Theybeganringingthebellsinthechurchontheothersideoftheriver。
Neartheburninghutitwashotandsolightthatonecoulddistinctlyseeeverybladeofgrass。Semyon，ared-hairedpeasantwithalongnose，wearingareefer-jacketandacappulleddownrightoverhisears，satononeoftheboxeswhichtheyhadsucceededinbringingout:hiswifewaslyingonherface，moaningandunconscious。Alittleoldmanofeighty，withabigbeard，wholookedlikeagnome——notoneofthevillagers，thoughobviouslyconnectedinsomewaywiththefire——walkedaboutbareheaded，withawhitebundleinhisarms。Theglarewasreflectedonhisbaldhead。Thevillageelder，AntipSyedelnikov，asswarthyandblack-hairedasagypsy，wentuptothehutwithanaxe，andhackedoutthewindowsoneafteranother——nooneknewwhy——thenbeganchoppinguptheroof。
“Women，water！“heshouted。“Bringtheengine！Looksharp！“
Thepeasants，whohadbeendrinkinginthetavernjustbefore，draggedtheengineup。Theywerealldrunk；theykeptstumblingandfallingdown，andallhadahelplessexpressionandtearsintheireyes。
“Wenches，water！“shoutedtheelder，whowasdrunk，too。“Looksharp，wenches！“
Thewomenandthegirlsrandownhilltowheretherewasaspring，andkepthaulingpailsandbucketsofwaterupthehill，and，pouringitintotheengine，randownagain。OlgaandMaryaandSashaandMotkaallbroughtwater。Thewomenandtheboyspumpedthewater；thepipehissed，andtheelder，directingitnowatthedoor，nowatthewindows，heldbackthestreamwithhisfinger，whichmadeithissmoresharplystill。
“Bravo，Antip！“voicesshoutedapprovingly。“Doyourbest。“
Antipwentinsidethehutintothefireandshoutedfromwithin。
“Pump！Bestiryourselves，goodChristianfolk，insuchaterriblemischance！“
Thepeasantsstoodroundinacrowd，doingnothingbutstaringatthefire。Nooneknewwhattodo，noonehadthesensetodoanything，thoughtherewerestacksofwheat，hay，barns，andpilesoffaggotsstandingallround。KiryakandoldOsip，hisfather，bothtipsy，werestandingthere，too。Andasthoughtojustifyhisdoingnothing，oldOsipsaid，addressingthewomanwholayontheground:
“Whatistheretotroubleabout，oldgirl！Thehutisinsured——
whyareyoutakingon？“
Semyon，addressinghimselffirsttoonepersonandthentoanother，keptdescribinghowthefirehadstarted。
“Thatoldman，theonewiththebundle，ahouse-serfofGeneralZhukov’s。Hewascookatourgeneral’s，Godresthissoul！
Hecameoverthisevening:’Letmestaythenight，’sayshe……Well，wehadaglass，tobesure。Thewifegotthesamovar——shewasgoingtogivetheoldfellowacupoftea，andinanunluckyhourshesetthesamovarintheentrance。Thesparksfromthechimneymusthaveblownstraightuptothethatch；that’showitwas。Wewerealmostburntourselves。Andtheoldfellow’scaphasbeenburnt；whatashame！“
Andthesheetofironwasstruckindefatigably，andthebellskeptringinginthechurchtheothersideoftheriver。IntheglowofthefireOlga，breathless，lookingwithhorrorattheredsheepandthepinkdovesflyinginthesmoke，keptrunningdownthehillandupagain。Itseemedtoherthattheringingwenttoherheartwithasharpstab，thatthefirewouldneverbeover，thatSashawaslost。Andwhentheceilingofthehutfellinwithacrash，thethoughtthatnowthewholevillagewouldbeburntmadeherweakandfaint，andshecouldnotgoonfetchingwater，butsatdownontheravine，settingthepaildownnearher；besideherandbelowher，thepeasantwomensatwailingasthoughatafuneral。
Thenthestewardsandwatchmenfromtheestatetheothersideoftheriverarrivedintwocarts，bringingwiththemafire-engine。
Averyyoungstudentinanunbuttonedwhitetunicrodeuponhorseback。Therewasthethudofaxes。Theyputaladdertotheburningframeworkofthehouse，andfivemenranupitatonce。
Foremostofthemallwasthestudent，whowasredinthefaceandshoutinginaharshhoarsevoice，andinatoneasthoughputtingoutfireswasathinghewasusedto。Theypulledthehousetopieces，abeamatatime；theydraggedawaythecorn，thehurdles，andthestacksthatwerenear。
“Don’tletthembreakitup！“criedsternvoicesinthecrowd。
“Don’tletthem。“
Kiryakmadehiswayuptothehutwitharesoluteair，asthoughhemeanttopreventthenewcomersfrombreakingupthehut，butoneoftheworkmenturnedhimbackwithablowinhisneck。Therewasthesoundoflaughter，theworkmandealthimanotherblow，Kiryakfelldown，andcrawledbackintothecrowdonhishandsandknees。
Twohandsomegirlsinhats，probablythestudent’ssisters，camefromtheothersideoftheriver。Theystoodalittlewayoff，lookingatthefire。Thebeamsthathadbeendraggedapartwerenolongerburning，butweresmokingvigorously；thestudent，whowasworkingthehose，turnedthewater，firstonthebeams，thenonthepeasants，thenonthewomenwhowerebringingthewater。
“George！“thegirlscalledtohimreproachfullyinanxiety，“George！“
Thefirewasover。Andonlywhentheybegantodispersetheynoticedthatthedaywasbreaking，thateveryonewaspaleandratherdarkintheface，asitalwaysseemsintheearlymorningwhenthelaststarsaregoingout。Astheyseparated，thepeasantslaughedandmadejokesaboutGeneralZhukov’scookandhiscapwhichhadbeenburnt；theyalreadywantedtoturnthefireintoajoke，andevenseemedsorrythatithadsosoonbeenputout。
“Howwellyouextinguishedthefire，sir！“saidOlgatothestudent。“YououghttocometousinMoscow:therewehaveafireeveryday。“
“Why，doyoucomefromMoscow？“askedoneoftheyoungladies。
“Yes，miss。MyhusbandwasawaiterattheSlavyanskyBazaar。Andthisismydaughter，“shesaid，indicatingSasha，whowascoldandhuddlinguptoher。“SheisaMoscowgirl，too。“
ThetwoyoungladiessaidsomethinginFrenchtothestudent，andhegaveSashaatwenty-kopeckpiece。
OldFatherOsipsawthis，andtherewasagleamofhopeinhisface。
“WemustthankGod，yourhonour，therewasnowind，“hesaid，addressingthestudent，“orelseweshouldhavebeenallburntuptogether。Yourhonour，kindgentlefolks，“headdedinembarrassmentinalowertone，“themorning’schilly
somethingtowarmonehalfabottletoyourhonour’shealth。“
Nothingwasgivenhim，andclearinghisthroatheslouchedhome。
Olgastoodafterwardsattheendofthestreetandwatchedthetwocartscrossingtheriverbythefordandthegentlefolkswalkingacrossthemeadow；acarriagewaswaitingforthemtheothersideoftheriver。Goingintothehut，shedescribedtoherhusbandwithenthusiasm:
“Suchgoodpeople！Andsobeautiful！Theyoungladieswerelikecherubim。“
“Plaguetakethem！“Fyokla，sleepy，saidspitefully。
Maryathoughtherselfunhappy，andsaidthatshewouldbeverygladtodie；Fyokla，ontheotherhand，foundallthislifetohertaste:thepoverty，theuncleanliness，andtheincessantquarrelling。Sheatewhatwasgivenherwithoutdiscrimination；
sleptanywhere，onwhatevercametohand。Shewouldemptytheslopsjustattheporch，wouldsplashthemoutfromthedoorway，andthenwalkbarefootthroughthepuddle。AndfromtheveryfirstdayshetookadisliketoOlgaandNikolayjustbecausetheydidnotlikethislife。
“Weshallseewhatyou’llfindtoeathere，youMoscowgentry！“
shesaidmalignantly。“Weshallsee！“
Onemorning，itwasatthebeginningofSeptember，Fyokla，vigorous，good-looking，androsyfromthecold，broughtuptwopailsofwater；MaryaandOlgaweresittingmeanwhileatthetabledrinkingtea。
“Teaandsugar，“saidFyoklasarcastically。“Thefineladies！“
sheadded，settingdownthepails。“Youhavetakentothefashionofteaeveryday。Youbetterlookoutthatyoudon’tburstwithyourtea-drinking，“shewenton，lookingwithhatredatOlga。
“That’showyouhavecomebyyourfatmug，havingagoodtimeinMoscow，youlumpofflesh！“SheswungtheyokeandhitOlgasuchablowontheshoulderthatthetwosisters-in-lawcouldonlyclasptheirhandsandsay:
“Oh，holySaints！“
ThenFyoklawentdowntotherivertowashtheclothes，swearingallthetimesoloudlythatshecouldbeheardinthehut。
Thedaypassedandwasfollowedbythelongautumnevening。Theywoundsilkinthehut；everyonediditexceptFyokla；shehadgoneovertheriver。Theygotthesilkfromafactorycloseby，andthewholefamilyworkingtogetherearnednexttonothing，twentykopecksaweek。
“Thingswerebetterintheolddaysunderthegentry，“saidtheoldfatherashewoundsilk。“Youworkedandateandslept，everythinginitsturn。Atdinneryouhadcabbage-soupandboiledgrain，andatsupperthesameagain。Cucumbersandcabbageinplenty:youcouldeattoyourheart’scontent，asmuchasyouwanted。Andtherewasmorestrictness。Everyonemindedwhathewasabout。“
Thehutwaslightedbyasinglelittlelamp，whichburneddimlyandsmoked。Whensomeonescreenedthelampandabigshadowfellacrossthewindow，thebrightmoonlightcouldbeseen。OldOsip，speakingslowly，toldthemhowtheyusedtolivebeforetheemancipation；howinthoseveryparts，wherelifewasnowsopoorandsodreary，theyusedtohuntwithharriers，greyhounds，。
