"Very well. I have nothing to say. Do as you choose I You are no longer a child. Only remember that I shan't live very much longer. I shall keep alive perhaps, but I don't know how I shall manage to work.... I have lost the habit of working on the land.... Don't forget therefore that you have your mother there." It was evidently painful to him to speak. The words seemed to stick between his teeth. Whilst he twisted his beard, his hand trembled. Malva watched him. Sereja had half closed one eye, and with the other which was wide open he watched Jakoff. The boy was glad, but fearing to betray his feelings, he was silent, and hung his head. "Don't forget your mother therefore, Jakoff. Remember that you are all that is left to her!" said Vassilli. "I know!" said Jakoff, shrugging his shoulders. "That's all right if you know it," added his lather, with a distrustful glance. "I only warn you not to forget it." "All right!" Vassili sighed deeply. They were all silent for some minutes. Then Malva said-- "They will soon be ringing the bell for work." "I am going," said Vassili, rising. And they all rose with him. "Good-bye, Sereja. If you ever come to the Volga, perhaps you will remember to come and see me?... The District of Simbirsk, the village of Malso, near Nikolo-Livolvsk." "All right," said Sereja. He shook Vassili's hand, holding it for a long time in his big, thick-veined paw, covered with red hairs. He smiled into the sad, serious face of Vassili. "Nikolo-Livolvsk is a big town, _every one_ knows it, and we are only four versts from there," the peasant explained. "All right, I will come and see you if I am that way." "Good-bye." "Good-bye, my dear fellow." "Good-bye, Malva!" whispered Vassili, without raising his eyes to her. She wiped her lips leisurely with, her sleeve, threw her two white arms round his neck, and kissed him three times, on his lips and on his cheeks. He was overcome, and muttered some indistinct words. Jakoff dropped his head to hide a smile; but Sereja was unmoved, and even yawned slightly as he looked up at the sky. "It will be hot walking," he said. "Nevermind!... Good-bye to you also, Jakoff." "Good-bye." They were face to face with one another, without knowing what to do. The sad word "good-bye," which had just been repeated so many times, awoke in the soul of Jakoff a feeling of tenderness for his father, but he did not know how to express it Should he embrace his father as Malva had done, or shake hands with him like Sereja?... And Vassili was wounded by this hesitation which was visible in the attitude of his son, and at the same time he felt something like shame. He remembered what had taken place at the cape, and he thought of Malva's kisses. "Well, think of your mother!" said Vassili at last. "Oh! yes!" replied Jakoff cordially. "Don't be anxious ... I know." And he shook his head.