’Whydon’tyouspeak？’saidSimon。’It’stoocoldtostayhere；wemustbegettinghome。Therenow，takemystick，andifyou’refeelingweak，leanonthat。Nowstepout！’
Themanstartedwalking，andmovedeasily，notlaggingbehind。
Astheywentalong，Simonaskedhim，’Andwheredoyoubelongto？’
’I’mnotfromtheseparts。’
’Ithoughtasmuch。Iknowthefolkshereabouts。Buthowdidyoucometobetherebytheshrine？’
’Icannottell。’
’Hassomeonebeenill-treatingyou？’
’Noonehasill-treatedme。Godhaspunishedme。
’OfcourseGodrulesall。Still，you’llhavetofindfoodandsheltersomewhere。Wheredoyouwanttogoto？’
’Itisallthesametome。’
Simonwasamazed。Themandidnotlooklikearogue，andhespokegently，butyethegavenoaccountofhimself。StillSimonthought，’Whoknowswhatmayhavehappened？’Andhesaidtothestranger:
’Wellthen，comehomewithme，andatleastwarmyourselfawhile。’
SoSimonwalkedtowardshishome，andthestrangerkeptupwithhim，walkingathisside。ThewindhadrisenandSimonfeltitcoldunderhisshirt。Hewasgettingoverhistipsinessbynow，andbegantofeelthefrost。Hewentalongsnifflingandwrappinghiswife’scoatroundhim，andhethoughttohimself:’Therenow——talkaboutsheepskins！Iwentoutforsheepskinsandcomehomewithoutevenacoattomybackandwhatismore，I’mbringinganakedmanalongwithme。Matryó；nawon’tbepleased！’Andwhenhethoughtofhiswifehefeltsad；butwhenhelookedatthestrangerandrememberedhowhehadlookedupathimattheshrine，hisheartwasglad。
Simon’swifehadeverythingreadyearlythatday。Shehadcutwood，broughtwater，fedthechildreneatenherownmeal，andnowshesatthinking。Shewonderedwhensheoughttomakebread:noworto-morrow？Therewasstillalargepieceleft。
’IfSimonhashadsomedinnerintown，’thoughtshe，anddoesnoteatmuchforsupper，thebreadwilllastoutanotherday。’
Sheweighedthepieceofbreadinherhandagainandagain，andthought:
’Iwon’tmakeanymoreto-day。Wehaveonlyenoughflourlefttobakeonebatch。WecanmanagetomakethislastouttillFriday。’
SoMatryó；naputawaythebread，andsatdownatthetabletopatchherhusband’sshirt。Whilesheworkedshethoughthowherhusbandwasbuyingskinsforawintercoat。
’Ifonlythedealerdoesnotcheathim。Mygoodmanismuchtoosimple；
hecheatsnobody，butanychildcantakehimin。Eightroublesisalotofmoney——heshouldgetagoodcoatatthatprice。
Nottannedskins，butstillaproperwintercoat。Howdifficultitwaslastwintertogetonwithoutawarmcoat。Icouldneithergetdowntotheriver，norgooutanywhere。Whenhewentoutheputonallwehad，andtherewasnothingleftforme。Hedidnotstartveryearlyto-day，butstillit’stimehewasback。Ionlyhopehehasnotgoneonthespree！’
HardlyhadMatryó；nathoughtthis，whenstepswereheardonthethreshold，andsomeoneentered。Matryó；nastuckherneedleintoherworkandwentoutintothepassage。Thereshesawtwomen:
Simon，andwithhimamanwithoutahat，andwearingfeltboots。
Matryó；nanoticedatoncethatherhusbandsmeltofspirits。’Therenow，hehasbeendrinking，’thoughtshe。Andwhenshesawthathewascoatless，hadonlyherjacketon，broughtnoparcel，stoodtheresilent，andseemedashamed，herheartwasreadytobreakwithdisappointment。’Hehasdrunkthemoney，’thoughtshe，’andhasbeenonthespreewithsomegood-for-nothingfellowwhomhehasbroughthomewithhim。’
Matryó；naletthempassintothehut，followedthemin，andsawthatthestrangerwasayoung，slightman，wearingherhusband’scoat。Therewasnoshirttobeseenunderit，andhehadnohat。Havingentered，hestoodneithermoving，norraisinghiseyes，andMatryó；nathought:’Hemustbeabadman——he’safraid。’
Matryó；nafrowned，andstoodbesidetheovenlookingtoseewhattheywoulddo。
Simontookoffhiscapandsatdownonthebenchasifthingswereallright。
’Come，Matryó；na；ifsupperisready，letushavesome。’
Matryó；namutteredsomethingtoherselfanddidnotmove，butstayedwhereshewas，bytheoven。Shelookedfirstattheoneandthenattheotherofthem，andonlyshookherhead。Simonsawthathiswifewasannoyed，buttriedtopassitoff。
Pretendingnottonoticeanything，hetookthestrangerbythearm。
’Sitdown，friend，’saidhe，’andletushavesomesupper。’
Thestrangersatdownonthebench。
’Haven’tyoucookedanythingforus？’saidSimon。
Matryó；na’sangerboiledover。’I’vecooked，butnotforyou。
Itseemstomeyouhavedrunkyourwitsaway。Youwenttobuyasheep-skincoat，butcomehomewithoutsomuchasthecoatyouhadon，andbringanakedvagabondhomewithyou。I
havenosupperfordrunkardslikeyou。’
’That’senough，Matryó；na。Don’twagyourtonguewithoutreason！
Youhadbetteraskwhatsortofman——’
’Andyoutellmewhatyou’vedonewiththemoney？’
Simonfoundthepocketofthejacket，drewoutthethree-roublenote，andunfoldedit。
’Hereisthemoney。Trí；fonofdidnotpay，butpromisestopaysoon。’
Matryó；nagotstillmoreangry；hehadboughtnosheep-skins，buthadputhisonlycoatonsomenakedfellowandhadevenbroughthimtotheirhouse。
Shesnatchedupthenotefromthetable，tookittoputawayinsafety，andsaid:’Ihavenosupperforyou。Wecan’tfeedallthenakeddrunkardsintheworld。’
’Therenow，Matryó；na，holdyourtongueabit。Firsthearwhatamanhastosay！’
’MuchwisdomIshallhearfromadrunkenfool。Iwasrightinnotwantingtomarryyou——adrunkard。Thelinenmymothergavemeyoudrank；andnowyou’vebeentobuyacoat——andhavedrunkittoo！’
Simontriedtoexplaintohiswifethathehadonlyspenttwentykopeks；
triedtotellhowhehadfoundtheman——butMatryó；nawouldnotlethimgetawordin。Shetalkednineteentothedozen，anddraggedinthingsthathadhappenedtenyearsbefore。
Matryó；natalkedandtalked，andatlastsheflewatSimonandseizedhimbythesleeve。
’Givememyjacket。ItistheonlyoneIhaveandyoumustneedstakeitfrommeandwearityourself。Giveithere，youmangydog，andmaythedeviltakeyou。’
Simonbegantopulloffthejacket，andturnedasleeveofitinsideout；Matryó；naseizedthejacketanditburstitsseams。Shesnatcheditup，threwitoverherheadandwenttothedoor。Shemeanttogoout，butstoppedundecided——shewantedtoworkoffheranger，butshealsowantedtolearnwhatsortofamanthestrangerwas。
Matryó；nastoppedandsaid:’Ifhewereagoodmanhewouldnotbenaked。Why，hehasn’tevenashirtonhim。Ifhewereallright，youwouldsaywhereyoucameacrossthefellow。’
’That’sjustwhatIamtryingtotellyou，’saidSimon。’AsIcametotheshrineIsawhimsittingallnakedandfrozen。Itisn’tquitetheweathertositaboutnaked！Godsentmetohim，orhewouldhaveperished。WhatwasItodo？Howdoweknowwhatmayhavehappenedtohim？SoItookhim，clothedhim，andbroughthimalong。Don’tbesoangry，Matryó；na。Itisasin。
Remember，weallmustdieoneday。’
AngrywordsrosetoMatryó；na’slips，butshelookedatthestrangerandwassilent。Hesatontheedgeofthebench，motionless，hishandsfoldedonhisknees，hisheaddroopingonhisbreast，hiseyesclosed，andhisbrowsknitasifinpain。
Matryó；nawassilent，andSimonsaid:’Matryó；na，haveyounoloveofGod？’
Matryó；naheardthesewords，andasshelookedatthestranger，suddenlyherheartsoftenedtowardshim。Shecamebackfromthedoor，andgoingtotheovenshegotoutthesupper。Settingacuponthetable，shepouredoutsomekvas[7]。Thenshebroughtoutthelastpieceofbread，andsetoutaknifeandspoons。
