Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/264

 248 What was at the bottom of this business? Why did this Zyryan have success and the Russians have none? And why did I know nothing about it?

Then the thought came to me: "It is because you, Vladyko, and those like you are egoistic and pretentious. You collect much money, and only go about, within the sound of the church bells. You think nothing about the distant parts of your diocese, and only judge of them by hearsay. You complain of your impotence in your own country, while all the time you are trying to snatch at the stars and are asking: 'What will you give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?' Take care, brother, that you do not become like that too."

That evening I paced up and down my dull and empty room thinking, and I walked about until this thought came into my head: Why should I myself not travel through the desert?

In this manner I hoped to be able to elucidate myself, if not all, at any rate, very much; and I must confess to you, I also wanted freshening up a little.

To accomplish such a journey, owing to my own inexperience, I required a companion, who would know the native language well; and what better companion could I wish for than Kiriak?