a business,» he went on as though to himself. «What a damnable

woman…. Go to him,» he added, bending down over the side of the cart

to Avdotya, «you see, he’s half crazy.»

Avdotya got up, went nearer to Akim and again fell at his feet.

«Akim Semyonitch!» she began, in a faint voice.

Akim got up and went back to the cart. She caught at the skirt of his

coat.

«Get away!» he shouted savagely, and pushed her off.

«Where are you going?» Yefrem asked, seeing that he was getting in

beside him again.

«You were going to take me to my home,» said Akim, «but take me to

yours … you see, I have no home now. They have bought mine.»

«Very well, come to me. And what about her?»

Akim made no answer.

«And me? Me?» Avdotya repeated with tears, «are you leaving me all

alone? Where am I to go?»

«You can go to him,» answered Akim, without turning round, «the man

you have given my money to…. Drive on, Yefrem!»

Yefrem lashed the horse, the cart rolled off, Avdotya set up a

wail….

Yefrem lived three-quarters of a mile from Akim’s inn in a little

house close to the priest’s, near the solitary church with five

cupolas which had been recently built by the heirs of a rich merchant

in accordance with the latter’s will. Yefrem said nothing to Akim all

the way; he merely shook his head from time to time and uttered such

ejaculations as «Dear, dear!» and «Upon my soul!» Akim sat without

moving, turned a little away from Yefrem. At last they arrived. Yefrem

was the first to get out of the cart. A little girl of six in a smock

tied low round the waist ran out to meet him and shouted,

«Daddy! daddy!»

«And where is your mother?» asked Yefrem.

«She is asleep in the shed.»

«Well, let her sleep. Akim Semyonitch, won’t you get out, sir, and

come indoors?»

(It must be noted that Yefrem addressed him familiarly only when he

was drunk. More important persons than Yefrem spoke to Akim with

formal politeness.)

Akim went into the sacristan’s hut.

«Here, sit on the bench,» said Yefrem. «Run away, you little rascals,»

he cried to three other children who suddenly came out of different

corners of the room together with two lean cats covered with wood

ashes. «Get along! Sh-sh! Come this way, Akim Semyonitch, this way!»

he went on, making his guest sit down, «and won’t you take something?»

«I tell you what, Yefrem,» Akim articulated at last, «could I have

some vodka?»

Yefrem pricked up his ears.

«Vodka? You can. I’ve none in the house, but I will run this minute to

Father Fyodor’s. He always has it…. I’ll be back in no time.»

And he snatched up his cap with earflaps.

«Bring plenty, I’ll pay for it,» Akim shouted after him. «I’ve still

money enough for that.»

«I’ll be back in no time,» Yefrem repeated again as he went out of the

door. He certainly did return very quickly with two bottles under his

arm, of which one was already uncorked, put them on the table, brought

two little green glasses, part of a loaf and some salt.

«Now this is what I like,» he kept repeating, as he sat down opposite

Akim. «Why grieve?» He poured out a glass for Akim and another for

himself and began talking freely. Avdotya’s conduct had perplexed him.

«It’s a strange business, really,» he said, «how did it happen? He

must have bewitched her, I suppose? It shows how strictly one must

look after a wife! You want to keep a firm hand over her. All the same

it wouldn’t be amiss for you to go home; I expect you have got a lot

of belongings there still.» Yefrem added much more to the same effect;

he did not like to be silent when he was drinking.

This is what was happening an hour later in Yefrem’s house. Akim, who

had not answered a word to the questions and observations of his

talkative host but had merely gone on drinking glass after glass, was

sleeping on the stove, crimson in the face, a heavy, oppressive sleep;

the children were looking at him in wonder, and Yefrem … Yefrem,

alas, was asleep, too, but in a cold little lumber room in which he

had been locked by his wife, a woman of very masculine and powerful

physique. He had gone to her in the shed and begun threatening her or

telling her some tale, but had expressed himself so unintelligibly and

incoherently that she instantly saw what was the matter, took him by

the collar and deposited him in a suitable place. He slept in the

lumber room, however, very soundly and even serenely. Such is the

effect of habit.

       *       *       *       *       *

Kirillovna had not quite accurately repeated to Lizaveta Prohorovna

her conversation with Akim … the same may be said of Avdotya. Naum

had not turned her out, though she had told Akim that he had; he had

no right to turn her out. He was bound to give the former owners time

to pack up. An explanation of quite a different character took place

between him and Avdotya.

When Akim had rushed out crying that he would go to the mistress,

Avdotya had turned to Naum, stared at him open-eyed and clasped her

hands.

«Good heavens!» she cried, «Naum Ivanitch, what does this mean? You’ve

bought our inn?»

«Well, what of it?» he replied. «I have.»

Avdotya was silent for a while; then she suddenly started.

«So that is what you wanted the money for?»

«You are quite right there. Hullo, I believe your husband has gone off

with my horse,» he added, hearing the rumble of the wheels. «He is a

smart fellow!»

«But it’s robbery!» wailed Avdotya. «Why, it’s our money, my husband’s

money and the inn is ours….»

«No, Avdotya Arefyevna,» Naum interrupted her, «the inn was not yours.

What’s the use of saying that? The inn was on your mistress’s land, so

it was hers. The money was yours, certainly; but you were, so to say,

so kind as to present it to me; and I am grateful to you and will even

give it back to you on occasion—if occasion arises; but you wouldn’t

expect me to remain a beggar, would you?»

Naum said all this very calmly and even with a slight smile.

«Holy saints!» cried Avdotya, «it’s beyond everything! Beyond

everything! How can I look my husband in the face after this? You

villain,» she added, looking with hatred at Naum’s fresh young face.

«I’ve ruined my soul for you, I’ve become a thief for your sake, why,

you’ve turned us into the street, you villain! There’s nothing left

for me but to hang myself, villain, deceiver! You’ve ruined me, you

monster!» And she broke into violent sobbing.

«Don’t excite yourself, Avdotya Arefyevna,» said Naum. «I’ll tell you

one thing: charity begins at home, and that’s what the pike is in the

sea for, to keep the carp from going to sleep.»

«Where are we to go now. What’s to become of us?» Avdotya faltered,

weeping.

«That I can’t say.»

«But I’ll cut your throat, you villain, I’ll cut your throat.»

«No, you won’t do that, Avdotya Arefyevna; what’s the use of talking

like that? But I see I had better leave you for a time, for you are

very much upset…. I’ll say good-bye, but I shall be back to-morrow

for certain. But you must allow me to send my workmen here today,» he

added, while Avdotya went on repeating through her tears that she

would cut his throat and her own.

«Oh, and here they are,» he observed, looking out of the window. «Or,

God forbid, some mischief might happen…. It will be safer so. Will

you be so kind as to put your belongings together to-day and they’ll

keep guard here and help you, if you like. I’ll say goodbye.»

He bowed, went out and beckoned the workmen to him.

Avdotya sank on the bench, then bent over the table, wringing her

hands, then suddenly leapt up and ran after her husband…. We have

described their meeting.

When Akim drove away from her with Yefrem, leaving her alone in the

field, for a long time she remained where she was, weeping. When she

had wept away all her tears she went in the direction of her

mistress’s house. It was very bitter for her to go into the house,

still more bitter to go into the maids’ room. All the maids flew to

meet her with sympathy and consideration. Seeing them, Avdotya could

not restrain her tears; they simply spurted from her red and swollen

eyes. She sank, helpless, on the first chair that offered itself.

Someone ran to fetch Kirillovna. Kirillovna came, was very friendly to

her, but kept her from seeing the mistress just as she had Akim.

Avdotya herself did not insist on seeing Lizaveta Prohorovna; she had

come to her old home simply because she had nowhere else to go.

Kirillovna ordered the samovar to be brought in. For a long while

Avdotya refused to take tea, but yielded at last to the entreaties and

persuasion of all the maids and after the first cup drank another

four. When Kirillovna saw that her guest was a little calmer and only

shuddered and gave a faint sob from time to time, she asked her where

they meant to move to and what they thought of doing with their

things. Avdotya began crying again at this question, and protesting

that she wanted nothing but to die; but Kirillovna as a woman with a

head on her shoulders, checked her at once and advised her without

wasting time to set to work that very day to move their things to the

hut in the village which had been Akim’s and in which his uncle (the

old man who had tried to dissuade him from his marriage) was now

living; she told her that with their mistress’s permission men and

horses should be sent to help them in packing and moving. «And as for

you, my love,» added Kirillovna, twisting her cat-like lips into a wry

smile, «there will always be a place for you with us and we shall be

delighted if you stay with us till you are settled in a house of your

own again. The great thing is not to lose