhousewithherlover，theprecentorofthePrince’sChurch。Andascladinasimplegown，andbarefooted，andhavingherampleshouldersswathedinanold，goldjacketorshawlofsomesort，shecrossedtheorchardbyapathrunningbetweentwolinesofappletrees；shewalkedwiththeunhastinggaitofacatwhichiscrossingayardafterashowerofrain，andfromtimetotime，wheneverapuddleisencountered，liftsandshakesfastidiouslyoneofitssoftpaws。
Probably，inthewoman’scase，thiscameofthefactthatthingskeptprickingandticklinghersolesassheproceeded。Also，herknees，Icouldsee，weretrembling，andherstephadinitacertainhesitancy，acertainlackofassurance。
Meanwhile，bendingoverthegardenfromthewarmnightsky，themoon’skindlyvisage，thoughonthewane，wasshiningbrightly；
andwhenthewomanemergedfromtheshadowofthetreesIcoulddiscernthedarkpatchesofhereyes，herrounded，half-partedlips，andthethickplaitofhairwhichlayacrossherbosom。
Also，inthemoonlightherbodicehadassumedabluishtinge，sothatshelookedalmostphantasmal；andwhensoundlessly，movingasthoughonair，shesteppedbackintotheshadowofthetrees，thatshadowseemedtolighten。
Allthishappenedatmidnight，orthereabouts，butneitherofuswasyetasleep，owingtothefactthatGubinhadbeentellingmesomeinterestingstoriesconcerningthetownanditsfamiliesandinhabitants。However，assoonashedescriedthewomanloominglikeaghost，heleapttohisfeetincomicalterror，thensubsidedontothestrawagain，contractedhisbodyasthoughhewereinconvulsions，andhurriedlymadethesignofthecross。
“OhJesusourLord！“hegasped。“Tellmewhatthatis，tellmewhatthatis！“
“Keepquiet，you，“Iurged。
Instead，lurchinginmydirection，henudgedmewithhisarm，“IsitNadezhda，thinkyou？“hewhispered。
“Itis。“
“Phew！Thesceneseemslikeadream。Justinthesameway，andintheverysameplace，didhermother-in-law，Petrushka’sstepmother，usetocomeandwalk。Yes，itwasjustlikethis。“
Then，rollingover，facedownwards，hebrokeintosubdued，maliciouschuckles；whereafter，seizingmyhandandsawingitupanddown，hewhisperedamidhisexultantpants: