“Andparticularlyshouldawomansofacethings；foruponhereverythingdepends。Foronething，lethertaketoherself，inplaceofhermother，ahusbandorasweetheart。Yes，trythat，andsee。Andthough，atfirst，yourhusbandmayfindfaultwithyou，hewillafterwardstaketoboastingtoothermuzhiksthathehasawifewhocandoeverything，andremaineverasbrightandlovingasthemonthofMay。Neverdoesshegivein；neverWOULD
　　shegivein——no，notifyouweretocutoffherhead！“
　　“Indeed？“
　　“Yes。Andseeifthatwillnotcometobeyouropinionasmuchasmine。“
　　Again，tomyannoyance，thedialogueisinterrupted——thistimebythesoundofuncertainfootstepsinthestreetwithout。Thusthenextwordsofthewomen’sconversationescapeme。ThenIhear:
　　“Haveyoueverread’TheVisionoftheMotherofGod’？“
　　“N-no，Ihavenot。“
　　“Thenyouhadbetterasksomeolderwomanthanmyselftotellyouaboutit，foritisagoodbooktobecomeacquaintedwith。
　　Canyouread？“
　　“No，Icannot。Buttellme，yourself，whatthevisionwas？“
　　“Listen，andIwilldoso。“
　　FromoutsidethewindowKonev’svoicesoftlyinquires:
　　“Isthatourlotinthere？Yes？ThankGod，then，forIhadnearlylostmywayafterstirringupalotofdogs，andbeingforcedtousemyfistsuponthem。Here，you！Catchhold！“
　　Withwhich，handingmealargewatermelon，heclambersthroughthewindowwithagreatclatteringanddisturbance。
　　“Ihavemanagedalsotogeeagoodsupplyofbread，“hecontinues。“PerhapsyoubelievethatIstoleit？Butno。Indeed，whyshouldonestealwhenonecanbeg-agameatwhichIamparticularlyanoldhand，seeingthatalways，onanyoccasion，I
　　canmakeuptopeople？Ithappenedlikethis。WhenIwentoutI
　　sawafireglowinginahut，andfolkseatedatsupper。Andsince，wherevermanypeoplearepresent，oneofthematleasthasakindheart，Iateanddrankmyfill，andthenmanagedtomakeoffwithprovenderforyouaswell。Hi，youwomen！“
　　Therefollowsnoanswer。
　　“Ibelievethosedaughtersofwhoresmustbeasleep，“hecomments。“Hi，women！“
　　“Whatisit？“drilyinquiresthewomanfromRiazan。
　　“Shouldyoulikeatasteofwater-melon？“
　　“Ishould，thankyou。“
　　Thereupon，Konevbeginstomakehiswaytowardsthevoice。
　　“Yes，bread，softwheatenbreadsuchasyou——“
　　Herethe，otherwomanwhinesinbeggarfashion:
　　“AndgiveMEataste，too。“
　　“Oh，yes，Iwill。Butwherethedevilareyou？“
　　“Andatasteofmelonaswell？“
　　“Yes，certainly。Hullo！Whoisthis？“
　　FromthewomanfromRiazancomesacryofpain。
　　“Mindhowyoustep，wretch！“sheexclaims。
　　“Allright，butyouneedn’tmakesomuchnoiseaboutit。Youseehowdarkitis，andI——“
　　“Yououghttohavestruckamatch，then。“
　　“Ipossessbutaquarterofamatch，formatchesarenotover-
　　plentiful，andevenifIdidcatchholdofyounogreatharmcanhavebeendone。Forinstance，whenyourhusbandusedtobeatyouhemusthavehurtyoufarworsethanI。Bytheway，DIDhebeatyou？“
　　“Whatbusinessisthatofyours？“
　　“None；only，Iamcurioustoknow。Surelyawomanlikeyou——“
　　“Seehere。Donotdaretotouchme，orI——“
　　“Oryouwhat？“
　　ThereensuesaprolongedaltercationamidwhichIcanhearepithetsofincreasingacerbityandopprobriumbeingapplied；
　　untilthewomanfromRiazanexclaimshoarsely:
　　“Oh，youcowardofaman，takethat！“
　　WhereuponfollowsascrimmageamidwhichIcandistinguishslappings，grosschucklesfromKonev，andamuffledcryfromtheyoungerwomanof:
　　“Oh，donotsobehave，youwretch！“
　　Strikingamatch，Iapproachthespot，andpullKonevaway。Heisinnowayabashed，butmerelycooledinhisardouras，seatedontheflooratmyfeet，andpantingandexpectorating，hesaysreprovinglytothewoman:
　　“Whenfolkwishmerelytohaveagamewithyou，yououghtnottoletyourselfloseyourtemper。Fie，fie！“
　　“Areyouhurt？“thewomaninquiresquietly。
　　“Whatdoyousuppose？Youhavecutmylip，butthatistheworstdamage。“
　　“ThenifyoucomehereagainIwilllaythewholeofyourfaceopen。“
　　“Vixen！Whatbumpkinishstupidity！“
　　Konevturnstomyself。
　　“Andasforyou，yougocatchingatthefirstthingyoufind，andhavetornmycoat。“
　　“Thendonotinsultpeople。“
　　“INSULTpeople，fool？TheideaofanyoneinsultingawomanlikeTHAT！“
　　Whereafter，withameanchuckle，thefellowgoesontodiscourseupontheeasewithwhichpeasantwomenerr，andupontheirloveofdeceivingtheirhusbands。
　　“Theimpudentrascal！“commentsthewomanfromPenzasleepily。
　　Afterawhiletheyoungfellowspringstohisfeet，andgrateshisteeth。Then，reseatinghimself，andclutchingathishead，hesaysgloomily:
　　“Iintendtoleaveheretomorrow，andgohome。IdonotcareWHATbecomesofme。“
　　Withwhichhesubsidesontothefloorasthoughexhausted。
　　“Theblockhead！“isKonev’sremark。
　　Amidthedarknessablackshaperises。Itdoessoassoundlesslyasafishinapond，glidestothedoor，anddisappears。
　　“Thatwasshe，“remarksKonev。“Whatastrongwoman！However，ifyouhadnotpulledmeaway，Ishouldhavegotthebetterofher。
　　ByGodIshould！“
　　“Thenfollowher，andmakeanotherattempt。“
　　“No，“afteramoment’sreflectionherejoins。“Outthereshemightgetholdofastick，orabrick，orsomesuchthing。
　　However，I’LLgetevenwithher。Asamatteroffact，youwastedyourtimeinstoppingme，forshedetestsmeliketheverydevil。“
　　Andherenewshiswearisomeboastingsofhisconquests；untilsuddenly，hestopsasthoughhehasswallowedhistongue。
　　Allbecomesquiet；everythingseemstohavecometoahalt，andtobepressingcloseinsleeptothemotionlessearth。Itoogrowdrowsy，andhaveavisionamidwhichmymindreturnstothedonationswhichIhavereceivedthatday，andseesthemswellandmultiplyandincreaseinweightuntilIfeeltheirbulkpressinguponmelikeatumulusofthesteppes。Next，thecopperynotesofabelljarinmyears，and，struckatrandomintervals，gofloatingawayintothedarkness。
　　Itisthehourofmidnight。
　　Soon，scattereddropsofrainbegintopatterdownuponthedrythatchofthehutandthedustinthestreetoutside，whileacricketcontinueschirpingasthoughitwerehurriedlyrelatingatale。Also，Ihearfilteringforthintothedarknessasoftlygulped，eagerwhispering。
　　“Think，“saysoneofthevoices，“whatitmustmeantohavetogotrampingaboutwithoutwork，oronlywithworkforanothertodo！“
　　Theyoungfellowwhohasbeensosoundlythrashedrepliesinadullvoice:
　　“Iknownothingofyou。“
　　“Moresoftly，moresoftly！“urgesthewoman。
　　“Whatisityouwant？“
　　“IwantNOTHING。ItismerelythatIamsorryforyouasamanyetyoungandstrong。Yousee——well，Ihavenotlivedwithmyeyesshut。ThatiswhyIsay，comewithme。“
　　“Butcomewhither？“
　　“Tothecoast，whereIknowtheretobebeautifulplotsoflandfortheasking。Youyourselfcanseehowgoodthelandhereaboutis。Well，therelandbetterstillistobeobtained。“
　　“Liar！“
　　“Moresoftly，moresoftly！“againurgesthewoman。“Moreover，Iamnotbad-looking，andcanmanagethingswell，anddoanysortofwork。HenceyouandImightlivequitepeacefullyandhappily，andcome，eventually，tohaveaplaceofourown。Yes，andI
　　couldbearandrearyouachild。OnlyseehowfitIam。Onlyfeelthisbreastofmine。“
　　Theyoungfellowsnorts，andIbegintofindthesituationoppressive，andtolongtoletthecoupleknowthatIamnotasleep。Curiosity，however，preventsme，andIcontinuelisteningtothestrange，arrestingdialogue。
　　“Waitalittle，“whispersthewomanwithagasp。“Donotplaywithme，forIamnotthatsortofwoman。Yes，ImeanwhatIsay。
　　Letbe！“
　　Rudely，roughlytheyoungfellowreplies: