Nikodim's writings," he added, showing off his erudition.

"And will they never be pardoned?" asked Stepan, who had listened
silently, with his hairy head bent low down.

"Wait a moment, and be silent," said Chouev to Vassily, who went on
talking about the rich who had not given meat to the stranger, nor
visited him in the prison.

"Wait, I say!" said Chouev, again turning over the leaves of the Gospel.
Having found what he was looking for, Chouev smoothed the page with his
large and strong hand, which had become exceedingly white in prison:

"And there were also two other malefactors, led with Him"--it means with
Christ--"to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which
is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one
on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus,--'Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do.' And the people stood
beholding. And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying,--'He saved
others; let Him save Himself if He be Christ, the chosen of God.' And
the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar,
and saying, 'If Thou be the King of the Jews save Thyself.' And a
superscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin,
and Hebrew, 'This is the King of the Jews.' And one of the malefactors
which were hanged railed on Him, saying, 'If thou be Christ, save
Thyself and us.' But the other answering rebuked Him, saying, 'Dost not
thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed
justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath
done nothing amiss.' And he said unto Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when
Thou comest into Thy kingdom.' And Jesus said unto him, 'Verily I say
unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.'"

Stepan did not say anything, and was sitting in thought, as if he were
listening.

Now he knew what the true faith was. Those only will be saved who have
given food and drink to the poor and visited the prisoners; those who
have not done it, go to hell. And yet the malefactor had repented on
the cross, and went nevertheless to paradise. This did not strike him as
being inconsistent. Quite the contrary. The one confirmed the other: the
fact that the merciful will go to Heaven, and the unmerciful to hell,
meant that everybody ought to be merciful, and the malefactor having
been forgiven by Christ meant that Christ was merciful. This was all new
t