Whistlingfromoffthesea，thewindwaschargedwithmoist，saltspray，anddashingfoamingbillowsashorewiththeirwhitemanesfullofsnakelike，gleamingblackribandsofseaweed，andcausingtherockstorumbleangrilyinresponse，andthetreestorustlewithadry，agitatedsoundastheirtopsswayedtoandfro，andtheirtrunksbentearthwardsasthoughtheywouldfainreeveuptheirroots，andbetakethemwhitherthemountainsstoodveiledinatogaofheavy，darkmist。
Overtheseathecloudswerehurryingtowardsthelandaseverandanontheyrentthemselvesintostrips，andrevealedfathomlessabyssesofbluewhereintheautumnsunburneduneasily，andsentcloud-shadowsglidingoverthepuckeredwasteofwaters，until，theshorereached，thewindfurtherharriedthemassesofvapourtowardsthesharpflanksofthemountains，and，afterdrawingthemupanddowntheslopes，relegatedthemtoclefts，andleftthemsteamingthere。
Therewasaboutthewholescenealouringappearance，anappearanceasthougheverythingwerecontendingwitheverything，asnowallthingsturnedsullenlydark，andnowallthingsemittedadullsheenwhichalmostblindedtheeyes。Alongthenarrowroad，aroadprotectedfromtheseabyalineofwave-
washeddykes，somewitheredleavesofoakandwildcherrywerescuddinginmutualchaseofoneanother；withthegeneralresultthatthecombinedsoundsofsplashingandrustlingandhowlingcametomergethemselvesintoasingledinwhichissuedasasongwitharhythmmarkedbythemeasuredblowsofthewavesastheystrucktherocks。
“Zmiulan，theKingoftheOcean，isabroad！“shoutedmyfellowtravellerinmyear。Hewasatall，round-shoulderedmanofchildishlychubbyfeaturesandboyishlybright，transparenteyes。
“WHOdoyousayisabroad？“Iqueried。
“KingZmiulan。“
Neverhavingheardofthemonarch，Imadenoreply。
Theextenttowhichthewindbuffetedusmighthaveledonetosupposethatitsprimaryobjectivewastodeflectoursteps，andturntheminthedirectionofthemountains。Indeed，attimesitspressurewassostrongthatwehadnochoicebuttohalt，toturnourbackstothesea，and，withfeetplantedapart，topriseourselvesagainstoursticks，andsoremain，poisedonthreelegs，untilwewerepastanyriskofbeingoverwhelmedwiththesoftincubusofthetempest，andhavingourcoatstornfromourshoulders。
Atintervalssuchgaspswouldcomefrommycompanionthathemightwellhavebeenstandingonthedrying-boardofabath。Nor，astheydidso，washisappearanceaughtbutcomical，seeingthathisears，appendageslargeandshaggylikeadog’s，andindifferentlyshieldedwithashabbyoldcap，keptbeingpushedforwardbythewinduntilhissmallheadboreanabsurdresemblancetoachinabowl。Andthat，tocompletetheresemblance，hislongandmassivenose，afeaturegrosslydisproportionatetotherestofhisdiminutiveface，mightequallywellhavepassedforthespoutofthereceptacleindicated。
Yetafaceoutofthecommonitwas，likethewholeofhispersonality。AndthiswasthefactwhichhadcaptivatedmefromthemomentwhenIhadbeheldhimparticipatinginavigilserviceheldintheneighbouringchurchofthemonasteryofNewAthos。
There，spare，butwithhiswitheredformerect，andhisheadslightlytilted，hehadbeengazingattheCrucifixwitharadiantsmile，andmovinghisthinlipsinasortofwhispered，confidential，friendlyconversationwiththeSaviour。Indeed，somuchhadtheman’ssmooth，roundfeaturesfeaturesasbeardlessasthoseofaSkopetz[AmemberoftheSkoptzi，anon-Orthodoxsectthemembersofwhich“domakeofthemselveseunuchsfortheLord’ssake。“]，savefortwobrighttuftsatthecornersofthemouthbeeninstinctwithintimacy，withaconsciousnessofactuallybeinginthepresenceoftheSonofGod，thatthespectacle，transcendinganythingofthekindthatmyeyeshadbeforebeheld，hadledme，withitstotalabsenceofthecustomarylaboured，servile，pusillanimousattitudetowardstheAlmightywhichIhadgenerallyfoundtobetherule，toaccordthemanmywholeinterest，and，aslongastheservicehadlasted，tokeepaneyeupononewhocouldthusconversewithGodwithoutrenderingHimconstantobeisance，oragainandagainmakingthesignofthecross，orinvariablymakingittotheaccompanimentofgroansandtearswhichhadalwayshithertoobtrudeditselfuponmynotice。
AgainhadIencounteredthemanwhenIhadhadsupperattheworkmen’sbarraque，andthenproceededtothemonastery’sguest-
chamber。Seatedatatableunderacircleoflightfallingfromalampsuspendedfromtheceiling，hehadgatheredaroundhimaknotofpilgrimsandtheirwomen，andwasholdingforthinlow，cheerfultonesthatyethadinthemthetelling，incisivenoteofthepreacher，ofthemanwhofrequentlyconverseswithhisfellowmen。
“Onethingitmaybebestalwaystodisclose，“hewassaying，“andanotherthingtoconceal。Ifaughtinourselvesseemsharmfulorsenseless，letusputtoourselvesthequestion:’Whyisthisso？’Contrariwiseoughtaprudentmannevertothrusthimselfforwardandsay:’HowdiscreetamI！’whilehewhomakesaparadeofhishardlot，andsays，’Goodfolk，seeyeandhearhowbittermylifeis，’alsodoeswrong。“
Hereapilgrimwithablackbeard，abrigand’sdarkeyes，andthewastedfeaturesofanasceticrosefromthefurthersideofthetable，straightenedhisvirileframe，andsaidinadullvoice:
“Mywifeandoneofmychildrenwereburnttodeaththroughthefallingofanoillamp。OnTHAToughtItokeepsilence？“
Noanswerfollowed。Onlysomeonemutteredtohimself:
“What？Again？“:untilthefirstspeaker，thespeakerseatednearthecornerofthetable，launchedintotheoppressivelulltheunhesitatingreply:
“ThatofwhichyouspeakmaybetakentohavebeenapunishmentbyGodforsin。“
“What？Forasincommittedbyonethreeyearsofagefor，indeed，mylittlesonwasnomore？Theaccidenthappenedofhispullingdownalampuponhimself，andofmywifeseizinghim，andherselfbeingburnttodeath。Shewasweak，too，forbutelevendayshadpassedsinceherconfinement。“
“No。WhatImeanisthatinthataccidentyouseeapunishmentforsinscommittedbythechild’sfatherandmother。“
Thisreplyfromthecornercamewithperfectconfidence。Theblack-beardedman，however，pretendednottohearit，butspreadouthishandsasthoughpartingtheairbeforehim，andproceededhurriedly，breathlesslytodetailthemannerinwhichhiswifeandlittleonehadmettheirdeaths。Andallthetimethathewasdoingsoonehadaninklingthatoftenbeforehadherecountedhisnarrativeofhorror，andthatoftenagainwouldherepeatit。
Hisshaggyblackeyebrows，ashedeliveredhisspeech，metinasinglestrip，whilethewhitesofhiseyesgrewbloodshot，andtheirdull，blackpupilsneverceasedtheirnervoustwitching。
Presentlythegloomyrecitalwasoncemoreroughly，unceremoniouslybrokeninuponbythecheerfulvoiceoftheChrist-lovingpilgrim。
“Itisnotright，brother，“thevoicesaid，“toblameGodforuntowardaccidents，orformistakesandfolliescommittedbyourselves。“
“ButifGodbeGod，Heisresponsibleforallthings。“
“Notso。Concedetoyourselfthefacultyofreason。“
“Pah！Whatavailsreasonifitcannotmakemeunderstand？“
“CannotmakeyouunderstandWHAT？“
“Themainpoint，thepointwhyMYwifehadtobeburntratherthanmyneighbour’s？“
Somewhereanoldwomancommentedinspitefullydistincttones:
“Ohho，ho！Thismancomestoamonastery，andstartsrailingassoonashegetsthere！“
Flashinghiseyesangrily，theblack-beardedmanloweredhisheadlikeabull。Then，thinkingbetterofhisposition，andcontentinghimselfwithagesture，hestrodeswiftly，heavilytowardsthedoor。UponthistheChrist-lovingpilgrimrosewithaswayingmotion，bowedtoeveryonepresent，andsetaboutfollowinghislateinterlocutor。
“Ithasallcomeofabrokenheart，“hesaidwithasmileashepassedme。Yetsomehowthesmileseemedtolacksympathy。
Withadisapprovingairsomeoneelseremarked:
“Thatfellow’sonethoughtistoenlargeandtoenlargeuponhistale。“
“Yes，andtonopurposedoeshedoso，“addedtheChrist-lovingpilgrimashehaltedinthedoorway。“Allthatheaccomplishesbyitistowearyhimselfandothersalike。Suchexperiencesarefarbetterputbehindone。“
PresentlyIfollowedthepairintotheforecourt，andneartheentrance-gatesheardavoicesayquietly:
“Donotdisturbyourself，goodfather。“
“Nevertheless“thesecondvoicewasthatoftheporterofthemonastery，FatherSeraphim，astrappingVetlugan“aspectrewalksherenightly。“
“Nevermindifitdoes。Asregardsmyself，nospectrewouldtouchme。“
HereImovedinthedirectionofthegates。
“Whocomesthere？“Seraphiminquiredashethrustahairyanduncouth，butinfinitelykindly，faceclosetomine。“Oh，itistheyoungfellowfromNizhniNovgorod！Youarewastingyourtime，mygoodsir，forthewomenhaveallgonetobed。“
Withwhichhelaughedandchuckledlikeabear。
Beyondthewalloftheforecourtthestillnessoftheautumnnightwasthelanguidinertiaofaworldexhaustedbysummer，andthewitheredgrassandotherobjectsoftheseasonwereexhalingasweetandbracingodour，andthetreeslookinglikefragmentsofcloudwheremotionlesstheyhunginthemoist，sultryair。