Lurchingforward，thebeardedpeasantinterposedwitharasp:
“Yes，doyoutellusallaboutit，andthingswillbecomeeasierforyou。Forasinalwaysneedstobemadeknown。“
While，likeanecho，avoicesaidinboldandsarcasticaccents:
“Itwouldbebettertoseizehimandtiehimup。“
Uponthistheyoungfellowraisedhisbrowsalittle，andretortedinanundertone:
“Letmebide。“
“Therascal！“thecrowdcommented，whiletheoldman，neatlyfoldingandreplacinghishandkerchief，raisedahandasdryasacock’sleg，andremarkedwithasharp，knowingsmile:
“Possiblyitisnotmerelyoutofidlecuriositythatfolkaremakingthisrequest。“
“Goandbedamnedtoyou！“theyoungfellowexclaimedwithagrimsnap。Whereuponthebigpeasantbellowedoutinablusteringfashion:
“What？Thenyouwillnottellusatleastyourdestination？“
Whereafterthesamespeakercontinuedtoholdforthonhumanity，God，andthehumanconscience——staringwildlyaroundhimashedidso，wavinghisarmsabout，andgrowingevermorefrantic，untilreallyitwascurioustowatchhim。
Atlengththecrowdgrewsimilarlyexcited，andtooktoencouragingthespeakerwithcriesof“True！Thatisso！“
Asfortheyoungfellow，helistenedawhileinsilence，withoutmoving。Then，straighteninghisback，herose，thrusthishandsintothepocketsofhistrousers，and，swayinghisbodytoandfro，begantoglareatthecrowdwithgreenisheyeswhichweremanifestlylighteningtoaviciousgleam。Atlength，thrustingforthhischest，hecriedhoarsely:
“SoyouaskmewhitherIambound？Iamboundforthebrigands’lair，forthebrigands’lair，where，unlessyoufirsttakeandputmeinfetters，IintendtocutthethroatofeverymanthatImeet。Yes，ahundredmurderswillIcommit，forallfolkwillbethesametome，andnotasoulwillIspare。Aye，theendofmytetherisreached，sotakeandfettermewhilstyoucan。“
Hisbreathwasissuingwithdifficulty，andashespokehisshouldersheaved，andhislegstrembledbeneathhim。Also，hisfacehadturnedgreyandbecomedistortedwithtremors。
Uponthis，thecrowdbrokeintoagruff，ugly，resentfulroar，andedgedawayfromtheman。Yet，indoingso，manyofitsmemberslookedcuriouslylikethemanhimselfinthewaythattheyloweredtheirheads，caughtattheirbreath，andlettheireyesflash。Clearlythemanwasinimminentdangerofbeingassaulted。
Suddenlyherecoveredhissubdueddemeanour——he，asitwere，thawedinthesunlight:until，assuddenly，hislegsgavewaybeneathhim，and，narrowlyescapinginjurytohisfacefromthecornerofabale，hefellforwarduponhiskneesasthoughfelledwithanaxe。Thereafter，clutchingathisthroat，heshoutedinastrangevoice，andcrowdingthewordsupononeanother:
“TellmewhatIamtodo。Isallofitmyfault？LongIlayinprisonbeforeIwastriedandtoldtogofree……yet——“
Tearingathisearsandcheeks，herockedhisheadtoandfroasthoughseekingtorenditfromitssocket。Thenhecontinued:
“YetIamNOTfree。Norisitinmypowertosaywhatwillbecomeofme。Formethereremainsneitherlifenordeath。“
“Aha！“exclaimedthebigpeasant；andatthesoundthecrowddrewbackasinconsternation，whilesomehastenedtodepartaltogether。Asfortheremaindernumberingadozenorso，theyherdedsullenly，nervously，involuntarilyintoamassastheyoungfellowcontinuedindistractedtonesandwithatremblinghead:
“OhthatIcouldsleepforthenexttenyears！ForthencouldI
provemyself，anddecidewhetherIamguiltyornot。LastnightIstruckamanwithafaggot。AsIwaswalkingaboutIsawasleepamanwhohadangeredme，andthereuponthought，’Come！I
shouldliketodealhimablow，butcanIactuallydoit？’AndstrikehimIdid。Wasitmyfault？AlwaysIkeepaskingmyself，’CanI，orcanInot，doathing？’Aye，lost，lostamI！“
Apparentlythisoutburstcausedthemantoreachtheendofhispower，forpresentlyhesankfromkneestoheels——thenontohisside，withhandsclaspinghishead，andhistonguefinallyutteringthewords，“Betterhadyoukillme！“
Ahushfell，forallnowstoodconfoundedandsilent，with，aboutthem，agreyer，amoresubdued，lookwhichmadeallmoreresembletheirfellows。Infact，toallhadtheatmospherebecomeoppressive，asthougheveryone’sbreasthadhadclampedintoitalarge，softclodofhumid，viscidearth。Untilatlastsomeonesaidinalow，shamefaced，butfriendly，tone:
“Goodbrother，wearenotyourjudges。“
Towhichsomeoneelseaddedwithanequalmeasureofgentleness:
“Indeed，wemaybenobetterthanyou。“
“Wepityyou，butwemustnotjudgeyou。Onlypityispermitted。“
Asforthewell-dressedpeasant，hisloud，triumphantutterancewas:
“LetGodjudgehim，butmensufferhim。Ofjudgingofoneanothertherehasbeenenough。“
Andafifthmanremarkedtoafriendashewalkedaway:
“Whatarewetomakeofthis？Tojudgebythebook，theyoungfellowisatonceguiltyandnotguilty。“
“Bygonesoughttobebygones。Ofallcoursesthatisthebest。“
“Yes，forwearetooquick。Whatgoodcanthatdo？“
“Aye，what？“
Atlengththedark-browedwomansteppedforward。Lettinghershawltohershoulders，straighteninghairstreakedwithgreyunderabrightbluescarf，anddeftlyputtingasideaskirtshesoseatedherselfbesidetheyoungfellowastoscreenfromthecrowdwiththeheightofherfigure。Then，raisingkindlyface，shesaidcivilly，butauthoritatively，tothebystanders:
“Doallofyougoaway。“
Whereuponthecrowdbegantodepart，thebigpeasantsayingashewent:
“There！JustasIforetoldhasthematterturnedout。
ConscienceHASasserteditself。“
Yetthewordswerespokenwithoutself-complacency，rather，thoughtfully，andwithasenseofawe。
Asforthered-nosedoldmanwhowaswalkinglikeashadowbehindthelastspeaker，heopenedhissnuff-box，peeredthereinwithhismoisteyes，anddrawledtonooneinparticular:
“Howoftendoesoneseeamanplaywithconscience，yes，eventhoughhebearogue！Heerectsthatconscienceasascreentohisknaveriesandtricksandwiles，andmasksthewholewithacloudofwords。Yes，weknowhowitisdone，eventhoughfolkmaystareathim，andsaytooneanother，’Howferventlyhissoulisglowing！’Aye，allthetimethatheisholdinghishandtohishearthewillbedippingtheotherhandintoyourpocket。“
Theloverofproverbs，forhispart，unbuttonedhisjacket，thrusthishandsunderhiscoat-tails，andsaidinaloudvoice:
“Thereisasayingthatyoucantrustanywildbeast，suchasafoxorahedgehogoratoad，butnot——“
“Quiteso，dearsir。Thecommonfolkareexceedinglydegenerate。“
“Well，theyarenotdevelopingastheyoughttodo。“
“No，theyareover-cramped，“wasthebigpeasant’srasped-outcomment。“TheyhavenoroomforGROWTH。“
“Yes，theyDOgrow，butonlyasregardsbeardandmoustache，asatreegrowstobranchandsap。“
Withaglanceatthepurveyorofproverbstheoldmanassentedbyremarking:“Yes，trueitisthatthecommonfolkarecramped。“Whereafterhethrustapinchofsnuffintohisnostrils，andthrewbackhisheadinanticipationofthesneezewhichfailedtocome。Atlength，drawingadeepbreaththroughhispartedlips，hesaidashemeasuredthepeasantagainwithhiseyes:
“Myfriend，youareofasortcalculatedtolast。“
Inanswerthepeasantnodded。
“SOMEday，“heremarked，“weshallgetwhatwewant。“
Infrontofusnow，wasKazan，withthepinnaclesofitschurchesandmosquespiercingthebluesky，andlookinglikegarlandsofexoticblooms。AroundthemlaythegreywalloftheKremlin，andabovethemsoaredthegrimTowerofSumbek。