第4章

Cometoyoursenses！Asweetheartattheageofsixty-three！Andatsuchapriceasthis。Whatareyoutalkingabout？Well，I\'lltellthistoIgnat。"

AndMayakinfilledtheairwithajarring，hastylaughter，atwhichhisgoat-likebeardbegantotrembleinanuncomelymanner。IttookFomaalongtimetoobtainacategoricalanswer；theoldman，contrarytohishabit，wasrestlessandirritated；hisspeech，usuallyfluent，wasnowinterrupted；hewasswearingandexpectoratingashespoke，anditwaswithdifficultythatFomalearnedwhatthematterwas。

SophyaPavlovnaMedinskaya，thewealthyarchitect\'swife，whowaswellknowninthecityforhertirelesseffortsinthelineofarrangingvariouscharitableprojects，persuadedIgnattoendowseventy-fivethousandroublesfortheerectionofalodging-houseinthecityandofapubliclibrarywithareading-room。Ignathadgiventhemoney，andalreadythenewspaperslaudedhimforhisgenerosity。Fomahadseenthewomanmorethanonceonthestreets；shewasshort；heknewthatshewasconsideredasoneofthemostbeautifulwomeninthecity，andthatbadrumourswereafootastoherbehaviour。

"Isthatall？"exclaimedFoma，whenhisgodfatherconcludedthestory。

"AndIthoughtGodknowswhat！"

"You？Youthought？"criedMayakin，suddenlygrownangry。"Youthoughtnothing，youbeardlessyoungster！"

"Whydoyouabuseme？"Fomasaid。

"Tellme，inyouropinion，isseventy-fivethousandroublesabigsumornot？"

"Yes，abigsum，"saidFoma，afteramoment\'sthought。

"Ah，ha！"

"Butmyfatherhasmuchmoney。Whydoyoumakesuchafussaboutit？"

YakovTarasovichwastakenaback。Helookedintotheyouth\'sfacewithcontemptandaskedhiminafaintvoice：

"Andyouspeaklikethis？"

"I？Whothen？"

"Youlie！Itisyouryoungfoolishnessthatspeaks。Yes！Andmyoldfoolishness——broughttotestamilliontimesbylife——saysthatyouareayoungdogasyet，anditistooearlyforyoutobarkinabasso。"

Fomahearingthis，hadoftenbeenquiteprovokedbyhisgodfather\'stoopicturesquelanguage。

Mayakinalwaysspoketohimmoreroughlythanhisfather，butnowtheyouthfeltverymuchoffendedbytheoldmanandsaidtohimreservedly，butfirmly：

"Youhadbetternotabusemewithoutreflection，forIamnolongerasmallchild。"

"Come，come！"exclaimedMayakin，mockinglyliftinghiseyebrowsandsquinting。

ThisrousedFoma\'sindignation。Helookedfullintotheoldman\'seyesandarticulatedwithemphasis：

"AndIamtellingyouthatIdon\'twanttohearanymoreofthatundeservedabuseofyours。Enough！"

"Mm！So-o！Pardonme。"

YakovTarasovichclosedhiseyes，chewedalittlewithhislips，and，turningasidefromhisgodson，keptsilentforawhile。Thecarriageturnedintoanarrowstreet，and，noticingfromafartheroofofhishouse，Fomainvoluntarilymovedforward。AtthesametimeMayakinaskedhimwitharoguishandgentlesmile：

"Foma！Tellme——onwhomyouhavesharpenedyourteeth？Eh？"

"Why，aretheysharp？"askedFoma，pleasedwiththemannerinwhichMayakinnowregardedhim。

"Prettygood。That\'sgood，dear。That\'sverygood！YourfatherandIwereafraidlestyoushouldbealaggard。Well，haveyoulearnedtodrinkvodka？"

"Idrankit。"

"Rathertoosoon！Didyoudrinkmuchofit？"

"Whymuch？"

"Doesittastegood？"

"Notvery。"

"So。Nevermind，allthisisnotsobad。Onlyyouaretoooutspoken。

Youarereadytoconfessallyoursinstoeachandeverypopethatcomesalong。Youmustconsideritisn\'talwaysnecessarytodothat。

Sometimesbykeepingsilentyoubothpleasepeopleandcommitnosins。Yes。A

man\'stongueisveryseldomsober。Hereweare。See，yourfatherdoesnotknowthatyouhavearrived。Ishehomeyet，Iwonder？"

Hewasathome：hisloud，somewhathoarselaughterwasheardfromtheopenwindowsoftherooms。Thenoiseofthecarriage，whichstoppedatthehouse，causedIgnattolookoutofthewindow，andatthesightofhissonhecriedoutwithjoy：

"Ah！You\'vecome。"

AfterawhilehepressedFomatohisbreastwithonehand，and，pressingthepalmofhisotherhandagainsthisson\'sforehead，thusbendinghisheadback，helookedintohisfacewithbeamingeyesandspokecontentedly：

"Youaresunburnt。You\'vegrownstrong。You\'reafinefellow！Madame！

How\'smyson？Isn\'thefine？"

"Notbadlooking，"agentle，silvervoicewasheard。Fomaglancedfrombehindhisfather\'sshoulderandnoticedthataslenderwomanwithmagnificentfairhairwassittinginthefrontcorneroftheroom，restingherelbowsonthetable；herdarkeyes，herthineyebrowsandplump，redlipsstrikinglydefinedonherpaleface。Behindherarmchairstoodalargephilodendron-plantwhosebig，figuredleaveswerehangingdownintheairoverherlittlegoldenhead。

"Howdoyoudo，SophyaPavlovna，"saidMayakin，tenderly，approachingherwithhishandoutstretched。"What，areyoustillcollectingcontributionsfrompoorpeoplelikeus？"

Fomabowedtohermutely，nothearingheranswertoMayakin，norwhathisfatherwassayingtohim。Theladystaredathimsteadfastlyandsmiledtohimaffablyandserenely。Herchildlikefigure，clothedinsomekindofdarkfabric，wasalmostblendedwiththecrimsonstuffofthearmchair，whileherwavy，goldenhairandherpalefaceshoneagainstthedarkbackground。Sittingthereinthecorner，beneaththegreenleaves，shelookedatoncelikeaflower，andlikeanikon。

"See，SophyaPavlovna，howheisstaringatyou。Aneagle，eh？"

saidIgnat。

Hereyesbecamenarrower，afaintblushleapedtohercheeks，andsheburstintolaughter。Itsoundedlikethetinklingofalittlesilverbell。Andsheimmediatelyarose，saying：

"Iwouldn\'tdisturbyou。Good-bye！"

WhenshewentpastFomanoiselessly，thescentofperfumecametohim，andhenoticedthathereyesweredarkblue，andhereyebrowsalmostblack。

"Theslyrogueglidedaway，"saidMayakininalowvoice，angrilylookingafterher。

"Well，tellushowwasthetrip？Haveyousquanderedmuchmoney？"

roaredIgnat，pushinghissonintothesamearmchairwhereMedinskayahadbeensittingawhilebefore。Fomalookedathimaskanceandseatedhimselfinanotherchair。

"Isn\'tsheabeautifulyoungwoman，eh？"saidMayakin，smiling，feelingFomawithhiscunningeyes。"Ifyoukeepongapingathershewilleatawayallyourinsides。"

Fomashudderedforsomereasonorother，and，sayingnothinginreply，begantotellhisfatheraboutthejourneyinamatter-of-facttone。

ButIgnatinterruptedhim：

"Wait，I\'llaskforsomecognac。"

"Andyouarekeepingondrinkingallthetime，theysay，"saidFoma，disapprovingly。

Ignatglancedathissonwithsurpriseandcuriosity，andasked：

"Isthisthewaytospeaktoyourfather？"

Fomabecameconfusedandloweredhishead。

"That\'sit！"saidIgnat，kind-heartedly，andorderedcognactobebroughttohim。

Mayakin，winkinghiseyes，lookedattheGordyeeffs，sighed，bidthemgood-bye，and，afterinvitingthemtohaveteawithhiminhisraspberrygardenintheevening，wentaway。

"WhereisAuntAnfisa？"askedFoma，feelingthatnow，beingalonewithhisfather，hewassomewhatillatease。

"Shewenttothecloister。Well，tellme，andIwillhavesomecognac。"

Fomatoldhisfatherallabouthisaffairsinafewminutesandheconcludedhisstorywithafrankconfession：

"Ihavespentmuchmoneyonmyself。"

"Howmuch？"

"Aboutsixhundredroubles。"

"Insixweeks！That\'sagooddeal。Iseeasaclerkyou\'retooexpensiveforme。Wherehaveyousquandereditall？"

"Igaveawaythreehundredpudsofgrain。"

"Towhom？How？"

Fomatoldhimallaboutit。

"Hm！Well，that\'sallright！"Ignatapproved。"That\'stoshowwhatstuffwearemadeof。That\'sclearenough——forthefather\'shonour——

forthehonourofthefirm。Andthereisnolosseither，becausethatgivesagoodreputation。Andthat，mydear，istheverybestsignboardforabusiness。Well，whatelse？"

"Andthen，Isomehowspentmore。"

"Speakfrankly。It\'snotthemoneythatIamaskingyouabout——I

justwanttoknowhowyoulivedthere，"insistedIgnat，regardinghissonattentivelyandsternly。

"Iwaseating，drinking。"Fomadidnotgivein，bendinghisheadmoroselyandconfusedly。

"Drinkingvodka？"

"Vodka，too。"

"Ah！So。Isn\'titrathertoosoon？"

"AskYefimwhetherIeverdrankenoughtobeintoxicated。"

"WhyshouldIaskYefim？Youmusttellmeeverythingyourself。Soyouaredrinking？Idon\'tlikeit。"

"ButIcangetalongwithoutdrinking。"

"Come，come！Doyouwantsomecognac？"

Fomalookedathisfatherandsmiledbroadly。Andhisfatheransweredhimwithakindlysmile：

"Eh，you。Devil！Drink，butlookout——knowyourbusiness。Whatcanyoudo？Adrunkardwillsleephimselfsober，afool——never。

Letusunderstandthismuchatleast，forourownconsolation。

Anddidyouhaveagoodtimewithgirls，too？Befrank！AreyouafraidthatIwillbeatyou，orwhat？"

"Yes。Therewasoneonthesteamer。IhadhertherefromPermtoKazan。"

"So，"Ignatsighedheavilyandsaid，frowning："You\'vebecomedefiledrathertoosoon。"

"Iamtwentyyearsold。Andyouyourselftoldmethatinyourdaysfellowsmarriedattheageoffifteen，"repliedFoma，confused。

"Thentheymarried。Verywell，then，letusdropthesubject。Well，you\'vehaddealingswithawoman。Whatofit？Awomanislikevaccination，youcannotpassyourlifewithouther。Asformyself，Icannotplaythehypocrite。IbegantogoaroundwithwomenwhenI

wasyoungerthanyouarenow。Butyoumustbeonyourguardwiththem。"

Ignatbecamepensiveandwassilentforalongtime，sittingmotionless，hisheadbentlowonhisbreast。

"Listen，Foma，"hestartedagain，sternlyandfirmly。"Ishalldiebeforelong。Iamold。Somethingoppressesmybreast。I

breathewithdifficulty。I\'lldie。Thenallmyaffairswillfallonyourshoulders。Atfirstyourgodfatherwillassistyou——mindhim！Youstartedquitewell；youattendedtoeverythingproperly；

youheldthereinsfirmlyinyourhands。Andthoughyoudidsquanderabigsumofmoney，itisevidentthatyoudidnotloseyourhead。Godgrantthesameinthefuture。Youshouldknowthis：

businessisaliving，strongbeast；youmustmanageitably；youmustputastrongbridleonitoritwillconqueryou。Trytostandaboveyourbusiness。Placeyourselfsothatitwillallbeunderyourfeet；

thateachlittletackshallbevisibletoyou。"

Fomalookedathisfather\'sbroadchest，heardhisheavyvoiceandthoughttohimself：

"Oh，butyouwon\'tdiesosoon！"

Thisthoughtpleasedhimandawakenedinhimakind，warmfeelingforhisfather。

"Relyuponyourgodfather。Hehasenoughcommonsenseinhisheadtosupplythewholetownwithit。Allhelacksiscourage，orhewouldhaverisenhigh。Yes，Itellyoumydaysoneartharenumbered。

Indeed，itishightimetopreparemyselffordeath；tocasteverythingaside；tofast，andseetoitthatpeoplebearmegood-

will。"

"Theywill！"saidFomawithconfidence。

"Iftherewerebutareasonwhytheyshould。"

"Andthelodging-house？"

Ignatlookedathissonandbegantolaugh。

"Yakovhashadtimetotellittoyoualready！Theoldmiser。Hemusthaveabusedme？"

"Alittle。"Fomasmiled。

"Ofcourse！Don\'tIknowhim？"

"Hespokeofitasthoughitwerehisownmoney。"

Ignatleanedbackinhischairandburstintostilllouderlaughter。

"Theoldraven，eh？That\'squitetrue。Whetheritbehisownmoneyormine，itisallthesametohim。Thereheistremblingnow。Hehasanaiminview，thebald-headedfellow。Canyoutellmewhatitis？"

Fomathoughtawhileandsaid：

"Idon\'tknow。"

"Eh，you\'restupid。Hewantstotellourfortunes。"

Howisthat？"

"Comenow，guess！"

Fomalookedathisfatherand——guessedit。Hisfacebecamegloomy，heslightlyraisedhimselffromthearmchairandsaidresolutely：

"No，Idon\'twantto。Ishallnotmarryher！"

"Oh？Whyso？Sheisastronggirl；sheisnotfoolish；she\'shisonlychild。"

"AndTaras？Thelostone？ButI——Idon\'twanttoatall！"

"Thelostoneisgone，consequentlyitisnotworthwhilespeakingofhim。Thereisawill，dear，whichsays：\'Allmymovableandrealestatesshallgotomydaughter，Lubov。\'Andastothefactthatsheisyourgodfather\'sdaughter，we\'llsetthisright。"

"Itisallthesame，"saidFoma，firmly。"Ishallnotmarryher！"

"Well，itisratherearlytospeakofitnow！Butwhydoyoudislikehersomuch？"

Idonotlikesuchassheis。"

"So-o！Justthinkofit！Andwhichwomenaremoretoyourliking，sir，mayIask？"

"Thosethataremoresimple。She\'salwaysbusywithherGymnasiumstudentsandwithherbooks。She\'sbecomelearned。She\'llbelaughingatmyexpense，"saidFoma，emotionally。

"Thatisquitetrue。Sheistoobold。Butthatisatrifle。Allsortsofrustcanberemovedifyoutrytodoit。That\'samatterforthefuture。Andyourgodfatherisacleveroldman。Hiswasapeaceful，sedentarylife；sittinginoneplacehegaveathoughttoeverything。Itisworthwhilelisteningtohim，forhecanseethewrongsideofeachandeveryworldlyaffair。Heisouraristocrat——

descendingfromMotherYekaterina——ha，ha！Heunderstandsagreatdealabouthimself。AndashisstemwascutoffbyTaras，hedecidedtoputyouinTaras\'splace，doyousee？"

"No，I\'dratherselectmyplacemyself，"saidFoma，stubbornly。

"Youarefoolishasyet。"Ignatsmiledinreplytohisson\'swords。

TheirconversationwasinterruptedbythearrivalofAuntAnfisa。

"Foma！You\'vecome，"shecriedout，somewherebehindthedoors。

Fomaroseandwenttomeether，withagentlesmile。

Againhislifestreamedonslowly，calmly，monotonously。AgaintheExchangeandhisfather\'sinstructions。Retainingakindlysarcasticandencouragingtoneinhisrelationtowardhisson，Ignatbegantotreathimmorestrictly。Hecensuredhimforeachandeverytrifleandconstantlyremindedhimthathebroughthimupfreely；thathewasneverinhiswayandthatheneverbeathim。

"Otherfathersbeatfellowslikeyourselfwithlogsofwood。AndInevereventouchedyouwithafinger。"

"EvidentlyIdidn\'tdeserveit，"saidFomaoneday，calmly。

Ignatbecameangryathissonforthesewordsandforthetone。

"Don\'ttalksomuch！"heroared。"You\'vepickedupcouragebecauseofthesoftnessofmyhand。YoufindananswertoeverywordIsay。

Beware；thoughmyhandwassoft，itcanneverthelessstillsqueezeyousothattearswillgushforthfromyourheels。You\'vegrownuptoosoon，likeatoad-stool，justsprungupfromtheground。Youhaveabadsmellalready。"

"Whyareyousoangryatme？"askedFoma，perplexedandoffended，whenhisfatherchancedtobeinahappyframeofmind。

"Becauseyoucannottolerateitwhenyourfathergrumblesatyou。

You\'rereadytoquarrelimmediately。"

"Butitisoffensive。IhavenotgrownworsethanIwasbefore。

Don\'tIseehowothersliveatmyage？"

"Yourheadwouldn\'tfallofffrommyscoldingyou。AndIscoldyoubecauseIseethereissomethinginyouthatisnotmine。Whatitis，Idonotknow，butIseeitisthere。Andthatsomethingisharmfultoyou。"

ThesewordsofIgnatmadethesonverythoughtful。Fomaalsofeltsomethingstrangeinhimself，somethingwhichdistinguishedhimfromtheyouthofhisage，buthe，too，couldnotunderstandwhatitwas。Andhelookedathimselfwithsuspicion。

FomalikedtobeontheExchangeamidthebustleandtalkofthesedatepeoplewhoweremakingdealsamountingtothousandsofroubles；therespectwithwhichthelesswell-to-dotradesmengreetedandspoketohim——toFoma，thesonofthemillionaire——

flatteredhimgreatly。Hefelthappyandproudwheneverhesuccessfullymanagedsomepartofhisfather\'sbusiness，assumingallresponsibilityonhisownshoulders，andreceivedasmileofapprovalfromhisfatherforit。Therewasinhimagreatdealofambition，yearningtoappearasagrown-upmanofbusiness，but——

justasbeforehistriptoPerm——helivedasinsolitude；hestillfeltnolongingforfriends，althoughhenowcameincontacteverydaywiththemerchants\'sonsofhisage。Theyhadinvitedhimmorethanoncetojointhemintheirsprees，butheratherrudelyanddisdainfullydeclinedtheirinvitationsandevenlaughedatthem。

"Iamafraid。Yourfathersmaylearnofyoursprees，andasthey\'llgiveyouadrubbing，Imightalsocomeinforashare。"

Whathedidnotlikeinthemwasthattheywereleadingadissipatedanddepravedlife，withouttheirfathers\'knowledge，andthatthemoneytheywerespendingwaseitherstolenfromtheirparentsorborrowedonlong-termedpromissorynotes，tobepaidwithexorbitantinterest。

Theyinturndidnotlikehimforthisveryreserveandaversion，whichcontainedthepridesooffensivetothem。Hewastimidaboutspeakingtopeopleolderthanhimself，fearinglestheshouldappearintheireyesstupidandthick-headed。

HeoftenrecalledPelageya，andatfirsthefeltmelancholywheneverherimageflashedbeforehisimagination。Buttimewenton，andlittlebylittlerubbedoffthebrightcoloursofthiswoman；andbeforehewasawareofithisthoughtswereoccupiedbytheslender，angel-likeMedinskaya。SheusedtocomeuptoIgnatalmosteverySundaywithvariousrequests，allofwhichgenerallyhadbutoneaim——tohastenthebuildingofthelodging-asylum。InherpresenceFomafeltawkward，huge，heavy；thispainedhim，andheblusheddeeplyundertheendearinglookofSophyaPavlovna\'slargeeyes。Henoticedthateverytimeshelookedathim，hereyeswouldgrowdarker，whileherupperlipwouldtrembleandraiseitselfslightly，thusdisplayingverysmallwhiteteeth。Thisalwaysfrightenedhim。WhenhisfathernoticedhowsteadfastlyhewasstaringatMedinskayahetoldhimoneday：

"Don\'tbestaringsomuchatthatface。Lookout，sheislikeabirchember：fromtheoutsideitisjustasmodest，smoothanddark——

altogethercoldtoallappearances——buttakeitintoyourhandanditwillburnyou。"

Medinskayadidnotkindleintheyouthanysensualpassion，fortherewasnothinginherthatresembledPelageya，andaltogethershewasnotatalllikeotherwomen。Heknewthatshamefulrumoursaboutherwereintheair，buthedidnotbelieveanyofthem。Buthisrelationstoherwerechangedwhenhenoticedheronedayinacarriagebesideastoutmaninagrayhatandwithlonghairfallingoverhisshoulders。

Hisfacewaslikeabladder——redandbloated；hehadneithermoustachenorbeard，andaltogetherhelookedlikeawomanindisguise。Fomawastoldthatthiswasherhusband。Thendarkandcontradictingfeelingssprangupwithinhim：hefeltlikeinsultingthearchitect，andatthesametimeheenviedandrespectedhim。Medinskayanowseemedtohimlessbeautifulandmoreaccessible；hebegantofeelsorryforher，andyethethoughtmalignantly：

"Shemustsurelyfeeldisgustedwhenhekissesher。"

Andafterallthishesometimesperceivedinhimselfsomebottomlessandoppressiveemptiness，whichcouldnotbefilledupbyanything——

neitherbytheimpressionsofthedayjustgonebynorbytherecollectionofthepast；andtheExchange，andhisaffairs，andhisthoughtsofMedinskaya——allwereswallowedupbythisemptiness。Italarmedhim：inthedarkdepthofthisemptinesshesuspectedsomehiddenexistenceofahostilepower，asyetformlessbutalreadycarefullyandpersistentlystrivingtobecomeincarnate。

InthemeantimeIgnat，changingbutlittleoutwardly，wasgrowingevermorerestlessandquerulousandwascomplainingmoreoftenofbeingill。

"Ilostmysleep。Itusedtobesosoundthateventhoughyouhadtornoffmyskin，Iwouldnothavefeltit。WhilenowItossaboutfromsidetoside，andIfallasleeponlytowardmorning。AndeverynowandthenIawaken。Myheartbeatsunevenly，now，thoughtiredout；oftenthus：tuk-tuk-tuk。Andsometimesitsinksofasudden——anditseemsasthoughitwouldsoontearitselfawayandfallsomewhereintothedeep；

intothebosom。0hLord，havepityuponmethroughThygreatmercy。"

Andheavingapenitentsigh，hewouldliftheavenwardhissterneyes，growndimnow，devoidoftheirbright，sparklingglitter。

"Deathkeepsaneyeonmesomewherecloseby，"hesaidonedaymorosely，buthumbly。Andindeed，itsoonfelledhisbig，sturdybodytotheground。

ThishappenedinAugust，earlyinthemorning。Fomawassoundasleepwhensuddenlyhefeltsomebodyshakinghimbytheshoulder，andahoarsevoicecalledathisear：

"Getup。"

Heopenedhiseyesandsawthathisfatherwasseatedinachairnearhisbed，monotonouslyrepeatinginadullvoice：

"Getup，getup。"

Thesunhadjustrisen，anditslight，fallingonIgnat\'swhitelinenshirt，hadnotyetlostitsrosytints。

"It\'searly，"saidFoma，stretchinghimself。

"Well，you\'llsleepenoughlater。"

Lazilymufflinghimselfintheblanket，Fomaasked：

"Whydoyouneedme？"

"Getup，dear，willyou，please？"exclaimedIgnat，adding，somewhatoffended："Itmustbenecessary，sinceIamwakingyou。"

WhenFomalookedcloselyathisfather\'sface，henoticedthatitwasgrayandweary。

"Areyouill？"

"Slightly。"

"Shallwesendforadoctor？"

"Thedeviltakehim！"Ignatwavedhishand。"Iamnotayoungmananylonger。Iknowitaswellwithouthim。"

"What？"

"Oh，Iknowit！"saidtheoldman，mysteriously，castingastrangeglancearoundtheroom。Fomawasdressinghimself，andhisfather，withloweredhead，spokeslowly：

"Iamafraidtobreathe。SomethingtellsmethatifIshouldnowheaveadeepsigh，myheartwouldburst。TodayisSunday！Afterthemorningmassisover，sendforthepriest。"

"Whatareyoutalkingabout，papa？"Fomasmiled。

"Nothing。Washyourselfandgointothegarden。Iorderedthesamovartobebroughtthere。We\'lldrinkourteainthemorningcoolness。Ifeellikedrinkingnowhot，strongtea。Bequicker。"

Theoldmanrosewithdifficultyfromthechair，and，bentandbarefooted，lefttheroominastaggeringgait。Fomalookedathisfather，andashootingchilloffearmadehisheartshrink。

Hewashedhimselfinhaste，andhurriedoutintothegarden。

There，underanold，spreadingapple-treesatIgnatinabigoakenarmchair。Thelightofthesunfellinthinstripesthroughthebranchesofthetreesuponthewhitefigureoftheoldmancladinhisnight-garments。Therewassuchaprofoundsilenceinthegardenthateventherustleofabranch，accidentallytouchedbyFoma\'sclothes，seemedtohimlikealoudsoundandheshuddered。

Onthetable，beforehisfather，stoodthesamovar，purringlikeawell-fedtom-catandexhalingastreamofsteamintotheair。

Amidthesilenceandthefreshverdureofthegarden，whichhadbeenwashedbyabundantrainsthedaybefore，thisbrightspotoftheboldlyshining，loudbrassseemedtoFomaassomethingunnecessary，assomethingwhichsuitedneitherthetimenortheplace——northefeelingthatsprangupwithinhimatthesightofthesickly，bentoldman，whowasdressedinwhite，andwhosataloneunderneaththemute，motionless，dark-greenfoliage，whereinredapplesweremodestlypeeping。

"Beseated，"saidIgnat。

"Weoughttosendforadoctor。"Fomaadvisedhimirresolutely，seatinghimselfoppositehim。

"Itisn\'tnecessary。It\'salittlebetternowintheopenair。

AndnowI\'llsipsometeaandperhapsthatwilldomemoregood，"

saidIgnat，pouringoutteaintotheglasses，andFomanoticedthattheteapotwastremblinginhisfather\'shand。

"Drink。"

Silentlymovinguponeglassforhimself，Fomabentoverit，blowingthefoamoffthesurfaceofthetea，andwithpaininhisheart，hearingtheloud，heavybreathingofhisfather。Suddenlysomethingstruckagainstthetablewithsuchforcethatthedishesbegantorattle。

Fomashuddered，threwuphisheadandmetthefrightened，almostsenselesslookofhisfather\'seyes。Ignatstaredathissonandwhisperedhoarsely：

"Anapplefelldown(thedeviltakeit！)。Itsoundedlikethefiringofagun。"

"Won\'tyouhavesomecognacinyourtea？"Fomasuggested。

"Itisgoodenoughwithoutit。"

Theybecamesilent。Aflightoffincheswingedpastoverthegarden，scatteringaprovokinglycheerfultwitteringintheair。Andagaintheripebeautyofthegardenwasbathedinsolemnsilence。ThefrightwasstillinIgnat\'seyes。

"0hLord，JesusChrist！"saidheinalowvoice，makingthesignofthecross。"Yes。Thereitis——thelasthourofmylife。"

"Stop，papa！"whisperedFoma。

"Whystop？We\'llhaveourtea，andthensendforthepriest，andforMayakin。"

"I\'drathersendforthemnow。"

"They\'llsoontollforthemass——thepriestisn\'thome——andthenthere\'snohurry，itmaypasssoon。"

Andhenoisilystartedtosiptheteaoutofthesaucer。

"Ishouldliveanotheryearortwo。Youareyoung，andIamverymuchafraidforyou。Livehonestlyandfirmly；donotcovetwhatbelongstootherpeople，takegoodcareofyourown。"

Itwashardforhimtospeak，hestoppedshortandrubbedhischestwithhishand。

"Donotrelyuponothers；expectbutlittlefromthem。Weallliveinordertotake，nottogive。0hLord！Havemercyonthesinner！"

Somewhereinthedistancethedeepsoundofthebellfellonthesilenceofthemorning。IgnatandFomacrossedthemselvesthreetimes。

Afterthefirstsoundofthebell-tonecameanother，thenathird，andsoontheairwasfilledwithsoundsofthechurch-bells，comingfromallsides——flowing，measured，callingaloud。

"There，theyaretollingforthemass，"saidIgnat，listeningtotheechoofthebell-metal。"Canyoutellthebellsbytheirsounds？"

"No，"answeredFoma。

"Justlisten。Thisonenow——doyouhear？thebass——thisisfromtheNikolaChurch。ItwaspresentedbyPeterMitrichVyagin——andthis，thehoarseone——thisisatthechurchofPraskevaPyatnitza。"

Thesingingwavesofthebell-tonesagitatedtheair，whichwasfilledwiththem，andtheydiedawayintheclearblueofthesky。Fomastaredthoughtfullyathisfather\'sfaceandsawthatthealarmwasdisappearingfromhiseyes，andthattheywerenowbrighter。

Butsuddenlytheoldman\'sfaceturnedveryred，hiseyesdistendedandrolledoutoftheirorbits，hismouthopenedwithfright，andfromitissuedastrange，hissingsound：

"F-F-A-A-ch。"

ImmediatelyafterthisIgnat\'sheadfellbackonhisshoulder，andhisheavybodyslowlyslippeddownfromthechairtothegroundasiftheearthhaddraggedhimimperiouslyuntoitself。Fomawasmotionlessandsilentforawhile，thenherusheduptoIgnat，liftedhisheadfromthegroundandlookedintohisface。Thefacewasdark，motionless，andthewide-openeyesexpressednothing——neitherpain，norfear，norjoy。Fomalookedaroundhim。Asbefore，nobodywasinthegarden，andtheresoundingchatterofthebellswasstillroaringintheair。Foma\'shandsbegantotremble，heletgohisfather\'shead，anditstruckheavilyagainsttheground。Dark，thickbloodbegantogushinanarrowstreamfromhisopenmouthacrosshisbluecheek。

Fomastruckhisbreastwithbothhands，andkneelingbeforethedeadbody，hewildlycriedaloud。Hewastremblingwithfright，andwitheyeslikethoseofamadmanhewassearchingforsomeoneintheverdureofthegarden。

CHAPTERIV

HISfather\'sdeathstupefiedFomaandfilledhimwithastrangesensation；quietwaspouredintohissoul——apainful，immovablequiet，whichabsorbedallthesoundsoflifewithoutaccountingforit。Allsortsofacquaintanceswerebustlingabouthim；theyappeared，disappeared，saidsomethingtohim——hisrepliestothemwereuntimely，andtheirwordscalledforthnoimagesinhim，drowning，withoutleavinganytrace，inthebottomlessdepthsofthedeath-likesilencewhichfilledhissoul。Heneithercried，norgrieved，northoughtofanything；paleandgloomy，withknittedbrow，hewasattentivelylisteningtothisquiet，whichhadforcedoutallhisfeelings，benumbedhisheartandtightlyclutchedhisbrains。Hewasconsciousbutofthepurelyphysicalsensationofheavinessinallhisframeandparticularlyinhisbreast，andthenitalsoseemedtohimthatitwasalwaystwilight，andeventhoughthesunwasstillhighinthesky——

everythingonearthlookeddarkandmelancholy。

ThefuneralwasarrangedbyMayakin。Hastilyandbrisklyhewasbustlingaboutintherooms，makingmuchclatterwiththeheelsofhisboots；hecriedatthehouseholdhelpimperiously，clappedhisgodsonontheshoulder，consolinghim：

"Andwhyareyoupetrified？Roarandyouwillfeelrelieved。Yourfatherwasold——oldinbody。Deathispreparedforallofus，youcannotescapeit——consequentlyyoumustnotbeprematurelytorpid。

Youcannotbringhimtolifeagainwithyoursorrow，andyourgriefisunnecessarytohim，foritissaid：\'Whenthebodyisrobbedofthesoulbytheterribleangels，thesoulforgetsallrelativesandacquaintances，\'whichmeansthatyouareofnoconsequencetohimnow，whetheryoucryorlaugh。Butthelivingmustcarefortheliving。Youhadbettercry，forthisishuman。Itbringsmuchrelieftotheheart。"

ButneitherdidthesewordsprovokeanythinginFoma\'sheadorinhisheart。Hecametohimself，however，onthedayofthefuneral，thankstothepersistenceofhisgodfather，whowasassiduouslyandoddlytryingtorousehissadsoul。

Thedayofthefuneralwascloudyanddreary。Amidaheavycloudofdustanenormouscrowdofpeople，windinglikeablackribbon，followedthecoffinofIgnatGordyeeff。Hereandthereflashedthegoldofthepriest\'srobes，andthedullnoiseoftheslowmovementofthecrowdblendedinharmonywiththesolemnmusicofthechoir，composedofthebishop\'schoristers。Fomawaspushedfrombehindandfromthesides；hewalked，seeingnothingbutthegrayheadofhisfather，andthemournfulsingingresoundedinhisheartlikeamelancholyecho。AndMayakin，walkingbesidehim，keptonintrusivelywhisperinginhisears：

"Look，whatacrowd——thousands！Thegovernorhimselfcameouttoaccompanyyourfathertothechurch，themayor，andalmosttheentirecitycouncil。Andbehindyou——justturnaround！TheregoesSophyaPavlovna。ThetownpaysitsrespectstoIgnat。"

AtfirstFomadidnotlistentohisgodfather\'swhisper，butwhenhementionedMedinskaya，heinvoluntarilylookedbackandnoticedthegovernor。Alittledropofsomethingpleasantfellintohisheartatthesightofthisimportantpersonage，withabrightribbonacrosshisshoulder，withordersonhisbreast，pacingafterthecoffin，anexpressionofsorrowonhissterncountenance。

Blessedistheroadwherethissoulgoethtoday，"YakovTarasovichhummedsoftly，movinghisnose，andheagainwhisperedinhisgodson\'sear：

"Seventy-fivethousandroublesissuchasumthatyoucandemandsomanyescortsforit。HaveyouheardthatSonkaismakingarrangementsforthelayingofthecorner-stoneonthefifteenth？

Justfortydaysafterthedeathofyourfather。"

Fomaagainturnedback，andhiseyesmettheeyesofMedinskaya。

Heheavedadeepsighathercaressingglance，andfeltrelievedatonce，asifawarmrayoflightpenetratedhissoulandsomethingmeltedthere。Andthenandthereheconsideredthatitwasunbecominghimtoturnhisheadfromsidetoside。

AtchurchFoma\'sheadbegantoache，anditseemedtohimthateverythingaroundandunderneathhimwasshaking。Inthestiflingair，filledwithdust，withthebreathingofthepeopleandthesmokeoftheincense，theflamesofthecandlesweretimidlytrembling。ThemeekimageofChristlookeddownathimfromthebigikon，andtheflamesofthecandles，reflectedinthetarnishedgoldofthecrownovertheSaviour\'sbrow，remindedhimofdropsofblood。

Foma\'sawakenedsoulwasgreedilyfeedingitselfonthesolemn，gloomypoetryoftheliturgy，andwhenthetouchingcitationwasheard，"Come，letusgivehimthelastkiss，"aloud，wailingsobescapedfromFoma\'schest，andthecrowdinchurchwasstirredtoagitationbythisoutburstofgrief。

Havingutteredthesob，Fomastaggered。Hisgodfatherimmediatelycaughthimbyhisarmsandbegantopushhimforwardtothecoffin，singingquiteloudlyandwithsomeanger：

Kisshimwhowasbutlatelywithus。Kiss，Foma，kisshim——heisgivenovertothegrave，coveredwithastone。Heissettlingdownindarkness，andisburiedwiththedead。"

Fomatouchedhisfather\'sforeheadwithhislipsandsprangbackfromthecoffinwithhorror。

"Holdyourpeace！Younearlyknockedmedown，"Mayakinremarkedtohim，inalowvoice，andthesesimple，calmwordssupportedFomabetterthanhisgodfather\'shands。

"Yethatbeholdmemuteandlifelessbeforeyou，weepforme，brethrenandfriends，"beggedIgnatthroughthemouthoftheChurch。Buthissonwasnotcryinganylonger；hishorrorwascalledforthbytheblack，swollenfaceofhisfather，andthishorrorsomewhatsoberedhissoul，whichhadbeenintoxicatedbythemournfulmusicoftheChurch\'slamentforitssinfulson。Hewassurroundedbyacquaintances，whowerekindlyconsolinghim；

helistenedtothemandunderstoodthattheyallfeltsorryforhimandthathebecamedeartothem。Andhisgodfatherwhisperedinhisear：

"See，howtheyallfawnuponyou。Thetom-catshavesmeltthefat。"

ThesewordswereunpleasanttoFoma，buttheywereusefultohim，astheycausedhimtoansweratallevents。

Atthecemetery，whentheysangforIgnat\'seternalmemory，hecriedagainbitterlyandloud。Hisgodfatherimmediatelyseizedhimbythearmsandledhimawayfromthegrave，speakingtohimearnestly：

"Whatafaint-heartedfellowyouare！DoInotfeelsorryforhim？

Ihaveknownhisrealvalue，whileyouwerebuthisson。Andyet，Idonotcry。Formorethanthirtyyearswelivedtogetherinperfectharmony——howmuchhadbeenspoken，howmuchthought——howmuchsorrowdrunk。Youareyoung；itisnotforyoutogrieve！Yourlifeisbeforeyou，andyouwillberichinallsortsoffriendship；whileIamold，andnowthatIburiedmyonlyfriend，Iamlikeapauper。Icannolongermakeabosomfriend！"

Theoldman\'svoicebegantojarandsqueakqueerly。Hisfacewasdistorted，hislipswerestretchedintoabiggrimaceandwerequivering，andfromhissmalleyesfrequenttearswererunningoverthenowcontractedwrinklesofhisface。Helookedsopitifulandsounlikehimself，thatFomastoppedshort，pressedhimclosetohisbodywiththetendernessofastrongmanandcriedwithalarm：

"Don\'tcry，father——darling！Don\'tcry。"

"Thereyouhaveit！"saidMayakin，faintly，and，heavingadeepsigh，hesuddenlyturnedagainintoafirmandcleveroldman。

"Youmustnotcry，"saidhe，mysteriously，seatinghimselfinthecarriagebesidehisgodson。"Youarenowthecommander-in-chiefinthewarandyoumustcommandyoursoldiersbravely。Yoursoldiersaretheroubles，andyouhaveagreatarmyofthese。

Makewarincessantly！"

Surprisedatthequicknessofhistransformation，Fomalistenedtohiswordsandforsomereasonorothertheyremindedhimofthoseclodsofearth，whichthepeoplethrewintoIgnat\'sgraveuponhiscoffin。

"OnwhomamItomakewar？"saidFomawithasigh。

"I\'llteachyouthat！DidyourfathertellyouthatIwasacleveroldmanandthatyoushouldmindme？"

"Hedid。"

"Thendomindme！Ifmymindshouldbeaddedtoyouryouthfulstrength，agoodvictorymightbewon。Yourfatherwasagreatman，buthedidnotlookfarbeforehimandhecouldnottakemyadvice。Hegainedsuccessinlifenotwithhismind，butmorewithhishead。Oh，whatwillbecomeofyou？Youhadbettermoveintomyhouse，foryouwillfeellonesomeinyours。"

"Auntisthere。"

"Aunt？Sheissick。Shewillnotlivelong。"

"Donotspeakofit，"beggedFomainalowvoice。

"AndIwillspeakofit。Youneednotfeardeath——youarenotanoldwomanontheoven。Livefearlesslyanddowhatyouwereappointedtodo。Manisappointedfortheorganisationoflifeonearth。Maniscapital——likearouble，heismadeupoftrashycoppergroshesandcopecks。Fromthedustoftheearth，asitissaid；andevenashehasintercoursewiththeworld，heabsorbsgreaseandoil，sweatandtears——asoulandamindformthemselvesinhim。Andfromthishestartstogrowupwardanddownward。Now，youseehispriceisagrosh，nowafifteencopecksilverpiece，nowahundredroubles，andsometimesheisaboveanyprice。Heisputintocirculationandhemustbringintereststolife。Lifeknowsthevalueofeachofusandwillnotcheckourcoursebeforetime。Nobody，dear，workstohisowndetriment，ifheiswise。Andlifehassavedupmuchwisdom。Areyoulistening？"

"Iam。"

"Andwhatdoyouunderstand？"

"Everything。"

"Youareprobablylying？"Mayakindoubted。

"But，whymustwedie？"askedFomainalowvoice。

Mayakinlookedintohisfacewithregret，smackedhislipsandsaid：

"Awisemanwouldneverasksuchaquestion。Awisemanknowsforhimselfthatifitisariver，itmustbeflowingsomewhere，andifitwerestandinginoneplace，itwouldbeaswamp。"

"You\'resimplymockingmeatrandom，"saidFoma，sternly。"Theseaisnotflowinganywhere。"

"Theseareceivesallriversintoitself，andthen，powerfulstormsrageinitattimes。Thentheseaoflifealsosubmitsonagitation，stirredupbymen，anddeathrenovatesthewatersoftheseaoflife，thattheymightnotbecomespoiled。Nomatterhowmanypeoplearedying，theyareneverthelessforevergrowinginnumber。"

"Whatofit？Butmyfatherisdead。"

"Youwilldieaswell。"

"ThenwhathaveItodowiththefactthatpeoplearegrowinginnumber？"Fomasmiledsadly。

"Eh，he，he！"sighedMayakin。"That，indeed，concernsnoneofus。

There，yourtrousersprobablyreasoninthesameway：whathavewetodowiththefactthatthereareallsortsofstuffintheworld？Butyoudonotmindthem——youwearthemoutandthrowthemaway。"

Fomaglancedathisgodfatherreproachfully，andnoticingthattheoldmanwassmiling，hewasastonishedandheaskedrespectfully：

"Canitbetrue，father，thatyoudonotfeardeath？"

"MostofallIfearfoolishness，mychild，"repliedMayakinwithhumblebitterness。"Myopinionisthis：ifafoolgiveyouhoney，spituponit；ifawisemangiveyoupoison，drinkit！AndIwilltellyouthattheperchhasaweaksoulsincehisfinsdonotstandonend。"

Theoldman\'smockingwordsoffendedandangeredFoma。Heturnedasideandsaid：

"Youcanneverspeakwithoutthesesubterfuges。"

"Icannot！"exclaimedMayakin，andhiseyesbegantosparklewithalarm。"Eachmanusestheverysametonguehehas。DoIseemtobestern？DoI？"

Fomawassilent。

"Eh，you。Knowthis——heloveswhoteaches。Rememberthiswell。

Andastodeath，donotthinkofit。Itisfoolish，dear，foralivemantothinkofdeath。\'Ecclesiastes\'reflectedondeathbetterthananybodyelsereflectedonit，andsaidthatalivingdogisbetterthanadeadlion。"

Theycamehome。Thestreetnearthehousewascrowdedwithcarriages，andfromtheopenwindowscameloudsoundsoftalk。AssoonasFomaappearedinthehall，hewasseizedbythearmsandledawaytothetableandtherewasurgedtodrinkandeatsomething。Amarketplacenoisesmotetheair；thehallwascrowdedandsuffocating。Silently，Fomadrankaglassofvodka，thenanother，andathird。Aroundhimtheyweremunchingandsmackingtheirlips；thevodkapouredoutfromthebottleswasgurgling，thewine-glassesweretinkling。Theywerespeakingofdriedsturgeonandofthebassofthesoloistofthebishop\'schoir，andthenagainofthedriedsturgeon，andthentheysaidthatthemayoralsowishedtomakeaspeech，butdidnotventuretodosoafterthebishophadspoken，fearinglestheshouldnotspeaksowellasthebishop。Someonewastellingwithfeeling：

"Thedeceasedoneusedtodothus：hewouldcutoffasliceofsalmon，pepperitthickly，coveritwithanothersliceofsalmon，andthensenditdownimmediatelyafteradrink。"

"Letusfollowhisexample，"roaredathickbasso。Offendedtothequick，Fomalookedwithafrownatthefatlipsandatthejawschewingthetastyfood，andhefeltlikecryingoutanddrivingawayallthesepeople，whosesedatenesshadbutlatelyinspiredhimwithrespectforthem。

"Youhadbetterbemorekind，moresociable，"saidMayakininalowvoice，cominguptohim。

"Whyaretheygobblinghere？Isthisatavern？"criedFoma，angrily。

"Hush，"Mayakinremarkedwithfrightandhastilyturnedtolookaroundwithakindsmileonhisface。

Butitwastoolate；hissmilewasofnoavail。Foma\'swordshadbeenoverheard，thenoiseandthetalkwassubsiding，someoftheguestsbegantobustleabouthurriedly，others，offended，frowned，putdowntheirforksandknivesandwalkedawayfromthetable，alllookingatFomaaskance。

Silentandangry，hemettheseglanceswithoutloweringhiseyes。

"Iaskyoutocomeuptothetable！"criedMayakin，gleamingamidthecrowdofpeoplelikeanemberamidashes。"Beseated，pray！They\'resoonservingpancakes。"

Fomashruggedhisshouldersandwalkedofftowardthedoor，sayingaloud：

"Ishallnoteat。"

Heheardahostilerumblingbehindhimandhisgodfather\'swheedlingvoicesayingtosomebody：

"It\'sforgrief。Ignatwasatoncefatherandmothertohim。"

Fomacameoutinthegardenandsatdownonthesameplacewherehisfatherhaddied。Thefeelingoflonelinessandgriefoppressedhisheart。Heunbuttonedthecollarofhisshirttomakehisbreathingeasier，restedhiselbowsonthetable，andwithhisheadtightlypressedbetweenhishands，hesatmotionless。Itwasdrizzlingandtheleavesoftheapple-treewererustlingmournfullyunderthedropsoftherain。Hesatthereforalongtimealone，motionless，watchinghowthesmalldropswerefallingfromtheapple-tree。Hisheadwasheavyfromthevodka，andinhishearttherewasagrowinggrudgeagainstmen。Someindefinite，impersonalfeelingsandthoughtswerespringingupandvanishingwithinhim；beforehimflashedthebaldskullofhisgodfatherwithalittlecrownofsilverhairandwithadarkface，whichresembledthefacesoftheancientikons。

Thisfacewiththetoothlessmouthandthemalicioussmile，rousinginFomahatredandfear，augmentedinhimtheconsciousnessofsolitude。ThenherecalledthekindeyesofMedinskayaandhersmall，gracefulfigure；andbesideherarosethetall，robust，androsy-

cheekedLubovMayakinawithsmilingeyesandwithabiglightgolden-

colouredbraid。"Donotrelyuponmen，expectbutlittleattheirhands"——hisfather\'swordsbegantoringinhismemory。Hesighedsadlyandcastaglancearoundhim。Thetreeleaveswereflutteringfromtherain，andtheairwasfullofmournfulsounds。Thegrayskyseemedasthoughweeping，andonthetreescoldtearsweretrembling。

AndFoma\'ssoulwasdry，dark；itwasfilledwithapainfulfeelingoforphanhood。Butthisfeelinggavebirthtothequestion：

"HowshallIlivenowthatIamalone？"

Theraindrenchedhisclothes，andwhenhefeltthathewasshiveringwithcoldhearoseandwentintothehouse。

Lifewastugginghimfromallsides，givinghimnochancetobeconcentratedinthinkingofandgrievingforhisfather，andonthefortiethdayafterIgnat\'sdeathFoma，attiredinholidayclothes，withapleasantfeelinginhisheart，wenttotheceremonyofthecorner-stonelayingofthelodging-asylum。Medinskayanotifiedhiminaletterthedaybefore，thathehadbeenelectedasamemberofthebuildingcommitteeandalsoashonorarymemberofthesocietyofwhichshewaspresident。Thispleasedhimandhewasgreatlyagitatedbytheparthewastoplaytodayatthelayingofthecorner-stone。Onhiswayhethoughtofhoweverythingwouldbeandhowheshouldbehaveinordernottobeconfusedbeforethepeople。

"Eh，eh！Holdon！"

Heturnedaround。Mayakincamehasteningtohimfromthesidewalk。

Hewasinafrock-coatthatreachedhisheels，inahighcap，andhecarriedahugeumbrellainhishand。

"Comeon，takemeupthere，"saidtheoldman，cleverlyjumpingintothecarriagelikeamonkey。"Totellthetruth，Iwaswaitingforyou。Iwaslookingaround，thinkingitwastimeforyoutogo。"

"Areyougoingthere？"askedFoma。

"Ofcourse！Imustseehowtheywillburymyfriend\'smoneyintheground。"

Fomalookedathimaskanceandwassilent。"Whydoyoufrownuponme？Don\'tfear，youwillalsostartoutasabenefactoramongmen。"

"Whatdoyoumean？"askedFoma，reservedly。"I\'vereadinthenewspaperthismorningthatyouwereelectedasamemberofthebuildingcommitteeandalsoasanhonorarymemberofSophya\'ssociety。"

"Yes。"

"Thismembershipwilleatintoyourpocket！"sighedMayakin。

"Thatwouldn\'truinme。"

"Idon\'tknowit，"observedtheoldman，maliciously。

"Ispeakofthismorebecausethereisaltogetherverylittlewisdominthischaritybusiness，andImayevensaythatitisn\'tabusinessatall，butsimplyharmfulnonsense。"

"Isitharmfultoaidpeople？"askedFoma，hotly。

"Eh，youcabbagehead！"saidMayakinwithasmile。"Youhadbettercomeuptomyhouse，I\'llopenyoureyesinregardtothis。Imustteachyou！Willyoucome？"

"Verywell，Iwillcome！"repliedFoma。

"So。Andinthemeantime，holdyourselfproudatthelayingofthecorner-stone。Standinviewofeverybody。IfIdon\'ttellthistoyou，youmighthideyourselfbehindsomebody\'sback。"

"WhyshouldIhidemyself？"saidFoma，displeased。

"That\'sjustwhatIsay：thereisnoreasonwhy。Forthemoneywasdonatedbyyourfatherandyouareentitledtothehonourashisheir。Honourisjustthesameasmoney。Withhonourabusinessmanwillgetcrediteverywhere，andeverywherethereisawayopentohim。Thencomeforward，sothateverybodymayseeyouandthatifyoudofivecopecks\'worthofwork，youshouldgetaroubleinreturnforit。Andifyouwillhideyourself——nothingbutfoolishnesswillbetheresult。"

Theyarrivedattheirdestination，wherealltheimportantpeoplehadgatheredalready，andanenormouscrowdofpeoplesurroundedthepilesofwood，bricksandearth。Thebishop，thegovernor，therepresentativesofthecity\'saristocracyandtheadministrationformed，togetherwiththesplendidlydressedladies，abigbrightgroupandlookedattheeffortsofthetwostonemasons，whowerepreparingthebricksandthelime。Mayakinandhisgodsonwendedtheirwaytowardthisgroup。HewhisperedtoFoma：

"Losenocourage，thesepeoplehaverobbedtheirbelliestocoverthemselveswithsilk。"

Andhegreetedthegovernorbeforethebishop，inarespectfullycheerfulvoice。

"Howdoyoudo，yourExcellency？Givemeyourblessing，yourHoliness！"

"Ah，YakovTarasovich！"exclaimedthegovernorwithafriendlysmile，shakingandsqueezingMayakin\'shand，whiletheoldmanwasatthesametimekissingthebishop\'shand。"Howareyou，deathlessoldman？"

"Ithankyouhumbly，yourExcellency！MyrespectstoSophyaPavlovna！"

Mayakinspokefast，whirlinglikeapeg-topamidthecrowdofpeople。

Inaminutehemanagedtoshakehandswiththepresidingjusticeofthecourt，withtheprosecutor，withthemayor——inaword，withallthosepeoplewhomheconsidereditnecessarytogreetfirst；suchasthese，however，werefew。Hejested，smiledandatonceattractedeverybody\'sattentiontohislittlefigure，andFomawithdowncastheadstoodbehindhim，lookingaskanceatthesepeoplewrappedincostlystuffs，embroideredwithgold；heenviedtheoldman\'sadroitnessandlosthiscourage，andfeelingthathewaslosinghiscourage——hegrewstillmoretimid。ButnowMayakinseizedhimbythehandanddrewhimuptohimself。

"There，yourExcellency，thisismygodson，Foma，thelateIgnat\'sonlyson。"

"Ah！"saidthegovernorinhisbasso，"I\'mverypleased。Isympathisewithyouinyourmisfortune，youngman！"hesaid，shakingFoma\'shand，andbecamesilent；thenheaddedresolutelyandconfidently："Toloseafather，thatisaverypainfulmisfortune。"

And，havingwaitedabouttwosecondsforFoma\'sanswer，heturnedawayfromhim，addressingMayakinapprovingly：

"Iamdelightedwiththespeechyoumadeyesterdayinthecityhall！

Beautiful，clever，YakovTarasovich。Proposingtousethemoneyforthispublicclub，theydonotunderstandtherealneedsofthepopulation。"

"Andthen，yourExcellency，asmallcapitalmeansthatthecitywillhavetoadditsownmoney。"

"Perfectlytrue！Perfectlytrue！"

"Temperance，Isay，isgood！WouldtoGodthatallweresober！I

don\'tdrink，either，butwhatistheuseoftheseperformances，librariesandallthat，sincethepeoplecannotevenread？"

Thegovernorrepliedapprovingly。

"Here，Isay，youbetterusethismoneyforatechnicalinstitution。

Ifitshouldbeestablishedonasmallplan，thismoneyalonewillsuffice，andincaseitshouldn\'t，wecanaskformoreinSt。

Petersburg——they\'llgiveittous。Thenthecitywouldn\'thavetoaddofitsownmoney，andthewholeaffairwouldbemoresensible。"

"Precisely！Ifullyagreewithyou！Buthowtheliberalsbegantocryatyou！Eh？Ha，ha！"

"Thathasalwaysbeentheirbusiness，tocry。"

Thedeepcoughofthearchdeaconofthecathedralannouncedthebeginningofthedivineservice。

SophyaPavlovnacameuptoFoma，greetedhimandsaidinasad，lowvoice：

"Ilookedatyourfaceonthedayofthefuneral，andmyheartsaddened。MyGod，Ithought，howhemustsuffer！"

AndFomalistenedtoherandfeltasthoughhewasdrinkinghoney。

"Thesecriesofyours，theyshookmysoul，mypoorchild！Imayspeaktoyouthisway，forIamanoldwomanalready。"

"You！"exclaimedFoma，softly。

"Isn\'tthatso？"sheasked，naivelylookingintohisface。

Fomawassilent，hisheadbentonhisbreast。

"Don\'tyoubelievethatIamanoldwoman？"

"Ibelieveyou；thatis，Ibelieveeverythingyoumaysay；onlythisisnottrue！"saidFoma，feelingly，inalowvoice。

"Whatisnottrue？Whatdoyoubelieveme？"

"No！notthis，butthat。I——excuseme！Icannotspeak！"saidFoma，sadly，allaflushwithconfusion。"Iamnotcultured。"

"Youneednottroubleyourselfonthisaccount，"saidMedinskaya，patronisingly。"Youaresoyoung，andeducationisaccessibletoeverybody。Buttherearepeopletowhomeducationisnotonlyunnecessary，butwhocanalsobeharmedbyit。Thosethatarepureofheart，sanguine，sincere，likechildren，andyouareofthosepeople。Youare，areyounot？"

WhatcouldFomasayinanswertothisquestion？Hesaidsincerely：

"Ithankyouhumbly！"

AndnoticingthathiswordscalledforthagaygleaminMedinskaya\'seyes，Fomaappearedridiculousandstupidinhisowneyes；heimmediatelybecameangryathimselfandsaidinamuffledvoice：

"Yes，Iamsuch。Ialwaysspeakmymind。Icannotdeceive。IfI

seesomethingtolaughat，Ilaughopenly。Iamstupid！"

"Whatmakesyouspeakthatway？"saidthewoman，reproachfully，andadjustingherdress，sheaccidentallystrokedFoma\'shand，inwhichheheldhishat。Thismadehimlookathiswristandsmilejoyouslyandconfusedly。