The“noblegentleman“utteredallthisinasoft，sugarytenor，wrinklinguphisnarrowforeheadandemittingcreakingsoundsfromhisred，frozenlittlenose。Ptahalistenedandlookedaskanceathiminwonder，continuallyshrugginghisshoulders。
Aftergoingnearlyfivemilestheconstablesandthetrampsatdownonamoundtorest。
“Evenadogknowshisname，“Ptahamuttered。“MynameisAndryushka，hisisNikandr；everymanhashisholyname，anditcan’tbeforgotten。Nohow。“
“Whohasanyneedtoknowmyname？“sighedthetramp，leaninghischeekonhisfist。“Andwhatadvantagewoulditbetomeiftheydidknowit？IfIwereallowedtogowhereIwould——butitwouldonlymakethingsworse。Iknowthelaw，Christianbrothers。
NowIamatrampwhodoesn’trememberhisname，andit’stheverymostiftheysendmetoEasternSiberiaandgivemethirtyorfortylashes；butifIweretotellthemmyrealnameanddescriptiontheywouldsendmebacktohardlabour，Iknow！“
“Why，haveyoubeenaconvict？“
“Ihave，dearfriend。ForfouryearsIwentaboutwithmyheadshavedandfettersonmylegs。“
“Whatfor？“
“Formurder，mygoodman！WhenIwasstillaboyofeighteenorso，mymammaaccidentallypouredarsenicinsteadofsodaandacidintomymaster’sglass。Therewereboxesofallsortsinthestoreroom，numbersofthem；itwaseasytomakeamistakeoverthem。“
Thetrampsighed，shookhishead，andsaid:
“Shewasapiouswoman，but，whoknows？anotherman’ssoulisaslumberingforest！Itmayhavebeenanaccident，ormaybeshecouldnotenduretheaffrontofseeingthemasterpreferanotherservant。Perhapssheputitinonpurpose，Godknows！Iwasyoungthen，anddidnotunderstanditallnowIrememberthatourmasterhadtakenanothermistressandmammawasgreatlydisturbed。Ourtriallastednearlytwoyears。Mammawascondemnedtopenalservitudefortwentyyears，andI，onaccountofmyyouth，onlytoseven。“
“Andwhywereyousentenced？“
“Asanaccomplice。Ihandedtheglasstothemaster。Thatwasalwaysthecustom。MammapreparedthesodaandIhandedittohim。OnlyItellyouallthisasaChristian，brothers，asI
wouldsayitbeforeGod。Don’tyoutellanybody。“
“Oh，nobody’sgoingtoaskus，“saidPtaha。“Soyou’verunawayfromprison，haveyou？“
“Ihave，dearfriend。Fourteenofusranaway。Somefolks，Godblessthem！ranawayandtookmewiththem。Nowyoutellme，onyourconscience，goodman，whatreasonhaveItodisclosemyname？Theywillsendmebacktopenalservitude，youknow！AndI
amnotfitforpenalservitude！Iamarefinedmanindelicatehealth。Iliketosleepandeatincleanliness。WhenIpraytoGodIliketolightalittlelamporacandle，andnottohaveanoisearoundme。WhenIbowdowntothegroundIlikethefloornottobedirtyorspatupon。AndIbowdownfortytimeseverymorningandevening，prayingformamma。“
Thetramptookoffhiscapandcrossedhimself。
“AndletthemsendmetoEasternSiberia，“hesaid；“Iamnotafraidofthat。“
“Surelythat’snobetter？“
“Itisquiteadifferentthing。Inpenalservitudeyouarelikeacrabinabasket:crowding，crushing，jostling，there’snoroomtobreathe；it’sdownrighthell——suchhell，maytheQueenofHeavenkeepusfromit！Youarearobberandtreatedlikearobber——worsethananydog。Youcan’tsleep，youcan’teatorevensayyourprayers。Butit’snotlikethatinasettlement。InasettlementIshallbeamemberofacommunelikeotherpeople。
Theauthoritiesareboundbylawtogivememyshareye-es！
Theysaythelandcostsnothing，nomorethansnow；youcantakewhatyoulike！Theywillgivemecornlandandbuildinglandandgarden。Ishallploughmyfieldslikeotherpeople，sowseed。Ishallhavecattleandstockofallsorts，bees，sheep，anddogs。ASiberiancat，thatratsandmicemaynotdevourmygoods。Iwillputupahouse，Ishallbuyikons。
PleaseGod，I’llgetmarried，Ishallhavechildren。“
Thetrampmutteredandlooked，notathislisteners，butawayintothedistance。Naiveashisdreamswere，theywereutteredinsuchagenuineandheartfelttonethatitwasdifficultnottobelieveinthem。Thetramp’slittlemouthwasscrewedupinasmile。Hiseyesandlittlenoseandhiswholefacewerefixedandblankwithblissfulanticipationofhappinessinthedistantfuture。Theconstableslistenedandlookedathimgravely，notwithoutsympathy。They，too，believedinhisdreams。
“IamnotafraidofSiberia，“thetrampwentonmuttering。
“SiberiaisjustasmuchRussiaandhasthesameGodandTsarashere。TheyarejustasorthodoxChristiansasyouandI。Onlythereismorefreedomthereandpeoplearebetteroff。Everythingisbetterthere。Taketheriversthere，forinstance；theyarefarbetterthanthosehere。There’snoendoffish；andallsortsofwildfowl。Andmygreatestpleasure，brothers，isfishing。
Givemenobreadtoeat，butletmesitwithafishhook。Yes，indeed！Ifishwithahookandwithawireline，andsetcreels，andwhentheicecomesIcatchwithanet。Iamnotstrongtodrawupthenet，soIshallhireamanforfivekopecks。And，Lord，whatapleasureitis！Youcatchaneel-poutoraroachofsomesortandareaspleasedasthoughyouhadmetyourownbrother。Andwouldyoubelieveit，there’saspecialartforeveryfish:youcatchonewithalivebait，youcatchanotherwithagrub，thethirdwithafrogoragrasshopper。Onehastounderstandallthat，ofcourse！Forexample，taketheeel-pout。
Itisnotadelicatefish——itwilltakeaperch；andapikelovesagudgeon，the_shilishper_likesabutterfly。Ifyoufishforaroachinarapidstreamthereisnogreaterpleasure。Youthrowthelineofseventyfeetwithoutlead，withabutterflyorabeetle，sothatthebaitfloatsonthesurface；youstandinthewaterwithoutyourtrousersandletitgowiththecurrent，andtug！theroachpullsatit！Onlyyouhavegottobeartfulthathedoesn’tcarryoffthebait，thedamnedrascal。Assoonashetugsatyourlineyoumustwhipitup；it’snogoodwaiting。It’swonderfulwhatalotoffishI’vecaughtinmytime。Whenwewererunningawaytheotherconvictswouldsleepintheforest；Icouldnotsleep，butIwasofftotheriver。Theriverstherearewideandrapid，thebanksaresteep——awfully！
It’sallslumberingforestsonthebank。Thetreesaresotallthatifyoulooktothetopitmakesyoudizzy。Everypinewouldbeworthtenroublesbythepriceshere。“
Intheoverwhelmingrushofhisfancies，ofartisticimagesofthepastandsweetpresentimentsofhappinessinthefuture，thepoorwretchsankintosilence，merelymovinghislipsasthoughwhisperingtohimself。Thevacant，blissfulsmileneverlefthislips。Theconstablesweresilent。Theywereponderingwithbentheads。Intheautumnstillness，whenthecold，sullenmistthatrisesfromtheearthlieslikeaweightontheheart，whenitstandslikeaprisonwallbeforetheeyes，andremindsmanofthelimitationofhisfreedom，itissweettothinkofthebroad，rapidrivers，withsteepbankswildandluxuriant，oftheimpenetrableforests，oftheboundlesssteppes。Slowlyandquietlythefancypictureshowearlyinthemorning，beforetheflushofdawnhasleftthesky，amanmakeshiswayalongthesteepdesertedbanklikeatinyspeck:theancient，mast-likepinesriseupinterracesonbothsidesofthetorrent，gazesternlyatthefreemanandmurmurmenacingly；rocks，hugestones，andthornybushesbarhisway，butheisstronginbodyandboldinspirit，andhasnofearofthepine-trees，norstones，norofhissolitude，norofthereverberatingechowhichrepeatsthesoundofeveryfootstepthathetakes。
Thepeasantscalledupapictureofafreelifesuchastheyhadneverlived；whethertheyvaguelyrecalledtheimagesofstoriesheardlongagoorwhethernotionsofafreelifehadbeenhandeddowntothemwiththeirfleshandbloodfromfar-offfreeancestors，Godknows！
ThefirsttobreakthesilencewasNikandrSapozhnikov，whohadnottillthenletfallasingleword。Whetherheenviedthetramp’stransparenthappiness，orwhetherhefeltinhisheartthatdreamsofhappinesswereoutofkeepingwiththegreyfogandthedirtybrownmud——anyway，helookedsternlyatthetrampandsaid:
“It’sallverywell，tobesure，onlyyouwon’treachthoseplenteousregions，brother。Howcouldyou？Beforeyou’dgonetwohundredmilesyou’dgiveupyoursoultoGod。Justlookwhataweaklingyouare！Hereyou’vehardlygonefivemilesandyoucan’tgetyourbreath。“
ThetrampturnedslowlytowardNikandr，andtheblissfulsmilevanishedfromhisface。Helookedwithascaredandguiltyairatthepeasant’sstaidface，apparentlyrememberedsomething，andbenthishead。Asilencefollowedagain。Allthreewerepondering。ThepeasantswererackingtheirbrainsintheefforttograspintheirimaginationwhatcanbegraspedbynonebutGod——thatis，thevastexpansedividingthemfromthelandoffreedom。Intothetramp’smindthrongedclearanddistinctpicturesmoreterriblethanthatexpanse。Beforehimrosevividlythepictureofthelonglegaldelaysandprocrastinations，thetemporaryandpermanentprisons，theconvictboats，thewearisomestoppagesontheway，thefrozenwinters，illnesses，deathsofcompanions。
Thetrampblinkedguiltily，wipedthetinydropsofsweatfromhisforeheadwithhissleeve，drewadeepbreathasthoughhehadjustleaptoutofaveryhotbath，thenwipedhisforeheadwiththeothersleeveandlookedroundfearfully。
“That’strue；youwon’tgetthere！“Ptahaagreed。“Youarenotmuchofawalker！Lookatyou——nothingbutskinandbone！
You’lldie，brother！“
“Ofcoursehe’lldie！Whatcouldhedo？“saidNikandr。“He’sfitforthehospitalnow。Forsure！“
Themanwhohadforgottenhisnamelookedatthestern，unconcernedfacesofhissinistercompanions，andwithouttakingoffhiscap，hurriedlycrossedhimself，staringwithwide-openeyes。Hetrembled，hisheadshook，andhebegantwitchingallover，likeacaterpillarwhenitissteppedupon。
“Well，it’stimetogo，“saidNikandr，gettingup；“we’vehadarest。“
Aminutelatertheyweresteppingalongthemuddyroad。Thetrampwasmorebentthanever，andhethrusthishandsfurtheruphissleeves。Ptahawassilent。
