Also，inthedarknessthehalf-slumberingseacouldbeheardsoughingasitcrepttowardstheshorewhileovertheskylayacanopyofmist，saveatthepointwherethemoon’sopal-likeblurcouldbedescriedoverthespotwherethatblur’scounterfeitimageglitteredandrockedonthesurfaceofthedarkwaters。
　　UnderthetreestherewassetabenchwhereonIcoulddiscerntheretoberestingahumanfigure。Approachingthefigure，I
　　seatedmyselfbesideit。
　　“Whence，comrade？“wasmyinquiry。
　　“FromVoronezh。Andyou？“
　　ARussianisneveradversetotalkingabouthimself。Itwouldseemasthoughheisneversureofhispersonality，asthoughheiseveryearningtohavethatpersonalityconfirmedfromsomesourceotherthan，extraneousto，hisownego。ThereasonforthismustbethatweRussianslivediffusedoveralandofsuchvastnessthat，themorewegrasptheimmensityofthesame，thesmallerdowecometoappearinourowneyes；wherefore，traversing，aswedo，roadsofalengthofathousandversts，andconstantlylosingourway，wecometoletslipnoopportunityofrestatingourselves，andsettingforthallthatwehaveseenandthoughtanddone。
　　Hence，too，mustitbethatinconversationsoneseemstohearlessofthenoteof“IamI“thanofthenoteof“AmIreallyandtrulymyself？“
　　“Whatmaybeyourname？“nextIinquiredofthefigureonthebench。
　　“Anameofabsolutesimplicity——thenameofAlexeiKalinin。“
　　“Youareanamesakeofmine，then。“
　　“Indeed？Isthatso？“
　　Withwhich，tappingmeontheknee，thefigureadded:
　　“Come，then，namesake。’Ihavemortar，andyouhavewater，sotogetherletuspaintthetown。’“
　　Murmuringamidthesilencecouldbeheardsmall，lightwavesthatwerenomorethanripples。Behindusthebusyclamourofthemonasteryhaddieddown，andevenKalinin’scheeryvoiceseemedsubduedbytheinfluenceofthenight——itseemedtohaveinitlessofthenoteofself-confidence。
　　“Mymotherwasawet-nurse，“hewentontovolunteer，andIheronlychild。WhenIwastwelveyearsofageIwas，owingtomyheight，convertedintoafootman。Ithappenedthus。Oneday，onGeneralStepanmymother’sthenemployerhappeningtocatchsightofme，heexclaimed:’Evgenia，goandtellFedor’theex-soldierwhowasthenservingtheGeneralasfootman’thatheistoteachyoursontowaitattable！Theboyisatleasttallenoughforthework。’AndfornineyearsIservedtheGeneralinthiscapacity。Andthen，andthen——oh，THENIwasseizedwithanillness……Next，Iobtainedapostunderamerchantwhowasthenmayorofourtown，andstayedwithhimtwenty-onemonths。
　　AndnextIobtainedasituationinanhotelatKharkov，andhelditforayear。AndafterthatIkeptchangingmyplaces，for，steadyandsoberthoughIwas，Iwasbeginningtolacktasteformyprofession，andtodevelopaspiritofthekindwhichdeemedallworktobebeneathme，andconsideredthatIhadbeencreatedtoserveonlymyself，notothers。“
　　AlongthehighroadtoSukhumwhichlaybehindustherewereproceedingsomeinvisibletravellerswhosescrapingoffeetastheywalkedproclaimedthefactthattheywerenotover-usedtojourneyingonfoot。Justasthepartydrewlevelwithus，amusicalvoicehummedoutsoftlytheline“AlonewillIsetforthupontheroad，“withtheword“alone“plaintivelystressed。
　　Next，aresonantbassvoicesaidwithasortofindolentincisiveness:
　　“Aphonoraphoniameanslossofspeechtotheextentof，totheextentof——oh，toWHATextent，mostlearnedVeraVasilievna？“
　　“Totheextentoftotallossofpowerofarticulation，“repliedavoicefeminineandyouthfuloftimbre。
　　Justatthatmomentwesawtwodark，blurredfigures，withapalerfigurebetweenthem，comeglidingintoview。
　　“Strangeindeedisitthat，that——“
　　“Thatwhat？“
　　“Thatsomanynamespropertothesepartsshouldalsobesosuggestive。Take，forinstance，MountNakopioba。Certainlyfolkhereaboutsseemtohave“amassed“things，andtohaveknownhowtodoso。“[Theverbnakopitmeanstoamass，toheapup。]
　　“Formypart，IalwaysfailtorememberthenameofSimontheCanaanite。ConstantlyIfindmyselfcallinghim’theCainite。’“
　　“Lookhere，“interruptedthemusicalvoiceinatoneofchastenedenthusiasm。“AsIcontemplateallthisbeauty，andinhalethisrestfulness，Ifindmyselfreflecting:’HowwoulditbeifIweretoleteverythinggotothedevil，andtakeupmyabodehereforever？’“
　　Atthispointallfurtherspeechbecamedrownedbythesoundofthemonastery’sbellasitstruckthehour。Theonlyutterancethatcamebornetomyearswasthemournfulfragment:
　　Oh，ifintoasinglewordIcouldpourmyinmostthoughts！
　　Totheforegoingdialoguemycompanionhadlistenedwithhisheadtiltedtooneside，muchasthoughthedialoguehaddeflecteditinthatdirection:andnow，asthevoicesdiedawayintothedistance，hesighed，straightenedhimself，andsaid:
　　“Clearlythosepeoplewereeducatedfolk。Andseetoohow，astheytalkedofonethingandanother，therecroppeduptheoldandever-persistentpoint。“
　　“Towhatpointareyoureferring？“
　　Mycompanionpausedamomentbeforehereplied。Thenhesaid:
　　“Canitbethatyoudidnothearit？Didyounothearoneofthosepeopleremark:’Ihaveamindtosurrendereverything’？“
　　Whereafter，bendingforward，andpeeringatmeasablindmanwoulddo，Kalininaddedinahalf-whisper:
　　“Moreandmorearefolkcomingtothinktothemselves:’NowmustIforsakeeverything。’IntheendImyselfcametothinkit。FormanyayeardidIincreasinglyreflect:’WhyshouldIbeaservant？Whatwilliteverprofitme？EvenifIshouldearntwelve，ortwenty，orfiftyroublesamonth，towhatwillsuchearningslead，andwherewillthemaninmecomein？Surelyitwouldbebettertodonothingatall，butjusttogazeintospaceasIamdoingnow，andletmyeyesstarestraightbeforeme？’“
　　“Bytheway，whatwereyoutalkingtothosepeopleabout？“
　　“Whichpeopledoyoumean？“
　　“Thebeardedmanandtherest，thecompanyintheguest-chamber？“
　　“Ah，THATmanIdidnotlike——Ihavenofancyatallforfellowswhostrewtheirgriefabouttheworld，andleaveittobetrampleduponbyeverychance-comer。Forhowcanthetearsofmyneighbourbenefitme？True，everymanhashistroubles；butalsohaseverymansuchapredilectionforhisparticularwoethatheendsbydeemingitthemostbitterandremarkablegriefintheuniverse——youmaytakemywordforthat。“
　　Suddenlythespeakerrosetohisfeet，atall，leanfigure。
　　“NowImustseekmybed，“heremarked。“Yousee，Ishallhavetoleavehereveryearlytomorrow。“
　　“Andforwhatpoint？“
　　“ForNovorossisk。“
　　Now，thedaybeingaSaturday，Ihaddrawnmyweek’searningsfromthemonastery’spay-officejustbeforethevigilservice。
　　Also，Novorossiskdidnotreallylieinmydirection。Thirdly，I
　　hadnoparticularwishtoexchangethemonasteryforanyotherlodging。Nevertheless，despiteallthis，themaninterestedmetosuchanextentofpersonswhogenuinelyinterestonethereneverexistbuttwo，and，ofthem，oneselfisalwaysonethatstraightwayIobserved:
　　“Itooshallbeleavingheretomorrow。“
　　“Thenletustraveltogether。“
　　Atdawn，therefore，wesetforthtofoottheroadincompany。AttimesImentallysoaredaloft，andviewedthescenefromthatvantage-point。WheneverIdidso，Ibeheldtwotallmentraversinganarrowtrackbyaseashore——theonecladinagreymilitaryovercoatandahatwithabrokencrown，andtheotherinadrabkaftanandaplushcap。Attheirfeettheboundlessseawassplashingwhitefoam，salt-driedribandsofseaweedwerestrewingthepath，goldenleavesweredancinghitherandthither，andthewindwashowlingat，andbuffeting，thetravellersascloudssailedovertheirheads。Also，totheirrighttherelaystretchedachainofmountainstowardswhichthecloudskeptwearily，nervelesslytending，whiletotheirlefttherelayspreadawhite-lacedexpanseoverthesurfaceofwhicharoaringwindkeptceaselesslydrivingtransparentcolumnsofspray。
　　Onsuchstormydaysinautumneverythingnearaseashorelooksparticularlycheerfulandvigorous，seeingthat，despitethesoughingofwindandwave，andtheswiftonrushofcloud，andthefactthatthesunisonlyoccasionallytobeseensuspendedinabyssesofblue，andresemblesadroopingflower，onefeelsthattheapparentchaoshaslurkinginitasecretharmonyofmundane，butimperishable，forces——somuchsothatintimeevenone’spunyhumanheartcomestoimbibetheprevalentspiritofrevolt，and，catchingfire，tocrytoalltheuniverse:“Iloveyou！“