Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/252

Tales from Tolstoi So he made him sit down, and tied his own boots on to the man's feet.

Thus the cobbler dressed him, and said: "There thou art, brother! Come now, try and move, about a bit and warm thyself. Thou wilt feel all right presently. Dost think thou canst walk by thyself?"

The man stood up, looked kindly at Simon, but could not speak a word.

"Why dost thou not speak? We cannot pass all the winter here. We must seek some dwelling-place. Look here now! Here's my oaken staff! Lean upon it if thou dost feel weak. Off we go!"

So the man set off. He walked easily, and was never behind.

They went along the road, and Simon said, "Whence art thou, pray?"

"I am not of this place."

"So I see, for I know all those that dwell here. But how then didst thou come to be by the chapel?"

"I may not tell thee."

"I suppose the people here ill-treated thee?"

"Nobody hath ill-treated, but God hath punished me."

"Yes, indeed—God is over all, and everywhere His hand is upon us. But whither wouldst thou go?"

Tis all one to me."

Simon was amazed. The man was soft of speech, and not like a rogue, and yet he would give no account of himself; and Simon thought: "One little knows what sort of things go on in this world."

And he said to the man: "Look now, come to my house and warm thyself up a bit." 202