“HadInotbetterconsiderWHYitismylot，andsoforth？Why，damnit，thecausesaremany。Foronething，ifonehasneighbourswhoneitherlivenorseethingsasoneselfdoes，butareuncongenial，whatdoesonedo？Onejustleavesthem，andclearsout——moreespeciallyifonebeneitherapriestnoramagistrate。YetYOUsaythatIhadbetterconsiderwhythisismylot。DoyouthinkthatYOUaretheonlymanabletoconsiderthings，possessedofabrain？“
Andinanaccessoffurythespeakerreplacedhispipe，andsatfrowninginsilence。Vasilieyedhisinterlocutor’sfeaturesasthefirelightplayedreduponthem，and，finally，saidinanundertone:
“Yes，itisalwaysso。Wefailtogetonwithourneighbours，yetlackacharterofourown，so，havingnorootstoholdus，justfalltowandering，troublingotherfolk，andearningdislike！“
“Thedislikeofwhom？“grufflyqueriedtheex-soldier。
“Thedislikeofeveryone，asyouyourselfhavesaid！“
Inanswertheex-soldiermerelyemittedacloudofsmokewhichcompletelyconcealedhisform。YetVasili’svoicehadinitanagreeablenote，andwasflexibleandingratiating，whileenunciatingitswordsroundlyanddistinctly。
Amountainowl，oneofthosesplendidbrowncreatureswhichhavethecraftyphysiognomyofacat，andthesharpgreyearsofamouse，madetheforestechowithitsobtrusivecry。AbirdofthisspeciesIonceencounteredamongthedefile’scrags，andasthecreaturesailedovermyheaditstartledmewiththeglassyeyeswhich，asroundasbuttons，seemedtobelitfromwithinwithmenacingfire。Indeed，foramomentortwoIstoodhalf-
stupefiedwithterror，forIcouldnotconceivewhatthecreaturewas。
“Whencedidyougetthatsplendidpipe？“nextaskedVasiliasherolledhimselfacigarette。“SurelyitisapipeofoldGermanmake？“
“YouneednotfearthatIstoleit，“theex-soldierrespondedasheremoveditfromhislipsandregardeditproudly。“Itwasgivenmebyawoman。“
Towhich，withawhimsicalwink，headdedasigh。
“Tellmehowithappened，“saidVasilisoftly。Thenheflunguphisarms，andstretchedhimselfwithadespondentcryof:
“Ah，thesenightshere！NeveragainmayGodsendmesuchbadones！Trytosleepasonemay，oneneversucceeds。Fareasier，indeed，isittosleepduringthedaytime，providedthatonecanfindashadyspot。DuringsuchnightsIgoalmostmadwiththinking，andmyheartswellsandmurmurs。“
Theex-soldier，whohadlistenedwithmouthagapeandeyebrowsraisedevenhigherthanusual，respondedtothis:
“Itisthesamewithme。Ifonecouldonly——Whatdidyousay？“
Thislastwasaddressedtomyself，whohadbeenabouttoremark，“Thesamewithmealso，“butonseeingthepairexchangingastrangeglanceasthoughinvoluntarilytheyhadsurprisedoneanother，hadleftthewordsunspoken。Mycompanionsthensetthemselvestoamutuallyeagerquestioningwithrespecttotheirrespectiveidentities，pastexperiences，placesoforigin，anddestinations，evenasthoughtheyhadbeentwokinsmenwho，meetingunexpectedly，haddiscoveredforthefirsttimetheirbondofrelationship。
Meanwhiletheblack，fringedboughsofthepinetreeshungstretchedovertheflamesoftheMolokans’fireasthoughtheywouldcatchsomeofthefire’sglowandwarmth，orseizeitaltogether，andputitout。Andwhen，attimes，theirredtonguesprojectedbeyondthecornerofthebarraque，theymadethebuildinglookasthoughithadcaughtalight，andextendedtheirgloweventotherivulet。Constantlythenightwasgrowingdenserandmorestifling；constantlyitseemedtoembracethebodymoreandmorecaressingly，untilonebathedinitasinanocean。
Also，muchasawaveremovesdirtfromtheskin，sothesoftlyvocaldarknessseemedtorefreshandcleansethesoul。Foritisonsuchnightsasthatthatthesouldonsitsfinestraiment，andtrembleslikeabrideattheexpectationofsomethingglorious。
“Yousaythatshehadasquint？“presentlyIheardVasilicontinueinanundertone，andtheex-soldierslowlyreply:
“Yes，shehadonefromchildhoodupwards——shehadonefromthedaywhenafallfromacartcausedhertoinjurehereyes。Yet，ifshehadnotalwaysgoneaboutwithoneofhereyesshaded，youwouldneverhaveguessedthefact。Also，shewassoneatandpractical！Andherkindness——well，itwaskindnessasinexhaustibleasthewaterofthatrivuletthere；itwaskindnessofthesortthatwishedwelltoalltheworld，andtoallanimals，andtoeverybeggar，andeventomyself！Soatlasttheregrippedmyheartthethought，’WhyshouldInottryasoldier’sluck？Sheisthemaster’sfavourite——true；yetnonethelesstheattemptshallbemadebyme。’However，thiswayorthat，alwaysthereplywas’No’；alwayssheputoutatmeanelbow，andcutmeshort。“
Vasili，lyingproneuponhisback，twitchedhismoustache，andchewedastalkofgrass。Hiseyeswerefullyopen，andforthesecondtimeIperceivedthatoneofthemwaslargerthantheother。Theex-soldier，seatednearVasili’sshoulder，stirredthefirewithabitofcharredstick，andsentsparksofgoldflyingtojointhemidgeswhichwereglidingtoandfroovertheblaze。
Everandanonnight-mothssubsidedintotheflameswithaplop，crackled，andbecamechangedintolumpsofblack。Formyownpart，Iconstructedacouchonapileofpineboughs，andtherelaydown。AndasIlistenedtotheex-soldier’sfamiliarstory，I
recalledpersonswhomIhadononeandanotheroccasionremembered，andspeecheswhichononeandanotheroccasionhadmadeanimpressionuponme。
“Butatlast，“theex-soldiercontinued，“Itookheartofgrace，andcaughtherinabarn。Pressingherintoacorner，I
said:’Nowletitbeyesorno。Of，courseitshallbeasyouwish，butrememberthatIamasoldierwithasmallstockofpatience。’Uponthatshebegantostruggleandexclaim:’Whatdoyouwant？Whatdoyouwant？’until，burstingintotearslikeagirl，shesaidthroughhersobs:’Donottouchme。Iamnotthesortofwomanforyou。Besides，Iloveanother——notourmaster，butanother，aworkman，aformerlodgerofours。Beforehedepartedhesaidtome:“WaitformeuntilIhavefoundyouanicehome，andreturnedtofetchyou“；andthoughitisseventeenyearssinceIheardspeechorwhisperofhim，andmaybehehassinceforgottenme，orfalleninlovewithsomeoneelse，orcometogrief，orbeenmurdered，you，whoareamap，willunderstandthatImustbidealittlewhilelonger。’True，thisoffendedmeforinwhatrespectwasIanyworsethantheotherman？；yetalsoIfeltsorryforher，andgrievedthatIshouldhavewrongedherbythinkingherfrivolous，whenallthetimetherehadbeenTHISatherheart。Idrewback，therefore——Icouldnotlayafingeruponher，thoughshewasinmypower。AndatlastIsaid:’Good-bye！Iamgoingaway。’’Go，’shereplied。
’Yes，gofortheloveofChrist！’……Wherefore，onthefollowingeveningIsettledaccountswithourmaster，andatdawnofaSundaymorningpackedmywallet，tookwithmethispipe，anddeparted。’Yes，takethepipe，PaulIvanovitch，’shesaidbeforemydeparture。’Perhapsitwillservetokeepyouinremembranceofme——youwhomhenceforthIshallregardasabrother，andwhomI
thank。’……AsIwalkedawayIwasverynightotears，sokeenwasthepaininmyheart。Aye，keenitwasindeed！“
“Youdidright，“Vasiliremarkedsoftlyafterapause。
“Thingsmustalwayssobefall。Alwaysmustitbeacaseeitherof’Yes？’’Yes，’andoffolkcomingtogether，orof’No’’No，’
andoffolkparting。Andinvariablytheonepersoninthecasegrievestheother。Whyshouldthatbe？“
Emittingacloudofgreysmoke，theex-soldierrepliedthoughtfully:
“Yes，IknowIdidright；butthatrightwasdoneonlyatagreatcost。“
“Andalwaysthattooisthecase，“Vasiliagreed。Thenheadded:
“Generallysuchfortunefallstothelotofpeoplewhohavetenderconsciences。Hewhovalueshimselfalsovalueshisfellows；but，unfortunatelyamanalltooseldomvaluesevenhimself。“
“Towhomareyoureferring？Toyouandmyself？“
“ToourRussianfolkingeneral。“
“ThenyoucannothaveverymuchrespectforRussia。“Theex-
soldier’stonehadtakenonacuriousnote。Heseemedtobefeelingbothastonishedatandgrievedforhiscompanion。
Theother，however，didnotreply；andafterafewmomentstheex-soldiersoftlyconcluded:
“Sonowyouhaveheardmystory。“
Bythistimethecarpentershadceasedsingingaroundthebarraque，andlettheirfirediedownuntilquiveringonthewalloftheedificetherewasonlyafiery-redpatch，apatchbarelysufficienttorendervisibletheshadowsoftherocks；whilebesidethefiretherewasseatedonlyatallfigurewithablackbeardwhichhad，graspedinitshands，aheavycudgel，and，lyingnearitsrightfoot，anaxe。Thefigurewasthatofawatchmansetbythecarpenterstokeepaneyeuponourselves，theappointedwatchmen；thoughthefactinnowayoffendedus。
Overthedefile，inaraggedstripofsky，thereweregleamingstars，whiletherivuletwasbubblingandpurling，andfromtheobscurityoftheforesttherekeptcomingtoourears，nowthecautious，rustlingtreadofsomenightanimal，andnowthemournfulcryofanowl，untilallnatureseemedtobeinstinctwithasecretvitalitythesweetbreathofwhichkeptmovingthehearttohungerinsatiablyforthebeautiful。
Also，asIlaylisteningtothevoiceoftheex-soldier，avoicereminiscentofadistanttambourine，andtoVasili’spensivequestions，Iconceivedalikingforthemen，andbegantodetectthatintheirrelationstherewasdawningsomethinggoodandhuman。Atthesametime，theeffectofsomeofVasili’sdictaonRussiawastoarouseinmemingledfeelingswhichimpelledmeatoncetoarguewithhimandtoinducehimtospeakatgreaterlength，withmoreclarity，onthesubjectofourmutualfatherland。HencealwaysIhavelovedthatnightforthevisionswhichitbroughttome——visionswhichstillcomebacktomelikeadear，familiartale。