第2章
Aksyó；nofdidnotreply，butonlylookeddowncast。
Thenhiswifesaid，’ItwasnotfornothingIdreamtyourhairhadturnedgrey。Youremember？Youshouldnothavestartedthatday。’Andpassingherfingersthroughhishair，shesaid:’Vá；nyadearest，tellyourwifethetruth；wasitnotyouwhodidit？’
’Soyou，too，suspectme！’saidAksyó；nof，andhidinghisfaceinhishands，hebegantoweep。Thenasoldiercametosaythatthewifeandchildrenmustgoaway；andAksyó；nofsaidgood-byetohisfamilyforthelasttime。
Whentheyweregone，Aksyó；nofrecalledwhathadbeensaid，andwhenherememberedthathiswifealsohadsuspectedhim，hesaidtohimself，’ItseemsthatonlyGodcanknowthetruth，itistoHimalonewemustappeal，andfromHimaloneexpectmercy。’
AndAksyó；nofwrotenomorepetitions；gaveupallhope，andonlyprayedtoGod。
Aksyó；nofwascondemnedtobefloggedandsenttothemines。Sohewasfloggedwithaknout，andwhenthewoundsmadebytheknoutwerehealed，hewasdriventoSiberiawithotherconvicts。
Fortwenty-sixyearsAksyó；noflivedasaconvictinSiberia。
Hishairturnedwhiteassnowandhisbeardgrewlong，thin，andgrey。Allhismirthwent；hestooped；hewalkedslowly，spokelittle，andneverlaughed，butheoftenprayed。
InprisonAksyó；noflearnttomakeboots，andearnedalittlemoney，withwhichheboughtTheLivesoftheSaints。Hereadthisbookwhentherewaslightenoughintheprison；andonSundaysintheprison-churchhereadthelessonsandsanginthechoir；forhisvoicewasstillgood。
TheprisonauthoritieslikedAksyó；nofforhismeekness，andhisfellow-prisonersrespectedhim:theycalledhim’Grandfather，’
and’TheSaint。’Whentheywantedtopetitiontheprisonauthoritiesaboutanything，theyalwaysmadeAksyó；noftheirspokesman，andwhentherewerequarrelsamongtheprisonerstheycametohimtoputthingsright，andtojudgethematter。
NonewsreachedAksyó；noffromhishome，andhedidnotevenknowifhiswifeandchildrenwerestillalive。
Onedayafreshgangofconvictscametotheprison。Intheeveningtheoldprisonerscollectedroundthenewonesandaskedthemwhattownsorvillagestheycamefrom，andwhattheyweresentencedfor。AmongtherestAksyó；nofsatdownnearthenew-comers，andlistenedwithdowncastairtowhatwassaid。
Oneofthenewconvicts，atall，strongmanofsixty，withaclosely-croppedgreybeard，wastellingtheotherswhathehadbeenarrestedfor。
’Well，friends，’hesaid，’Ionlytookahorsethatwastiedtoasledge，andIwasarrestedandaccusedofstealing。IsaidIhadonlytakenittogethomequicker，andhadthenletitgo；besides，thedriverwasapersonalfriendofmine。SoIsaid，“It’sallright。““No，“saidthey，“youstoleit。“ButhoworwhereIstoleittheycouldnotsay。Ioncereallydidsomethingwrong，andoughtbyrightstohavecomeherelongago，butthattimeIwasnotfoundout。NowIhavebeensentherefornothingatall……
Eh，butit’sliesI’mtellingyou；I’vebeentoSiberiabefore，butIdidnotstaylong。’
’Whereareyoufrom？’askedsomeone。
’FromVladí；mir。Myfamilyareofthattown。MynameisMaká；r，andtheyalsocallmeSemyó；nitch。’
Aksyó；nofraisedhisheadandsaid:’Tellme，Semyó；nitch，doyouknowanythingofthemerchantsAksyó；nof，ofVladí；mir？
Aretheystillalive？’
’Knowthem？OfcourseIdo。TheAksyó；nofsarerich，thoughtheirfatherisinSiberia:asinnerlikeourselves，itseems！Asforyou，Gran’dad，howdidyoucomehere？’
Aksyó；nofdidnotliketospeakofhismisfortune。Heonlysighed，andsaid，’FormysinsIhavebeeninprisonthesetwenty-sixyears。’
’Whatsins？’askedMaká；rSemyó；nitch。
ButAksyó；nofonlysaid，’Well，well——Imusthavedeservedit！’
Hewouldhavesaidnomore，buthiscompanionstoldthenew-comerhowAksyó；nofcametobeinSiberia:howsomeonehadkilledamerchantandhadputaknifeamongAksyó；nof’sthings，andAksyó；nofhadbeenunjustlycondemned。
WhenMaká；rSemyó；nitchheardthis，helookedatAksyó；nof，slappedhisownknee，andexclaimed，’Wellthisiswonderful！
Reallywonderful！Buthowoldyou’vegrown，Gran’dad！’
Theothersaskedhimwhyhewassosurprised，andwherehehadseenAksyó；nofbefore；butMaká；rSemyó；nitchdidnotreply。
Heonlysaid:’It’swonderfulthatweshouldmeethere，lads！’
ThesewordsmadeAksyó；nofwonderwhetherthismanknewwhohadkilledthemerchant；sohesaid’Perhaps，Semyó；nitch，youhaveheardofthataffairormaybeyou’veseenmebefore？’
’HowcouldIhelphearing？Theworld’sfullofrumours。Butit’slongago，andI’veforgottenwhatIheard。’
’Perhapsyouheardwhokilledthemerchant？’askedAksyó；nof。
Maká；rSemyó；nitchlaughed，andreplied，’Itmusthavebeenhiminwhosebagtheknifewasfound！Ifsomeoneelsehidtheknifethere，“He’snotathieftillhe’scaught，“asthesayingis。
Howcouldanyoneputaknifeintoyourbagwhileitwasunderyourhead？Itwouldsurelyhavewokeyouup？’
WhenAksyó；nofheardthesewords，hefeltsurethiswasthemanwhohadkilledthemerchant。Heroseandwentaway。AllthatnightAksyó；noflayawake。
Hefeltterriblyunhappy，andallsortsofimagesroseinhismind。
Therewastheimageofhiswifeasshewaswhenhepartedfromhertogotothefair。Hesawherasifshewerepresent；herfaceandhereyesrosebeforehim；heheardherspeakandlaugh。Thenhesawhischildren，quitelittle，astheywereatthattime:onewithalittlecloakon，anotherathismother’sbreast。
Andthenherememberedhimselfasheusedtobe——youngandmerry。
Herememberedhowhesatplayingtheguitarintheporchoftheinnwherehewasarrested，andhowfreefromcarehehadbeen。Hesaw，inhismind，theplacewherehewasflogged，theexecutioner，andthepeoplestandingaround；thechains，theconvicts，allthetwenty-sixyearsofhisprisonlife，andhisprematureoldage。Thethoughtofitallmadehimsowretchedthathewasreadytokillhimself。
’Andit’sallthatvillain’sdoing！’thoughtAksyó；nof。AndhisangerwassogreatagainstMaká；rSemyó；nitchthathelongedforvengeance，evenifhehimselfshouldperishforit。Hekeptrepeatingprayersallnight，butcouldgetnopeace。DuringthedayhedidnotgonearMaká；rSemyó；nitch，norevenlookathim。
Afortnightpassedinthisway。Aksyó；nofcouldnotsleepatnights，andwassomiserablethathedidnotknowwhattodo。
Onenightashewaswalkingabouttheprisonhenoticedsomeearththatcamerollingoutfromunderoneoftheshelvesonwhichtheprisonersslept。Hestoppedtoseewhatitwas。SuddenlyMaká；rSemyó；nitchcreptoutfromundertheshelf，andlookedupatAksyó；nofwithfrightenedface。Aksyó；noftriedtopasswithoutlookingathim，butMaká；rseizedhishandandtoldhimthathehaddugaholeunderthewall，gettingridoftheearthbyputtingitintohishigh-boots，andemptyingitouteverydayontheroadwhentheprisonersweredriventotheirwork。
’Justyoukeepquiet，oldman，andyoushallgetouttoo。Ifyoublabthey’llflogthelifeoutofme，butIwillkillyoufirst。’
Aksyó；noftrembledwithangerashelookedathisenemy。Hedrewhishandaway，saying，’Ihavenowishtoescape，andyouhavenoneedtokillme；youkilledmelongago！Astotellingofyou——Imaydosoornot，asGodshalldirect。’
Nextday，whentheconvictswereledouttowork，theconvoysoldiersnoticedthatoneorotheroftheprisonersemptiedsomeearthoutofhisboots。Theprisonwassearched，andthetunnelfound。
TheGovernorcameandquestionedalltheprisonerstofindoutwhohaddugthehole。Theyalldeniedanyknowledgeofit。
Thosewhoknew，wouldnotbetrayMaká；rSemyó；nitch，knowinghewouldbefloggedalmosttodeath。AtlasttheGovernorturnedtoAksyó；nof，whomheknewtobeajustman，andsaid:
’Youareatruthfuloldman；tellme，beforeGod，whodugthehole？’
Maká；rSemyó；nitchstoodasifhewerequiteunconcerned，lookingattheGovernorandnotsomuchasglancingatAksyó；nof。
Aksyó；nof’slipsandhandstrembled，andforalongtimehecouldnotutteraword。Hethought，’WhyshouldIscreenhimwhoruinedmylife？LethimpayforwhatIhavesuffered。ButifItell，theywillprobablyflogthelifeoutofhimandmaybeIsuspecthimwrongly。And，afterall，whatgoodwoulditbetome？’
’Well，oldman，’repeatedtheGovernor，’tellusthetruth:whohasbeendiggingunderthewall？’
Aksyó；nofglancedatMaká；rSemyó；nitch，andsaid’Icannotsay，yourhonour。ItisnotGod’swillthatIshouldtell！Dowhatyoulikewithme；Iaminyourhands。’