Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/126

Tales from Tolstoi had occupied himself with all those things which he had occupied himself with. "Why, he did not know what his real business was at all," thought he of Vasily Brekhunov. "He did not know as I know now—yes, now I do know all about it, and no mistake." And again he heard the voice of Him Who was calling him. And his whole being cried out joyfully and intelligently, "I am coming! I am coming! "And he felt that he was free, and that nothing held him any longer.

And Vasily Andreich saw and heard and felt nothing more in this world.

And all around there was the same blank whiteness, like fine smoke. And the same snowstorms went whirling round, and they covered up the pelisse of the dead Vasily Andreich, and the all-trembling body of Brownie, and the sledge now scarcely visible, and Nikita lying warm at the bottom of the sledge beneath the body of his dead master.

Nikita awoke before morning. He was awakened by the cold, which had penetrated to his back once more. He had dreamt that he was coming from the mill with a wagon-load of his master's meal, and as he was passing by the bridge at Lyafrin the wagon stuck fast. And he saw in his dream how he went under the wagon to lift it up, arching his back to do so. But, marvellous to relate, the wagon did not move, but clave to his back, and he could neither raise 76