Kalinin’ssmallfacehadbecomepainfullycontracted，andgrownoldandhaggard-looking。Rollingoverontohisbreastbeforethelanguishingfire，hewavedahandtodissipatethesmokewhichwaslazilydriftingslant-wise。
“ForseventeendaysdidIremainstretchedonasick-bed，andwasattendedbythedoctorinperson。Oneday，whensittingbymyside，heinquired:
“’Ipresumeyourintentionwastopoisonyourself，youfoolishfellow？’
“Yes，merelyTHATwaswhathecalledme——a’foolishfellow。’Yetindeed，whatwasItohim？Onlyanentitywhichmightbecomefoodfordogs，forallhecared。NordidValentinaIgnatievnaherselfpaymeasinglevisit，andmyeyesneveragainbeheldher。BeforelongsheandDr。Kliachkaweredulymarried，anddepartedtoKharkov，wherehewasassignedapostintheTchuguerskiCamp。
ThusonlytheGeneralremained。Roughandready，hewas，nevertheless，oldandsensible，andforthatreason，didnotmatter；whereforeIretainedmysituationasbefore。Onmyrecovery，hesentforme，andsaidinatoneofreproof:
“’Lookhere。Youarenotwhollyanidiot。Whathashappenedisthatthosevilebooksofyourshavecorruptedyourmind’asamatteroffact，Ihadneverreadabookinmylife，sinceforreadingIhavenoloveorinclination。’Henceyoumusthaveseenforyourselfthatonlyintalesdoclownsmarryprincesses。Youknow，lifeislikeagameofchess。Everypiecehasitspropermoveontheboard，orthegamecouldnotbeplayedatall。’“
Kalininrubbedhishandsoverthefireslender，non-workmanlikehandstheywere，andwinkedandsmiled。
“ItooktheGeneral’swordsveryseriously，andproceededtoaskmyself:’Towhatdothosewordsamount？Tothis:thatthoughI
maynotcareactuallytotakepartinthegame，Ineednotwastemywholeexistencethroughadisinclinationtolearnthebestusetowhichthatexistencecanbeput。’
Withatriumphantupliftoftone，Kalinincontinued:
“So，brother，IsetmyselftoWATCHthegameinquestion；withtheresultthatsoonIdiscoveredthatthemajorityofmenlivesurroundedwithahostofsuperfluouscommoditieswhichdobutburdenthem，andhaveinthemselvesnorealvalue。WhatIrefertoisbooks，pictures，china，andrubbishofthesamesort。
ThoughtItomyself:’WhyshouldIdevotemylifetotendinganddustingsuchcommoditieswhilerisking，allthetime，theirbreakage？Nomoreofitforme！Wasitforthetendingofsucharticlesthatmymotherboremeamidtheagoniesofchildbirth？
IsitanexistenceofTHISkindthatmustbepasseduntilthetombbereached？No，no——athousandtimesno！RatherwillI，withyourgoodleave，rejectaltogetherthegameoflife，andsubsistasmaybebestforme，andasmayhappentobemypleasure。’“
Now，asKalininspoke，hiseyesemittedgreensparks，andashewavedhishandsoverthefire，asthoughtolopofftheredtonguesofflame，hisfingerstwistedconvulsively。
“Ofcourse，notallatastrokedidIarriveatthisconclusion；
Ididsobutgradually。ThepersonwhofinallyconfirmedmeinmyopinionwasafriarofBaku，asageofpre-eminentwisdom，throughhissayingtome:’Withnothingatalloughtamantofetterhissoul。Neitherwithbond-service，norwithproperty，norwithwomankind，norwithanyotherconcessiontothetemptationsofthisworldoughthetoconstrainitsaction。
Ratheroughthetolivealone，andtolovenonebutChrist。Onlythisistrue。Onlythiswillbeforeverlasting。’
“And，“addedKalininwithanimationandinflatedcheeksandflushed，suppressedenthusiasm，“manylandsandmanypeopleshaveIseen，andalwayshaveIfoundparticularlyinRussia
thatmanyfolkalreadyhavereachedanunderstandingofthemselves，and，consequently，refusedanylongertorenderobeisancetoabsurdities。’Shunevil，andyouwillevolvegood。’
Thatiswhatthefriarsaidtomeasapartingword——thoughlongbeforeourencounterhadIgraspedthemeaningoftheaxiom。AndthataxiomImyselfhavesincepassedontootherfolk，asIhopetodoyetmanytimesinthefuture。“
Atthispointthespeaker’stonerevertedtooneofquerulousanxiety。
“Lookhowlowthesunhassunk！“heexclaimed。
Trueenough，thatluminary，largeandround，wasdeclininginto——
rather，towards——thesea，whilesuspendedbetweenhimandthewaterwerelow，dark，white-toppedcumuli。
“Soonnightfallwillbeovertakingus，“continuedKalininashefumbledinhiskaftan。“Andinthesepartsjackalshowlwhendarknessiscome。“
InparticulardidInoticethreecloudsthatlookedlikeTurksinwhiteturbansandrobesofaduskyredcolour。AndasthesecloudTurksbenttheirheadstogetherinprivateconverse，suddenlythereswelleduponthebackofoneofthefiguresahump，whileontheturbanofasecondtheresproutedforthapalepinkfeatherwhich，becomingdetachedfromitsbase，wentfloatingupwardstowardsthezenithandthenowrayless，despondent，moonlikesun。LastlythethirdTurkstoopedforwardovertheseatoscreenhiscompanions，andashedidso，developedahugerednosewhichcomicallyseemedtodiptowards，andsniffat，thewaters。
“Sometimes，“continuedKalinin’sevenvoicethroughthecracklingandhissingofthewoodfire，“amanwhoisoldandblindmaycobbleashoebetterthancleverermenthanhe，canordertheirwholelives。“
ButnolongerdidIdesiretolistentoKalinin，forthethreadswhichhaddrawnme，boundme，tohispersonalityhadnowparted。
AllthatIdesiredtodowastocontemplateinsilencethesea，whilethinkingofsomeofthosesubjectswhichateventideneverfailtostirthesoultogentle，kindlyemotion。Bombers，Kalinin’swordscontinueddrippingintomyearlikebelatedraindrops。
“Nowadayseverybodyisabusybody。Nowadayseveryoneinquiresofhisfellow-man，’Howisyourlifeordered？’Towhichalwaysthereisaddeddidactically，’Butyououghtnottoliveasyouaredoing。Letmeshowyoutheway。’Asthoughanyonecantellmehowbestmylifemayattainfulldevelopment，seeingthatnoonecanpossiblyhavesuchamatterwithinhisknowledge！Nay，leteverymanliveasbesthepleases，withoutcompulsion。Forinstance，Ihavenoneedofyou。Inreturn，itisnotyourbusinesseithertorequireortoexpectaughtofme。AndthisI
saythoughFatherVitalisaysthecontrary，andaversthatthroughoutshouldmanwarwiththeevilsoftheworld。“
Inthevague，widefirmamentablood-redclusterofcloudswashanging，andasIcontemplateditthereoccurredtomethethought，“Maynotthosecloudsbeerstwhilerighteousworld-folkwhoarefollowinganunseenpathacrossthatexpanse，anddyeingitredwiththeirgoodbloodastheygo，inorderthattheearthmaybefertilised？“
Torightandleftofthatstripoflivingflametheseawasofacuriouswinetint，whilefurtheroff，rather，itwasassoftandblackasvelvet，andintheremoteeastsheet-lightningwasflashingevenasthoughsomegianthandwerefruitlesslyendeavouringtostrikeamatchagainstthesoddenfirmament。
MeanwhileKalinincontinuedtodiscoursewithenthusiasmonthesubjectofFatherVitali，theLabourSuperintendentofthemonasteryofNewAthos，whiledescribingindetailthemonk’sjovial，cleverfeatureswiththeirpearlyteethandcontrastingblackandsilverbeard。InparticularherelatedhowonceVitalihadknittedhisfine，almostwomanlikeeyes，andsaidinabasswhichstressedits“o’s“:
“Onourfirstarrivalhere，wefoundinpossessiononlyprehistoricchaosanddemoniacalinfluence。Everywherehadclingingweedsgrowntorankness；everywhereonefoundone’sfeetentangledamongbindweedandothervegetationofthesort。Andnowseewhatbeautyandjoyandcomfortthehandofmanhaswrought！“
And，havingthusspoken，themonkhadtracedagreatcirclewithhiseyeanddoughtyhand，acirclewhichhadembracedasinaframethemount，andthegardensfashionedanddevelopedbyridgingsoftherock，andthedownysoilwhichhadbeenbeatenintothoseridgings，andthesilverstreakofwaterfallplayingalmostatVitali’sfeet，andthestone-hewnstaircaseleadingtothecaveofSimeontheCanaanite，andthegildedcupolasofthenewchurchwheretheyhadstoodflashinginthenoontidesun，andthesnow-white，shimmeringblocksoftheguesthouseandtheservants’quarters，andtheglitteringfishponds，andthetreesofuniformtrimness，yetauniformlyregaldignity。
“Brethren，“themonkhadsaidintriumphantconclusion，“wheresoevermanmaybe，hewill，ashesodesires，begivenpowertoovercomethedesolationofthewilds。“
“AndthenIpressedhimfurther，“Kalininadded。“Yes，Isaidtohim:’NeverthelessChrist，ourLord，wasnotlikeyou，forHewashomelessandawanderer。Hewasonewhoutterlyrejectedyourlifeofintensivecultivationofthesoil’“asherelatedtheincidentKaliningavehisheadsundryjerksfromsidetosidewhichmadehisearsflap，toandfro。“’AlsoneitherforthelowlyalonenorfortheexaltedalonedidChristexist。Rather，He，likeallgreatbenefactors，wasonewhohadnoparticularleaning。Nay，evenwhenHewasroamingtheRussianLandincompanywithSaintsYuriandNikolai，HealwaysforboretointrudeHimselfintothevillages’affairs，justas，wheneverHiscompanionsengagedindisputesconcerningmankind，Heneverfailedtomaintainsilenceonthesubject。’Yes，thusIplaguedVitaliuntilheshoutedatmyhead，’Ah，impudence，youareaheretic！’“
Bythistime，theairundertheleeofthestonewasgrowingsmokyandoppressive，forthefire，withitsflameslookinglikeabouquetcompoundedofredpoppiesorazaleasandbloomsofanaureatetint，hadbegunfairlytoliveitsbeautifulexistence，andwasblazing，anddiffusingwarmth，andlaughingitsbright，cheerful，intelligentlaugh。Yetfromthemountainsandthecloud-masseseveningwasdescending，astheearthemittedprofoundgaspsofhumidity，andtheseaintoneditsvague，thoughtful，resonantsong。