Micesqueakedunderthefloor，andonthefurthersideoftheOkaanowlscreeched，whileamidthepitch-blackheavensIcouldseeanumberofblotchesintermittentlylighteningtoanelusiveredandblurringthefaintglitterofthestars。
　　“Itwasoneo’clockinthemorningwhenmyfatherdied，“Gubincontinued。“Anduponmyself，whowasseventeenandhadjustfinishedmycourseatthemunicipalschoolofRiazan，theredevolved，naturallyenough，alltheenmitythatmyfatherhadincurredduringhislifetime。’Heisjustlikehissire，’folksaid。Also，Iwasalone，absolutelyalone，intheworld，sincemymotherhadlostherreasontwoyearsbeforemyfather’sdeath，andpassedawayinafrenzy。However，Ihadanuncle，aretiredunter-officierwhowasbothasluggard，atippler，andaheroaherobecausehehadhadhiseyesshotoutatPlevna，andhisleftarminjuredinamannerwhichhadinducedparalysis，andhisbreastadornedwiththemilitarycrossandasetofmedals。Andsometimes，thisuncleofminewouldrallymeonmylearning。Forinstance，’Scholar，’hewouldsay，’whatdoes“tiversia“mean？’’Nosuchwordexists，’wouldbemyreply，andthereuponhewouldseizemebythehair，forhewasratheranawkwardpersontodealwith。Anotherfactorasconcernedmakingmeashamedofmyscholarshipwastheignoranceofthetownspeopleingeneral，andintheendIbecamethecommonbutt，asortof’holyidiot。’“
　　SogreatlydidtheserecollectionsmoveGubinthatheroseandtransferredhispositiontothedoorofthehut，where，adarkbluragainstthesquareofblue，helitagurglingpipe，andpuffedthereatuntilhislong，conicalnoseglowed。Presentlythesurgingstreamofwordsbeganagain:
　　“AttwentyImarriedanorphan，andwhenshefellillanddiedchildlessIfoundmyselfaloneoncemore，andwithoutanadviserorafriend。However，stillIcontinuedbothtoliveandtolookaboutme。Andintime，Iperceivedthatlifeisnotlivedwhollyasitshouldbe。“
　　“Whatinlifeis’notlivedwhollyasitshouldbe’？“
　　“Everythinginlife。Forlifeismerefolly，merefatuousnonsense。Thetruthisthatourdogsdonotbarkalwaysattherightmoment。Forinstance，whenIsaidtofolk，’Howwoulditbeifweweretoopenatechnicalschoolforgirls？’Theymerelylaughedandreplied，’Tradeworkersarehopelessdrunkards。Alreadyhaveweenoughofthem。Besides，hithertowomenhavecontrivedtogetonWITHOUTeducation。’AndwhennextIconceivedaschemeforinstitutingamatchfactory，itbefellthatthefactorywasburntdownduringitsfirstyearofexistence，andIfoundmyselfoncemoreatalooseend。Nextacertainwomangotholdofme，andIflittedaboutherlikeamartinaroundabelfry，andsolostmyheadastolivelifeasthoughIwerenotonearthatall——forthreeyearsIdidnotknowevenwhatIwasdoing，andonlywhenIrecoveredmysensesdidI
　　perceivemyselftobeapauper，andmyall，everysinglethingthatIhadpossessed，tohavepassedintoHERwhitehands。Yes，attwenty-eightIfoundmyselfabeggar。YetIhaveneverwhollyregrettedthefact，forcertainlyforatimeIlivedlifeasfewmeneverliveit。’Takemyall——takeit！’Iusedtosaytoher。
　　And，trulyenough，Ishouldneverhavedonemuchgoodwithmyfather’sfortune，whereasshe——well，soitbefell。SomehowI
　　thinkthatinthosedaysmyopinionsmusthavebeendifferentfromnow——nowthatIhavelosteverything……Yetthewomanusedtosay，’YouhaveNOTlosteverything，’andshehadwitenoughtofitoutawholetownfulofpeople。“
　　“Thiswoman——whowasshe？“
　　“Thewifeofamerchant。Wheneversheunrobedandsaid，’Come！
　　Whatisthisbodyofmineworth？’Iusedtomakereply，’Apricethatisbeyondcompute。’……SowithinthreeyearseverythingthatIpossessedvanishedlikesmoke。Sometimes，ofcourse，folklaughedatandjibedatme；nordidIeverrefutethem。ButnowthatIhavecometohaveabetterunderstandingoflife’saffairs，Iseethatlifeisnotwhollylivedasitshouldbe。Forthatmatter，too，Idonotholdmytongueonthesubject，forthatisnotmyway——stilllefttomeIhaveatongueandmysoul。
　　Thesamereasonaccountsforthefactthatnoonelikesme，andthatbyeveryoneIamlookeduponasafool。“
　　“How，inyouropinion，oughtlifetobelived？“
　　Withoutansweringmeatonce，Gubinsuckedathispipeuntilhisnosemadeaglowingredblurinthedarkness。Thenhemutteredslowly:
　　“Howlifeoughttobelivednoonecouldsayexactly。AndthisthoughIhavegivenmuchthoughttothesubject，andstillamdoingso。“
　　Ifounditnodifficultmattertoformamentalpictureofthedesolateexistencewhichthismanmustbeleading——thismanwhomallhisfellowsbothderidedandshunned。ForatthattimeItoowasbiddingfairtofailinlife，andhadmyheartinthegripofceaselessdespondency。
　　ThetruthisthatoffutilepeopleRussiaisover-full。ManysuchImyselfhaveknown，andalwaystheyhaveattractedmeasstronglyandmysteriouslyasamagnet。Alwaystheyhavestruckmemorefavourablythantheprovincial-mindedmajoritywholiveforfoodandworkalone，andputawayfromthemallthatcouldconceivablyrendertheirbread-winningdifficult，orpreventthemfromsnatchingbreadoutofthehandsoftheirweakerneighbours。Formostsuchfolkaregloomyandself-contained，withheartsthathaveturnedtowood，andanoutlookthateverrevertstothepast；unless，indeed，theybefolkofspuriousgoodnature，anadditiontotalkativeness，andanapparentbonhomiewhichveilsafrigid，greyinterior，andconveysanimpressionofcrueltyandgreedofallthatlifecontains。
　　Always，intheend，Ihavedetectedinsuchfolksomethingwintry，somethingthatmakesthemseem，asitwere，tobespendingspringandsummerinexpectationsolelyofthewinterseason，withitslongnights，anditscoldofanausteritywhichforcesoneforevertobeconsumingfood。
　　Yetseldomamongthisdistastefulandwearisomecrowdofwintryfolkistheretobeencounteredamanwhohasaltogetherprovedafailure。Butifhehasdoneso，hewillbefoundtobeamanwhosenatureisofamorethoughtful，amoretrulyexistent，amoreclear-sightedcastthanthatofhisfellows——amanwhoatleastcanlookbeyondtheboundariesofthetriteandcommonplace，andwhosementalityhasagreatercapacityforattainingspiritualfulfilment，andismoredesirousofdoingso，thanthementalityofhiscompeers。Thatistosay，insuchamanonecanalwaysdetectastrivingforspace，asamanwho，lovinglight，carrieslightinhimself。
　　Unfortunately，alltoooftenisthatlightonlythefugitivephosphorescenceofputrefaction；whereforeasonecontemplateshimonesoonbeginstorealisewithbitternessandvexationanddisappointmentthatheisbutasluggard，butabraggart，butonewhoispettyandweakandblindedwithconceitanddistortedwithenvy，butonebetweenwhosewordandwhosedeedtheregapesadisparityevenwideranddeeperthanthedisparitywhichdividesthewordfromthedeedofthemanofwinter，ofthemanwho，thoughhebeastardyasasnail，atleastismakingsomewayintheworld，incontradistinctionfromthefailurewhorevolveseverinasinglespot，likesomebarrenoldmaidbeforethereflectioninherlooking-glass。
　　Hence，asIlistenedtoGubin，thererecurredtomemorethanoneinstanceofhistype。
　　“Yes，Ihavesucceededinobservinglifethroughout，“hemuttereddrowsilyashisheadsankslowlyuponhisbreast。
　　Andsleepovertookmyselfwithsimilarsuddenness。Apparentlythatslumberwasofafewminutes’durationonly，yetwhatarousedmewasGubinpullingatmyleg。
　　“Getupnow，“hesaid。“Itistimethatwewereoff。“
　　Andashisbluish-greyeyespeeredintomyface，somehowI
　　derivedfromtheirmournfulexpressionasenseofintellectuality。Beneaththehaironhishollowcheekswerereddishveins，whilesimilarveins，bluishintint，coveredwithanetworkhistemples，andhisbarearmshadtheappearanceofbeingmadeoftannedleather。
　　Dawnhadnotyetbrokenwhenweroseandproceededthroughtheslumberingstreetsbeneathaskythatwasofadullyellow，andamidanatmospherethatwasfullofthesmellofburning。
　　“Fivedaysnowhastheforestbeenonfire，“observedGubin。
　　“Yetthefoolscannotsucceedinputtingitout。“
　　PresentlytheestablishmentofthemerchantsBirkinlaybeforeus，anestablishmentofcuriousaspect，sinceitconstituted，rather，aconglomerationofappendagestoamainbuildingofgroundfloorandattics，withfourwindowsfacingontothestreet，andaseriesofunderproppingannexes。Thatseriesextendedtothewing，andwassolidandpermanent，andbadefairtooverflowintothecourtyard，andthroughtheentrance-gates，andacrossthestreet，andtotheverykitchen-gardenandflower-gardenthemselves。Also，itseemedtohavebeenstolenpiecemealfromsomewhere，andatdifferentperiods，andfromdifferentlocalities，andtackedathaphazardontothewallsoftheparenterection。Moreover，allthewindowsofthelatterweresmall，andintheirgreenpanes，astheyconfrontedtheworld，therewasatimidandsuspiciousair，while，inparticular，thethreewindowswhichfaceduponthecourtyardhadironbarstothem。Lastly，therewereposted，sentinel-likeontheentrance-steps，twowater-buttsasaprecautionagainstfire。
　　“Whatthinkyouoftheplace？“Gubinmutteredashepeeredintothewell。“Isn’titabarbaroushole？Therightthingwouldbetopullitdownwholesale，andthenrebuilditonlargerandlessrestrictedlines。Yetthesefoolsmerelygotackingnewadditionsontotheold。“
　　Forawhilehislipsmovedasinanincantation。Thenhefrowned，glancedshrewdlyatthestructuresinquestion，andcontinuedsoftly:
　　“ImaysayinpassingthattheplaceisMINE。“
　　“YOURS？“
　　“Yes，mine。Atallevents，soitusedtobe。“
　　Andhepulledagrimaceasthoughhehadgotthetoothachebeforeaddingwithanairofcommand:
　　“Come！Iwillpumpoutthewater，andYOUshallcarryittotheentrance-stepsandfillthewater-butts。Hereisapail，andherealadder。“
　　Whereafter，withaconsiderabledisplayofstrength，hesetabouthisportionofthetask，whilstImyselftookpailinhandandadvancedtowardsthestepstofindthatthewater-buttsweresorottenthat，insteadofretainingthewater，theyletitleakoutintothecourtyard。Gubinsaidwithanoath: