fence, and to warm the long, pointed staples with which it
was fastened together. While in a stream of water that was dripping
from the eaves, and trickling over the floor of the court, and around
the woman's feet, a single beam was bathing and quivering as though it
would fain effect an advance to the woman's lap and the hencoop, and,
with the soft, downy chicks, enjoy the caresses of the woman's bare
white arms.

"Ah, little things!" again she murmured. "Ah, little children of mine!"

Upon that Gubin suddenly desisted from his task of hauling up the
bucket, and, as he steadied the rope with his arms raised above his
head, said quickly:

"Nadezhda Ivanovna, you ought indeed to have had some children--six at
the least!"

Yet no reply came, nor did the woman even look at him.

The rays of the sun were now spreading, smokelike and greyish-yellow,
over the silver river. Above the river's calm bed a muslin texture of
mist was coiling. Against the nebulous heavens the blue of the forest
was rearing itself amid the fragrant, pungent fumes from the burning
timber.

Yet still asleep amid its sheltering half-circle of forest was the
quiet little town of Miamlin, while behind it, and encompassing it as
with a pair of dark wings, the forest in question looked as though it
were ruffling its feathers in preparation for further flight beyond the
point where, the peaceful Oka reached, the trees stood darkening,
overshadowing the water's clear depths, and looking at themselves
therein.

Yet, though the hour was so early, everything seemed to have about it
an air of sadness, a mien as though the day lacked promise, as though
its face were veiled and mournful, as though, not yet come to birth, it
nevertheless were feeling weary in advance.

Seating myself by Gubin on some trampled straw in the hut ordinarily
used by the watchman of the Birkins' extensive orchard, I found that,
owing to the orchard being set on a hillside, I could see over the tops
of the apple and pear and fig trees, where their tops hung bespangled
with dew as with quicksilver, and view the whole town and its
multicoloured churches, yellow, newly-painted prison, and
yellow-painted bank.

And while in the town's lurid, four-square buildings I could trace a
certain resemblance to the aces of clubs stamped upon convicts' backs,
in the grey strips of the streets I could trace a certain resemblance
to a number of rents in an old, ragged, faded, dusty coat. Indee