Clotheswerehangingonlinesstretchedacrosstheyard；shesnatchedoffherpetticoatsandblousesstillwetandflungthemintothedeafman’sarms。Theninherfuryshedashedabouttheyardbythelinen，toredownallofit，andwhatwasnothersshethrewonthegroundandtrampledupon。
“HolySaints，takeheraway，“moanedVarvara。“Whatawoman！GiveherButyokino！Giveither，fortheLord’ssake！
“Well！Wha-atawoman！“peopleweresayingatthegate。“She’sawo-oman！She’sgoingit——somethinglike！“
Aksinyaranintothekitchenwherewashingwasgoingon。Lipawaswashingalone，thecookhadgonetotherivertorinsetheclothes。Steamwasrisingfromthetroughandfromthecaldrononthesideofthestove，andthekitchenwasthickandstiflingfromthesteam。Onthefloorwasaheapofunwashedclothes，andNikifor，kickinguphislittleredlegs，hadbeenputdownonabenchnearthem，sothatifhefellheshouldnothurthimself。
JustasAksinyawentinLipatooktheformer’schemiseoutoftheheapandputitinthetrough，andwasjuststretchingoutherhandtoabigladleofboilingwaterwhichwasstandingonthetable。
“Giveithere，“saidAksinya，lookingatherwithhatred，andsnatchingthechemiseoutofthetrough；“itisnotyourbusinesstotouchmylinen！Youareaconvict’swife，andoughttoknowyourplaceandwhoyouare。“
Lipagazedather，takenaback，anddidnotunderstand，butsuddenlyshecaughtthelookAksinyaturneduponthechild，andatoncesheunderstoodandwentnumballover。
“You’vetakenmyland，sohereyouare！“SayingthisAksinyasnatcheduptheladlewiththeboilingwaterandflungitoverNikifor。
AfterthistherewasheardascreamsuchashadneverbeenheardbeforeinUkleevo，andnoonewouldhavebelievedthatalittleweakcreaturelikeLipacouldscreamlikethat。Anditwassuddenlysilentintheyard。
Aksinyawalkedintothehousewithheroldnaivesmile。Thedeafmankeptmovingabouttheyardwithhisarmsfulloflinen，thenhebeganhangingitupagain，insilence，withouthaste。Anduntilthecookcamebackfromtherivernooneventuredtogointothekitchenandseewhatwasthere。
Nikiforwastakentothedistricthospital，andtowardseveninghediedthere。Lipadidnotwaitforthemtocomeforher，butwrappedthedeadbabyinitslittlequiltandcarriedithome。
Thehospital，anewonerecentlybuilt，withbigwindows，stoodhighuponahill；itwasglitteringfromthesettingsunandlookedasthoughitwereonfirefrominside。Therewasalittlevillagebelow。Lipawentdownalongtheroad，andbeforereachingthevillagesatdownbyapond。Awomanbroughtahorsedowntodrinkandthehorsedidnotdrink。
“Whatmoredoyouwant？“saidthewomantoitsoftly。“Whatdoyouwant？“
Aboyinaredshirt，sittingatthewater’sedge，waswashinghisfather’sboots。Andnotanothersoulwasinsighteitherinthevillageoronthehill。
“It’snotdrinking，“saidLipa，lookingatthehorse。
Thenthewomanwiththehorseandtheboywiththebootswalkedaway，andtherewasnooneleftatall。Thesunwenttobedwrappedinclothofgoldandpurple，andlongclouds，redandlilac，stretchedacrossthesky，guardeditsslumbers。Somewherefarawayabitterncried，ahollow，melancholysoundlikeacowshutupinabarn。Thecryofthatmysteriousbirdwasheardeveryspring，butnooneknewwhatitwaslikeorwhereitlived。
Atthetopofthehillbythehospital，inthebushesclosetothepond，andinthefieldsthenightingalesweretrilling。Thecuckookeptreckoningsomeone’syearsandlosingcountandbeginningagain。Inthepondthefrogscalledangrilytooneanother，strainingthemselvestobursting，andonecouldevenmakeoutthewords:“That’swhatyouare！That’swhatyouare！“
Whatanoisetherewas！Itseemedasthoughallthesecreaturesweresingingandshoutingsothatnoonemightsleeponthatspringnight，sothatall，eventheangryfrogs，mightappreciateandenjoyeveryminute:lifeisgivenonlyonce。
Asilverhalf-moonwasshininginthesky；thereweremanystars。
Lipahadnoideahowlongshesatbythepond，butwhenshegotupandwalkedoneverybodywasasleepinthelittlevillage，andtherewasnotasinglelight。Itwasprobablyaboutninemiles’
walkhome，butshehadnotthestrength，shehadnotthepowertothinkhowtogo:themoongleamednowinfront，nowontheright，andthesamecuckookeptcallinginavoicegrownhusky，withachuckleasthoughgibingather:“Oy，lookout，you’llloseyourway！“Lipawalkedrapidly；shelostthekerchieffromherhead。shelookedattheskyandwonderedwhereherbaby’ssoulwasnow:wasitfollowingher，orfloatingaloftyonderamongthestarsandthinkingnothingnowofhismother？Oh，howlonelyitwasintheopencountryatnight，inthemidstofthatsingingwhenonecannotsingoneself；inthemidstoftheincessantcriesofjoywhenonecannotoneselfbejoyful，whenthemoon，whichcaresnotwhetheritisspringorwinter，whethermenarealiveordead，looksdownaslonely，too。Whenthereisgriefintheheartitishardtobewithoutpeople。Ifonlyhermother，Praskovya，hadbeenwithher，orCrutch，orthecook，orsomepeasant！
“Boo-oo！“criedthebittern。“Boo-oo！“
Andsuddenlysheheardclearlythesoundofhumanspeech:“Putthehorsesin，Vavila！“
Bythewaysideacampfirewasburningaheadofher:theflameshaddieddown，therewereonlyredembers。Shecouldhearthehorsesmunching。Inthedarknessshecouldseetheoutlinesoftwocarts，onewithabarrel，theother，aloweronewithsacksinit，andthefiguresoftwomen；onewasleadingahorsetoputitintotheshafts，theotherwasstandingmotionlessbythefirewithhishandsbehindhisback。Adoggrowledbythecarts。Theonewhowasleadingthehorsestoppedandsaid:
“Itseemsasthoughsomeonewerecomingalongtheroad。“
“Sharik，bequiet！“theothercalledtothedog。
Andfromthevoiceonecouldtellthatthesecondwasanoldman。
Lipastoppedandsaid:
“Godhelpyou。“
Theoldmanwentuptoherandanswerednotimmediately:
“Good-evening！“
“Yourdogdoesnotbite，grandfather？“
“No，comealong，hewon’ttouchyou。“
“Ihavebeenatthehospital，“saidLipaafterapause。“Mylittlesondiedthere。HereIamcarryinghimhome。“
Itmusthavebeenunpleasantfortheoldmantohearthis，forhemovedawayandsaidhurriedly:
“Nevermind，mydear。It’sGod’swill。Youareveryslow，lad，“
headded，addressinghiscompanion；“lookalive！
“Youryoke’snowhere，“saidtheyoungman；“itisnottobeseen。“
“YouarearegularVavila。“
Theoldmanpickedupanember，blewonit——onlyhiseyesandnosewerelightedup——then，whentheyhadfoundtheyoke，hewentwiththelighttoLipaandlookedather，andhislookexpressedcompassionandtenderness。
“Youareamother，“hesaid；“everymothergrievesforherchild。“
Andhesighedandshookhisheadashesaidit。Vavilathrewsomethingonthefire，stampedonit——andatonceitwasverydark；thevisionvanished，andasbeforetherewereonlythefields，theskywiththestars，andthenoiseofthebirdshinderingeachotherfromsleep。Andthelandrailcalled，itseemed，intheveryplacewherethefirehadbeen。
Butaminutepassed，andagainshecouldseethetwocartsandtheoldmanandlankyVavila。Thecartscreakedastheywentoutontheroad。
“Areyouholymen？“Lipaaskedtheoldman。
“No。WearefromFirsanovo。“
“Youlookedatmejustnowandmyheartwassoftened。Andtheyoungmanissogentle。Ithoughtyoumustbeholymen。“
“Areyougoingfar？“
“ToUkleevo。“
“Getin，wewillgiveyoualiftasfarasKuzmenki，thenyougostraightonandweturnofftotheleft。“
VavilagotintothecartwiththebarrelandtheoldmanandLipagotintotheother。Theymovedatawalkingpace，Vavilainfront。
“Mybabywasintormentallday，“saidLipa。“Helookedatmewithhislittleeyesandsaidnothing；hewantedtospeakandcouldnot。HolyFather，QueenofHeaven！InmygriefIkeptfallingdownonthefloor。Istoodupandfelldownbythebedside。Andtellme，grandfather，whyalittlethingshouldbetormentedbeforehisdeath？Whenagrown-upperson，amanorwoman，areintormenttheirsinsareforgiven，butwhyalittlething，whenhehasnosins？Why？“
“Whocantell？“answeredtheoldman。
Theydroveonforhalfanhourinsilence。
“Wecan’tknoweverything，howandwherefore，“saidtheoldman。
“Itisordainedforthebirdtohavenotfourwingsbuttwobecauseitisabletoflywithtwo；andsoitisordainedformannottoknoweverythingbutonlyahalforaquarter。Asmuchasheneedstoknowsoastolive，somuchheknows。“
“Itisbetterformetogoonfoot，grandfather。Nowmyheartisallofatremble。“
“Nevermind，sitstill。“
Theoldmanyawnedandmadethesignofthecrossoverhismouth。
