“Whyshouldyousaythat？Youarestillaman。“
　　“Yes，aman，butamanusefulforwhat？“
　　“Useful，eventhoughtheusemaynotyetbefullyapparent。“
　　Tothis，afterapause，thespeakeradded:
　　“Now，departinpeace，andmakenofurtherattemptagainstthiswoman。Nay，donotevenspeakillofherifyoucanhelpit，butconsidereverythingthatyousawtohavebeenseeninadream。“
　　“Ah！“wasGubin’scontritecry。“Itshallbeasyousay。Yet，thoughIshouldhate，Icouldnotbear，togrieveyou，Imustconfessthattheheightwhereonyoustandis——“
　　“Iswhat，0hfriendofmine？“
　　“Nothing；savethatofallsoulsinthisworldyouare，withoutexception，thebest。“
　　“YakovPetrovitch，inthisworldyouandImighthaveendedourlivestogetherinhonourablepartnership。Andevennow，ifGodbewilling，wemightdoso。“
　　“No。Rathermustfarewellbesaid。“
　　Allbecamequietwithinthewindow，exceptthatafteraprolongedsilencetherecamefromthewomanadeepsigh，andthenawhisperof，“0hLord！“
　　Treadingsoftly，likeacat，Nadezhdadartedawaytowardsthesteps；whereasI，lessfortunate，wascaughtbythedepartingGubinintheveryactofleavingtheneighbourhoodofthewindow。Uponthatheinflatedhischeeks，ruffleduphissandyhair，turnedredinthefacelikeamanwhohasbeenthroughafight，andcriedinstrange，querulous，high-pitchedaccents:
　　“Hi！Whatwereyoudoingjustnow？Long-leggeddevilthatyouare，Ihavenofurtheruseforyou——Idonotintendtoworkwithyouanymore。Soyoucango。“
　　Atthesamemomentthedimface，withitsgreatblueeyes，showeditselfatthewindow，andthestemvoiceinquired:
　　“Whatdoesthenoisemean？“
　　“Whatdoesitmean？ItmeansthatIdonotintend——“
　　“Youmustnot，ifyouwishtocreateadisturbance，doitanywherebutinthestreet。Itmustnotbecreatedhere。“
　　“Whatisallthis？“Nadezhdaputinwithastampofherfoot。
　　“What——“
　　Atthispoint，thecookrushedoutwithatoasting-forkandmilitantlyrangedherselfbyNadezhda’sside，exclaiming:
　　“Seewhatcomesofnothavingasinglemuzhikinthehouse！“
　　Inowpreparedtowithdraw，but，indoingso，glancedoncemoreatthefeaturesoftheelderlylady，andsawthatthebluepupilsweredilatedsoasalmosttofilltheeyesintheirentirety，andtoleaveonlyabluishmargin。Andstrangeandpainfulwerethoseeyes——eyesfixedblindly，eyeswhichseemedtohavestrayedfromtheirorbitsthroughyieldingtoemotionandaconsequentoverstrain——whiletheappleofthethroathadswelledlikethecropofabird，andthesheenofthesilkenhead-dressbecomeasthesheenofmetal。Involuntarily，Ithoughttomyself:
　　“Itisaheadthatmustbemadeofiron。“
　　BythistimeGubinhadpenitentlysubsided，andwasexchangingharmlessremarkswiththecook，whilecarefullyavoidingmyglance。
　　“Gooddaytoyou，madame，“atlengthIsaidasIpassedthewindow。
　　Notatoncedidshereply，butwhenshedidsoshesaidkindly:
　　“AndgooddaytoYOU，myfriend。Yes，Iwishyougoodday。“
　　Towhichsheaddedaninclinationoftheheadwhichresemblednothingsomuchasahammerwhichmuchpercussionuponananvilhaswroughttoafinepolish。
　　NILUSHKA
　　Thetimber-builttownofBuev，atownwhichhasseveraltimesbeenburnttotheground，lieshuddleduponahillockabovetheriverObericha。Itshouses，withtheirmany-colouredshutters，standsocrowdedtogetherastoformaroundthechurchesandgloomylawcourtsaperfectmaze——thestreetswhichintersectthedarkmassesofhousesmeanderingaimlesslyhitherandthither，andthrowingoffalleywaysasnarrowassleeves，andfeelingtheirwayalongplot-fencesandwarehousewalls，until，viewedfromthehillockabove，thetownlooksasthoughsomeonehasstirreditupwithastickanddispersedandconfusedeverythingthatitcontains。OnlyfromthepointwhereGreatZhitnaiaStreettakesitsrisefromtheriverdothestonemansionsofthelocalmerchantsforthemostpartGermancolonistscutagrim，directlinethroughthepackedclustersofbuildingsconstructedofwood，andskirtthegreenislandsofgardens，andthrustasidethechurches；whereafter，continuingitswaythroughCouncilSquarestillrunninginexorablystraight，thethoroughfarestretchesto，andtraverses，abarrenplainofscrub，andsoreachesthepineplantationbelongingtotheMonasteryofSt。MichaeltheArchangelwherethelatterislurkingbehindascreenofoldredsprucesofwhichthedensenessseemstoproptheveryheavens，andwhichonclear，sunnydayscanbeseenrisingtomarkthespotwhencethemonastery’scrosses，likethegildedbirdsoftheforestofeternalsilence，scintillateaconstantwelcome。
　　AtadistanceofsometenhousesbeforeZhitnaiaStreetdebouchesupontheplainwhichIhavementionedtherebegintodivergefromthestreetandtotrendtowardsaravine，andeventuallytolosethemselvesinthelatter’srecesses，thesmall，squatshantieswithoneortwowindowsapiecewhichconstitutethesuburbofTolmachikha。Thissuburb，itmaybesaid，hadasitsoriginalfoundersthemenialsofalandownernamedTolmachev——alandownerwho，afteremancipatinghisserfssomethirteenyearsbeforeallserfswerelegallyemancipated，[Intheyear1861]was，forhisaction，visitedwithsuchbitterrevilementthat，indireoffenceatthesame，heendedbybecominganinmateofthemonastery，andtherespendingtenyearsunderthevowofsilence，untildeathovertookhimamidapeacefulobscuritybornofthefactthattheauthoritieshadforbiddenhisexhibitiontopilgrimsorstrangers。
　　ItisintheverycotsoriginallyapportionedtoTolmachev’smenials，atthetime，fiftyyearsago，whenthosemenialswereconvertedintocitizens，thatthepresentinhabitantsofthesuburbdwell。Andneverhavetheybeenburntoutofthosehomes，althoughthesameperiodhasseenallBuevsaveZhitnaiaStreetconsumed，andeverywherethatonemaydelvewithinthetownshiponewillbesuretocomeacrossundestroyedhearthstones。
　　Thesuburb，asIhavesaid，standsatthehitherendandontheslopingsideofoneofthearmsofadeep，woodedravine，withitswindowsfacingtowardstheravine’syawningmouth，andaffordingaviewdirecttotheMokriecertainmarshesbeyondtheOberichaandtheswampyforestoffirsintowhichthedimredsundeclines。Furtheron，theravinetrendsacrosstheplain，thenbendsroundtowardsthewesternsideofthetown，catsawaytheclayeysoilwithanappetitewhicheachspringincreases，andwhich，carryingthesoildowntotheriver，isgraduallycloggingtheriver’sflow，divertingthemuddywatertowardsthemarshes，andconvertingthosemarshesintoalagoonoutright。Thefissureinquestionisnamed“TheGreatRavine，“andhasitssteepflankssoovergrownwithchestnutsandlaburnumsthateveninsummertimeitsrecessesarecoolandmoist，andsoserveasaconvenienttrystingplaceforthepoorerloversofthesuburbandthetown，andwitnesstheirteadrinkingsandfrequentlyfatalquarrels，aswellasbeingusedbythemorewell-to-doforadumpinggroundforrubbishofthenatureofdeceaseddogs，cats，andhorses。
　　Pleasantlysinging，therescoursthebottomoftheravinethebrookknownastheZhandarmskiSpring，abrookcelebratedthroughoutBuevforitscrystal-coldwater，whichissoicyoftemperaturethatevenonaburningdayitwillmaketheteethache。ThiswaterthedenizensofTolmachikhaaccounttobetheirpeculiarproperty；whereforetheyareproudofit，anddrinkittotheexclusionofanyother，andsolivetoagreenoldagewhichinsomecasescannotevenreckonitsyears。Andbywayofalivelihood，themenofthesuburbindulgeinhunting，fishing，fowling，andthievingnotasingleartisanproperdoesthesuburbcontain，savethecobblerGorkov——athin，consumptiveskeletonofsurnameTchulan；while，asregardsthewomen，they，inwinter，sewandmakesacksforZimmel’smill，andpulltow，andinsummertheyscourtheplantationofthemonasteryfortrufflesandotherproduce，andtheforestontheothersideoftheriverforhuckleberries。Also，twoofthesuburb’swomenpractiseasfortunetellers，whiletwoothersconductaneasyandhighlylucrativetradeinprostitution。
　　Theresultisthatthetown，asdistinguishedfromthesuburb，believesthemenofthelattertobeoneandallthieves，andthewomenandgirlsofthesuburbtobeoneandalldisreputablecharacters。Hencethetownstrivesalwaystorestrictandextirpatethesuburb，whilethesuburbansretaliateuponthetownsfolkwithrobberyandarsonandmurder，whiledespisingthosetownsfolkfortheirparsimony，decorum，andavarice，anddetestingthesettled，comfortablemodeoflifewhichtheylead。
　　Sopoor，forthatmatter，isthesuburbthatneverdoevenbeggarsresortthither，savewhendrunk。No，theonlycreatureswhichresortthitheraredogswhichsubsistnooneknowshowaspredatorilytheyroamfromcourttocourtwithtailstuckedbetweentheirflanks，andbloodlesstongueshangingdown，andlegseverprepared，onsightingahumanbeing，toboltintotheravine，ortoletdowntheirownersuponsubservientbelliesinexpectationofaprobablekickorcurse。
　　Inshort，everycrannyofeverycotintheplace，withthegrimypanesoftheirwindows，andtheirlathedroofsovergrownwithvelvetymoss，breathesforththeuniversal，deadlyhopelessnessinducedbyRussia’scrushingpoverty。
　　IntheTolmachikhans’backyardsgrowonlyalders，elders，andweeds。Everywheredocksthrustupheadsthroughcracksinthefencestocatchatthelegsortheskirtsofpassers-by，whilemassesofnettlessqueezetheirwayunderfencestostinglittlechildren。Apropos，thelatterareallthinandhungry，inthehighestdegreequarrelsome，andaddictedtoprolongedlamentation。Also，eachspringseesacertainproportionoftheirnumbercarriedoffbydiphtheria，whilescarlatinaandmeaslesareasepidemicamongthemasistyphoidamongtheirelders。
　　Thusthesoundsoflifemosttobeheardthroughoutthesuburbarethesoundseitherofweepingorofmadcursing。Ingeneral，however，lifeinTolmachikhaislivedquietlyandlethargically。