Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/221

Rh He knocked again at the door with his little staff—"Christian men!" Nobody stirred. "Servants of God!" There was no answer. Elisyei made up his mind to go away again, when he heard from behind  the door a sound as of someone groaning.

What if there were something wrong with the people? One ought to see. So Elisyei entered the hut.

Elisyei turned the door-ring; the door was not shut to. He shoved open the door, he went through the little front shed. The door leading into the dwelling-room was open. On the left was a stove; straight before him was the chief corner-seat; in the corner was an ikon and a table; behind the table was a bench, and on the bench, in nothing but a shift, sat an old woman without a head-dress, who was resting her head upon the table, and by her side lay a wretched-looking little child, as pale as wax, and with a big swollen stomach. It held the old woman by the sleeve, and was wailing loudly—asking for something. Elisyei stepped into the hut. In the hut the atmosphere was oppressive. He looked about him. Behind the stove lay a woman on the bare stones. She lay on her back and looked at nothing, but only made a gurgling sound, and twitched convulsively with her legs. … It was plain there was 171