shrine, his heart was glad.

III

Simon's wife had everything ready early that day. She had cut wood,
brought water, fed the children, eaten her own meal, and now she sat
thinking. She wondered when she ought to make bread: now or tomorrow?
There was still a large piece left.

"If Simon has had some dinner in town," thought she, "and does not eat
much for supper, the bread will last out another day."

She weighed the piece of bread in her hand again and again, and thought:
"I won't make any more today. We have only enough flour left to bake one
batch; We can manage to make this last out till Friday."

So Matryona put away the bread, and sat down at the table to patch her
husband's shirt. While she worked she thought how her husband was buying
skins for a winter coat.

"If only the dealer does not cheat him. My good man is much too simple;
he cheats nobody, but any child can take him in. Eight roubles is a lot
of money--he should get a good coat at that price. Not tanned skins, but
still a proper winter coat. How difficult it was last winter to get on
without a warm coat. I could neither get down to the river, nor go out
anywhere. When he went out he put on all we had, and there was nothing
left for me. He did not start very early today, but still it's time he
was back. I only hope he has not gone on the spree!"

Hardly had Matryona thought this, when steps were heard on the
threshold, and some one entered. Matryona stuck her needle into her work
and went out into the passage. There she saw two men: Simon, and with
him a man without a hat, and wearing felt boots.

Matryona noticed at once that her husband smelt of spirits. "There
now, he has been drinking," thought she. And when she saw that he was
coatless, had only her jacket on, brought no parcel, stood there silent,
and seemed ashamed, her heart was ready to break with disappointment.
"He has drunk the money," thought she, "and has been on the spree with
some good-for-nothing fellow whom he has brought home with him."

Matryona let them pass into the hut, followed them in, and saw that the
stranger was a young, slight man, wearing her husband's coat. There
was no shirt to be seen under it, and he had no hat. Having entered, he
stood, neither moving, nor raising his eyes, and Matryona thought: "He
must be a bad man--he's afraid."

Matryona frowned, and stood beside the oven looking to see what they
would do.

Simon took off his cap and sat down on