Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/293

Rh Dmitrievich, forgive me! When they cut me with the knout it was easier for me than to look upon thee now. … And yet thou hadst compassion upon me and didst not speak. Forgive me for Christ's sake—forgive thy accursed malefactor!"—and he fell a-sobbing.

When Aksenov heard Makar Semenov weeping, he himself began weeping top, and said, "God forgive thee; maybe I am a hundred times worse than thou!" and all at once his heart grew wondrous light and he ceased grieving about home, and wished no longer to quit the prison, but thought only of his last hour. Makar Semenov did not obey Aksenov but gave himself up as guilty; but when the official permission for Aksenov to return home arrived, he was already dead. 243