“Nevermind，“herepeated。“Yoursisnottheworstofsorrows。
Lifeislong，therewillbegoodandbadtocome，therewillbeeverything。GreatismotherRussia，“hesaid，andlookedroundoneachsideofhim。“IhavebeenalloverRussia，andIhaveseeneverythinginher，andyoumaybelievemywords，mydear。Therewillbegoodandtherewillbebad。IwentasadelegatefrommyvillagetoSiberia，andIhavebeentotheAmurRiverandtheAltaiMountainsandIsettledinSiberia；Iworkedthelandthere，thenIwashomesickformotherRussiaandIcamebacktomynativevillage。WecamebacktoRussiaonfoot；andIrememberwewentonasteamer，andIwasthinasthin，allinrags，barefoot，freezingwithcold，andgnawingacrust，andagentlemanwhowasonthesteamer——thekingdomofheavenbehisifheisdead——lookedatmepitifully，andthetearscameintohiseyes。’Ah，’hesaid，’yourbreadisblack，yourdaysareblack。’AndwhenIgothome，asthesayingis，therewasneithersticknorstall；Ihadawife，butIleftherbehindinSiberia，shewasburiedthere。SoIamlivingasadaylabourer。
AndyetItellyou:sincethenIhavehadgoodaswellasbad。
HereIdonotwanttodie，mydear，Iwouldbegladtoliveanothertwentyyears；sotherehasbeenmoreofthegood。AndgreatisourmotherRussia！“andagainhegazedtoeachsideandlookedround。
“Grandfather，“Lipaasked，“whenanyonedies，howmanydaysdoeshissoulwalktheearth？“
“Whocantell！AskVavilahere，hehasbeentoschool。Nowtheyteachthemeverything。Vavila！“theoldmancalledtohim。
“Yes！“
“Vavila，whenanyonedieshowlongdoeshissoulwalktheearth？
Vavilastoppedthehorseandonlythenanswered:
“Ninedays。MyuncleKirilladiedandhissoullivedinourhutthirteendaysafter。“
“Howdoyouknow？“
“Forthirteendaystherewasaknockinginthestove。“
“Well，that’sallright。Goon，“saidtheoldman，anditcouldbeseenthathedidnotbelieveawordofallthat。
NearKuzmenkithecartturnedintothehighroadwhileLipawentstraighton。Itwasbynowgettinglight。AsshewentdownintotheravinetheUkleevohutsandthechurchwerehiddeninfog。Itwascold，anditseemedtoherthatthesamecuckoowascallingstill。
WhenLipareachedhomethecattlehadnotyetbeendrivenout；
everyonewasasleep。Shesatdownonthestepsandwaited。Theoldmanwasthefirsttocomeout；heunderstoodallthathadhappenedfromthefirstglanceather，andforalongtimehecouldnotarticulateaword，butonlymovedhislipswithoutasound。
“Ech，Lipa，“hesaid，“youdidnottakecareofmygrandchild。
Varvarawasawakened。Sheclaspedherhandsandbrokeintosobs，andimmediatelybeganlayingoutthebaby。
“Andhewasaprettychild“shesaid。“Oh，dear，dear……Youonlyhadtheonechild，andyoudidnottakecareenoughofhim，yousillygirl。“
Therewasarequiemserviceinthemorningandtheevening。Thefuneraltookplacethenextday，andafterittheguestsandthepriestsateagreatdeal，andwithsuchgreedthatonemighthavethoughtthattheyhadnottastedfoodforalongtime。Lipawaitedattable，andthepriest，liftinghisforkonwhichtherewasasaltedmushroom，saidtoher:
“Don’tgrieveforthebabe。Forofsuchisthekingdomofheaven。“
AndonlywhentheyhadallseparatedLiparealizedfullythattherewasnoNikiforandneverwouldbe，sherealizeditandbrokeintosobs。Andshedidnotknowwhatroomtogointotosob，forshefeltthatnowthatherchildwasdeadtherewasnoplaceforherinthehouse，thatshehadnoreasontobehere，thatshewasintheway；andtheothersfeltit，too。
“Nowwhatareyoubellowingfor？“Aksinyashouted，suddenlyappearinginthedoorway；inhonourofthefuneralshewasdressedallinnewclothesandhadpowderedherface。“Shutup！“
Lipatriedtostopbutcouldnot，andsobbedlouderthanever。
“Doyouhear？“shoutedAksinya，andshestampedherfootinviolentanger。“WhoisitIamspeakingto？Gooutoftheyardanddon’tsetfoothereagain，youconvictswife。Getaway。“
“There，there，there，“theoldmanputinfussily。“Aksinya，don’tmakesuchanoutcry，mygirl。Sheiscrying，itisonlynaturalherchildisdead。“
“’It’sonlynatural，’“Aksinyamimickedhim。“Letherstaythenighthere，anddon’tletmeseeatraceofherhereto-morrow！
’It’sonlynatural！’“shemimickedhimagain，and，laughing，shewentintotheshop。
EarlythenextmorningLipawentofftohermotheratTorguevo。
Atthepresenttimethestepsandthefrontdooroftheshophavebeenrepaintedandareasbrightasthoughtheywerenew，therearegaygeraniumsinthewindowsasofold，andwhathappenedinTsybukin’shouseandyardthreeyearsagoisalmostforgotten。
GrigoryPetrovitchislookeduponasthemasterashewasinolddays，butinrealityeverythinghaspassedintoAksinya’shands；
shebuysandsells，andnothingcanbedonewithoutherconsent。
Thebrickyardisworkingwell；andasbricksarewantedfortherailwaythepricehasgoneuptotwenty-fourroublesathousand；
peasantwomenandgirlscartthebrickstothestationandloadthemupinthetrucksandearnaquarter-roubleadayforthework。
AksinyahasgoneintopartnershipwiththeHryminJuniors，andtheirfactoryisnowcalledHryminJuniorsandCo。Theyhaveopenedatavernnearthestation，andnowtheexpensiveconcertinaisplayednotatthefactorybutatthetavern，andtheheadofthepostofficeoftengoesthere，andhe，too，isengagedinsomesortoftraffic，andthestationmaster，too。
HryminJuniorshavepresentedthedeafmanStepanwithagoldwatch，andheisconstantlytakingitoutofhispocketandputtingittohisear。
PeoplesayofAksinyathatshehasbecomeapersonofpower；anditistruethatwhenshedrivesinthemorningtoherbrickyard，handsomeandhappy，withthenaivesmileonherface，andafterwardswhensheisgivingordersthere，oneisawareofgreatpowerinher。Everyoneisafraidofherinthehouseandinthevillageandinthebrickyard。Whenshegoestotheposttheheadofthepostaldepartmentjumpsupandsaystoher:
“Ihumblybegyoutobeseated，AksinyaAbramovna！“
Acertainlandowner，middle-agedbutfoppish，inatunicoffineclothandpatentleatherhighboots，soldherahorse，andwassocarriedawaybytalkingtoherthatheknockeddownthepricetomeetherwishes。Heheldherhandalongtimeand，lookingintohermerry，sly，naiveeyes，said:
“Forawomanlikeyou，AksinyaAbramovna，Ishouldbereadytodoanythingyouplease。Onlysaywhenwecanmeetwherenoonewillinterferewithus？“
“Why，whenyouplease。“
Andsincethentheelderlyfopdrivesuptotheshopalmosteverydaytodrinkbeer。Andthebeerishorrid，bitteraswormwood。
Thelandownershakeshishead，buthedrinksit。
OldTsybukindoesnothaveanythingtodowiththebusinessnowatall。Hedoesnotkeepanymoneybecausehecannotdistinguishbetweenthegoodandthefalse，butheissilent，hesaysnothingofthisweakness。Hehasbecomeforgetful，andiftheydon’tgivehimfoodhedoesnotaskforit。Theyhavegrownusedtohavingdinnerwithouthim，andVarvaraoftensays:
“Hewenttobedagainyesterdaywithoutanysupper。“
Andshesaysitunconcernedlybecausesheisusedtoit。Forsomereason，summerandwinteralike，hewearsafurcoat，andonlyinveryhotweatherhedoesnotgooutbutsitsathome。Asaruleputtingonhisfurcoat，wrappingitroundhimandturninguphiscollar，hewalksaboutthevillage，alongtheroadtothestation，orsitsfrommorningtillnightontheseatnearthechurchgates。Hesitstherewithoutstirring。Passers-bybowtohim，buthedoesnotrespond，forasofoldhedislikesthepeasants。Ifheisaskedaquestionheanswersquiterationallyandpolitely，butbriefly。
Thereisarumourgoingaboutinthevillagethathisdaughter-in-lawturnshimoutofthehouseandgiveshimnothingtoeat，andthatheisfedbycharity；someareglad，othersaresorryforhim。
