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yard as it was cold； and warmed themselves。 Peter； too； stood
with them near the fire and warmed himself as I am doing。 A
woman； seeing him； said： 'He was with Jesus； too' that is as
much as to say that he； too； should be taken to be questioned。
And all the labourers that were standing near the fire must have
looked sourly and suspiciously at him； because he was confused
and said： 'I don't know Him。' A little while after again someone
recognized him as one of Jesus' disciples and said： 'Thou； too；
art one of them；' but again he denied it。 And for the third time
someone turned to him： 'Why； did I not see thee with Him in the
garden to…day？' For the third time he denied it。 And immediately
after that time the cock crowed； and Peter； looking from afar off
at Jesus； remembered the words He had said to him in the evening。
。 。 。 He remembered； he came to himself； went out of the yard and
wept bitterly bitterly。 In the Gospel it is written： 'He went
out and wept bitterly。' I imagine it： the still； still； dark；
dark garden； and in the stillness； faintly audible； smothered
sobbing。 。 。〃
T he student sighed and sank into thought。 Still smiling；
Vasilisa suddenly gave a gulp； big tears flowed freely down her
cheeks； and she screened her face from the fire with her sleeve
as though ashamed of her tears； and Lukerya； staring immovably at
the student； flushed crimson； and her expression became strained
and heavy like that of someone enduring intense pain。
The labourers came back from the river； and one of them riding a
horse was quite near； and the light from the fire quivered upon
him。 The student said good…night to the widows and went on。 And
again the darkness was about him and his fingers began to be
numb。 A cruel wind was blowing； winter really had come back and
it did not feel as though Easter would be the day after
to…morrow。
Now the student was thinking about Vasilisa： since she had shed
tears all that had happened to Peter the night before the
Crucifixion must have some relation to her。 。 。 。
He looked round。 The solitary light was still gleaming in the
darkness and no figures could be seen near it now。 The student
thought again that if Vasilisa had shed tears； and her daughter
had been troubled； it was evident that what he had just been
telling them about； which had happened nineteen centuries ago；
had a relation to the present to both women； to the desolate
village； to himself； to all people。 The old woman had wept； not
because he could tell the story touchingly； but because Peter was
near to her； because her whole being was interested in what was
passing in Peter's soul。
And joy suddenly stirred in his soul； and he even stopped for a
minute to take breath。 〃The past；〃 he thought； 〃is linked with
the present by an unbroken chain of events flowing one out of
another。〃 And it seemed to him that he had just seen both ends of
that chain； that when he touched one end the other quivered。
When he crossed the river by the ferry boat and afterwards；
mounting the hill； looked at his village and towards the west
where the cold crimson sunset lay a narrow streak of light； he
thought that truth and beauty which had guided human life there
in the garden and in the yard of the high priest had continued
without interruption to this day； and had evidently always been
the chief thing in human life and in all earthly life； indeed；
and the feeling of youth； health； vigour he was only
twenty…two and the inexpressible sweet expectation of
happiness； of unknown mysterious happiness； took possession of
him little by little； and life seemed to him enchanting；
marvellous； and full of lofty meaning。
IN THE RAVINE
I
THE village of Ukleevo lay in a ravine so that only the belfry
and the chimneys of the printed cottons factories could be seen
from the high road and the railway…station。 When visitors asked
what village this was； they were told：
〃That's the village where the deacon ate all the caviare at the
funeral。〃
It had happened at the dinner at the funeral of Kostukov that the
old deacon saw among the savouries some large…grained caviare and
began eating it greedily； people nudged him； tugged at his arm；
but he seemed petrified with enjoyment： felt nothing； and only
went on eating。 He ate up all the caviare； and there were four
pounds in the jar。 And years had passed since then； the deacon
had long been dead； but the caviare was still remembered。 Whether
life was so poor here or people had not been clever enough to
notice anything but that unimportant incident that had occurred
ten years before； anyway the people had nothing else to tell
about the village Ukleevo。
The village was never free from fever； and there was boggy mud
there even in the summer； especially under the fences over which
hung old willow…trees that gave deep shade。 Here there was always
a smell from the factory refuse and the acetic acid which was
used in the finishing of the cotton print。
The three cotton factories and the tanyard were not in the
village itself； but a little way off。 They were small factories；
and not more than four hundred workmen were employed in all of
them。 The tanyard often made the water in the little river stink；
the refuse contaminated the meadows； the peasants' cattle
suffered from Siberian plague； and orders were given that the
factory should be closed。 It was considered to be closed； but
went on working in secret with the connivance of the local police
officer and the district doctor； who was paid ten roubles a month
by the owner。 In the whole village there were only two decent
houses built of brick with iron roofs； one of them was the local
court； in the other； a two…storied house just opposite the
church； there lived a shopkeeper from Epifan called Grigory
Petrovitch Tsybukin。
Grigory kept a grocer's shop； but that was only for appearance'
sake： in reality he sold vodka； cattle； hides； grain； and pigs；
he traded in anything that came to hand； and when； for instance；
magpies were wanted abroad for ladies' hats； he made some thirty
kopecks on every pair of birds； he bought timber for felling；
lent money at interest； and altogether was a sharp old man； full
of resources。
He had two sons。 The elder； Anisim； was in the police in the
detective department and was rarely at home。 The younger； Stepan；
had gone in for trade and helped his father： but no great help
was expected from him as he was weak in health and deaf； his wife
Aksinya； a handsome woman with a good figure； who wore a hat and
carried a parasol on holidays； got up early and went to bed late；
and ran about all day long； picking up her skirts and jingling
her keys； going from the granary to the cellar and from there to
the shop； and old Tsybukin looked at her good…humouredly while
his eyes glowed； and at such moments he regretted she had not
been married to his elder son instead of to the younger one； who
was deaf； and who evidently knew very little about female beauty。
The old man had always an inclination for family life； and he
loved his family more than anything on earth； especially his
elder son； the detective； and his daughter…in…law。 Aksinya ha