u shalt not die,
but rise to life again in the new ear.' I don't regard myself as near
death at all. I am shrewd. I follow a straighter course than the
others. You can get further that way. Only, you see, I feel sorry--I
don't know why." He fidgeted on his chair, then slowly rose. "I'll go
to the tavern and be with the people a while. The Little Russian is
not coming. Has he gotten busy already?"

"Yes!" The mother smiled. "No sooner out of prison than they rush to
their work."

"That's the way it should be. Tell him about me."

They walked together slowly into the kitchen, and without looking at
each other exchanged brief remarks:

"I'll tell him," she promised.

"Well, good-by!"

"Good-by! When do you quit your job?"

"I have already."

"When are you going?"

"To-morrow, early in the morning. Good-by!"

He bent his head and crawled off the porch reluctantly, it seemed, and
clumsily. The mother stood for a moment at the door listening to the
heavy departing footsteps and to the doubts that stirred in her heart.
Then she noiselessly turned away into the room, and drawing the curtain
peered through the window. Black darkness stood behind, motionless,
waiting, gaping, with its flat, abysmal mouth.

"I live in the night!" she thought. "In the night forever!" She felt
a pity for the black-bearded, sedate peasant. He was so broad and
strong--and yet there was a certain helplessness about him, as about
all the people.

Presently Andrey came in gay and vivacious. When the mother told him
about Rybin, he exclaimed:

"Going, is he? Well, let him go through the villages. Let him ring
forth the word of truth. Let him arouse the people. It's hard for him
here with us."

"He was talking about the masters. Is there anything in it?" she
inquired circumspectly. "Isn't it possible that they want to deceive
you?"

"It bothers you, mother, doesn't it?" The Little Russian laughed. "Oh,
mother dear--money! If we only had money! We are still living on
charity. Take, for instance, Nikolay Ivanych. He earns seventy-five
rubles a month, and gives us fifty! And others do the same. And the
hungry students send us money sometimes, which they collect penny by
penny. And as to the masters, of course there are different kinds
among them. Some of them will deceive us, and some will leave us; but
the best will stay with us and march with us up to our holiday." He
clapped his hands, and rubbing t