“IexpectPetrushkaisasleep，forprobablyhehastakentoomuchliquorattheBassanov’ssmotrini。[Afestivalatwhichafiancepayshisfirstvisittothehouseoftheparentsofhisbetrothed。]Aye，hewillbeasleep。AndasforJonah，HEwillhavegonetoVaskaKlochi。Sotonight，untilmorning，Nadezhdawillbeabletokickupherheelstoherheart’scontent。“
Itoohadbeguntosurmisethatthewomanwascomethitherforpurposesofherown。Yetthescenewasalmostdreamlikeinitsbeauty。Itthrilledmetothesoultowatchhowthewoman’sblueeyesgazedabouther——gazedasthoughshewereardently，caressinglywhisperingtoalllivingcreatures，asleeporawake:
“0hmydarlings！0hmydarlings！“
Besidemetheuncouth，broken-downGubinwentoninhoarseaccents:
“YoumustknowthatsheisPetrushka’sTHIRDwife，awomanwhomhetooktohimselffromthefamilyofamerchantofMurom。YetthetownhasitthatnotonlyPetrushka，butalsoJonah，makesuseofher——thatsheactsaswifetobothbrothers，andthereforelackschildren。AlsohasitbeensaidofherthatoneTrinitySundayshewasseenbyapartyofwomentomisconductherselfinthisgardenwithapolicesergeant，andthentositonhislapandweep。YetthislastIdonotwhollybelieve，forthesergeantinquestionisaveteranscarcelyabletoputonefootbeforetheother。Also，Jonah，thoughabrute，livesinabjectfearofhisstepmother。“
Hereaworm-eatenapplefelltotheground，andthewomanpaused；whereafter，withheadalittleraised，sheresumedherwaywithgreaterspeed。
AsforGubin，hecontinued，unchecked，thoughwithatriflelessanimosity，ratherasthoughhewerereadingaloudamanuscriptwhichhefoundwearisome:
“SeehowamanlikePeterBirkinmaypridehimselfuponhiswealth，andreceivehonourduringhislifetime，yetallthewhilehavethedevilgrinningoverhisshoulder！“
Thenhe，Gubin，keptsilentawhile，andmerelybreathedheavily，andtwistedhisbodyabout。Butsuddenly，heresumedinastrangewhisper:
“Fifteenyearsago——no，surelyitwaslongeragothanthat？——
MadameNadkin，Nadezhda’smother-in-law，madeitherpracticetocometothisspottomeetherlover。AndafinegallantHE
was！“
Somehow，asIwatchedthewomancreepingalong，andlookingasthoughshewereintendingtocommitatheft，orasthoughshefanciedthatatanymomentshemightseetheplumpbrothersBirkinissuefromthecourtyardintothegardenandcomeshufflingponderouslyoverthedarkenedground，withropesandcudgelsgraspedincoarse，redhandswhichknewnopity；
somehow，asIwatchedher，Ifeltsaddened，andpaidlittleheedtoGubin’swhisperedremarks，sointentlyweremyeyesfixeduponthegranarywallas，afterglidingalongitawhile，thewomanbentherheadanddisappearedthroughthedarkblueofthewashhousedoor。AsforGubin，hewenttosleepwithalastdrowsyremarkof:
“Lifeisallfalsity。Husbands，wives，fathers，children——allofthempractisedeceit。“
Intheeast，portionsoftheskywereturningtolightpurple，andotherportionstoadarkerhue，whilefromtimetotimeI
couldsee，loomingblackagainstthoseportions，coilsofsmokethedensityofwhichkeptbeingstabbedwithfieryspikesofflame，sothatthevague，toweringforestlookedlikeahillonthetopofwhichafierydragonwascrawlingabout，andwrithing，andintermittentlyraisingtremulous，scarletwings，andasoftenrelapsinginto，becomingsubmergedin，thebankofvapour。And，incontemplatingthespectacle，Iseemedactuallytobeabletohearthecruel，hissingdinofcombatbetweenredandblack，andtoseepale，frightenedrabbitsscuddingfromunderneaththerootsoftreesamidshowersofsparks，andpanting，half-suffocatedbirdsflutteringwildlyamidthebranchesasfurtherandfurtherafield，andmoreandmoretriumphantly，thescarletdragonunfurleditswings，andconsumedthedarkness，anddevouredtherain-soakedtimber。
Presentlyfromthedark，blurreddoorwayinthewallofthewashhousethereemergedadarkfigurewhichwentflittingawayamongthetrees，whileafteritsomeonecalledinasharp，incisivewhisper:
“Donotforget。YouMUSTcome。“
“Oh，Ishallbeonlytooglad！“
“Verywell。Inthemorningthelamewomanshallcalluponyou。
Doyouhear？“
Andasthewomandisappearedfromviewtheotherpersonsaunteredacrossthegarden，andscaledthefencewithaclatter。
ThatnightIcouldnotsleep，but，untildawn，laywatchingtheburningforestasgraduallythewearymoondeclined，andthelampofVenus，coldandgreenasanemerald，cameintoviewoverthecrossesonthePrince’sChurch。IndeedwasthelatterafittingplaceforVenustoillumineifreallyithadbeenthecasethatthePrinceandPrincesshad“passedtheirlivesinkindly，unchanginglove“！
Gradually，thedewclearedthetreesofthenightdarkness，andcausedthedamp，greyfoliagetosmileoncemorewithaniseedandredraspberry，andtosparklewiththegoldoftheirmildew。
Also，therecamehoveringaboutusgoldfincheswiththeirlittlered-hoodedcrests，andfussytomtitsintheircravatsofyellow，whileanimble，dark，bluewoodpeckerscaledthestemofanappletree。Andeverywhere，yellowleavesflutteredtoearth，and，indoingso，socloselyresembledbirdsastomakeitnotalwayseasytodistinguishwhetheraleaforatomtithadglimmeredforamomentintheair。
Gubinawoke，sighed，andwithhisgnarledknucklesgavehispuffyeyesarub。Thenheraisedhimselfuponall-fours，and，crawling，muchdishevelledwithsleep，outofthewatchman’shut，snuffedtheairaprocessinwhichhismovementsapproximatedcomicallytothoseofakeen-nosedwatch-dog。
Finallyherosetohisfeet，and，intheact，shookoneofthetreessoviolentlyastocauseaboughtosheditsburdenofripefruit，anddispersetheappleshitherandthitheroverthedrysurfaceoftheground，orcausethemtoburythemselvesamongthelonggrass。Threeofthejuiciestappleshedulyrecovered，and，afterexaminationoftheirexterior，probedwithhisteeth，whilekickingawayfromhimasmanyoftheremainderashecoulddescry。
“Whyspoilthoseapples？“Iqueried“Oh，soyouareNOTasleep？“hecounteredwithanodofhismelon-shapedcranium。“Asamatteroffact，afewappleswon’tbemissed，fortherearetoomanyofthemabout。Myownfatheritwasthatplantedthetreeswhichhavegrownthem。“
Then，turninguponmeakeen，good-humouredeye，andchuckling，headded:
“WhataboutthatNadezhda？Ah，sheisacleverwomanindeed！
YetIhaveasurpriseinstoreforherandherlover。“
“Whyshouldyouhave？“
“BecauseIdesiretobenefitmankindatlarge“thiswassaiddidactically，andwithafrown。“For，nomatterwhereIdetectevilorunderhandedness，itismyduty——Ifeelittobemyduty——
toexposethatevil，andtolayitbare。Thereexistpeoplewhoneedtobetaughtalesson，andtowhomIlongtocry:’Sinnersthatyouare，doyouleadmorerighteouslives！’“
Frombehindsomecloudsthesunwasrisingwithadiskasmurkyandmournfulasthefaceofanailingchild。Itwasasthoughhewerefeelingconsciousthathehaddoneamissinsolongdelayingtoshedlightupontheworld，insolongdallyingonhisbedofsoftcloudsamidthesmokeoftheforestfire。Butgraduallythecheeringbeamssuffusedthegardenthroughout，andevokedfromtheripeningfruitanintoxicatingwaveofscentinwhichtherecouldbedistinguishedalsothebracingbreathofautumn。
Simultaneouslythereroseintothesky，inthewakeofthesun，adensestratumofcloudwhich，blueandsnow-whiteincolour，laywithitssofthummocksreflectedinthecalmOka，andsowroughtthereinasecondaryfirmamentasprofoundandimpalpableasitsoriginal。
“Nowthen，Makar！“wasGubin’scommand，andoncemoreIpostedmyselfatthebottomofthewell。Aboutthreesazheniindepth，andlinedwithcold，dampmudtoabovethelevelofmymiddle，theorificewaschargedwithastiflingodourbothofrottenwoodandofsomethingmoreintolerablestill。Also，wheneverI
hadfilledthepailwithmud，andthenemptieditintothebucketandshouted“Rightaway！“thebucketwouldstartswingingagainstmypersonandbumpingit，asunwillinglyitwentaloft，andthereafterdischargeuponmyheadandshouldersclotsoffilthanddrippingsofwater——meanwhilescreening，withitscircularbottom，theglowingsunandnowscarcevisiblestars。Inpassing，thespectacleofthosestars’waningbothpainedandcheeredme，foritmeantthatforacompanioninthefirmamenttheynowhadthesun。Henceitwasuntilmyneckfeltalmostfractured，andmyspineandthenapeofmyneckwereachingasthoughclampedinacastofplasterofparis，thatI
keptmyeyesturnedaloft。Yes，anythingtogainasightofthestars！FromthemIcouldnotremovemyvision，fortheyseemedtoexhibittheheavensinanewguise，andtoconveytomethejoyfultidingsthatintheskytherewaspresentalsothesun。
Yetthough，meanwhile，Itriedtoponderonsomethinggreat，I
neverfailedtofindmyselfcherishingtheabsurd，obstinateapprehensionthatsoontheBirkinswouldleavetheirbeds，enterthecourtyard，andhaveNadezhdabetrayedtothembyGubin。
Andthroughouttherekeptdescendingtomefromabovethelatter’sinarticulate，asitweredamp-sodden，observations。
“Anotherrat！“Iheardhimexclaim。“Tothinkthatthosetwofellows，menofmoney，shouldneglectfortwowholeyearstocleanouttheirwell！Why，whatcanthebruteshavebeendrinkingmeanwhile？Lookoutbelow，you！“
Andoncemore，withacreakingofthepulley，thebucketwoulddescend——bumpingandthuddingagainsttheliningofthewellasitdidso，andbespatteringafreshmyheadandshoulderswithitsfilth。Rightlyspeaking，theBirkinsoughttohaveclearedoutthewellthemselves！