Thefirstoutlinevisibleinthedarknesswasabluecircle——
thelittleroundwindow；thenlittlebylittleGusevcoulddistinguishhisneighbourinthenexthammock，PavelIvanitch。
Themansleptsittingup，ashecouldnotbreathelyingdown。Hisfacewasgrey，hisnosewaslongandsharp，hiseyeslookedhugefromtheterriblethinnessofhisface，histemplesweresunken，hisbeardwasskimpy，hishairwaslong。Lookingathimyoucouldnotmakeoutofwhatclasshewas，whetherhewereagentleman，amerchant，orapeasant。Judgingfromhisexpressionandhislonghairhemighthavebeenahermitoralaybrotherinamonastery——butifonelistenedtowhathesaiditseemedthathecouldnotbeamonk。Hewaswornoutbyhiscoughandhisillnessandbythestiflingheat，andbreathedwithdifficulty，movinghisparchedlips。NoticingthatGusevwaslookingathimheturnedhisfacetowardshimandsaid:
“Ibegintoguess。Yes。Iunderstanditallperfectlynow。“
“Whatdoyouunderstand，PavelIvanitch？“
“I’lltellyou。Ithasalwaysseemedtomestrangethatterriblyillasyouareyoushouldbehereinasteamerwhereitissohotandstiflingandwearealwaysbeingtossedupanddown，where，infact，everythingthreatensyouwithdeath；nowitisallcleartome。Yes。Yourdoctorsputyouonthesteamertogetridofyou。Theygetsickoflookingafterpoorbruteslikeyou。Youdon’tpaythemanything，theyhaveabotherwithyou，andyoudamagetheirrecordswithyourdeaths——
so，ofcourse，youarebrutes！It’snotdifficulttogetridofyou。Allthatisnecessaryis，inthefirstplace，tohavenoconscienceorhumanity，and，secondly，todeceivethesteamerauthorities。Thefirstconditionneedhardlybeconsidered，inthatrespectweareartists；andonecanalwayssucceedinthesecondwithalittlepractice。Inacrowdoffourhundredhealthysoldiersandsailorshalfadozensickonesarenotconspicuous；
well，theydroveyouallontothesteamer，mixedyouwiththehealthyones，hurriedlycountedyouover，andintheconfusionnothingamisswasnoticed，andwhenthesteamerhadstartedtheysawthattherewereparalyticsandconsumptivesinthelaststagelyingaboutonthedeck。“
GusevdidnotunderstandPavelIvanitch；butsupposinghewasbeingblamed，hesaidinself-defence:
“IlayonthedeckbecauseIhadnotthestrengthtostand；whenwewereunloadedfromthebargeontotheshipIcaughtafearfulchill。“
“It’srevolting，“PavelIvanitchwenton。“Theworstofitistheyknowperfectlywellthatyoucan’tlastoutthelongjourney，andyettheyputyouhere。SupposingyougetasfarastheIndianOcean，whatthen？It’shorribletothinkofit。
Andthat’stheirgratitudeforyourfaithful，irreproachableservice！“
PavelIvanitch’seyeslookedangry；hefrownedcontemptuouslyandsaid，gasping:
“Thosearethepeoplewhooughttobepluckedinthenewspaperstillthefeathersflyinalldirections。“
Thetwosicksoldiersandthesailorwereawakeandalreadyplayingcards。Thesailorwashalfreclininginhishammock，thesoldiersweresittingnearhimonthefloorinthemostuncomfortableattitudes。Oneofthesoldiershadhisrightarminasling，andthehandwasswathedupinaregularbundlesothatheheldhiscardsunderhisrightarmorinthecrookofhiselbowwhileheplayedwiththeleft。Theshipwasrollingheavily。Theycouldnotstandup，nordrinktea，nortaketheirmedicines。
“Wereyouanofficer’sservant？“PavelIvanitchaskedGusev。
“Yes，anofficer’sservant。“
“MyGod，myGod！“saidPavelIvanitch，andheshookhisheadmournfully。“Totearamanoutofhishome，draghimtwelvethousandmilesaway，thentodrivehimintoconsumptionand。
andwhatisitallfor，onewonders？ToturnhimintoaservantforsomeCaptainKopeikinormidshipmanDirka！Howlogical！“
“It’snothardwork，PavelIvanitch。Yougetupinthemorningandcleantheboots，getthesamovar，sweeptherooms，andthenyouhavenothingmoretodo。Thelieutenantisallthedaydrawingplans，andifyoulikeyoucansayyourprayers，ifyoulikeyoucanreadabookorgooutintothestreet。Godgranteveryonesuchalife。“
“Yes，verynice，thelieutenantdrawsplansallthedayandyousitinthekitchenandpineforhome。Plansindeed！
Itisnotplansthatmatter，butahumanlife。Lifeisnotgiventwice，itmustbetreatedmercifully。“
“Ofcourse，PavelIvanitch，abadmangetsnomercyanywhere，neitherathomenorinthearmy，butifyouliveasyououghtandobeyorders，whohasanyneedtoinsultyou？Theofficersareeducatedgentlemen，theyunderstand。InfiveyearsIwasneveronceinprison，andIwasneverstruckablow，sohelpmeGod，butonce。“
“Whatfor？“
“Forfighting。Ihaveaheavyhand，PavelIvanitch。FourChinamencameintoouryard；theywerebringingfirewoodorsomething，I
don’tremember。Well，IwasboredandIknockedthemaboutabit，one’snosebeganbleeding，damnthefellow。Thelieutenantsawitthroughthelittlewindow，hewasangryandgavemeaboxontheear。“
“Foolish，pitifulman“whisperedPavelIvanitch。“Youdon’tunderstandanything。“
Hewasutterlyexhaustedbythetossingoftheshipandclosedhiseyes；hisheadalternatelyfellbackanddroppedforwardonhisbreast。Severaltimeshetriedtoliedownbutnothingcameofit；hisdifficultyinbreathingpreventedit。
“AndwhatdidyouhitthefourChinamenfor？“heaskedalittlewhileafterwards。
“Oh，nothing。TheycameintotheyardandIhitthem。“
Andastillnessfollowed。Thecard-playershadbeenplayingfortwohourswithenthusiasmandloudabuseofoneanother，butthemotionoftheshipovercamethem，too；theythrewasidethecardsandlaydown。AgainGusevsawthebigpond，thebrickbuilding，thevillage。Againthesledgewascomingalong，againVankawaslaughingandAkulka，sillylittlething，threwopenherfurcoatandstuckherfeetout，asmuchastosay:
“Look，goodpeople，mysnowbootsarenotlikeVanka’s，theyarenewones。“
“Fiveyearsold，andshehasnosenseyet，“Gusevmutteredindelirium。“Insteadofkickingyourlegsyouhadbettercomeandgetyoursoldieruncleadrink。Iwillgiveyousomethingnice。“
ThenAndronwithaflintlockgunonhisshoulderwascarryingaharehehadkilled，andhewasfollowedbythedecrepitoldJewIsaitchik，whoofferstobarterthehareforapieceofsoap；
thentheblackcalfintheshed，thenDomnasewingatashirtandcryingaboutsomething，andthenagainthebull’sheadwithouteyes，blacksmoke。
Overheadsomeonegavealoudshout，severalsailorsranby，theyseemedtobedraggingsomethingbulkyoverthedeck，somethingfellwithacrash。Againtheyranby。Hadsomethinggonewrong？Gusevraisedhishead，listened，andsawthatthetwosoldiersandthesailorwereplayingcardsagain；PavelIvanitchwassittingupmovinghislips。Itwasstifling，onehadn’tstrengthtobreathe，onewasthirsty，thewaterwaswarm，disgusting。Theshipheavedasmuchasever。
Suddenlysomethingstrangehappenedtooneofthesoldiersplayingcards。Hecalledheartsdiamonds，gotmuddledinhisscore，anddroppedhiscards，thenwithafrightened，foolishsmilelookedroundatallofthem。
“Ishan’tbeaminute，mates，I’ll“hesaid，andlaydownonthefloor。
Everybodywasamazed。Theycalledtohim，hedidnotanswer。
“Stephan，maybeyouarefeelingbad，eh？“thesoldierwithhisarminaslingaskedhim。“Perhapswehadbetterbringthepriest，eh？“
“Haveadrinkofwater，Stepan“saidthesailor。“Here，lad，drink。“
“Whyareyouknockingthejugagainsthisteeth？“saidGusevangrily。“Don’tyousee，turniphead？’
“What？“
“What？“Gusevrepeated，mimickinghim。“Thereisnobreathinhim，heisdead！That’swhat！Whatnonsensicalpeople，Lordhavemercyonus！“
TheshipwasnotrockingandPavelIvanitchwasmorecheerful。Hewasnolongerill-humoured。Hisfacehadaboastful，defiant，mockingexpression。Helookedasthoughhewantedtosay:“Yes，inaminuteIwilltellyousomethingthatwillmakeyousplityoursideswithlaughing。“ThelittleroundwindowwasopenandasoftbreezewasblowingonPavelIvanitch。Therewasasoundofvoices，oftheplashofoarsinthewater。Justunderthelittlewindowsomeonebegandroninginahigh，unpleasantvoice:
nodoubtitwasaChinamansinging。
“Hereweareintheharbour，“saidPavelIvanitch，smilingironically。“OnlyanothermonthandweshallbeinRussia。Well，worthygentlemenandwarriors！IshallarriveatOdessaandfromtheregostraighttoHarkov。InHarkovIhaveafriend，aliteraryman。Ishallgotohimandsay，’Come，oldman，putasideyourhorridsubjects，ladies’amoursandthebeautiesofnature，andshowuphumandepravity。’“
Foraminutehepondered，thensaid:
“Gusev，doyouknowhowItookthemin？“
“Tookinwhom，PavelIvanitch？“
“Why，thesefellows。Youknowthatonthissteamerthereisonlyafirst-classandathird-class，andtheyonlyallowpeasants——thatistherift-raft——togointhethird。Ifyouhavegotonareeferjacketandhavethefaintestresemblancetoagentlemanorabourgeoisyoumustgofirst-class，ifyouplease。Youmustforkoutfivehundredroublesifyoudieforit。
Why，Iask，haveyoumadesucharule？DoyouwanttoraisetheprestigeofeducatedRussiansthereby？Notabitofit。Wedon’tletyougothird-classsimplybecauseadecentpersoncan’tgothird-class；itisveryhorribleanddisgusting。Yes，indeed。I
