colouredsteppeandsnowcappedmountainpeaks。Yet，ohhowthatsteppe，bathedingoldensunshine，drawsonetoitselfanditssmoothdesolationofsweet，drygrassesastheparched，fragrantexpanserustlesunderthesoughingwind！
“Youaskaboutthatwoman，eh？“queriesKonev，whomIfindleaningagainstoneofthepoplartrunks，andembracingitwithanarm。
“Yes。Fromwheredoesshehail？“
“FromRiazan，shesays。AnotherstoryofhersisthathernameisTatiana。“
“Hasshebeenwithyoulong？“
“No。Infact，itwasonlythismorning，somethirtyverstsfromhere，thatIovertookherandhercompanion。However，Ihaveseenherbefore，atMaikop-on-Laba，duringtheseasonofhayharvest，whenshehadwithheranelderly，smoothfacedmuzhikwhomighthavebeenasoldier，andcertainlywaseitherherloveroranuncle，aswellasabullyandadrunkardofthetypewhich，beforeithasbeentwodaysinaplace，startsaboutasmanybrawls。Atpresent，however，sheistrampingwithnonebutthisfemalecompanion，for，afterthatthe’uncle’haddrunkawayhisverybelly-bandandreins，hewasclappedingaol。TheCossack，youknow，isanawkwardpersontodealwith。“
AlthoughKonevspeakswithoutconstraint，hiseyesarefixeduponthegroundinamannersuggestiveofsomedisturbingthought。Andasthebreezeruffleshisdishevelledbeardandraggedpea-jacketitendsbyrobbinghisheadofhiscap——ofthetattered，peaklesscloutwhich，withrentsinitslining，socloselyresemblesatchepchik[Woman’smob-cap]，astocommunicatetothepicturesquefeaturesofitsweareranappearancecomicallyfeminine。
“Ye-es，“expectorating，anddrawlingthewordsbetweenhisteeth，hecontinues:“Sheisaremarkablewoman，aregular，sotospeak，highstepper。YetitmusthavebeentheDevilhimselfthatblewthisyoungoafwiththebloatedjowlontothescene。
OtherwiseIshouldsoonhavefixedupmatterswithher。Thecurthatheis！“
“Butonceyoutoldmethatyouhadawifealready？“
Dartingatmeanangryglance，heturnsawaywithamutterof:
“AMItocarrymywifeaboutwithmeinmywallet？“
HeretherecomeslimpingacrossthesquareamoustachioedCossack。Inonehandheisholdingabunchofkeys，andintheotherhandabatteredCossackcap，peakinfront。Behindhim，sobbingandapplyinghisknucklestohiseyes，thereiscreepingacurly-headedurchinofeight，whiletherearisbroughtupbyashaggydogwhosedejectedcountenanceandloweredtailwouldseemtoshowthathetooisindisgrace。EachtimethattheboywhimpersmoreloudlythanusualtheCossackhalts，awaitsthelad’scominginsilence，cuffshimovertheheadwiththepeakofthecap，and，resuminghiswaywiththegaitofadrunkenman，leavestheboyandthedogstandingwheretheyare——theboylamenting，andthedogwaggingitstailasitsoldblackmuzzlesniffstheair。SomehowIdiscerninthedog’smienofholdingitselfpreparedforanythingthatmayturnup，acertainresemblancetoKonev’sbearing，savethatthedogisolderinappearancethanisthevagabond。
“Youmentionedmywife，Ithink？“presentlyheresumeswithasigh。“Yes，Iknow，butnotEVERYmaladyprovesmortal，andI
havebeenmarriednineteenyears！“
Therestiswell-knowntome，foralltoofrequentlyhaveIhearditandsimilartales。Unfortunately，Icannotnowtakethetroubletostophim；sooncemoreIamforcedtolethiscomplaintscomeoozingtediouslyintomyears。
“Thewenchwasplump，“saysKonev，“andpantingforlove；sowejustgotmarried，andbratsbegantocometumblingfromherlikebugsfromabunk。“
Subsidingalittle，thebreezetakes，asitwere，towhispering。
“Infact，Icouldscarcelyturnroundforthem。Evennowsevenofthemarealive，thoughoriginallythestudnumberedthirteen。
Andwhatwastheuseofsuchagang？For，consider:mywifeisforty-two，andIamforty-three。Sheiselderly，andIamwhatyoubehold。True，hithertoIhavecontrivedtokeepupmyspirits；yetpovertyiswearingmedown，andwhen，lastwinter，myoldwomanwenttopiecesIsetforthforwhatelsecouldI
do？totourthetowns。Infact，folklikeyouandmyselfhaveonlyonejobavailable——thejoboflickingone’schops，andkeepingone’seyesopen。Yet，totellyouthetruth，InosoonerperceivemyselftobegrowingsuperfluousinaplacethanIspituponthatplace，andclearoutofit。“
Nevertothissturdy，inveteraterascaldoesitseemtooccurtoinsinuatethathehasbeendoingworkofanykind，orthatheintheleastcarestodoany；whileatthesametimeallself-pityiseschewedinhisnarrative，andherelateshisexperiencesmuchasthoughtheyaretheexperiencesofanotherman，andnotofhimself。
Presently，astheCossackandtheboydrawlevelwithus，theformer，fingeringhismoustache，inquiresthickly:
“Whenceareyoucome？“
“FromRussia。“
“Allsuchfolkcomefromthere。“
Thereafter，withagestureofdisdain，thismanoftheabnormallybroadnose，eyesfloatinginfat，andflaxenheadshapedlikeaflounder’s，resumeshiswaytowardstheporchofthechurch。Asfortheboy，hewipeshisnoseandfollowshimwhilethedogsniffsatourlegs，yawns，andstretchesitselfbythechurchyardwall。
“Didyousee？“muttersKonev。“Ohyes，ItellyouthatthefolkherearefarlessamiablethanourownfolkinRussia……
Buthark！Whatisthat？“
Toourearstherehavecomefrombehindthecornerofthechurchyardwallawoman’sscreamandthesoundofdullblows。
Rushingthither，webeholdthefair-headedpeasantseatedontheprostrateformoftheyoungfellowfromPenza，andmethodically，gruntinglydeliveringblowafterblowupontheyoungfellow’searswithhisponderousfists，whilecountingtheblowsashedoesso。Vainly，atthesametime，thewomanfromRiazanisproddingtheassailantintheback，whilstherfemalecompanionisshrieking，andthecrowdatlargehasleapttoitsfeet，and，collectedintoaknot，isshoutinggleefully，“THAT’Stheway！
THAT’Stheway！“
“Five！“thefair-headedpeasantcounts。
“Whyareyoudoingthis？“theprostratemanprotests。
“Six！“
“Ohdear！“ejaculatesKonev，dancingwithnervousness。“Ohdear，ohdear！“
Thesmacking，smashingblowsfallinregularcadenceas，proneonhisface，theyoungfellowkicks，strugglesandpuffsupthedust。Meanwhileatall，dourmaninastrawhatisrollingupashirt-sleeve，andalternatelybendingandstretchingalongarm，whilstalithe，white-headedyoungstriplingishopping，sparrow-
like，fromoneonlookertoanother，andexclaiminginsuppressed，cautioustones:
“Stopit，praystopit，orweshallbearrestedforcreatingadisturbance！“
Presentlythetallmanstridestowardsthefair-headedpeasant，dealshimasingleblowwhichknockshimfromthebackoftheyoungfellow，and，turningtothecrowd，sayswithaninformingair:
“THAT’ShowwedoitinTambov！“
“Brutes！Villains！“screamsthewomanfromRiazan，asshebendsovertheyoungfellow。Hercheeksarelivid，andasshewipestheflushedfaceofthebeatenyouthwiththehemofhergown，herdarkeyesareflashingwithdrywrath，andherlipsquiveringsopainfullyastodiscloseasetoffine，levelteeth。
Konev，peckinguptoher，sayswithanairofadvice:
“Youhadbettertakehimaway，andgivehimsomewater。“
Uponthisthefair-headedmuzhik，risingtohisknees，stretchesafisttowardsthemanfromTambov，andexclaims:
“Whyshouldhehavegoneandbraggedofhisstrength，pray？“
“Wasthatagoodreasonforthrashinghim？“
“Andwhoareyou？“
“WhoamI？“
“Yes，whoareYOU？“
“Nevermind。SeethatIdon’tgiveyouanotherswipe！“
Uponthistheonlookersplungeintoaheateddebateastowhowasactuallythebeginnerofthedisturbance，whilethelitheyoungfellowcontinuestowringhishands，andcryimploringly:
“DON’Tmakesomuchnoiseaboutit！Rememberthatweareinastrangeland，andthatthefolkhereaboutsarestrict。“
Soqueerlydohisearsprojectfromhisheadthathewouldseemtobeable，ifhepleased，tofoldthemrightoverhiseyes。
Suddenlyfromtheroseateheavenscomesthevibrantnoteofabell；whereupon，thehubbubceasesandatthesamemomentayoungCossackwithafacestuddedwithfreckles，and，inhishands，acudgel，makeshisappearanceamongthecrowd。
“Whatdoesallthismean？“heinquiresnotuncivilly。
“Theyhavebeenbeatingaman，“thewomanfromRiazanreplies。
Asshedoessoshelookscomelyinspiteofherwrath。