ould tardily win its way to a finish. Greatly the process
vexed me, for I was eager, rather, to learn what the steppe settlement
might have in store for my delectation.

"Work?" the fellow drawled through his teeth. "Oh no, there is no work
to be got here. How could there be at this season of the year?"

Turning aside, he spat into the rivulet.

On the further bank of the latter, a goose was strutting importantly at
the head of a string of round, fluffy, yellow goslings, whilst driving
the brood were two little girls--the one a child but little larger than
the goose itself, dressed in a red frock, and armed with a switch; and
the other one a youngster absolutely of a size with the bird, pale of
feature, plump of body, bowed of leg, and grave of expression.

"Ufim!" came at this moment in the strident voice of a woman unseen,
but incensed; upon which my companion bestowed upon me a sidelong nod,
and muttered with an air of appreciation:

"THERE'S lungs for you!"

Whereafter, he fell to twitching the toes of a chafed and blackened
foot, and to gazing at their nails. His next question was:

"Are you, maybe, a scholar?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because, if you are, you might like to read the Book over a corpse."

And so proud, apparently, was he of the proposal that a faint smile
crossed his flaccid countenance.

"You see, it would be work," he added with his brown eyes veiled,
"whilst, in addition, you would be paid ten kopecks for your trouble,
and allowed to keep the shroud."

"And should also be given some supper, I suppose?"

"Yes--and should also be given some supper."

"Where is the corpse lying?"

"In my own hut. Shall we go there?"

Off we set. En route we heard once more a strident shout of:

"Ufi-i-im!"

As we proceeded, shadows of trees glided along the soft road to meet
us, while behind a clump of bushes on the further bank of the rivulet
some children were shouting at their play. Thus, what with the
children's voices, and the purling of the water, and the noise of
someone planing a piece of wood, the air seemed full of tremulous,
suspended sound. Meanwhile, my host said to me with a drawl:

"Once we did have a reader here. An old woman she was, a regular old
witch who at last had to be removed to the town for amputation of the
feet. They might well have cut off her tongue too whilst they were
about it, since, though useful enough, she could rail indeed!"

Presently a black puppy, a creatur