“HadInotbetterconsiderWHYitismylot，andsoforth？Why，damnit，thecausesaremany。Foronething，ifonehasneighbourswhoneitherlivenorseethingsasoneselfdoes，butareuncongenial，whatdoesonedo？Onejustleavesthem，andclearsout——moreespeciallyifonebeneitherapriestnoramagistrate。YetYOUsaythatIhadbetterconsiderwhythisismylot。DoyouthinkthatYOUaretheonlymanabletoconsiderthings，possessedofabrain？“
　　Andinanaccessoffurythespeakerreplacedhispipe，andsatfrowninginsilence。Vasilieyedhisinterlocutor’sfeaturesasthefirelightplayedreduponthem，and，finally，saidinanundertone:
　　“Yes，itisalwaysso。Wefailtogetonwithourneighbours，yetlackacharterofourown，so，havingnorootstoholdus，justfalltowandering，troublingotherfolk，andearningdislike！“
　　“Thedislikeofwhom？“grufflyqueriedtheex-soldier。
　　“Thedislikeofeveryone，asyouyourselfhavesaid！“
　　Inanswertheex-soldiermerelyemittedacloudofsmokewhichcompletelyconcealedhisform。YetVasili’svoicehadinitanagreeablenote，andwasflexibleandingratiating，whileenunciatingitswordsroundlyanddistinctly。
　　Amountainowl，oneofthosesplendidbrowncreatureswhichhavethecraftyphysiognomyofacat，andthesharpgreyearsofamouse，madetheforestechowithitsobtrusivecry。AbirdofthisspeciesIonceencounteredamongthedefile’scrags，andasthecreaturesailedovermyheaditstartledmewiththeglassyeyeswhich，asroundasbuttons，seemedtobelitfromwithinwithmenacingfire。Indeed，foramomentortwoIstoodhalf-
　　stupefiedwithterror，forIcouldnotconceivewhatthecreaturewas。
　　“Whencedidyougetthatsplendidpipe？“nextaskedVasiliasherolledhimselfacigarette。“SurelyitisapipeofoldGermanmake？“
　　“YouneednotfearthatIstoleit，“theex-soldierrespondedasheremoveditfromhislipsandregardeditproudly。“Itwasgivenmebyawoman。“
　　Towhich，withawhimsicalwink，headdedasigh。
　　“Tellmehowithappened，“saidVasilisoftly。Thenheflunguphisarms，andstretchedhimselfwithadespondentcryof:
　　“Ah，thesenightshere！NeveragainmayGodsendmesuchbadones！Trytosleepasonemay，oneneversucceeds。Fareasier，indeed，isittosleepduringthedaytime，providedthatonecanfindashadyspot。DuringsuchnightsIgoalmostmadwiththinking，andmyheartswellsandmurmurs。“
　　Theex-soldier，whohadlistenedwithmouthagapeandeyebrowsraisedevenhigherthanusual，respondedtothis:
　　“Itisthesamewithme。Ifonecouldonly——Whatdidyousay？“
　　Thislastwasaddressedtomyself，whohadbeenabouttoremark，“Thesamewithmealso，“butonseeingthepairexchangingastrangeglanceasthoughinvoluntarilytheyhadsurprisedoneanother，hadleftthewordsunspoken。Mycompanionsthensetthemselvestoamutuallyeagerquestioningwithrespecttotheirrespectiveidentities，pastexperiences，placesoforigin，anddestinations，evenasthoughtheyhadbeentwokinsmenwho，meetingunexpectedly，haddiscoveredforthefirsttimetheirbondofrelationship。
　　Meanwhiletheblack，fringedboughsofthepinetreeshungstretchedovertheflamesoftheMolokans’fireasthoughtheywouldcatchsomeofthefire’sglowandwarmth，orseizeitaltogether，andputitout。Andwhen，attimes，theirredtonguesprojectedbeyondthecornerofthebarraque，theymadethebuildinglookasthoughithadcaughtalight，andextendedtheirgloweventotherivulet。Constantlythenightwasgrowingdenserandmorestifling；constantlyitseemedtoembracethebodymoreandmorecaressingly，untilonebathedinitasinanocean。
　　Also，muchasawaveremovesdirtfromtheskin，sothesoftlyvocaldarknessseemedtorefreshandcleansethesoul。Foritisonsuchnightsasthatthatthesouldonsitsfinestraiment，andtrembleslikeabrideattheexpectationofsomethingglorious。
　　“Yousaythatshehadasquint？“presentlyIheardVasilicontinueinanundertone，andtheex-soldierslowlyreply:
　　“Yes，shehadonefromchildhoodupwards——shehadonefromthedaywhenafallfromacartcausedhertoinjurehereyes。Yet，ifshehadnotalwaysgoneaboutwithoneofhereyesshaded，youwouldneverhaveguessedthefact。Also，shewassoneatandpractical！Andherkindness——well，itwaskindnessasinexhaustibleasthewaterofthatrivuletthere；itwaskindnessofthesortthatwishedwelltoalltheworld，andtoallanimals，andtoeverybeggar，andeventomyself！Soatlasttheregrippedmyheartthethought，’WhyshouldInottryasoldier’sluck？Sheisthemaster’sfavourite——true；yetnonethelesstheattemptshallbemadebyme。’However，thiswayorthat，alwaysthereplywas’No’；alwayssheputoutatmeanelbow，andcutmeshort。“
　　Vasili，lyingproneuponhisback，twitchedhismoustache，andchewedastalkofgrass。Hiseyeswerefullyopen，andforthesecondtimeIperceivedthatoneofthemwaslargerthantheother。Theex-soldier，seatednearVasili’sshoulder，stirredthefirewithabitofcharredstick，andsentsparksofgoldflyingtojointhemidgeswhichwereglidingtoandfroovertheblaze。
　　Everandanonnight-mothssubsidedintotheflameswithaplop，crackled，andbecamechangedintolumpsofblack。Formyownpart，Iconstructedacouchonapileofpineboughs，andtherelaydown。AndasIlistenedtotheex-soldier’sfamiliarstory，I
　　recalledpersonswhomIhadononeandanotheroccasionremembered，andspeecheswhichononeandanotheroccasionhadmadeanimpressionuponme。
　　“Butatlast，“theex-soldiercontinued，“Itookheartofgrace，andcaughtherinabarn。Pressingherintoacorner，I
　　said:’Nowletitbeyesorno。Of，courseitshallbeasyouwish，butrememberthatIamasoldierwithasmallstockofpatience。’Uponthatshebegantostruggleandexclaim:’Whatdoyouwant？Whatdoyouwant？’until，burstingintotearslikeagirl，shesaidthroughhersobs:’Donottouchme。Iamnotthesortofwomanforyou。Besides，Iloveanother——notourmaster，butanother，aworkman，aformerlodgerofours。Beforehedepartedhesaidtome:“WaitformeuntilIhavefoundyouanicehome，andreturnedtofetchyou“；andthoughitisseventeenyearssinceIheardspeechorwhisperofhim，andmaybehehassinceforgottenme，orfalleninlovewithsomeoneelse，orcometogrief，orbeenmurdered，you，whoareamap，willunderstandthatImustbidealittlewhilelonger。’True，thisoffendedmeforinwhatrespectwasIanyworsethantheotherman？；yetalsoIfeltsorryforher，andgrievedthatIshouldhavewrongedherbythinkingherfrivolous，whenallthetimetherehadbeenTHISatherheart。Idrewback，therefore——Icouldnotlayafingeruponher，thoughshewasinmypower。AndatlastIsaid:’Good-bye！Iamgoingaway。’’Go，’shereplied。
　　’Yes，gofortheloveofChrist！’……Wherefore，onthefollowingeveningIsettledaccountswithourmaster，andatdawnofaSundaymorningpackedmywallet，tookwithmethispipe，anddeparted。’Yes，takethepipe，PaulIvanovitch，’shesaidbeforemydeparture。’Perhapsitwillservetokeepyouinremembranceofme——youwhomhenceforthIshallregardasabrother，andwhomI
　　thank。’……AsIwalkedawayIwasverynightotears，sokeenwasthepaininmyheart。Aye，keenitwasindeed！“
　　“Youdidright，“Vasiliremarkedsoftlyafterapause。
　　“Thingsmustalwayssobefall。Alwaysmustitbeacaseeitherof’Yes？’’Yes，’andoffolkcomingtogether，orof’No’’No，’
　　andoffolkparting。Andinvariablytheonepersoninthecasegrievestheother。Whyshouldthatbe？“
　　Emittingacloudofgreysmoke，theex-soldierrepliedthoughtfully:
　　“Yes，IknowIdidright；butthatrightwasdoneonlyatagreatcost。“
　　“Andalwaysthattooisthecase，“Vasiliagreed。Thenheadded:
　　“Generallysuchfortunefallstothelotofpeoplewhohavetenderconsciences。Hewhovalueshimselfalsovalueshisfellows；but，unfortunatelyamanalltooseldomvaluesevenhimself。“
　　“Towhomareyoureferring？Toyouandmyself？“
　　“ToourRussianfolkingeneral。“
　　“ThenyoucannothaveverymuchrespectforRussia。“Theex-
　　soldier’stonehadtakenonacuriousnote。Heseemedtobefeelingbothastonishedatandgrievedforhiscompanion。
　　Theother，however，didnotreply；andafterafewmomentstheex-soldiersoftlyconcluded:
　　“Sonowyouhaveheardmystory。“
　　Bythistimethecarpentershadceasedsingingaroundthebarraque，andlettheirfirediedownuntilquiveringonthewalloftheedificetherewasonlyafiery-redpatch，apatchbarelysufficienttorendervisibletheshadowsoftherocks；whilebesidethefiretherewasseatedonlyatallfigurewithablackbeardwhichhad，graspedinitshands，aheavycudgel，and，lyingnearitsrightfoot，anaxe。Thefigurewasthatofawatchmansetbythecarpenterstokeepaneyeuponourselves，theappointedwatchmen；thoughthefactinnowayoffendedus。
　　Overthedefile，inaraggedstripofsky，thereweregleamingstars，whiletherivuletwasbubblingandpurling，andfromtheobscurityoftheforesttherekeptcomingtoourears，nowthecautious，rustlingtreadofsomenightanimal，andnowthemournfulcryofanowl，untilallnatureseemedtobeinstinctwithasecretvitalitythesweetbreathofwhichkeptmovingthehearttohungerinsatiablyforthebeautiful。
　　Also，asIlaylisteningtothevoiceoftheex-soldier，avoicereminiscentofadistanttambourine，andtoVasili’spensivequestions，Iconceivedalikingforthemen，andbegantodetectthatintheirrelationstherewasdawningsomethinggoodandhuman。Atthesametime，theeffectofsomeofVasili’sdictaonRussiawastoarouseinmemingledfeelingswhichimpelledmeatoncetoarguewithhimandtoinducehimtospeakatgreaterlength，withmoreclarity，onthesubjectofourmutualfatherland。HencealwaysIhavelovedthatnightforthevisionswhichitbroughttome——visionswhichstillcomebacktomelikeadear，familiartale。