Nevertheless, out of almost all the doors their inmates poured out towards the cross roads, in whatever they had on: in slippers upon bare feet, in night gowns, with kerchiefs upon their heads; they crossed themselves, sighed, wiped their eyes with their handkerchiefs and the edges of their jackets. The weather cleared up ... The cold sun shone brightly from a cold sky of radiant blue enamel; the last grass showed its green, the withered leaves on the trees glowed, showing their pink and gold ... And in the crystal clear, cold air solemnly, and mournfully reverberated the sonorous sounds: “Holy God, Holy Almighty, Holy Everliving, have mercy upon us!” And with what flaming thirst for life, not to be satiated by aught; with what longing for the momentary—transient like unto a dream—joy and beauty of being; with what horror before the eternal silence of death, sounded the ancient refrain of John Damascene! Then a brief requiem at the grave, the dull thud of the earth against the lid of the coffin ... a small fresh hillock ... “And here’s the end!” said Tamara to her comrades, when they were left alone. “Oh, well, girls—an hour earlier, an hour later! ... I’m sorry for Jennka! ... Horribly sorry! ... We won’t ever find such another. And yet, my children, it’s far better for her in her pit than for us in ours ... Well, let’s cross ourselves for the last time—and home! ...” And when they all were already nearing their house, Tamara suddenly uttered pensively the strange, ominous words: “And we won’t be long together without her: soon we will be scattered, by the wind far and wide. Life is good! ... Look: there’s the sun, the blue sky ... How pure the air is ... Cobwebs are floating—it’s Indian summer ... How good it is in this world! ... Only we alone—we wenches—are wayside rubbish.” The girls started off on their journey. But suddenly from somewhere on the side, from behind a monument, a tall sturdy student detached himself. He caught up with Liubka and softly touched her sleeve. She turned around and beheld Soloviev. Her face instantaneously turned pale, her eyes opened wide and her lips began to tremble. “Go away!” she said quietly, with infinite hatred. “Liuba ... Liubochka ...” Soloviev began to mumble. “I searched ... searched for you ... I ... Honest to God, I’m not like that one ... like Lichonin ... I’m in earnest ... even right now, even to-day. “Go away!” still more quietly pronounced Liubka. “I’m serious ... I’m serious ... I’m not trifling, I want to marry...” “Oh, you creature!” suddenly squealed out Liubka, and quickly, hard, peasant-like, hit Soloviev on the cheek with her palm. Soloviev stood a little while, slightly swaying. His eyes were like those of a martyr ... The mouth half-open, with mournful creases at the sides. “Go away! Go away! I can’t bear to look at all of you!” Liubka was screaming with rage. “Hangmen, swine!”