“Come，come，“saidVarvara，offended。“Goouttowork，whatanidea，yousillygirl！Hewillbeamerchant！“
Lipasangsoftly，butaminutelatersheforgotandagain:
“Youwillgroweversobig，eversobig。Youwillbeapeasant，we’llgoouttoworktogether。“
“Theresheisatitagain！“
Lipa，withNikiforinherarms，stoodstillinthedoorwayandasked:
“WhydoIlovehimsomuch，mamma？WhydoIfeelsosorryforhim？“shewentoninaquiveringvoice，andhereyesglistenedwithtears。“Whoishe？Whatishelike？Aslightasalittlefeather，asalittlecrumb，butIlovehim；Ilovehimlikearealperson。Herehecandonothing，hecan’ttalk，andyetI
knowwhathewantswithhislittleeyes。“
Varvarawaslistening；thesoundoftheeveningtraincomingintothestationreachedher。Hadherhusbandcome？ShedidnothearandshedidnotheedwhatLipawassaying，shehadnoideahowthetimepassed，butonlytrembledallover——notfromdread，butintensecuriosity。Shesawacartfullofpeasantsrollquicklybywitharattle。Itwasthewitnessescomingbackfromthestation。Whenthecartpassedtheshoptheoldworkmanjumpedoutandwalkedintotheyard。Shecouldhearhimbeinggreetedintheyardandbeingaskedsomequestions。
“Deprivationofrightsandallhisproperty，“hesaidloudly，“andsixyears’penalservitudeinSiberia。“
ShecouldseeAksinyacomeoutoftheshopbythebackway；shehadjustbeensellingkerosene，andinonehandheldabottleandintheotheracan，andinhermouthshehadsomesilvercoins。
“Whereisfather？“sheasked，lisping。
“Atthestation，“answeredthelabourer。“’Whenitgetsalittledarker，’hesaid，’thenIshallcome。’“
AndwhenitbecameknownallthroughthehouseholdthatAnisimwassentencedtopenalservitude，thecookinthekitchensuddenlybrokeintoawailasthoughatafuneral，imaginingthatthiswasdemandedbytheproprieties:
“Thereisnoonetocareforusnowyouhavegone，AnisimGrigoritch，ourbrightfalcon。“
Thedogsbeganbarkinginalarm。Varvararantothewindow，andrushingaboutindistress，shoutedtothecookwithallhermight，straininghervoice:
“Sto-op，Stepanida，sto-op！Don’tharrowus，forChrist’ssake！“
Theyforgottosetthesamovar，theycouldthinkofnothing。OnlyLipacouldnotmakeoutwhatitwasallaboutandwentonplayingwithherbaby。
Whentheoldfatherarrivedfromthestationtheyaskedhimnoquestions。Hegreetedthemandwalkedthroughalltheroomsinsilence；hehadnosupper。
“Therewasnoonetoseeaboutthings“Varvarabeganwhentheywerealone。“Isaidyoushouldhaveaskedsomeofthegentry，youwouldnotheedmeatthetime。Apetitionwould“
“Isawtothings，“saidherhusbandwithawaveofhishand。
“WhenAnisimwascondemnedIwenttothegentlemanwhowasdefendinghim。’It’snousenow，’hesaid，’it’stoolate’；andAnisimsaidthesame；it’stoolate。ButallthesameasIcameoutofthecourtImadeanagreementwithalawyer，Ipaidhimsomethinginadvance。I’llwaitaweekandthenIwillgoagain。
ItisasGodwills。“
Againtheoldmanwalkedthroughalltherooms，andwhenhewentbacktoVarvarahesaid:
“Imustbeill。Myhead’sinasortoffog。Mythoughtsareinamaze。“
HeclosedthedoorthatLipamightnothear，andwentonsoftly:
“Iamunhappyaboutmymoney。DoyourememberonLowSundaybeforehisweddingAnisim’sbringingmesomenewroublesandhalf-roubles？OneparcelIputawayatthetime，buttheothersI
mixedwithmyownmoney。WhenmyuncleDmitriFilatitch——thekingdomofheavenbehis——wasalive，heusedconstantlytogojourneystoMoscowandtotheCrimeatobuygoods。Hehadawife，andthissamewife，whenhewasawaybuyinggoods，usedtotakeupwithothermen。Shehadhalfadozenchildren。Andwhenunclewasinhiscupshewouldlaughandsay:’Inevercanmakeout，’
heusedtosay，’whicharemychildrenandwhichareotherpeople’s。’Aneasy-goingdisposition，tobesure；andsoInowcan’tdistinguishwhicharegenuineroublesandwhicharefalseones。Anditseemstomethattheyareallfalse。“
“Nonsense，Godblessyou。“
“Itakeaticketatthestation，Igivethemanthreeroubles，andIkeepfancyingtheyarefalse。AndIamfrightened。Imustbeill。“
“There’snodenyingit，weareallinGod’shands。Ohdear，dear“saidVarvara，andsheshookherhead。“Yououghttothinkaboutthis，GrigoryPetrovitch:youneverknow，anythingmayhappen，youarenotayoungman。Seetheydon’twrongyourgrandchildwhenyouaredeadandgone。Oy，IamafraidtheywillbeunfairtoNikifor！Hehasasgoodasnofather，hismother’syoungandfoolishyououghttosecuresomethingforhim，poorlittleboy，atleasttheland，Butyokino，GrigoryPetrovitch，really！Thinkitover！“Varvarawentonpersuadinghim。“Theprettyboy，oneissorryforhim！Yougoto-morrowandmakeoutadeed；whyputitoff？“
“I’dforgottenaboutmygrandson，“saidTsybukin。“Imustgoandhavealookathim。Soyousaytheboyisallright？Well，lethimgrowup，pleaseGod。“
Heopenedthedoorand，crookinghisfinger，beckonedtoLipa。
Shewentuptohimwiththebabyinherarms。
“Ifthereisanythingyouwant，Lipinka，youaskforit，“hesaid。“Andeatanythingyoulike，wedon’tgrudgeit，solongasitdoesyougood。“Hemadethesignofthecrossoverthebaby。“Andtakecareofmygrandchild。Mysonisgone，butmygrandsonisleft。“
Tearsrolleddownhischeeks；hegaveasobandwentaway。Soonafterwardshewenttobedandsleptsoundlyaftersevensleeplessnights。
OldTsybukinwenttothetownforashorttime。SomeonetoldAksinyathathehadgonetothenotarytomakehiswillandthathewasleavingButyokino，theveryplacewhereshehadsetupabrickyard，toNikifor，hisgrandson。ShewasinformedofthisinthemorningwhenoldTsybukinandVarvaraweresittingnearthestepsunderthebirch-tree，drinkingtheirtea。Sheclosedtheshopinthefrontandattheback，gatheredtogetherallthekeysshehad，andflungthematherfather-in-law’sfeet。
“Iamnotgoingonworkingforyou，“shebeganinaloudvoice，andsuddenlybrokeintosobs。“ItseemsIamnotyourdaughter-in-law，butaservant！Everybody’sjeeringandsaying，’SeewhataservanttheTsybukinshavegotholdof！’Ididnotcometoyouforwages！Iamnotabeggar，Iamnotaslave，I
haveafatherandmother。“
Shedidnotwipeawayhertears，shefixeduponherfather-in-laweyesfulloftears，vindictive，squintingwithwrath；herfaceandneckwereredandtense，andshewasshoutingatthetopofhervoice。
“Idon’tmeantogoonbeingaslave！“shewenton。“Iamwornout。Whenitiswork，whenitissittingintheshopdayinanddayout，scurryingoutatnightforvodka——thenitismyshare，butwhenitisgivingawaythelandthenitisforthatconvict’swifeandherimp。Sheismistresshere，andIamherservant。
Givehereverything，theconvict’swife，andmayitchokeher！I
amgoinghome！Findyourselvessomeotherfool，youdamnedHerods！“
Tsybukinhadneverinhislifescoldedorpunishedhischildren，andhadneverdreamedthatoneofhisfamilycouldspeaktohimrudelyorbehavedisrespectfully；andnowhewasverymuchfrightened；heranintothehouseandtherehidbehindthecupboard。AndVarvarawassomuchflusteredthatshecouldnotgetupfromherseat，andonlywavedherhandsbeforeherasthoughshewerewardingoffabee。
“Oh，HolySaints！what’sthemeaningofit？“shemutteredinhorror。“Whatissheshouting？Oh，dear，dear！Peoplewillhear！Hush。Oh，hush！“
“HehasgivenButyokinototheconvict’swife，“Aksinyawentonbawling。“Givehereverythingnow，Idon’twantanythingfromyou！Letmealone！Youareallagangofthieveshere！Ihaveseenmyfillofit，Ihavehadenough！Youhaverobbedfolkscominginandgoingout；youhaverobbedoldandyoungalike，youbrigands！Andwhohasbeensellingvodkawithoutalicence？Andfalsemoney？You’vefilledboxesfulloffalsecoins，andnowI
amnomoreuse！“
Acrowdhadbynowcollectedattheopengateandwasstaringintotheyard。
“Letthepeoplelook，“bawledAksinya。“Iwillshameyouall！Youshallburnwithshame！Youshallgrovelatmyfeet。Hey！Stepan，“
shecalledtothedeafman，“letusgohomethisminute！Letusgotomyfatherandmother；Idon’twanttolivewithconvicts。
Getready！“
