“Andparticularlyshouldawomansofacethings；foruponhereverythingdepends。Foronething，lethertaketoherself，inplaceofhermother，ahusbandorasweetheart。Yes，trythat，andsee。Andthough，atfirst，yourhusbandmayfindfaultwithyou，hewillafterwardstaketoboastingtoothermuzhiksthathehasawifewhocandoeverything，andremaineverasbrightandlovingasthemonthofMay。Neverdoesshegivein；neverWOULD
shegivein——no，notifyouweretocutoffherhead！“
“Indeed？“
“Yes。Andseeifthatwillnotcometobeyouropinionasmuchasmine。“
Again，tomyannoyance，thedialogueisinterrupted——thistimebythesoundofuncertainfootstepsinthestreetwithout。Thusthenextwordsofthewomen’sconversationescapeme。ThenIhear:
“Haveyoueverread’TheVisionoftheMotherofGod’？“
“N-no，Ihavenot。“
“Thenyouhadbetterasksomeolderwomanthanmyselftotellyouaboutit，foritisagoodbooktobecomeacquaintedwith。
Canyouread？“
“No，Icannot。Buttellme，yourself，whatthevisionwas？“
“Listen，andIwilldoso。“
FromoutsidethewindowKonev’svoicesoftlyinquires:
“Isthatourlotinthere？Yes？ThankGod，then，forIhadnearlylostmywayafterstirringupalotofdogs，andbeingforcedtousemyfistsuponthem。Here，you！Catchhold！“
Withwhich，handingmealargewatermelon，heclambersthroughthewindowwithagreatclatteringanddisturbance。
“Ihavemanagedalsotogeeagoodsupplyofbread，“hecontinues。“PerhapsyoubelievethatIstoleit？Butno。Indeed，whyshouldonestealwhenonecanbeg-agameatwhichIamparticularlyanoldhand，seeingthatalways，onanyoccasion，I
canmakeuptopeople？Ithappenedlikethis。WhenIwentoutI
sawafireglowinginahut，andfolkseatedatsupper。Andsince，wherevermanypeoplearepresent，oneofthematleasthasakindheart，Iateanddrankmyfill，andthenmanagedtomakeoffwithprovenderforyouaswell。Hi，youwomen！“
Therefollowsnoanswer。
“Ibelievethosedaughtersofwhoresmustbeasleep，“hecomments。“Hi，women！“
“Whatisit？“drilyinquiresthewomanfromRiazan。
“Shouldyoulikeatasteofwater-melon？“
“Ishould，thankyou。“
Thereupon，Konevbeginstomakehiswaytowardsthevoice。
“Yes，bread，softwheatenbreadsuchasyou——“
Herethe，otherwomanwhinesinbeggarfashion:
“AndgiveMEataste，too。“
“Oh，yes，Iwill。Butwherethedevilareyou？“
“Andatasteofmelonaswell？“
“Yes，certainly。Hullo！Whoisthis？“
FromthewomanfromRiazancomesacryofpain。
“Mindhowyoustep，wretch！“sheexclaims。
“Allright，butyouneedn’tmakesomuchnoiseaboutit。Youseehowdarkitis，andI——“
“Yououghttohavestruckamatch，then。“
“Ipossessbutaquarterofamatch，formatchesarenotover-
plentiful，andevenifIdidcatchholdofyounogreatharmcanhavebeendone。Forinstance，whenyourhusbandusedtobeatyouhemusthavehurtyoufarworsethanI。Bytheway，DIDhebeatyou？“
“Whatbusinessisthatofyours？“
“None；only，Iamcurioustoknow。Surelyawomanlikeyou——“
“Seehere。Donotdaretotouchme，orI——“
“Oryouwhat？“
ThereensuesaprolongedaltercationamidwhichIcanhearepithetsofincreasingacerbityandopprobriumbeingapplied；
untilthewomanfromRiazanexclaimshoarsely:
“Oh，youcowardofaman，takethat！“
WhereuponfollowsascrimmageamidwhichIcandistinguishslappings，grosschucklesfromKonev，andamuffledcryfromtheyoungerwomanof:
“Oh，donotsobehave，youwretch！“
Strikingamatch，Iapproachthespot，andpullKonevaway。Heisinnowayabashed，butmerelycooledinhisardouras，seatedontheflooratmyfeet，andpantingandexpectorating，hesaysreprovinglytothewoman:
“Whenfolkwishmerelytohaveagamewithyou，yououghtnottoletyourselfloseyourtemper。Fie，fie！“
“Areyouhurt？“thewomaninquiresquietly。
“Whatdoyousuppose？Youhavecutmylip，butthatistheworstdamage。“
“ThenifyoucomehereagainIwilllaythewholeofyourfaceopen。“
“Vixen！Whatbumpkinishstupidity！“
Konevturnstomyself。
“Andasforyou，yougocatchingatthefirstthingyoufind，andhavetornmycoat。“
“Thendonotinsultpeople。“
“INSULTpeople，fool？TheideaofanyoneinsultingawomanlikeTHAT！“
Whereafter，withameanchuckle，thefellowgoesontodiscourseupontheeasewithwhichpeasantwomenerr，andupontheirloveofdeceivingtheirhusbands。
“Theimpudentrascal！“commentsthewomanfromPenzasleepily。
Afterawhiletheyoungfellowspringstohisfeet，andgrateshisteeth。Then，reseatinghimself，andclutchingathishead，hesaysgloomily:
“Iintendtoleaveheretomorrow，andgohome。IdonotcareWHATbecomesofme。“
Withwhichhesubsidesontothefloorasthoughexhausted。
“Theblockhead！“isKonev’sremark。
Amidthedarknessablackshaperises。Itdoessoassoundlesslyasafishinapond，glidestothedoor，anddisappears。
“Thatwasshe，“remarksKonev。“Whatastrongwoman！However，ifyouhadnotpulledmeaway，Ishouldhavegotthebetterofher。
ByGodIshould！“
“Thenfollowher，andmakeanotherattempt。“
“No，“afteramoment’sreflectionherejoins。“Outthereshemightgetholdofastick，orabrick，orsomesuchthing。
However，I’LLgetevenwithher。Asamatteroffact，youwastedyourtimeinstoppingme，forshedetestsmeliketheverydevil。“
Andherenewshiswearisomeboastingsofhisconquests；untilsuddenly，hestopsasthoughhehasswallowedhistongue。
Allbecomesquiet；everythingseemstohavecometoahalt，andtobepressingcloseinsleeptothemotionlessearth。Itoogrowdrowsy，andhaveavisionamidwhichmymindreturnstothedonationswhichIhavereceivedthatday，andseesthemswellandmultiplyandincreaseinweightuntilIfeeltheirbulkpressinguponmelikeatumulusofthesteppes。Next，thecopperynotesofabelljarinmyears，and，struckatrandomintervals，gofloatingawayintothedarkness。
Itisthehourofmidnight。
Soon，scattereddropsofrainbegintopatterdownuponthedrythatchofthehutandthedustinthestreetoutside，whileacricketcontinueschirpingasthoughitwerehurriedlyrelatingatale。Also，Ihearfilteringforthintothedarknessasoftlygulped，eagerwhispering。
“Think，“saysoneofthevoices，“whatitmustmeantohavetogotrampingaboutwithoutwork，oronlywithworkforanothertodo！“
Theyoungfellowwhohasbeensosoundlythrashedrepliesinadullvoice:
“Iknownothingofyou。“
“Moresoftly，moresoftly！“urgesthewoman。
“Whatisityouwant？“
“IwantNOTHING。ItismerelythatIamsorryforyouasamanyetyoungandstrong。Yousee——well，Ihavenotlivedwithmyeyesshut。ThatiswhyIsay，comewithme。“
“Butcomewhither？“
“Tothecoast，whereIknowtheretobebeautifulplotsoflandfortheasking。Youyourselfcanseehowgoodthelandhereaboutis。Well，therelandbetterstillistobeobtained。“
“Liar！“
“Moresoftly，moresoftly！“againurgesthewoman。“Moreover，Iamnotbad-looking，andcanmanagethingswell，anddoanysortofwork。HenceyouandImightlivequitepeacefullyandhappily，andcome，eventually，tohaveaplaceofourown。Yes，andI
couldbearandrearyouachild。OnlyseehowfitIam。Onlyfeelthisbreastofmine。“
Theyoungfellowsnorts，andIbegintofindthesituationoppressive，andtolongtoletthecoupleknowthatIamnotasleep。Curiosity，however，preventsme，andIcontinuelisteningtothestrange，arrestingdialogue。
“Waitalittle，“whispersthewomanwithagasp。“Donotplaywithme，forIamnotthatsortofwoman。Yes，ImeanwhatIsay。
Letbe！“
Rudely，roughlytheyoungfellowreplies: