. They say, he thought, that this Bible
contains the solution to all questions. So, opening it, he began to
read at the place at which it opened itself--Matt. x., 8. After a
while he inclined close to the lamp and became like one petrified. An
exultation, the like of which he had not experienced for a long time,
took possession of his soul, as though, after long suffering and
weariness, he found at last liberty and rest. He did not sleep the
whole night. As is the case with many who read the Bible for the first
time, he now, on reading it again, grasped the full meaning of words
which he had known long ago, but which he had not understood before.
Like a sponge that absorbs everything, so he absorbed everything that
was important, necessary and joyful.

"That is the principal thing," thought Nekhludoff. "We all live in the
silly belief that we ourselves are the lords of our world, that this
world has been given us for our enjoyment. But this is evidently
untrue. Somebody must have sent us here for some reason. And for this
reason it is plain that we will suffer like those laborers suffer who
do not fulfill the wishes of their Master. The will of the Lord is
expressed in the teachings of Christ. Let man obey Him, and the
Kingdom of the Lord will come on earth, and man will derive the
greatest possible good.

"_Seek the truth and the Kingdom of God, and the rest will come of
itself._ We seek that which is to come, and do not find it, and not
only do we not build the Kingdom of God, but we destroy it.

"So this will henceforth be the task of my life!"

And indeed, from that night a new life began for Nekhludoff; not so
much because he had risen into a new stage of existence, but because
all that had happened to him till then assumed for him an altogether
new meaning.

THE END.

* * * * *

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
(Not part of the original book.)

Below are listed the spelling inconsistencies in the names of certain
characters. The names were transcribed to match the original text
except where typos are assumed to have caused the variations. Changes
from the original are noted below, except for minor punctuation
corrections.

Absence changed to absent from original sentence (Part 1, Ch. VI,
Pg. 25):

He was postponing the case against the Skoptzy, although
the absence witness was an entirely unnecessary one.

Birukova (Theodosia) (1 time)
Brinkova (Theodosia) (1