Page:The Russian Review Volume 1.djvu/182

158 "Well, then, kill my girl, Anfiska. She's only two, anyway. Though she is a fine girl, and nice to look at; we'll all be awfully sorry for her. But what's to be done?"

"Hear him, ye Christians," said Elijah in a loud voice. "I agree."

And then such a bright streak of lightning tore the cloud, that Semyon's eyelashes almost became lit up, and such a violent peal of thunder shook the sky, that the whole earth trembled.

"Holy, holy, holy Lord! Have pity on us!" whispered Semyon.

Awaking, and opening his eyes, Semyon saw only a cloud of dust, and the fluttering stalks swayed by the wind. He was on his knees in the middle of the field. Dust was flying in clouds down the road, and the moon shone dimly overhead.

Semyon jumped to his feet. Forgetting all about his coat and the tools, he began to walk rapidly in the direction of the hamlet. It began to rain when he turned from the high road into the field. The dark clouds were now hanging low over the gloomy gulches. The reddish moon was disappearing behind them. The hamlet was fast asleep; only the cattle moved restlessly in their barns, and roosters crowed ominously. Semyon began to run, and, approaching his old, dilapidated house, he heard women wailing. Near the threshold he came across his brother Nikon, standing with his coat on and his head bare. There he stood, so thin and prematurely wrinkled, looking about him stupidly.

"There's trouble in your place," said he, and his voice plainly showed that he was not yet fully awake.

Setoiyon rushed into the house. The women were tossing about in the dark, shrieking and wailing, looking for matches. Semyon snatched a box from behind an image and struck a light. The cradle, hung near the stove, was swaying from side to side, for the women knocked against it as they rushed about the room.And in the cradle lay a little girl, dead, her body turned black-blue, while on her head a night-cap, made of scraps of cloth, was burning slowly.

From that time on, Semyon lived quite happily.