“Iliketheriverandtheforestandthevillage，“ElenaIvanovnawenton；“Icouldlivehereallmylife，andIfeelasthoughhereIshouldgetstrongandfindmyplace。Iwanttohelpyou——
Iwanttodreadfully——tobeofuse，tobearealfriendtoyou。
Iknowyourneed，andwhatIdon’tknowIfeel，myheartguesses。
Iamsick，feeble，andformeperhapsitisnotpossibletochangemylifeasIwould。ButIhavechildren。Iwilltrytobringthemupthattheymaybeofusetoyou，mayloveyou。I
shallimpressuponthemcontinuallythattheirlifedoesnotbelongtothem，buttoyou。OnlyIbegyouearnestly，Ibeseechyou，trustus，liveinfriendshipwithus。Myhusbandisakind，goodman。Don’tworryhim，don’tirritatehim。Heissensitivetoeverytrifle，andyesterday，forinstance，yourcattlewereinourvegetablegarden，andoneofyourpeoplebrokedownthefencetothebee-hives，andsuchanattitudetousdrivesmyhusbandtodespair。Ibegyou，“shewentoninanimploringvoice，andsheclaspedherhandsonherbosom——“Ibegyoutotreatusasgoodneighbours；letusliveinpeace！Thereisasaying，youknow，thatevenabadpeaceisbetterthanagoodquarrel，and，’Don’tbuyproperty，butbuyneighbours。’Irepeatmyhusbandisakindmanandgood；ifallgoeswellwepromisetodoeverythinginourpowerforyou；wewillmendtheroads，wewillbuildaschoolforyourchildren。Ipromiseyou。“
“Ofcoursewethankyouhumbly，lady，“saidLytchkovthefather，lookingattheground；“youareeducatedpeople；itisforyoutoknowbest。Only，yousee，Voronov，arichpeasantatEresnevo，promisedtobuildaschool；he，too，said，’Iwilldothisforyou，’’Iwilldothatforyou，’andheonlyputuptheframeworkandrefusedtogoon。Andthentheymadethepeasantsputtheroofonandfinishit；itcostthemathousandroubles。Voronovdidnotcare；heonlystrokedhisbeard，butthepeasantsfeltitabithard。“
“Thatwasacrow，butnowthere’sarook，too，“saidKozov，andhewinked。
Therewasthesoundoflaughter。
“Wedon’twantaschool，“saidVolodkasullenly。“OurchildrengotoPetrovskoe，andtheycangoongoingthere；wedon’twantit。“
ElenaIvanovnaseemedsuddenlyintimidated；herfacelookedpalerandthinner，sheshrankintoherselfasthoughshehadbeentouchedwithsomethingcoarse，andwalkedawaywithoututteringanotherword。Andshewalkedmoreandmorequickly，withoutlookinground。
“Lady，“saidRodion，walkingafterher，“lady，waitabit；hearwhatIwouldsaytoyou。“
Hefollowedherwithouthiscap，andspokesoftlyasthoughbegging。
“Lady，waitandhearwhatIwillsaytoyou。“
Theyhadwalkedoutofthevillage，andElenaIvanovnastoppedbesideacartintheshadeofanoldmountainash。
“Don’tbeoffended，lady，“saidRodion。“Whatdoesitmean？Havepatience。Havepatienceforacoupleofyears。Youwilllivehere，youwillhavepatience，anditwillallcomeround。Ourfolksaregoodandpeaceable；there’snoharminthem；it’sGod’struthI’mtellingyou。Don’tmindKozovandtheLytchkovs，anddon’tmindVolodka。He’safool；helistenstothefirstthatspeaks。Theothersarequietfolks；theyaresilent。Somewouldbeglad，youknow，tosayawordfromtheheartandtostandupforthemselves，butcannot。Theyhaveaheartandaconscience，butnotongue。Don’tbeoffendedhavepatience。Whatdoesitmatter？“
ElenaIvanovnalookedatthebroad，tranquilriver，pondering，andtearsfloweddownhercheeks。AndRodionwastroubledbythosetears；healmostcriedhimself。
“Nevermind“hemuttered。“Havepatienceforacoupleofyears。Youcanhavetheschool，youcanhavetheroads，onlynotallatonce。Ifyouwent，letussay，tosowcornonthatmoundyouwouldfirsthavetoweeditout，topickoutallthestones，andthentoplough，andworkandworkandwiththepeople，yousee，itisthesameyoumustworkandworkuntilyouovercomethem。“
ThecrowdhadmovedawayfromRodion’shut，andwascomingalongthestreettowardsthemountainash。Theybegansingingsongsandplayingtheconcertina，andtheykeptcomingcloserandcloser。
“Mamma，letusgoawayfromhere，“saidthelittlegirl，huddlinguptohermother，paleandshakingallover；“letusgoaway，mamma！
“Where？“
“ToMoscow。Letusgo，mamma。“
Thechildbegancrying。
Rodionwasutterlyovercome；hisfacebrokeintoprofuseperspiration；hetookoutofhispocketalittlecrookedcucumber，likeahalf-moon，coveredwithcrumbsofryebread，andbeganthrustingitintothelittlegirl’shands。
“Come，come，“hemuttered，scowlingseverely；“takethelittlecucumber，eatitup。Youmustn’tcry。Mammawillwhipyou。
She’lltellyourfatherofyouwhenyougethome。Come，come。“
Theywalkedon，andhestillfollowedbehindthem，wantingtosaysomethingfriendlyandpersuasivetothem。Andseeingthattheywerebothabsorbedintheirownthoughtsandtheirowngriefs，andnotnoticinghim，hestoppedand，shadinghiseyesfromthesun，lookedafterthemforalongtimetilltheydisappearedintotheircopse。
Theengineerseemedtogrowirritableandpetty，andineverytrivialincidentsawanactofrobberyoroutrage。Hisgatewaskeptboltedevenbyday，andatnighttwowatchmenwalkedupanddownthegardenbeatingaboard；andtheygaveupemployinganyonefromObrutchanovoasalabourer。Asill-luckwouldhaveitsomeone(eitherapeasantoroneoftheworkmen)tookthenewwheelsoffthecartandreplacedthembyoldones，thensoonafterwardstwobridlesandapairofpincerswerecarriedoff，andmurmursaroseeveninthevillage。PeoplebegantosaythatasearchshouldbemadeattheLytchkovs’andatVolodka’s，andthenthebridlesandthepincerswerefoundunderthehedgeintheengineer’sgarden；someonehadthrownthemdownthere。
Ithappenedthatthepeasantswerecominginacrowdoutoftheforest，andagaintheymettheengineerontheroad。Hestopped，andwithoutwishingthemgood-dayhebegan，lookingangrilyfirstatone，thenatanother:
“Ihavebeggedyounottogathermushroomsintheparkandneartheyard，buttoleavethemformywifeandchildren，butyourgirlscomebeforedaybreakandthereisnotamushroomleft……Whetheroneasksyouornotitmakesnodifference。Entreaties，andfriendliness，andpersuasionIseearealluseless。“
HefixedhisindignanteyesonRodionandwenton:
“MywifeandIbehavedtoyouashumanbeings，astoourequals，andyou？Butwhat’stheuseoftalking！Itwillendbyourlookingdownuponyou。Thereisnothingleft！“
Andmakinganefforttorestrainhisanger，nottosaytoomuch，heturnedandwenton。
OngettinghomeRodionsaidhisprayer，tookoffhisboots，andsatdownbesidehiswife。
“Yes“hebeganwithasigh。“Wewerewalkingalongjustnow，andMr。Kutcherovmetus。Yes。Hesawthegirlsatdaybreak’Whydon’ttheybringmushrooms，’hesaid’tomywifeandchildren？’hesaid。Andthenhelookedatmeandhesaid:’Iandmywifewilllookafteryou，’hesaid。I
wantedtofalldownathisfeet，butIhadn’tthecourage。
GodgivehimhealthGodblesshim！“
Stephaniacrossedherselfandsighed。
“Theyarekind，simple-heartedpeople，“Rodionwenton。“’Weshalllookafteryou。’Hepromisedmethatbeforeeveryone。
Inouroldageitwouldn’tbeabadthing。Ishouldalwaysprayforthem。HolyMother，blessthem。“
TheFeastoftheExaltationoftheCross，thefourteenthofSeptember，wasthefestivalofthevillagechurch。TheLytchkovs，fatherandson，wentacrosstheriverearlyinthemorningandreturnedtodinnerdrunk；theyspentalongtimegoingaboutthevillage，alternatelysingingandswearing；thentheyhadafightandwenttotheNewVillatocomplain。FirstLytchkovthefatherwentintotheyardwithalongashenstickinhishands。Hestoppedirresolutelyandtookoffhishat。Justatthatmomenttheengineerandhisfamilyweresittingontheverandah，drinkingtea。
“Whatdoyouwant？“shoutedtheengineer。
“Yourhonour“Lytchkovbegan，andburstintotears。“ShowtheDivinemercy，protectmemysonmakesmylifeamiseryyourhonour。“
Lytchkovthesonwalkedup，too；he，too，wasbareheadedandhadastickinhishand；hestoppedandfixedhisdrunkensenselesseyesontheverandah。
“Itisnotmybusinesstosettleyouraffairs，“saidtheengineer。“Gototheruralcaptainorthepoliceofficer。“
“Ihavebeeneverywhere。Ihavelodgedapetition“
saidLytchkovthefather，andhesobbed。“WherecanIgonow？Hecankillmenow，itseems。Hecandoanything。Isthatthewaytotreatafather？Afather？“
Heraisedhisstickandhithissononthehead；thesonraisedhisstickandstruckhisfatherjustonhisbaldpatchsuchablowthatthestickbouncedback。Thefatherdidnotevenflinch，buthithissonagainandagainonthehead。Andsotheystoodandkepthittingoneanotheronthehead，anditlookednotsomuchlikeafightassomesortofagame。Andpeasants，menandwomen，stoodinacrowdatthegateandlookedintothegarden，andthefacesofallweregrave。Theywerethepeasantswhohadcometogreetthemfortheholiday，butseeingtheLytchkovs，theywereashamedanddidnotgoin。
ThenextmorningElenaIvanovnawentwiththechildrentoMoscow。
Andtherewasarumourthattheengineerwassellinghishouse。
