University of Virginia Library

"POLIKUSHKA;"
OR,
The Lot of a Wicked Court Servant.

1. CHAPTER I.

POLIKEY was a court man—one of the staff of
servants belonging to the court household of a

boyarinia
( lady of the nobility).

He held a very insignificant position on the
estate, and lived in a rather poor, small house
with his wife and children.

The house was built by the deceased noble-
man whose widow he still continued to serve,
and may be described as follows: The four
walls surrounding the one
izba
(room) were built
of stone, and the interior was ten yards square.

A Russian stove stood in the centre, around
which was a free passage. Each corner was

fenced off as a separate inclosure to the extent
of several feet, and the one nearest to the door
(the smallest of all) was known as "Polikey's
corner." Elsewhere in the room stood the bed
(with quilt, sheet, and cotton pillows), the
cradle (with a baby lying therein), and the
three-legged table, on which the meals were
prepared and the family washing was done.

At the latter also Polikey was at work on the
preparation of some materials for use in his pro-
fession—that of an amateur veterinary surgeon.

A calf, some hens, the family clothes and house-
hold utensils, together with seven persons, filled
the little home to the utmost of its capacity.

It would indeed have been almost impossible
for them to move around had it not been for the
convenience of the stove, on which some of
them slept at night, and which served as a table
in the day-time.

It seemed hard to realize how so many per-
sons managed to live in such close quarters.

Polikey's wife, Akulina, did the washing,

spun and wove, bleached her linen, cooked and
baked, and found time also to quarrel and gossip
with her neighbors.

The monthly allowance of food which they
received from the noblewoman's house was
amply sufficient for the whole family, and there
was always enough meal left to make mash for
the cow. Their fuel they got free, and like-
wise the food for the cattle. In addition they
were given a small piece of land on which to
raise vegetables. They had a cow, a calf, and
a number of chickens to care for.

Polikey was employed in the stables to take
care of two stallions, and, when necessary, to
bleed the horses and cattle and clean their
hoofs.

In his treatment of the animals he used
syringes, plasters, and various other remedies
and appliances of his own invention. For these
services he received whatever provisions were
required by his family, and a certain sum of
money—all of which would have been sufficient

to enable them to live comfortably and even
happily, if their hearts had not been filled with
the shadow of a great sorrow.

This shadow darkened the lives of the entire
family.

Polikey, while young, was employed in a
horse-breeding establishment in a neighboring
village. The head stableman was a notorious
horse-thief, known far and wide as a great
rogue, who, for his many misdeeds, was finally
exiled to Siberia. Under his instruction Pol-
ikey underwent a course of training, and, being
but a boy, was easily induced to perform many
evil deeds. He became so expert in the various
kinds of wickedness practiced by his teacher
that, though he many times would gladly have
abandoned his evil ways, he could not, owing to
the great hold these early-formed habits had
upon him. His father and mother died when
he was but a child, and he had no one to point
out to him the paths of virtue.

In addition to his other numerous shortcom-

ings, Polikey was fond of strong drink. He
also had a habit of appropriating other people's
property, when the opportunity offered of his
doing so without being seen. Collar-straps,
padlocks, perch-bolts, and things even of greater
value belonging to others found their way with
remarkable rapidity and in great quantities to
Polikey's home. He did not, however, keep
such things for his own use, but sold them
whenever he could find a purchaser. His pay-
ment consisted chiefly of whiskey, though some-
times he received cash.

This sort of employment, as his neighbors
said, was both light and profitable; it required
neither education nor labor. It had one draw-
back, however, which was calculated to recon-
cile his victims to their losses: Though he
could for a time have all his needs supplied
without expending either labor or money, there
was always the possibility of his methods being
discovered; and this result was sure to be fol-
lowed by a long term of imprisonment. This

impending danger made life a burden for
Polikey and his family.

Such a setback indeed very nearly happened
to Polikey early in his career. He married
while still young, and God gave him much hap-
piness. His wife, who was a shepherd's daugh-
ter, was a strong, intelligent, hard-working
woman. She bore him many children, each of
whom was said to be better than the preceding
one.

Polikey still continued to steal, but once was
caught with some small articles belonging to
others in his possession. Among them was a
pair of leather reins, the property of another
peasant, who beat him severely and reported
him to his mistress.

From that time on Polikey was an object of
suspicion, and he was twice again detected in
similar escapades. By this time the people
began to abuse him, and the clerk of the court
threatened to recruit him into the army as a
soldier (which is regarded by the peasants as

a great punishment and disgrace). His noble
mistress severely reprimanded him; his wife
wept from grief for his downfall, and every-
thing went from bad to worse.

Polikey, notwithstanding his weakness, was
a good-natured sort of man, but his love of
strong drink had so overcome every moral in-
stinct that at times he was scarcely responsible
for his actions. This habit he vainly endeav-
ored to overcome. It often happened that when
he returned home intoxicated, his wife, losing
all patience, roundly cursed him and cruelly
beat him. At times he would cry like a child,
and bemoan his fate, saying: "Unfortunate
man that I am, what shall I do?
Let my eyes
burst into pieces
if I do not forever give up the
vile habit! I will not again touch vodki."

In spite of all his promises of reform, but a
short period (perhaps a month) would elapse
when Polikey would again mysteriously disap-
pear from his home and be lost for several days
on a spree.

"From what source does he get the money he
spends so freely?" the neighbors inquired of
each other, as they sadly shook their heads.

One of his most unfortunate exploits in the
matter of stealing was in connection with a
clock which belonged to the estate of his mis-
tress. The clock stood in the private office of
the noblewoman, and was so old as to have
outlived its usefulness, and was simply kept as
an heirloom. It so happened that Polikey went
into the office one day when no one was present
but himself, and, seeing the old clock, it seemed
to possess a peculiar fascination for him, and he
speedily transferred it to his person. He car-
ried it to a town not far from the village, where
he very readily found a purchaser.

As if purposely to secure his punishment, it
happened that the storekeeper to whom he sold
it proved to be a relative of one of the court
servants, and who, when he visited his friend
on the next holiday, related all about his pur-
chase of the clock.

An investigation was immediately instituted,
and all the details of Polikey's transaction were
brought to light and reported to his noble mis-
tress. He was called into her presence, and,
when confronted with the story of the theft,
broke down and confessed all. He fell on his
knees before the noblewoman and plead with
her for mercy. The kind-hearted lady lectured
him about God, the salvation of his soul, and
his future life. She talked to him also about
the misery and disgrace he brought upon his
family, and altogether so worked upon his feel-
ings that he cried like a child. In conclusion
his kind mistress said: "I will forgive you this
time on the condition that you promise faith-
fully to reform, and never again to take what
does not belong to you."

Polikey, still weeping, replied: "I will never
steal again in all my life, and if I break my
promise may the earth open and swallow me
up, and let my body be burned with red-hot
irons!"

Polikey returned to his home, and throwing
himself on the oven spent the entire day weep-
ing and repeating the promise made to his
mistress.

From that time on he was not again caught
stealing, but his life became extremely sad, for
he was regarded with suspicion by every one
and pointed to as a thief.

When the time came round for securing
recruits for the army, all the peasants singled
out Polikey as the first to be taken. The super-
intendent was especially anxious to get rid of
him, and went to his mistress to induce her to
have him sent away. The kind-hearted and
merciful woman, remembering the peasant's
repentance, refused to grant the superintend-
ent's request, and told him he must take some
other man in his stead.

2.
CHAPTER II.

ONE evening Polikey was sitting on his bed
beside the table, preparing some medicine for
the cattle, when suddenly the door was thrown
wide open, and Aksiutka, a young girl from the
court, rushed in. Almost out of breath, she
said: "My mistress has ordered you, Polikey

Illitch
[son of Ilia], to come up to the court at
once!"

The girl was standing and still breathing
heavily from her late exertion as she continued:

"Egor Mikhailovitch, the superintendent, has
been to see our lady about having you drafted
into the army, and, Polikey Illitch, your name
was mentioned among others. Our lady has
sent me to tell you to come up to the court
immediately."

As soon as Aksiutka had delivered her mes-

sage she left the room in the same abrupt man-
ner in which she had entered.

Akulina, without saying a word, got up and
brought her husband's boots to him. They
were poor, worn-out things which some soldier
had given him, and his wife did not glance at
him as she handed them to him.

"Are you going to change your shirt, Ill-
itch?" she asked, at last.

"No," replied Polikey.

Akulina did not once look at him all the time
he was putting on his boots and preparing to go
to the court. Perhaps, after all, it was better
that she did not do so. His face was very pale
and his lips trembled. He slowly combed his
hair and was about to depart without saying a
word, when his wife stopped him to arrange the
ribbon on his shirt, and, after toying a little with
his coat, she put his hat on for him and he left
the little home.

Polikey's next-door neighbors were a joiner
and his wife. A thin partition only separated

the two families, and each could hear what the
other said and did. Soon after Polikey's de-
parture a woman was heard to say: "Well,
Polikey Illitch, so your mistress has sent for
you!"

The voice was that of the joiner's wife on the
other side of the partition. Akulina and the
woman had quarrelled that morning about some
trifling thing done by one of Polikey's children,
and it afforded her the greatest pleasure to
learn that her neighbor had been summoned
into the presence of his noble mistress. She
looked upon such a circumstance as a bad omen.

She continued talking to herself and said: "Per-
haps she wants to send him to the town to make
some purchases for her household. I did not
suppose she would select such a faithful man as
you are to perform such a service for her. If it
should prove that she
does
want to send you to
the next town, just buy me a quarter-pound of
tea. Will you, Polikey Illitch?"

Poor Akulina, on hearing the joiner's wife

talking so unkindly of her husband, could hardly
suppress the tears, and, the tirade continuing,
she at last became angry, and wished she could
in some way punish her.

Forgetting her neighbor's unkindness, her
thoughts soon turned in another direction, and
glancing at her sleeping children she said to
herself that they might soon be orphans and she
herself a soldier's widow. This thought greatly
distressed her, and burying her face in her
hands she seated herself on the bed, where sev-
eral of her progeny were fast asleep. Presently
a little voice interrupted her meditations by
crying out, "
Mamushka
[little mother], you are
crushing me," and the child pulled her night-
dress from under her mother's arms.

Akulina, with her head still resting on her
hands, said: "Perhaps it would be better if we
all should die. I only seem to have brought
you into the world to suffer sorrow and mis-
ery."

Unable longer to control her grief, she burst

into violent weeping, which served to increase
the amusement of the joiner's wife, who had
not forgotten the morning's squabble, and she
laughed loudly at her neighbor's woe.

3.
CHAPTER III.

ABOUT half an hour had passed when the
youngest child began to cry and Akulina arose
to feed it. She had by this time ceased to weep,
and after feeding the infant she again fell into her
old position, with her face buried in her hands.

She was very pale, but this only increased her
beauty. After a time she raised her head, and
staring at the burning candle she began to
question herself as to why she had married,
and as to the reason that the Czar required so
many soldiers.

Presently she heard steps outside, and knew
that her husband was returning. She hurriedly
wiped away the last traces of her tears as she
arose to let him pass into the centre of the
room.

Polikey made his appearance with a look of

triumph on his face, threw his hat on the bed,
and hastily removed his coat; but not a word
did he utter.

Akulina, unable to restrain her impatience,
asked, "Well, what did she want with you?"

"Pshaw!" he replied, "it is very well known
that Polikushka is considered the worst man in
the village; but when it comes to business of
importance, who is selected then? Why, Poli-
kushka, of course."

"What kind of business?" Akulina timidly
inquired.

But Polikey was in no hurry to answer her
question. He lighted his pipe with a very
imposing air, and spit several times on the floor
before he replied.

Still retaining his pompous manner, he said,
"She has ordered me to go to a certain mer-
chant in the town and collect a considerable
sum of money."

"You to collect money?" questioned Aku-
lina.

Polikey only shook his head and smiled sig-
nificantly, saying:

"'You,' the mistress said to me, 'are a man
resting under a grave suspicion—a man who
is considered unsafe to trust in any capacity;
but I have faith in you, and will intrust you
with this important business of mine in prefer-
ence to any one else.'"

Polikey related all this in a loud voice, so
that his neighbor might hear what he had
to say.

"'You promised me to reform,' my noble
mistress said to me, 'and I will be the first to
show you how much faith I have in your prom-
ise. I want you to ride into town, and, going
to the principal merchant there, collect a sum
of money from him and bring it to me.' I said
to my mistress: 'Everything you order shall
be done. I will only too gladly obey your
slightest wish.' Then my mistress said: 'Do
you understand, Polikey, that your future lot
depends upon the faithful performance of this

duty I impose upon you?' I replied: 'Yes, I
understand everything, and feel that I will suc-
ceed in performing acceptably any task which
you may impose upon me. I have been accused
of every kind of evil deed that it is possible to
charge a man with, but I have never done any-
thing seriously wrong against you, your honor.'

In this way I talked to our mistress until I suc-
ceeded in convincing her that my repentance was
sincere, and she became greatly softened toward
me, saying, 'If you are successful I will give
you the first place at the court.'"

"And how much money are you to collect?"
inquired Akulina.

"Fifteen hundred rubles," carelessly answered
Polikey.

Akulina sadly shook her head as she asked,
"When are you to start?"

"She ordered me to leave here to-morrow,"

Polikey replied. 'Take any horse you please,'
she said. 'Come to the office, and I will see you
there and wish you God-speed on your journey.'"

"Glory to Thee, O Lord!" said Akulina, as
she arose and made the sign of the cross. "God,
I am sure, will bless you, Illitch," she added,
in a whisper, so that the people on the other
side of the partition could not hear what she
said, all the while holding on to his sleeve.

"Illitch," she cried at last, excitedly, "for God's
sake promise me that you will not touch a drop
of vodki. Take an oath before God, and kiss the
cross, so that I may be sure that you will not
break your promise!"

Polikey replied in most contemptuous tones:

"Do you think I will dare to touch vodki when
I shall have such a large sum of money in my
care?"

"Akulina, have a clean shirt ready for the
morning," were his parting words for the night.

So Polikey and his wife went to sleep in a
happy frame of mind and full of bright dreams
for the future.

4.
CHAPTER IV.

VERY early the next morning, almost before
the stars had hidden themselves from view,
there was seen standing before Polikey's home
a low wagon, the same in which the super-
intendent himself used to ride; and har-
nessed to it was a large-boned, dark-brown
mare, called for some unknown reason by the
name of
Baraban
(drum). Aniutka, Polikey's
eldest daughter, in spite of the heavy rain and
the cold wind which was blowing, stood outside
barefooted and held (not without some fear)
the reins in ore hand, while with the other she
endeavored to keep her green and yellow over-
coat wound around her body, and also to hold
Polikey's sheepskin coat.

In the house there were the greatest noise and
confusion. The morning was still so dark that

the little daylight there was failed to penetrate
through the broken panes of glass, the window
being stuffed in many places with rags and
paper to exclude the cold air.

Akulina ceased from her cooking for a while
and helped to get Polikey ready for the journey.

Most of the children were still in bed, very
likely as a protection against the cold, for Aku-
lina had taken away the big overcoat which
usually covered them and had substituted a
shawl of her own. Polikey's shirt was all
ready, nice and clean, but his shoes badly needed
repairing, and this fact caused his devoted wife
much anxiety. She took from her own feet the
thick woollen stockings she was wearing, and
gave them to Polikey. She then began to re-
pair his shoes, patching up the holes so as to
protect his feet from dampness.

While this was going on he was sitting on the
side of the bed with his feet dangling over the
edge, and trying to turn the sash which con-
fined his coat at the waist. He was anxious to

look as clean as possible, and he declared his
sash looked like a dirty rope.

One of his daughters, enveloped in a sheep-
skin coat, was sent to a neighbor's house to
borrow a hat.

Within Polikey's home the greatest confusion
reigned, for the court servants were constantly
arriving with innumerable small orders which
they wished Polikey to execute for them in
town. One wanted needles, another tea, an-
other tobacco, and last came the joiner's wife,
who by this time had prepared her samovar,
and, anxious to make up the quarrel of the pre-
vious day, brought the traveller a cup of tea.

Neighbor Nikita refused the loan of the hat,
so the old one had to be patched up for the
occasion. This occupied some time, as there
were many holes in it.

Finally Polikey was all ready, and jumping
on the wagon started on his journey, after first
making the sign of the cross.

At the last moment his little boy, Mishka,

ran to the door, begging to be given a short
ride; and then his little daughter, Mashka, ap-
peared on the scene and pleaded that she, too,
might have a ride, declaring that she would be
quite warm enough without furs.

Polikey stopped the horse on hearing the
children, and Akulina placed them in the
wagon, together with two others belonging to a
neighbor—all anxious to have a short ride.

As Akulina helped the little ones into the
wagon she took occasion to remind Polikey of
the solemn promise he had made her not to
touch a drop of vodki during the journey.

Polikey drove the children as far as the black-
smith's place, where he let them out of the
wagon, telling them they must return home.

He then arranged his clothing, and, setting his
hat firmly on his head, started his horse on a
trot.

The two children, Mishka and Mashka, both
barefooted, started running at such a rapid
pace that a strange dog from another village,

seeing them flying over the road, dropped his
tail between his legs and ran home squealing.

The weather was very cold, a sharp cutting
wind blowing continuously; but this did not
disturb Polikey, whose mind was engrossed
with pleasant thoughts. As he rode through
the wintry blasts he kept repeating to himself:

"So I am the man they wanted to send to Si-
beria, and whom they threatened to enroll as a
soldier—the same man whom every one abused,
and said he was lazy, and who was pointed out
as a thief and given the meanest work on the
estate to do! Now I am going to receive a
large sum of money, for which my mistress is
sending me because she trusts me. I am also
riding in the same wagon that the superintend-
ent himself uses when he is riding as a repre-
sentative of the court. I have the same harness,
leather horse-collar, reins, and all the other
gear."

Polikey, filled with pride at thought of the
mission with which he had been intrusted, drew

himself up with an air of pride, and, fixing his
old hat more firmly on his head, buttoned his
coat tightly about him and urged his horse to
greater speed.

"Just to think," he continued; "I shall have
in my possession three thousand half-rubles [the
peasant manner of speaking of money so as to
make it appear a larger sum than it really is],
and will carry them in my bosom. If I wished
to I might run away to Odessa instead of taking
the money to my mistress. But no; I will not do
that. I will surely carry the money straight to
the one who has been kind enough to trust me."

When Polikey reached the first
kabak
(tavern)
he found that from long habit the mare was
naturally turning her head toward it; but he
would not allow her to stop, though money had
been given him to purchase both food and
drink. Striking the animal a sharp blow with
the whip, he passed by the tavern. The per-
formance was repeated when he reached the
next kabak, which looked very inviting; but he

resolutely set his face against entering, and
passed on.

About noon he arrived at his destination, and
getting down from the wagon approached the
gate of the merchant's house where the servants
of the court always stopped. Opening it he led
the mare through, and (after unharnessing her)
fed her. This done, he next entered the house
and had dinner with the merchant's working-
man, and to them he related what an important
mission he had been sent on, making himself
very amusing by the pompous air which he as-
sumed. Dinner over, he carried a letter to the
merchant which the noblewoman had given him
to deliver.

The merchant, knowing thoroughly the rep-
utation which Polikey bore, felt doubtful of
trusting him with so much money, and some-
what anxiously inquired if he really had re-
ceived orders to carry so many rubles.

Polikey tried to appear offended at this ques-
tion, but did not succeed, and he only smiled.

The merchant, after reading the letter a
second time and being convinced that all was
right, gave Polikey the money, which he put in
his bosom for safe-keeping.

On his way to the house he did not once stop
at any of the shops he passed. The clothing
establishments possessed no attractions for him,
and after he had safely passed them all he stood
for a moment, feeling very pleased that he had
been able to withstand temptation, and then
went on his way.

"I have money enough to buy up everything,"
he said; "but I will not do so."

The numerous commissions which he had
received compelled him to go to the bazaar.

There he bought only what had been ordered,
but he could not resist the temptation to ask the
price of a very handsome sheep-skin coat which
attracted his attention. The merchant to whom
he spoke looked at Polikey and smiled, not be-
lieving that he had sufficient money to purchase
such an expensive coat. But Polikey, pointing

to his breast, said that he could buy out the
whole shop if he wished to. He thereupon
ordered the shop-keeper to take his measure.

He tried the coat on and looked himself over
carefully, testing the quality and blowing upon
the hair to see that none of it came out. Fi-
nally, heaving a deep sigh, he took it off.

"The price is too high," he said. "If you
could let me have it for fifteen rubles—"

But the merchant cut him short by snatching
the coat from him and throwing it angrily to
one side.

Polikey left the bazaar and returned to the
merchant's house in high spirits.

After supper he went out and fed the mare,
and prepared everything for the night. Re-
turning to the house he got up on the stove to
rest, and while there he took out the envelope
which contained the money and looked long
and earnestly at it. He could not read, but
asked one of those present to tell him what the
writing on the envelope meant. It was simply

the address and the announcement that it con-
tained fifteen hundred rubles.

The envelope was made of common paper
and was sealed with dark-brown sealing wax.

There was one large seal in the centre and four
smaller ones at the corners. Polikey continued
to examine it carefully, even inserting his fin-
ger till he touched the crisp notes. He ap-
peared to take a childish delight in having so
much money in his possession.

Having finished his examination, he put the
envelope inside the lining of his old battered
hat, and placing both under his head he went
to sleep; but during the night he frequently
awoke and always felt to know if the money
was safe. Each time that he found that it was
safe he rejoiced at the thought that he, Polikey,
abused and regarded by every one as a thief,
was intrusted with the care of such a large sum
of money, and also that he was about to return
with it quite as safely as the superintendent
himself could have done.

5.
CHAPTER V.

BEFORE dawn the next morning Polikey was
up, and after harnessing the mare and looking
in his hat to see that the money was all right,
he started on his return journey.

Many times on the way Polikey took off his
hat to see that the money was safe. Once he
said to himself, "I think that perhaps it would
be better if I should put it in my bosom." This
would necessitate the untying of his sash, so he
decided to keep it still in his hat, or until he
should have made half the journey, when he
would be compelled to stop to feed his horse
and to rest.

He said to himself: "The lining is not sewn
in very strongly and the envelope might fall
out, so I think I had better not take off my hat
until I reach home."

The money was safe—at least, so it seemed to
him—and he began to think how grateful his
mistress would be to him, and in his excited
imagination he saw the five rubles he was so
sure of receiving.

Once more he examined the hat to see that
the money was safe, and finding everything all
right he put on his hat and pulled it well down
over his ears, smiling all the while at his own
thoughts.

Akulina had carefully sewed all the holes in
the hat, but it burst out in other places owing
to Polikey's removing it so often.

In the darkness he did not notice the new
rents, and tried to push the envelope further
under the lining, and in doing so pushed one
corner of it through the plush.

The sun was getting high in the heavens,
and Polikey having slept but little the previous
night and feeling its warm rays fell fast asleep,
after first pressing his hat more firmly on his
head. By this action he forced the envelope

still further through the plush, and as he rode
along his head bobbed up and down.

Polikey did not awake till he arrived near his
own house, and his first act was to put his hand
to his head to learn if his hat was all right.

Finding that it was in its place, he did not
think it necessary to examine it and see that the
money was safe. Touching the mare gently
with the whip she started into a trot, and as he
rode along he arranged in his own mind how
much he was to receive. With the air of a
man already holding a high position at the
court, he looked around him with an expression
of lofty scorn on his face.

As he neared his house he could see before
him the one room which constituted their hum-
ble home, and the joiner's wife next door carry-
ing her rolls of linen. He saw also the office of
the court and his mistress's house, where he
hoped he would be able presently to prove that
he was an honest, trustworthy man.

He reasoned with himself that any person

can be abused by lying tongues, but when his
mistress would see him she would say: "Well
done, Polikey; you have shown that you can be
honest. Here are three—it may be five—per-
haps ten—rubles for you;" and also she would
order tea for him, and might treat him to vodki
—who knows? The latter thought gave him
great pleasure, as he was feeling very cold.

Speaking aloud he said: "What a happy
holy-day we can have with ten rubles! Having
so much money, I could pay Nikita the four
rubles fifty kopecks which I owe him, and yet
have some left to buy shoes for the children."

When near the house Polikey began to ar-
range his clothes, smoothing down his fur col-
lar, re-tying his sash, and stroking his hair.

To do the latter he had to take off his hat, and
when doing so felt in the lining for the enve-
lope. Quicker and quicker he ran his hand
around the lining, and not finding the money
used both hands, first one and then the other.

But the envelope was not to be found.

Polikey was by this time greatly distressed,
and his face was white with fear as he passed
his hand through the crown of his old hat.

Polikey stopped the mare and began a diligent
search through the wagon and its contents. Not
finding the precious envelope, he felt in all his
pockets—
but the money could not be found!

Wildly clutching at his hair, he exclaimed:

"Batiushka!
What will I do now? What will
become of me?" At the same time he realized
that he was near his neighbors' house and could
be seen by them; so he turned the mare around,
and, pulling his hat down securely upon his
head, he rode quickly back in search of his lost
treasure.

6.
CHAPTER VI.

THE whole day passed without any one in the
village of Pokrovski having seen anything of
Polikey. During the afternoon his mistress in-
quired many times as to his whereabouts, and
sent Aksiutka frequently to Akulina, who each
time sent back word that Polikey had not yet
returned, saying also that perhaps the merchant
had kept him, or that something had happened
to the mare.

His poor wife felt a heavy load upon her
heart, and was scarcely able to do her house-
work and put everything in order for the
next day (which was to be a holy-day). The
children also anxiously awaited their father's
appearance, and, though for different reasons,
could hardly restrain their impatience. The
noblewoman and Akulina were concerned only

in regard to Polikey himself, while the children
were interested most in what he would bring
them from the town.

The only news received by the villagers
during the day concerning Polikey was to the
effect that neighboring peasants had seen him
running up and down the road and asking every
one he met if he or she had found an envelope.

One of them had seen him also walking by
the side of his tired-out horse. "I thought,"
said he, "that the man was drunk, and had
not fed his horse for two days—the animal
looked so exhausted."

Unable to sleep, and with her heart palpi-
tating at every sound, Akulina lay awake
all night vainly awaiting Polikey's return.

When the cock crowed the third time she
was obliged to get up to attend to the fire.

Day was just dawning and the church-bells had
begun to ring. Soon all the children were also
up, but there was still no tidings of the missing
husband and father.

In the morning the chill blasts of winter en-
tered their humble home, and on looking out
they saw that the houses, fields, and roads were
thickly covered with snow. The day was clear
and cold, as if befitting the holy-day they were
about to celebrate. They were able to see a
long distance from the house, but no one was
in sight.

Akulina was busy baking cakes, and had it
not been for the joyous shouts of the children
she would not have known that Polikey was
coming up the road, for a few minutes later he
came in with a bundle in his hand and walked
quietly to his corner. Akulina noticed that he
was very pale and that his face bore an ex-
pression of suffering—as if he would like to
have cried but could not do so. But she did
not stop to study it, but excitedly inquired:

"What! Illitch, is everything all right with
you?"

He slowly muttered something, but his wife
could not understand what he said.

"What!" she cried out, "have you been to
see our mistress?"

Polikey still sat on the bed in his corner,
glaring wildly about him, and smiling bitterly.

He did not reply for a long time, and Akulina
again cried:

"Eh? Illitch! Why don't you answer me?

Why don't you speak?"

Finally he said: "Akulina, I delivered the
money to our mistress; and oh, how she thanked
me!" Then he suddenly looked about him,
with an anxious, startled air, and with a sad
smile on his lips. Two things in the room
seemed to engross the most of his attention:
the baby in the cradle, and the rope which
was attached to the ladder. Approaching the
cradle, he began with his thin fingers quickly
to untie the knot in the rope by which the
two were connected. After untying it he
stood for a few moments looking silently at the
baby.

Akulina did not notice this proceeding, and

with her cakes on the board went to place them
in a corner.

Polikey quickly hid the rope beneath his coat,
and again seated himself on the bed.

"What is it that troubles you, Illitch?" in-
quired Akulina. "You are not yourself."

"I have not slept," he answered.

Suddenly a dark shadow crossed the window,
and a minute later the girl Aksiutka quickly
entered the room, exclaiming:

"The
boyarinia
commands you, Polikey Illitch,
to come to her this moment!"

Polikey looked first at Akulina and then at
the girl.

"This moment!" he cried. "What more is
wanted?"

He spoke the last sentence so softly that
Akulina became quieted in her mind, thinking
that perhaps their mistress intended to reward
her husband.

"Say that I will come immediately," he said.

But Polikey failed to follow the girl, and went
instead to another place.

From the porch of his house there was a lad-
der reaching to the attic. Arriving at the foot
of the ladder Polikey looked around him, and
seeing no one about, he quickly ascended to the
garret.

* * * * * * *

Meanwhile the girl had reached her mistress's
house.

"What does it mean that Polikey does not
come?" said the noblewoman impatiently.

"Where can he be? Why does he not come at
once?"

Aksiutka flew again to his house and de-
manded to see Polikey.

"He went a long time ago," answered Aku-
lina, and looking around with an expression of
fear on her face, she added, "He may have
fallen asleep somewhere on the way."

About this time the joiner's wife, with hair
unkempt and clothes bedraggled, went up to

the loft to gather the linen which she had pre-
viously put there to dry. Suddenly a cry of
horror was heard, and the woman, with her
eyes closed, and crazed by fear, ran down the
ladder like a cat.

"Illitch," she cried, "has hanged himself!"

Poor Akulina ran up the ladder before any of
the people, who had gathered from the sur-
rounding houses, could prevent her. With a
loud shriek she fell back as if dead, and would
surely have been killed had not one of the spec-
tators succeeded in catching her in his arms.

Before dark the same day a peasant of the
village, while returning from the town, found
the envelope containing Polikey's money on
the roadside, and soon after delivered it to the
boyarinia.

THE END.