“Imaytellyou，“atlengththecrook-backedoldwomanremarkedassheattemptedtostraightenherself，“thatthoughmyhusbandwasnotwithoutenemies，healsohadaparticularfriendnamedAndrei，andthatwhenfailingstrengthwasbeginningtomakelifedifficultforusinouroldhomeontheDon，andfolktooktorevilingandgirdingatmyhusband，Andreicametousoneday，andsaid:’Yakov，letnotyourhandsfailyou，fortheearthislarge，andinallpartshasbeengiventomenfortheiruse。Iffolkbecruel，theyaresothroughstupidityandprejudice，andmustnotbejudgedforbeingso。Liveyourownlife。Lettheirsbetheirs，andyoursyours，sothat，dwellinginpeace，whileyieldingtonone，youshallintimeovercomethemall。’“
“ThatiswhatVasiltoousedtosay。Heusedtosay:’Lettheirsbetheirs，andoursours。’“
“Aye，neveragoodworddies，but，wheresoeveritbeuttered，fliesthencethroughtheworldlikeaswallow。“
Ufimcorroboratedthiswithanod。
“Trueindeed！“heremarked。“ThoughalsoithasbeensaidthatagoodwordisChrist’s，andabadwordthepriest’s。“
Oneoftheoldwomenshookherheadvigorouslyatthis，andcroaked:
“Thebadnessliesnotinanywordofapriest，butinwhatyouyourselfhavejustsaid。Youaregreyheaded，Ufim，yetoftenyouspeakwithoutthought。“
PresentlyUfim’swifereappeared，and，wavingherhandsasthoughshewerebrandishingasieve，begantoventrenewedvolleysofvirulentabuse。
“MyGod，“shecried，“whatsortofamanisthat？Why，amanwhoneitherspeaksnorlistens，butforeverkeepsbayingatthemoonlikeadog！“
“NOWshe’sstarted！“Ufimdrawled。
Westwardtherewerearising，andsoaringskyward，cloudsofsuchasimilaritytobluesmokeandblood-redflamethatthesteppeseemedalmosttobeindangerofcatchingfirethence。Meanwhileasofteveningbreezewascaressingtheexpanseasawhole，andcausingthegraintobenddrowsilyearthwardasgolden-redripplesskimmeditssurface。Onlyintheeasternquarterwhencenight’sblack，sultryshadowwasstealthilycreepinginourdirectionhaddarknessyetdescended。
Atintervalstherecameventedfromthewindowabovemyheadthehotodourofadeadbody；and，wheneverthathappened，thedog’sgreynostrilsandmuzzlewouldquiver，anditseyeswouldblinkpitifullyasitgazedaloft。Glancingattheheavens，Ufimremarkedwithconviction:
“Therewillbenoraintonight。“
“DoyoukeepsuchathingasaPsalterhere？“Iinquired。
“Suchathingasawhat？“
“AsaPsalter——abook？“
Noanswerfollowed。
Fasterandfasterthesouthernnightwentondescending，andwipingthelandcleanofheat，asthoughthatheathadbeendust。
UponmetherecameafeelingthatIshouldliketogoandburymyselfinsomesweet-smellinghay，andsleepthereuntilsunrise。
“MaybePanekhasoneofthosethings？“hazardedUfimafteralongpause。“AtanyratehehasdealingswiththeMolokans。“
Afterthat，thecompanyheldfurtherconverseinwhispers。Thenallsavethemorerotundoftheoldwomenlefttheforecourt，whileitsremainingoccupantsaidtomewithasigh:
“Youmaycomeandlookathimifyouwish。“
Smallandgentlelookedthewoman’smeeklyloweredheadas，foldingherhandsacrossherbreast，sheaddedinawhisper:
“OhpurestMotherofGod！OhThouofspotlesschastity！“
Incontrasttoherexpression，thatonthefaceofthedeadmanwasstemand，asitwere，fraughtwithimportancewherethickgreyeyebrowslaypartedoveralargenose，andthelattercurveddownwardstowardsamoustachewhichdividedintrospective，partiallyclosedeyesfromamouththatwassethalf-open。
Indeed，itwasasthoughthemanwereponderingsomethingofannoyance，sothatpresentlyhewouldmakeshifttodeliverhimselfofafinalandurgentinjunction。Thebluesmokeofameagrecandlequiveredmeanwhile，overhishead，thoughthewickdiffusedsofeeblealightthatthedeathblursundertheeyesandinthecheekfurrowslayuneffaced，andthedarkhandsandwrists，disposed，lumplike，onthefrontofthegreyish-blueshroud，seemedtohavehadtheirfingerstwistedinamannerwhichevendeathhadfailedtorectify。Andeverandanon，streamingfromdoortowindow，cameadraughtvariouslyfraughtwiththeodoursofwormwood，mint，andcorruption。
Presentlytheoldwoman’swhisperinggrewmoreanimatedandintelligible，whileconstantly，amidthewheezedmutterings，sheetlightningcuttheblacksquareofthewindowspacewithmenacingflashes，andseemed，withtheirblueglare，asitshotthroughthetomblikehut，tocausethecandle’sflickeringflametoundergoatemporaryextinction，atemporarywithdrawal，andthegreybristlesonthedeadman’sfacetogleamlikethescalesofafish，andhisfeaturestogatherthemselvesintoagrimfrown。Meanwhile，likeastreamofcold，bitterwaterdrippinguponmybreast，theoldwoman’swhisperedsoliloquymaintaineditsuninterruptedflow。
Atlengththererecurred，somehow，tomymindthewordswhich，impressivethoughtheybe，nevercanassuagesorrow——thewords:
“Weepnotforme，Martha，norgazeintothetomb，for，lo，Iamrisen！“
Nay，andneverwouldTHISmanriseagain……
PresentlythebonyoldwomanreturnedwithareportthatnowhereamongthehutscouldaPsalterbefound，butonlyabookofanotherkind。Woulditdo？
TheotherbookturnedouttobeagrammaroftheChurchSlavonicdialect，withthefirstpagestornout，andbeginningwiththewords，“Drug，drugi，druzhe。“[“Afriend，ofafriend，O
friend。“]
“What，then，arewetodo？“vexedlyaskedthesmallerofthedameswhenIhadexplainedtoherthatagrammarcouldworknobenefittoacorpse。Assheputthequery，hersmall，childlikefacequiveredwithdisappointment，andhereyesswelledandoverflowedwithtears。
“Mymanhaslivedhislife，“shesaidwithasob，“andnowhecannotevenbegivenproperburial！“
And，similarly，whennextIofferedtoreciteoverherhusbandeachandeveryprayerandpsalmthatIcouldcontrivetorecalltomyrecollection，onconditionthatallpresentshouldmeanwhileleavethehutforIfeltthat，sincethetaskwouldbeonenoveltome，theattendanceofauditorsmighthindermefrommusteringmyentirestockofpetitions，shesodisbelievedme，orfailedtounderstandme，thatforlongenoughshecouldonlystandtotteringinthedoorwayas，withtwitchingnose，shedrewhersleeveacrossherworn，diminutivefeatures。
Neverthelessshedid，atlast，takeherdeparture。
Lowoverthesteppe，strayflashesofsummerlightningstillgleamedagainstthejetblackskyastheyfloodedthehutwiththeirluridshimmer；andeachtimethatthedarknessofthesultrynightsweptbackintotheroom，thecandleflickered，andthecorpse’spronefigureseemedtoopenitshalf-closedeyesandglanceattheshadowswhichpalpitatedonitsbreast，anddancedoverthewhitewallsandceiling。
SimilarlydidIglancefromtimetotimeatHIM，yetglancewithaguardedeye，andwithafeelinginmethatwhenacorpseispresentanythingmayhappen；untilfinallyIralliedconsciencetomyaid，andrecitedundermybreath:
“PardonThouallwhohavesinned，whethertheybemen，orwhetherthey，beingnotmen，doyetstandhigherthanthebeastsofthefield。“
However，theonlyresultoftherecitationwastobringtomymindathoughtdirectlyatvariancewiththeimportofthewords，thethoughtthat“itisnotsinthatishardandbittertoensue，butrighteousness。“
“Sinswilfulandofignorance，“Icontinued。“Sinsknownandunknown。Sinscommittedthroughimprudenceandevilexample。Sinscommittedthroughforwardnessandsloth。“
“ThoughtoYOU，brother，“mentallyIaddedtothecorpse，“noneofthis，ofcourse，applies。“
Again，glancingatthebluestars，wheretheyhungglitteringinthefathomlessobscurityofthesky，Ireflected:
“Whointhishouseislookingatthemsavemyself？“
Presently，withapatteringofclawsoverthebeatenclayofthefloor，thereenteredthedog。Onceortwiceitpacedthelengthoftheroom。Then，withasniffatmylegs，andagrumbletoitself，itdepartedasithadcome。Perhapsthecreaturefelttoooldtobayadirgetoitsmasterafterthemannerofitskind。Inanycase，asitvanishedthroughthedoorway，theshadows——soI