fancied——soughttoslipoutafterit，and，floatinginthatdirection，fannedmyfacewithabreathasofice，whiletheflameofthecandleflickeredthemore——asthoughittoowereseekingtowrestitselffromthecandlestick，andgofloatingupwardstojointhebandofstars——abandofluminarieswhichitmightwellhavedeemedtobeofabrillianceassmallandaspitifulasitsown。AndI，formypart，sinceIhadnowishtoseewhatlighttherewasdisappear，followedthestrugglesofthetinyflamewithatenseanxietywhichmademyeyesache。
OppressedanduneasyalloverasIstoodbythedeadman’sshoulder，Istrainedmyearsandlistened，listenedever，tothesilenceencompassingthehut。
Eventually，drowsinessbegantostealoverme，andprovedafeelinghardtoresist。YetstillwithaneffortdidIcontrivetorecallthebeautifulprayersofSaintsMakariVeliki，Chrysostom，andDamarkin，whileatthesametimesomethingresemblingaswarmofmosquitosstartedtohuminmyhead，thewordswhereintheSixthPreceptissuesitsinjunctionto:“allpersonsabouttowithdrawtoacouchofrest。“
Andnext，toescapefallingasleep，Ifelltorecitingthekondak[Hymnfortheendoftheday]whichbegins:
“OhLord，refreshmysoulthusgrievouslymadefeeblewithwrongdoing。“
Stillengagedinthismanner，suddenlyIheardsomethingrustleoutsidethedoor。Thenadrywhisperarticulated:
“OhGodofMercy，receiveuntoThyselfalsomysoul！“
Uponthat，thefancyoccurredtomethatprobablytheoldwoman’ssoulwasasgreyandtimidasalinnet，andthatwhenitshouldflyuptothethroneoftheMotherofGod，andtheMothershouldextendtothatlittlesoulhertender，white，andgracioushand，thenewcomerwouldtrembleallover，andflutterhergentlewingsuntilwellnighdeathshouldsupervene。
AndthentheMotherofGodwouldsaytoHerSon:
“Son，prayseethefearfulnessofThypeopleonearth，andtheirestrangementfromjoy！OhSon，isthatwell？“
AndHewouldmakeanswertoHer——
HewouldmakeanswertoHer，andsayIknownotwhat。
Andsuddenly，soIfancied，avoiceansweredmineoutofthebroodinghush，asthoughittoowererecitingaprayer。Yetsocomplete，soprofound，wasthestillness，thatthevoiceseemedfaraway，submerged，unreal——amerephantomofanecho，oftheechoofmyownvoice。Until，onmydesistingfrommyrecital，andstrainingmycarsyetmore，thesoundseemedtoapproachandgrowclearerasshufflingfootstepsalsoadvancedinmydirection，andtherecameamutterof:
“Nay，itCANNOTbeso！“
“Whyisitthatthedogshavefailedtobark？“Ireflected，rubbingmyeyes，andfancyingasIdidsothatthedeadman’seyebrowstwitched，andhismoustachestirredinagrimsmile。
Presentlyadeep，hoarse，raspingvoicevociferatedintheforecourt:
“Whatdoyousay，oldwoman？Yes，thathemustdie——Iknewallalong，——soyoucanceaseyourchattering？Menlikehimkeepuptothelast，thenlaythemdowntorisetomore……WHOiswithhim？A
stranger？A-ah！“
And，thenextmoment，abulksolargeandshapelessthatitmightwellhavebeenthedarknessofthenightembodied，stumbledagainsttheoutersideofthedoor，grunted，hiccuped，andlurchingheadforemostintothehut，grewwellnightotheceiling。Thenitwavedagigantichand，crosseditselfinthedirectionofthecandle，and，bendingforwarduntilitsforeheadalmosttouchedthefeetofthecorpse，queriedunderitsbreath:
“Hownow，Vasil？“
Thereafter，thefigureventedasobwhilstastrongsmellofvodkaaroseintheroom，andfromthedoorwaytheoldwomansaidinanappealingvoice:
“PraygiveHIMthebook，FatherDemid。“
“Noindeed！WhyshouldI？Iintendtodothereadingmyself。“
Andaheavyhandlaiditselfuponmyshoulder，whileagreathairyfacebentovermine，andinquired:
“Ayoungman，areyounot？Amemberoftheclergy，too，I
suppose？“
Socoveredwithtuftsofauburnhairwastheenormousheadaboveme——tuftsthesheenofwhicheventhesemi-obscurityofthepalecandlelightfailedtorenderinconspicuous——thatthemass，asawhole，resembledamop。Andasitsownerlurchedtoandfro，hemademelurchresponsivelybynowdrawingmetowardshimself，nowthrustingmeaway。Meanwhilehecontinuedtosuffusemyfacewiththehot，thickodourofspirituousliquor。
“FatherDemid！“againessayedtheoldwomanwithanimploringwail，buthecuthershortwiththemenacingadmonition:
“HowoftenhaveItoldyouthatyoumustnotaddressadeaconas’Father’？Gotobed！Yes，beoffwithyou，andletmemindmyaffairsmyself！GO，Isay！Butfirstlightmeanothercandle，forIcannotseeasinglethinginfrontofme。“
Withwhich，throwinghimselfuponabench，thedeaconslappedhiskneewithabookwhichhehadinhishands，andputtomethequery:
“Shouldyoucaretohaveadramofgorielka？[Anothernameforvodka。]
“No，“Ireplied。“Atallevents，nothere。“
“Indeed？“thedeaconcried，unabashed。“Butcome，abottleofthestuffishere，inmyverypocket。“
“Thisisnoplaceinwhichtobedrinking。“
Foramomentthedeaconsaidnothing。Thenhemuttered:
“True，true。Soletusadjourntotheforecourt……Yes，whatyousayisnomorethanthetruth。“
“Hadyounotbetterremainseatedwhereyouare，andbeginthereading？“
“No，Iamgoingtodonosuchthing。YOUshalldothereading。
TonightI，I——wellIamnotverywell，forIhavebeendrinkingalittle。“
And，thrustingthebookintomystomach，hesankhisheaduponhisbreast，andfelltoswayingitponderouslyupanddown。
“Folkdie，“washisnextutterance，“andtheworldremainsasfullofgriefasever。Yes，folkdieevenbeforetheyhaveseenalittlegoodaccruetothemselves。“
“IseethatyourbookisnotaPsalter，“hereIinterposedafteraninspectionofthevolume。
“Youarewrong。“
“Thenlookforyourself。“
Hegrabbedthebookbyitscover，and，bydintofholdingthecandleclosetoitspages，discovered，eventually，thatmatterswereasIhadstated。
Thistookhimabackcompletely。
“Whatcanthefactmean？“heexclaimed。“Oh，Iknowwhathashappened。Themistakehascomeofmybeinginsuchahurry。Theotherbook，thetruePsalter，isafat，heavyvolume，whereasthisoneis——“
Foramomentheseemedsoberedbytheshock。Atallevents，heroseand，approachingthecorpse，said，ashebentoverthebedwithhisbeardheldback:
“Pardonme，Vasil，butwhatistobedone？“
Thenhestraightenedhimselfagain，threwbackhiscurls，and，drawingabottlefromhispocket，andthrustingtheneckofthebottleintohismouth，tookalongdraught，withawhistlingofhisnostrilsashedidso。
“Well？“Isaid。
“Well，Iintendtogotobed——myideaistodrinkandenjoymyselfawhile。“
“Go，then。“
“Andwhatofthereading？“
“Whowouldwishyoutomumblewordswhichyouwouldnotbecomprehendingasyouutteredthem？“
Thedeaconreseatedhimselfuponthebench，leanedforward，buriedhisfaceinhishandsandremainedsilent。
FasttheJulynightwaswaning。Fastitsshadowsweredissolvingintocorners，andallowingawhiffoffreshdewymorningtidetoenteratthewindow。Alreadywasthecombinedlightofthetwocandlesgrowingpaler，withtheirflameslookingliketheeyesofafrightenedchild。
“Youhavelivedyourlife，Vasi，“atlengththedeaconmuttered，“andthoughonceIhadaplacetowhichtoresort，nowIshallhavenone。Yes，mylastfriendisdead。OhLord——whereisThyjustice？“
Formyself，Iwentandtookaseatbythewindow，and，thrustingmyheadintotheopenair，litapipe，andcontinuedtolistenwithashivertothedeacon’swailings。
“Folkusedtogirdatmywife，“hewenton，“andnowtheyaregnawingatmeaspigsmightgnawatacabbage。Thatisso，Vasil。
Yesthatisso。“
Againthebottlemadeitsappearance。Againthedeacontookadraught。Againhewipedhisbeard。Thenhebentoverthedeadmanoncemore，andkissedthecorpse’sforehead。
“Good-bye，friendofmine！“hesaid。Thentomyselfheaddedwithunlooked-forclarityandvigour:
“Myfriendherewasbutaplainman——amanasinconspicuousamonghisfellowsasarookamongaflockofrooks。Yetnorookwashe。