Chelkash came to himself and shoved Gabriel away, hoarsely exclaiming: "Be off!" "Brother, forgive!... the devil tempted me!" whispered the tremulous Gabriel, kissing Chelkash's hand. "Go! Be off!" growled the other. "Take the sin from my soul, my brother! Forgive!" "Slope! Go to the devil, I say!" cried Chelkash, and with an effort he sat up on the sand. His face was pale and angry, his eyes were dull and half closed, as if he wanted to sleep. "What more do you want? You have done what you wanted to do.... So go! Be off!" and he tried to kick the utterly woe-begone Gabriel, but could not, and would again have rolled over had not Gabriel held him up by embracing his shoulders. The face of Chelkash was now on a level with the face of Gabriel; both were pale, pitiful, and odd-looking. "Phew!" said Chelkash, and he spat full into the wide-open eyes of his workman. The latter gently wiped it off with his sleeve. "What would you do? Won't you answer a word? Forgive me, for Christ's sake!" "Ugh, you horror! But you'll never understand," cried Chelkash contemptuously, dragging off his shirt from under his short jacket and proceeding to wrap it round his head in silence, save for the occasional gnashing of his teeth. "You have taken the notes, I suppose?" he muttered through his teeth. "No, I've not taken them, my friend!... I don't want them ... they'd do me harm!" Chelkash shoved his hand into the pocket of his jacket, drew out a bundle of money, put back again in his pocket a single rainbow note, and pitched all the rest at Gabriel. "Take it and go!" "I'll not take it, my brother ... I cannot I Forgive me!" "Take it, I say!" roared Chelkash, rolling his eyes horribly. "Forgive me ... and then I'll take it!" said Gabriel timidly, and fell on his knees before Chelkash on the grey sand, now saturated with rain. "Take it, you monster!" said Chelkash confidently, and, with an effort, raising Gabriel's head by the hair, he flung the money in his face. "There, take it! You shan't work for me for nothing. Take it without fear! Don't be ashamed of nearly killing a man. Nobody will bother about such as I. They'll even thank you when they hear about it. Come, take it! Nobody knows about your deed, and it's worth a recompense. There you are!" Gabriel perceived that Chelkash was laughing at him, and his heart grew lighter. He grasped the money tightly in his hand. "But, brother, you forgive me, won't you?" he inquired tearfully. "What for, my brother?" said Chelkash in the same tone, rising to his feet and tottering a little. "What for? For nothing at all. To-day it's your turn, to-morrow mine." "Alas, my brother, my brother!" sobbed the afflicted Gabriel, shaking his head. Chelkash stood in front of him with a strange smile, and the rag round his head, now slightly tinged with red, bore some resemblance to a Turkish fez.