ll eighteen months ago. Of course, when the gentry
lived here there were more people, and it was worth while to have the
services. But now the gentry have gone, and I need not tell you there's
nothing for the clergy to live on. The nearest village is Markovka, and
that's over three miles away. Savely is on the retired list now, and has
got the watchman's job; he has to look after the church...."

And the postman was immediately informed that if Savely were to go to
the General's lady and ask her for a letter to the bishop, he would be
given a good berth. "But he doesn't go to the General's lady because he
is lazy and afraid of people. We belong to the clergy all the same..."
added Raissa.

"What do you live on?" asked the postman.

"There's a kitchen garden and a meadow belonging to the church. Only
we don't get much from that," sighed Raissa. "The old skinflint, Father
Nikodim, from the next village celebrates here on St. Nicolas' Day in
the winter and on St. Nicolas' Day in the summer, and for that he takes
almost all the crops for himself. There's no one to stick up for us!"

"You are lying," Savely growled hoarsely. "Father Nikodim is a saintly
soul, a luminary of the Church; and if he does take it, it's the
regulation!"

"You've a cross one!" said the postman, with a grin. "Have you been
married long?"

"It was three years ago the last Sunday before Lent. My father was
sexton here in the old days, and when the time came for him to die,
he went to the Consistory and asked them to send some unmarried man to
marry me that I might keep the place. So I married him."

"Aha, so you killed two birds with one stone!" said the postman, looking
at Savely's back. "Got wife and job together."

Savely wriggled his leg impatiently and moved closer to the wall.
The postman moved away from the table, stretched, and sat down on the
mail-bag. After a moment's thought he squeezed the bags with his hands,
shifted his sword to the other side, and lay down with one foot touching
the floor.

"It's a dog's life," he muttered, putting his hands behind his head and
closing his eyes. "I wouldn't wish a wild Tatar such a life."

Soon everything was still. Nothing was audible except the sniffing
of Savely and the slow, even breathing of the sleeping postman, who
uttered a deep prolonged "h-h-h" at every breath. From time to time
there was a sound like a creaking wheel in his throat, and his twitching
foot rustled against the bag.