第3章
Yes，shewastojourneyinthecompanyoftheMotherofGod。Sonomoreonthepointrequiredtobesaid。
Glancingagainatthetiny，inchoatefaceunderthebushes，hereyesdiffusedraysofwarmandkindlylightas，lickingherlips，she，withaslowmovement，smoothedthebreastofthelittleone。
ThenIarrangedsticksforafire，andalsoadjustedstonestosupportthekettle。
“SoonIwillhaveteareadyforyou，“Iremarked。
“AndthankfulindeedIshallbe，“sheresponded，“formybreastsaredriedup。“
“Whyhaveyourcompanionsdesertedyou？“Isaidnext。
“Theyhavenotdesertedme。ItwasIthatleftthemofmyownaccord。HowcouldIhaveexposedmyselfintheirpresence？“
Andwithaglanceatmesheraisedahandtoherfaceas，spittingagoutofblood，shesmiledasortofbashfulsmile。
“Thisisyourfirstchild，Itakeit？“
“Itis。Andwhoareyou？“
“Aman。“
“Yes，aman，ofcourse；but，areyouaMARRIEDman？“
“No，Ihaveneverbeenabletomarry。“
“Thatcannotbetrue。“
“Whynot？“
Withloweredeyesshesatawhileinthought。
“Because，ifso，howdoyoucometoknowsomuchaboutwomen’saffairs？“
ThistimeIDIDlie，forIreplied:
“Becausetheyhavebeenmystudy。Infact，Iamamedicalstudent。“
“Ah！Ourpriest’ssonalsowasastudent，butastudentfortheChurch。“
“Verywell。ThenyouknowwhatIam。NowIwillgoandfetchsomewater。“
Uponthissheinclinedherheadtowardsherlittlesonandlistenedforamomenttohisbreathing。Thenshesaidwithaglancetowardsthesea:
“Itooshouldliketohaveawash，butIdonotknowwhatthewaterislike。Whatisit？Brackishorsalt？“
“No；quitegoodwater——fitforyoutowashin。“
“Isitreally？“
“Yes，really。Moreover，itiswarmerthanthewaterofthestreamshereabouts，whichisascoldasice。“
“Ah！Well，youknowbest。“
Hereashaggy-earedpony，allskinandbone，wasseenapproachingusatafoot’space。Trembling，anddroopingitshead，itscannedus，asitdrewlevel，witharoundblackeye，andsnorted。Uponthat，itsriderpushedbackaraggedfurcap，glancedwarilyinourdirection，andagainsankhishead。
“Thefolkofthesepartsareuglytolookat，“softlycommentedthewomanfromOrlov。
ThenIdepartedinquestofwater。AfterIhadwashedmyfaceandhandsIfilledthekettlefromastreambrightandlivelyasquicksilver(astreampresenting，astheautumnleavestossedintheeddieswhichwentleapingandsingingoverthestones，atrulyenchantingspectacle)，and，returning，andpeepingthroughthebushes，perceivedthewomantobecrawlingonhandsandkneesoverthestones，andanxiouslypeeringabout，asthoughinsearchofsomething。
“Whatisit？“Iinquired，andthereupon，turninggreyinthefacewithconfusionshehastenedtoconcealsomearticleunderherperson，althoughIhadalreadyguessedthenatureofthearticle。
“Giveittome，“wasmyonlyremark。“Iwillgoandburyit。“
“Howso？For，asamatteroffact，itoughttobeburiedunderthefloorinfrontofsomestove。“
“ArewetobuildastoveHERE？Builditinfiveminutes？“I
retorted。
“Ah，Iwasjesting。Butreally，Iwouldrathernothaveitburiedhere，lestsomewildbeastshouldcomeanddevourit……
Yetitoughttobecommittedonlytotheearth。“
Thatsaid，she，withavertedeyes，handedmeamoistandheavybundle；andasshedidsoshesaidunderherbreath，withanairofconfusion:
“IbegofyouforChrist’ssaketoburyitaswell，asdeeply，asyoucan。OutofpityformysondoasIbidyou。“
Ididasshehadrequested；and，justasthetaskhadbeencompleted，Iperceivedherreturningfromthemarginoftheseawithunsteadygait，andanarmstretchedoutbeforeher，andapetticoatsoakedtothemiddlewiththeseawater。Yetallherfacewasalightwithinwardfire，andasIhelpedhertoregainthespotwhereIhadpreparedsomesticksIcouldnothelpreflectingwithsomeastonishment:
“Howstrongindeedsheis！“
Next，aswedrankamixtureofteaandhoney，sheinquired:
“Haveyounowceasedtobeastudent？“
“Yes。“
“Andwhyso？Throughtoomuchdrink？“
“Evenso，goodmother。“
“Dearme！Well，yourfaceisfamiliartome。Yes，IrememberthatInoticedyouinSukhumwhenonceyouwerearguingwiththebarraquesuperintendentoverthequestionofrations。AsIdidsothethoughtoccurredtome:’Surelythatboldyoungfellowmusthavegoneandspenthismeansondrink？Yes，thatishowitmustbe。’“
Then，asfromherswollenlipsshelickedadropofhoney，sheagainbentherblueeyesinthedirectionofthebushunderwhichtheslumbering，newly-arrivedOrlovianwascouched。
“Howwillhelive？“thoughtfullyshesaidwithasigh——thenadded:
“Youhavehelpedme，andIthankyou。Yes，mythanksareyours，thoughIcannottellwhetherornotyourassistancewillhavehelpedHIM。“
And，drinkingtherestofhertea，sheateamorselofbread，thenmadethesignofthecross。Andsubsequently，asIwasputtingupmythings，shecontinuedtorockherselftoandfro，togivelittlestartsandcries，andtogazethoughtfullyatthegroundwitheyeswhichhadnowregainedtheiroriginalcolour。Atlastsherosetoherfeet。
“Youarenotgoingyet？“Iqueriedprotestingly。
“Yes，Imust。“
“But——“
“TheBlessedVirginwillgowithme。Sopleasehandmeoverthechild。“
“No，Iwillcarryhim。“
And，afteracontestforthehonour，sheyielded，andwewalkedawaysidebyside。
“IonlywishIwerealittlesteadieronmyfeet，“sheremarkedwithanapologeticsmileasshelaidahanduponmyshoulder，Meanwhile，thenewcitizenofRussia，thelittlehumanbeingofanunknownfuture，wassnoringsoundlyinmyarmsastheseaplashedandmurmured，andthrewoffitswhiteshavings，andthebusheswhisperedtogether，andthesun(nowarrivedatthemeridian)shonebrightlyuponusall。
Incalmcontentitwasthatwewalked；savethatnowandthenthemotherwouldhalt，drawadeepbreath，raiseherhead，scantheseaandtheforestandthehills，andpeerintoherson’sface。Andasshedidso，eventhemistbegottenoftearsofsufferingcouldnotdimthewonderfulbrilliancyandclearnessofhereyes。Forwiththesombrefireofinexhaustiblelovewerethoseeyesaflame。
Once，asshehalted，sheexclaimed:
“0God，0MotherofGod，howgooditallis！WouldthatforeverIcouldwalkthus，yes，walkandwalkuntotheveryendoftheworld！AllthatIshouldneedwouldbethatthou，myson，mydarlingson，shouldst，borneuponthymother’sbreast，growandwaxstrong！“
Andtheseamurmuredandmurmured。