第16章
“Doyoufirstgoinanddressyourself！“
Theelderlyladythenunfastenedthegates；whereuponastunted，oldishmuzhikinaredshirtlimpedintotheyardwithafoam-fleckedsteed，andexclaimed:
“Itiscaughtintwoplaces——attheSavelkinclearingandnearthecemetery！“
Immediatelythecompanypressedaroundhimwithgroansandejaculations，andGubinalonecontinuedtoharnesstheponywithswiftanddexteroushands——sayingtomethroughhisteethashedidso，andwithoutlookingatanyone:
“ThatishowthosewretchedfolkALWAYSdeferthingsuntiltoolate。“
Thenextpersontopresentherselfattheentrancegateswasabeggar-woman。Screwinguphereyesinafurtivemanner，shedroned:
“ForthesakeofLordJe-e-esus！“
“Godwillgiveyoualms！Godwillgiveyoualms！“wasNadezhda’sreplyas，turningpale，sheflungoutherarmsintheoldwoman’sdirection。“Yousee，aterriblethinghashappened——ourtimberlandshavecaughtfire。Youmustcomeagainlater。“
UponthatPeter’sbulkyform(whichhadentirelyfilledthewindowfromwhichithadbeenleaning)，disappearedwithajerk，andinitssteadtherecameintoviewthefigureofawoman。
Saidshecontemptuously:
“SeethevisitationwithwhichGodhastriedus，youmenoffaintheartsandindolenthands！“
Thewoman’shairwasgreyatthetemples，andhadrestinguponitasilkencapwhichsokeptchangingcolourinthesunlightastoconveytoone。theimpressionthatherheadwasbonnetedwithsteel，whileinherface，picturesquebutdark(seeminglyblackenedwithsmoke)，theregleamedtwopupil-lessblueeyesofakindwhichIhadneverbeforebeheld。
“Fools，“shecontinued，“howoftenhaveInotpointedouttoyouthenecessityofcuttingawiderspacebetweenthetimberandthecemetery？“
Fromafurrowabovethewoman’ssmallbutprominentnose，apairofheavybrowsextendedtotemplesthatweresilveredover。
Asshespoketherefellastrangesilenceamidwhichsaveforthepony’spawingofthemirenosoundmingledwiththesarcasticreproachesofthedeep，almostmasculinevoice。
“Thatagainisthemother-in-law，“wasmyinwardreflection。
Gubinfinishedtheharnessing——thensaidtoJonahinthetoneofasuperioraddressingaservant:
“Goinanddressyourself，youobject！“
Nevertheless，theBirkinsdroveoutoftheyardpreciselyastheywere，whilethepeasantmountedhisbelatheredsteedandfollowedthematatrot；andtheelderlyladydisappearedfromthewindow，leavingitspanesevendarkerandblackerthantheyhadpreviouslybeen。Gubin，slip-sloppingthroughthepuddleswithbarefeet，saidtomewithasharpglanceashemovedtoshuttheentrancegates:
“IpresumethatIcannowtakeinhandthelittleaffairofwhichyouknow。“
“Yakov！“atthisjuncturesomeoneshoutedfromthehouse。
Gubinstraightenedhimselfalamilitaire。
“Yes，Iamcoming，“hereplied。
Whereafter，paddingonbaresoles，heascendedthesteps。
Nadezhda，standingattheirtop，turnedawaywithafrownofrepulsionathisapproach，andnoddedandbeckonedtomyself，“WhathasYakovsaidtoyou？“sheinquired“Hehasbeenreproachingme。“
“Reproachingyouforwhat？“
“Forhavingspokentoyou。“
Sheheavedasigh。
“Ah，themischief-maker！“sheexclaimed。“Andwhatisitthathewants？“
Asshepoutedherdispleasureherroundandvacantfacelookedalmostchildlike。
“GoodLord！“sheadded。“WhatDOsuchmenashewant？“
Meanwhiletheheavenswerebecomingoverspreadwithdarkgreyclouds，andpresagingafloodofautumnrain，whilefromthewindownearthestepsthevoiceofPeter’smother-in-lawwasissuinginasteadystream。Atfirst，however，nothingwasdistinguishablesaveasoundlikethehummingofaspindle。
“Itismymotherthatisspeaking，“Nadezhdaexplainedsoftly。
“She’llgiveithim！Yes，SHEwillprotectme！“
YetIscarcelyheardNadezhda’swords，sogreatlywasIfeelingstruckwiththequietforcefulness，theabsoluteassurance，ofwhatwasbeingsaidwithinthewindow。
“Enough，enough！“saidthevoice。“Onlythroughlackofoccupationhaveyoujoinedthecompanyoftherighteous。“
UponthisImadeamovetoapproachclosertothewindow；
whereuponNadezhdawhispered:
“Whitherareyougoing？Youmustnotlisten。“
WhileshewasyetspeakingIheardcomefromthewindow:
“Similarlyyourrevoltagainstmankindhascomeofidleness，oflackofaninterestinlife。Toyoutheworldhasbeenwearisome，so，whiledevisingthisrevoltasaresource，youhaveexcuseditonthegroundofserviceofGodandloveofequity，whileinrealityconstitutingyourselfthedevil’sworkman。“
HereNadezhdapluckedatmysleeve，andtriedtopullmeaway，butIremarked:
“IMUSTlearnwhatGubinhasgottosayinanswer。“
ThismadeNadezhdasmile，andthenwhisperwithaconfidingglanceatmyface:
“Yousee，Ihavemadeafullconfessiontoher。Iwentandsaidtoher:’Mamenka，Ihavehadamisfortune。’Andheronlyreplyasshestrokedmyhairwas，’Ah，littlefool！’Thusyouseethatshepitiesme。AndwhatmakeshercarethelessthatI
shouldstrayinthatdirectionisthatsheyearnsformetobearherachild，agrandchild，asanheirtoherproperty。“
Next，Gubinwasheardsayingwithintheroom:
“WhensoeveranoffenceisdoneagainstthelawI……“
Atonceastreamofimpressivewordsfromtheotherdrownedhisutterance:
“Anoffenceisnotalwaysanoffenceofmoment，sincesometimesapersonoutgrowsthelaw，andfindsittoorestrictive。Noonepersonoughttoberatedagainstanother。Forwhomaloneoughtwetofear？OnlytheGodinwhosesightallofushaveerred！“
Andthoughintheelderlylady’svoicetherewaswearinessanddistaste，thewordswerespokenslowlyandincisively。UponthisGubintriedtomurmursomethingoranother，butagainhisutterancefailedtoedgeitswayintohisinterlocutor’smeasuredperiods:
“Nogreatachievementisit，“shesaid，“tocondemnafellowcreature。Foralwaysitiseasytositinjudgmentuponourfellows。Andevenifafellowcreaturebeallowedtopursueanevilcourseunchecked，hisoffencemayyetproveproductiveofgood。RememberhowineverycasetheSaintsreachedGod。Yethowtrulysanctified，bythetimethattheydidsoreachHim，werethey？Letthiseverbeborneinmind，forweareover-apttocondemnandpunish！“
“Informerdays，NataliaVassilievna，youtookawayfrommemysubstance，youtookmyall。Also，letmerecounttoyouhowwefellintodisagreement。“
“No；thereisnoneedforthat。“
“Thereafter，Iceasedtobeabletobearthecontemplationofmyself；Iceasedtoconsidermyselfasofanyvalue。“
“Letthepastremainthepast。Thatwhichmustbeisnottobeavoided。“
“Throughyou，Isay，Ilostmypeaceofmind。“
Nadezhdanudgedme，andwhisperedwithgaymalice:
“Thatisprobablytrue，fortheysaythatoncehewasoneofherlovers。“
Thensherecollectedherselfand，clappingherhandstoherface，criedthroughherfingers:
“OhgoodLord！WhathaveIsaid？No，no，youmustnotbelievethesetales。Theyareonlyslanders，forsheisthebestofwomen。“
“Whenevilhasbeendone，“continuedthequietvoicewithinthewindow，“itcanneverbesetrightbyrecountingittoothers。
Heuponwhomaburdenhasbeenlaidshouldtrytobearit。And，shouldhefailtobearit，thefactwillmeanthattheburdenhasbeenbeyondhisstrength。“
“ItwasthroughyouthatIlosteverything。Itwasyouthatstrippedmebare。“
“ButtothatwhichyoulostIaddedmovement。Nothinginlifeiseverlost；itmerelypassesfromonehandtoanother——fromtheunskilledhandtotheexperienced——sothateventhebonepickedofadogmayultimatelybecomeofvalue。“
“Yes，abone——thatiswhatIam。“