“Ido，“Ireplied。“Yes，Ido。“
“Good！“
Thebellofthemonasterystrucktwohastybeats——thenbecamesilent，sothatonlythesadechoofitsvoiceremainedreverberatingoverthecemetery。Oncemoremyinterlocutordrewouthiscigarette-case，silentlyofferedittomyself，andlightedandpuffedindustriouslyatanothercigarette。Ashedidsohishands，assmallandbrownastheclawsofabird，shookalittle，andhishead，bentdown，lookedlikeanEasteregginplush。
Stillsmoking，helookedmeintheeyeswithaself-diffidentfrown，andmuttered:
“Onlythroughthelabourofmandoestheearthattaindevelopment。Andonlybyfamiliarisinghimselfwith，andremembering，thepastcanmanobtainsupportinhisworkonearth。“
Inspeaking，theLieutenantloweredhisarm；whereuponontohiswristthereslippedthebroadgoldenbraceletadornedwithamedallion，andtheregazedatmethencetheminiatureofafair-hairedwoman:andsincethehandbelowitwasfreckled，anditsflexiblefingerswereswollenoutofshape，andhadlosttheirsymmetry，thewoman’sfine-drawnfacelookedthemorefulloflife，and，clearlypickedout，couldbeseentobesmilingasweetandslightlyimperioussmile。
“Yourwifeoryourdaughter？“Iqueried。
“MyGod！MyGod！“was，withasubduedsigh，theonlyresponsevouchsafed。ThentheLieutenantraisedhisarm，andthebraceletslidbacktoitsrestingplaceunderhiscuff。
Overthetownthecolumnsofcurlingsmokeweregrowingredder，andtheclatteringwindowsblushingtoatintofpinkthatrecalledtomymemorythelividcheeksofVirubov’s“niece，“ofthewomaninwhom，likeheruncle，therewasnothingthatcouldprovokeoneto“takeliberties。“
Next，therescaledthecemeterywallandstealthilystretchedthemselvesontheground，sothattheylookednotunlikethefar-flungshadowsofthecemetery’scrosses，afileofdark，tatteredfiguresofbeggars，whileonthefurthersideoftheslowlydarkeninggreeneryacantordrawledinsluggish，carelessaccents:
“E-e-ternalme-e——“
“Eternalmemoryofwhat？“exclaimedLieutenantKhorvatwithanangryshrugofhisshoulders。“Suppose，inhisday，amanhasbeenthebestcucumber-salterormushroom-picklerinagiventown。Orsupposehehasbeenthebestcobblerthere，orthatoncehesaidsomethingwhichthestreetwhereinhedweltcanstillremember。WouldnotTHATmanbeamanwhoserecordshouldbepreserved，andmadeaccessibletomyrecollection？“
AndagaintheLieutenant’sfacewreatheditselfinsolidringsofpungenttobaccosmoke。
Blowingsoftlyforamoment，thewindbentthelongstemsofgrassinthedirectionofthedecliningsun，anddiedaway。Allthatremainedaudibleamidthestillnesswasthepeevishvoicesofwomensaying:
“Totheleft，Isay。“
“Oh，whatistobedone，Tanechka？“
Expellingafreshcloudoftobaccosmokeincylindricalform，theoldmanmuttered:
“Itwouldseemthatthosewomenhaveforgottentheprecisespotwheretheirrelativeorfriendhappenstolieburied。“
Asahawkflewoverthesun-reddenedbelfry-cross，thebird’sshadowglidedoveramemorialstonenearthespotwhereweweresitting，glancedoffthecornerofthestone，andappearedanewbeyondit。Andinthewatchingofthisshadow，Isomehowfoundapleasantdiversion。
WentontheLieutenant:
“Isaythatagraveyardoughttoevincethevictoryoflife，thetriumphofintellectandoflabour，ratherthanthepowerofdeath。However，imaginehowthingswouldworkoutundermyscheme。UnderittherecordofwhichIhavespokenwouldconstituteahistoryofatown’slifewhich，ifanything，wouldincreasemen’srespectfortheirfellows。Yes，suchahistoryasTHATiswhatacemeteryoughttobe。Otherwisetheplaceisuseless。Similarlywillthepastproveuselessifitcangiveusnothing。Yetissuchahistoryevercompiled？Ifitis，howcanonesaythateventsarebroughtaboutby，forsooth，’servantsofGod’？“
Pointingtothetombswithagestureasthoughhewereswimming，hepausedforamomentortwo。
“Youareagoodman，“Isaid，“andamanwhomusthavelivedagoodandinterestinglife。“
Hedidnotlookatme，butansweredquietlyandthoughtfully:
“Atleastamanoughttobehisfellows’friend，seeingthattothemheisbeholdenforeverythingthathepossessesandforeverythingthathecontains。Imyselfhavelived——“
Here，withacontractionofhisbrows，hefelltogazingabouthim，asthoughhewereseekingthenecessaryword；until，seemingtofailtofindit，hecontinuedgravely:
“Menneedtobebroughtclosertogether，untillifeshallhavebecomebetteradjusted。Neverforgetthosewhoaredeparted，foranythingandeverythinginthelifeofa’servantofGod’
mayproveinstructiveandofprofoundsignificance。“
Onthewhitesidesofthememorial-stones，thesettingsunwascastingwarmluridreflections，untilthestoneworklookedasthoughithadbeensplashedwithhotblood。Moreover，everythingaroundusseemedcuriouslytohaveswelledandgrownlargerandsofterandlesscoldofoutline；thewholescene，thoughasmotionlessasever，appearedtohavetakenonasortofbright-redhumidity，anddepositedthathumidityinpurple，scintillating，quiveringdewontheturf’svariousspikesandtufts。Gradually，also，theshadowsweredeepeningandlengthening，whileonthefurthersideofthecemeterywallacowlowedatintervals，inagrossanddrunkenfashion，andapartyoffowlscackledwhatseemedtobecursesinresponse，andasawgratedandscreeched。
SuddenlytheLieutenantburstintoapealofsubduedlaughter，andcontinuedtodosountilhisshouldersshook。Atlengthhesaidthroughtheparoxysms，as，givingmeapush，hecockedhishatboyishly:
“Imustconfessthat，that——thattheviewwhichIfirsttookofyouwasratheratragicone。Yousee，whenIsawamanlyingproneonthegrassIsaidtomyself:’H’m！Whatisthat？’NextI
sawayoungfellowroamingaboutthecemeterywithafrownsettledonhisface，andhisbreechesbulging；andagainIsaidtomyself——“
“Abookislyinginmybreechespocket，“Iinterposed。
“Ah！ThenIunderstand。Yes，Imadeamistake，butavery，welcomeone。However，asIsay，whenIfirstsawyou，Isaidtomyself:’Thereisamanlyingnearthattomb。Perhapshehasabullet，awound，inhistemple？’And，asyouknow——“
Hestoppedtowinkatmewithanotheroutburstofsoft，good-humouredlaughter。Thenhecontinued。
“Nevertheless，theschemeofwhichIhavetoldyoucannotreallybecalledascheme，sinceitismerelyafancyofmyown。YetI
SHOULDliketoseelifelivedinbetterfashion。“
Hesighedandpaused，forevidentlyhewasbecominglostinthought。
“Unfortunately，“hecontinuedatlast，“thelatterisadesirewhichIhaveconceivedtoolate。IfonlyIhaddonesofifteenyearsago，whenIwasfillingthepostofInspectoroftheprisonatUsman——“
Hisleftarmstretcheditselfout，andoncemorethereslidontohiswristthebracelet。Foramomenthetoucheditsgoldwitharapid，butcareful，delicate，movement——thenherestoredthetrinkettoitsretreat，rosesuddenly，lookedabouthimforasecondortwowithafrown，andsaidindry，brisktonesashegavehisiron-greymoustacheanenergetictwist:
“NowImustbegoing。“
ForawhileIaccompaniedhimonhisway，forIhadakeendesiretohearhimsaysomethingmoreinthatpleasant，powerfulbassofhis；butthoughhesteppedpastthegravestoneswithstridesascarefulandregularasthoseofasoldieronparade，hefailedagaintobreaksilence。
Justaswepassedthechapelofthemonasterytherefloatedforthintothefaireveningstillness，fromthebars，ofawindow，whileyetnotreallystirringthatstillness，ahumofgruff，lazy，peevishejaculations。Apparentlytheywereutteredbytwopersonswhowereengagedinadispute，sinceoneofthemmuttered:
“Whathaveyoudone？Whathaveyoudone？“
Andtheotherrespondedcarelessly:
“Holdyourtongue，now！Prayholdyourtongue！“
ONARIVERSTEAMER
Thewateroftheriverwassmooth，anddullsilveroftint。
Also，sobarelyperceptiblewasthecurrentthatitseemedtobealmoststagnantunderthemistofthenoontideheat，andonlybythechangesintheaspectofthebankscouldonerealisehowquietlyandevenlytheriverwascarryingonitssurfacetheoldyellow-hulledsteamerwiththewhite-rimmedfunnel，andalsotheclumsybargewhichwasbeingtowedinherwake。
Dreamilydidthefloatsofthepaddle-wheelsslapthewater。
Undertheplanksofthedecktheenginestoiledwithoutceasing。