神知道真相，只是時辰未到God Sees the Truth, But Waits

托爾斯泰 著

1872

Bill Lin 譯

在伍拉迪米爾 Vladimir城，住了一個年輕的商人，名叫伊凡.迪米區祁.愛克修諾夫 Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov。他在城裡有兩個店舖和一個房子。

愛克修諾夫是一個英俊，滿頭金色捲髮的傢伙，很有趣，又很喜歡歌唱。他很年輕時經常喝酒，喝得過度時就很放蕩；但是結婚後就不喝了，除了偶爾來一下子。

一個夏天，愛克修諾夫正要去尼查尼商展，當他跟家人道別時，他的老婆告訴他：「伊凡.迪米區祁，不要今天上路；我做了一個與你有關的惡夢。」

愛克修諾夫笑著說：「你是怕我去到商展，跑去狂歡？」

他的老婆回答：「我不知道我怕什麼；我只知道我做了一個不好的夢。我夢見你從那城回來，當你脫掉帽子的時候，我看到了你的一頭白髮。」

愛克修諾夫笑了，「那是個好兆頭，」他說：「妳看看我會不會把我的商品賣光，也從商展買禮物回來送妳。」

所以他跟他的家人道別，就驅車走了。

當他已經走了一半行程，他遇見了一個熟識的商人，他們那個晚上投宿在同一個客棧。他們一起喝茶，然後各自睡在相鄰接的客房。

晚睡，而且要在天還冷的時候就上路，都不是愛克修諾夫的習慣，他在破曉前把車夫弄醒，要他把馬匹準備好。

然後他走到了客棧老闆那裡(他住在後面的小房子)，付了帳單，繼續走他的旅程。

當他已經走了大約25哩路，他停下來等著餵飽馬匹。愛克修諾夫在客棧的穿堂休息一會兒，然後走出去到陽台，然後要了一泡熱茶，把他的吉他拿出來玩弄。

突然一輛有清脆的鈴鐺的三頭馬車跑了過來，一個官員下車，跟著兩個士兵。他走到愛克修諾夫那兒，開始詢問他，問他是誰，想去哪裡。愛克修諾夫仔細的回答，而且說：「不如和我一起喝杯茶？」但是這官員繼續交叉詢問他，還問他：「你昨晚在哪裡過夜？你是單獨的？或是跟著同夥的商人在一起？你今天早上有碰到其他的商人嗎？你為什麼在黎明前就離開了客棧？」

愛克修諾夫不懂為什麼他會被詢問這些問題，他還是描述了所有的經過，然後加問了一句：「你為什麼把我當成像小偷或強盜一般的交叉詢問？我是出差做自己的生意，你沒有必要問我這些問題。」

然後這官員叫士兵上來，說：「我是這個地區的警官，因為那一位昨晚和你在一起的商人，被人發現被割了喉嚨。我們要來搜查你的東西。」

他們進了屋子。士兵們和警官打開愛克修諾夫的行李搜查。突然警官從一個袋子抽出一把刀子，叫著：「這是誰的刀子？」

愛克修諾夫看了一下，看到一把從他的袋子裡拿出來的有血跡的刀子，他害怕了。

「這把刀子上的血是怎麼來的？」

愛克修諾夫想要回答，但是說不出一句話來，只有結結巴巴的說：「我…不知道…不是我的。」然後警官說：「今天早上，那個商人被發現被割了喉嚨，死在床上。你是唯一可以幹這個事的人。那個房子是從裡面上鎖的，也沒有其他的人。這把在你的袋子裡的有血跡的刀子，你的臉色和態度都把你泄底了！告訴我，你如何殺了他，偷了多少錢？」

愛克修諾夫發誓他沒幹這事；從他們一起喝完茶以後，他再也沒見過那位商人；除了他自己的八千盧布以外他沒有別的錢，那把刀子不是他的。但是他的聲音沙啞，臉色蒼白，恐懼發抖就像他是有罪的。

警官命令士兵把愛克修諾夫綁起來擺到車上。當他們綁了他的雙腳，把他甩到車上，愛克修諾夫畫了個十字，哭了。他的財物都被沒收了，他被送到最近的城鎮，被下到監牢了。他的人品的調查報告就是在伍拉迪米爾城做的。那城裡的商人和其他的居民說，在早先的日子裡，他經常喝酒，不務正業，但是他是個好人。然後，審判來臨了：他被控告謀殺一個來自萊山的商人，還搶了他的兩萬盧布。

他的老婆陷在絕望中，不知道要相信什麼才好。她的孩子都很小；一個還在餵奶。攜帶了孩子們，她到了她的丈夫被關的那個城鎮。開始她不被准許去看他；但是經過多次的乞求，她從官員那兒拿到了許可證，被帶到他那裡去。當她見到她的丈夫穿著囚衣，帶著腳鐐手銬，和小偷罪犯們囚禁在一起，她昏倒了，許久才清醒過來。然後她把孩子們緊緊的帶在身邊，坐在他的身邊。她告訴他家裡的事，問他發生了什麼事。他告訴她一切，她問：「我們該怎麼辦？」

「我們必須向沙皇請願，不要讓一個無辜的人毀滅了。」

他的老婆告訴他，她已經送了一份請願書給沙皇，但是還沒有被接受。

愛克修諾夫沒有回答，只是看來垂頭喪氣的。

然後她的老婆說：「你記得嗎？我夢見你的頭髮變成灰白，這絕不是偶然的。那一天你不應該出門的。」她用她的手指穿梭過他的頭髮，她說：「親愛的伊凡，告訴你的老婆真相；那不是你幹的嗎？」

「所以連你也懷疑我！」愛克修諾夫說，同時，用他的雙手遮臉，他開始掉淚。然後一名士兵過來說，他的老婆和小孩必須離開了；愛克修諾夫和他的家人說了最後一次的道別。

當他們走了，愛克修諾夫回想過去說的話，當他記得他的老婆也對他有懷疑時，他告訴自己：「看來只有神能夠知道真相；我們只能向祂申訴，也只有盼望從祂得到憐憫。」

愛克修諾夫不再寫請願書了；放棄了所有的希望，只有向神禱告。

愛克修諾夫被判處鞭刑以後送到礦區勞役。所以他被有結的鞭子抽打刑罰，當他的鞭結傷復原以後，他和其他的受刑犯一起被送到了西伯利亞。

愛克修諾夫住在西伯利亞當囚犯26年。他的頭髮變成雪白，他的鬍鬚長得灰長稀疏。他的歡樂全部不見了；他彎著腰；走路緩慢，不太說話，從來不笑，只是經常禱告。

在牢獄裡，愛克修諾夫學會了做靴子，也賺了一點點錢，用這些錢，他買了一本《聖徒的生命》。當他的牢房裡有足夠的光線的時候，他讀這本書；星期日在牢獄教堂裡，他讀主日功課而且在詩班歌唱；因為他的聲音還是很好。

監牢的管理當局喜歡愛克修諾夫的順服，他的牢友們尊敬他：他們稱他「大爺，」還有「聖徒。」當他們要向監牢的管理當局請願任何東西，他們總是推舉愛克修諾夫當他們的發言人，當犯人中有爭吵的時候，他們來找他擺平，審理紛爭。

愛克修諾夫拿不到從他的家裡來的訊息，他甚至不知道他的老婆，孩子是不是還活著。

有一天，監牢裡來了一批新的犯人。在傍晚時分，老犯人們集聚圍繞著新來的，問他們是從哪個城鎮或鄉下來的，還有他們為什麼被判刑。在其他人之間，愛克修諾夫靠近新來的人坐著，在沮喪的氣氛下聽著他們所說的。

一個高大，強壯的大約60歲左右的新犯人，有一個用心修剪的灰色鬍子，正在告訴其他的人，他被逮捕的原因。

「朋友們，是這樣的，」他說：「我只是牽走了綁在一抬雪橇上的一匹馬，我就被抓了，說我是小偷。我說我只不過是要快一點回家，到了家我就讓牠走了；而且那個馬車夫還是我的一個朋友。所以我說：『這沒什麼。』『不行，』他們說：『你偷了那匹馬。』但是他們沒辦法說我是怎麼偷的，在哪裡偷的。我曾經真正的幹了壞事，而且說實在的，在很久以前就應該來這裡了，但是那時他們沒有找到我。現在我沒幹什麼，卻被送來了…嘿，剛才我講的都不是真的，我騙你們的；我以前來過西伯利亞，但是我沒有待太久。」

「你從哪裡來？」有人問。

「從伍拉迪米爾城，我家就在城裡。我的名字叫莫客，他們又叫我希某尼祁。」

愛克修諾夫抬起他的頭說：「告訴我，希某尼祁，你知道任何有關伍拉迪米爾的愛克修諾夫商人嗎？他們還在嗎？」

「認識他們？當然我認識他們。愛克修諾夫家族是富人，縱使他們的父親是在西伯利亞：一個像我們這樣的罪犯，好像就是這樣！至於你，大爺，你怎麼到這裡來？」

愛克修諾夫不喜歡提起他的不幸。他只嘆口氣，說：「為了我的罪，我已經在牢裡26年了。」

「什麼罪行？」莫客.希某尼祁問。

但是愛克修諾夫只說「是這樣，這樣─我想是注定的！」他不想再說了，但是他的同伴告訴這個新來的，愛克修諾夫如何來到西伯利亞的由來；如何的有人殺了一個商人，然後把刀子跟愛克修諾夫的東西擺在一起，所以愛克修諾夫就被不公正的判刑了。

當莫客.希某尼祁聽了這些，他看了看愛克修諾夫，拍拍他自己的膝蓋，大叫說：「就是這樣，太妙了！實在太妙了！你已經活到這麼老了，大爺！」

其他的人問他為什麼如此驚訝，而且以前在哪裡見過愛克修諾夫；但是莫客.希某尼祁不回答。他只說：「小伙子們，我們會在這裡碰面太妙了！」

這些話語使得愛克修諾夫懷疑或許這個人知道誰殺了那個商人；所以他說：「希某尼祁，或許你聽過那件事，或許你以前見過我？」

「這世上充滿了謠言。我聽到的東西怎能幫忙呢？但是，這是很久以前的事了，而且我也忘了我聽過的。」

「或許你聽過誰殺了那商人？」愛克修諾夫問。

莫客.希某尼祁笑著，回答：「應該是刀子在哪個人的袋子裡發現，就是哪個人幹的吧！假如有人把刀子藏在那裡，『沒被逮到的就不是小偷，』話是這麼說的。怎麼有人能夠把刀子放到擺在你的頭下面的袋子呢？那一定會把你弄醒的。」

當愛克修諾夫聽到這些話，他確實感覺到這就是殺了那個商人的兇手。他站起來走了。整個晚上，愛克修諾夫清醒的躺著。他感到很悲傷，所有各種的影像不斷的浮上他的腦海。有他正要離開她去商展那時的老婆的影像。他看她的影像栩栩如生；她的臉龐和她的眼睛浮在她的眼前；他聽到她的談笑風生。然後他看到她的孩子，那麼小，正像他們那時的模樣：一個披著小斗篷，另一個在他的母親的懷裡。然後他回想到他自己當年的─年輕又快活。他回想到當他被逮捕時，他如何的坐在客棧的陽台彈著吉他，而且那時是何等的自由自在。他在他的心頭看見，他被鞭刑的地方，那劊子手，還有圍觀的人們；這些腳鐐手銬，罪犯們，所有26年的牢獄生活，他未老先衰的老人模樣。這些念頭，使得他覺得不幸到快要去自殺。

「所有的這些都是那個惡棍搞的！」愛克修諾夫想著。他對於莫客.希某尼祁的極大的憤怒到─渴望著復仇，甚至不惜同歸於盡。他持續整晚的祈禱，但是總得不到平安。在白天，他沒有走近莫客.希某尼祁，甚至沒有望他一眼。

兩星期就這麼過去了。愛克修諾夫晚上不能入眠，是如此的悽慘以至於他不知該怎麼辦。

有個晚上他在牢裡走動，他注意到了有些泥土從一個犯人的床板下跑出來。他停下來看個究竟。突然，莫客.希某尼祁從那床板下面爬了出來，滿臉驚慌的仰望著愛克修諾夫。愛克修諾夫裝做視若無睹的走過，但是莫客抓住他的手，告訴他，他在那牆下挖了一個洞，把要丟棄的土裝進他的高統靴，當每天囚犯們上工時再倒到路上。

「你給我封口，老頭子，你也可以逃走。假如你洩密，他們會鞭死我，但是我會先殺了你。」

當他看著他的仇人時，愛克修諾夫憤怒得全身發抖。他抽開他的手，說：「我不想逃走，你也無須殺死我；你在很久以前已經殺了我！現在我告訴你─我要怎麼做，神會帶領我。」

第二天，當囚犯們被帶出去工作時，押送的士兵們注意到一個或還有其他的犯人們從靴子裡倒出土來。他們搜索牢房，找到了地道。典獄長來問所有的犯人，要找出挖洞的人。他們全部否認知情。那些知情的不願出賣莫客.希某尼祁，知道他將會被打個半死。最後，典獄長轉向愛克修諾夫，他知道這是一個正直的人，說：

「你是一個真誠的老人；在神面前，告訴我誰挖了這個洞？」

莫客.希某尼祁站著，一副不在乎的樣子，看著典獄長，也不怎麼在意的瞥了愛克修諾夫一眼。愛克修諾夫的嘴唇和雙手發抖，許久說不出一個字來。他想：「我為什麼要掩護一個毀了我一生的人？讓他付出我受苦的代價。但是假如我說了，他們可能會打死他，或許我懷疑錯了他。而且，這終究對我有什麼好呢？」

「這樣，老頭子，」典獄長重申：「告訴我真相：誰在這牆底下挖洞？」

愛克修諾夫看了莫客.希某尼祁一眼，說：「我的大人，我不能講。照著神的旨意我不可以說！你要怎麼處分我都可以；我全在你的手中。」

不管典獄長用再多的手段，愛克修諾夫都不再多說，所以這件事就擺一旁了。

那個晚上，當愛克修諾夫正躺在他的床上，快要入睡的時候，有人靜靜的來，而且坐在他的床前。他在黑暗中凝視並認出了莫客。

「你還要我為你做什麼？」愛克修諾夫問：「你為什麼來這兒？」

莫客.希某尼祁不做聲。所以愛克修諾夫坐起來說：「你要什麼？走開，不然我要叫警衛！」

莫客.希某尼祁彎下身靠近愛克修諾夫，細聲說：「伊凡.迪米區祁，請原諒我！」

「為什麼？」愛克修諾夫問。

「殺了那商人，還把刀子藏在你的東西裡面的就是我。我本來也要殺了你，但是我聽到外面有響聲，所以我把刀子藏在你的袋子裡，再從窗子逃走。」

愛克修諾夫不做聲，不知道該說什麼。莫客.希某尼祁從床板上滑下來，跪在地上。他說：「伊凡.迪米區祁，請原諒我！為了神的愛，請原諒我！我要去自首，是我殺了那商人，你將會被釋放，就可以回你的家。」

「你說得倒容易，」愛克修諾夫說：「只是我已經因你受苦了26年。現在我還能到哪裡去呢？…我的老婆死了，我的孩子們已經忘了我。我沒有哪個地方可以去…」

莫客.希某尼祁不起來，只用頭敲著地板。「伊凡.迪米區祁，原諒我！」他哭了。「當他們用繩結鞭打我的時候，還不如像現在看著你那樣的難受…但是你憐憫了我，不把我供出來。看在耶穌基督的面上，請原諒我，我是個如此不堪的壞蛋！」他開始哭了。

當愛克修諾夫聽到他的唏嘘，他也跟著落淚。「神會寬恕你！」他說：「或許我比你壞一百倍。」在說這些話的當兒，他釋懷了，不再想家了。他不再有任何離開監牢的慾望，卻只希望他的最後時辰快點到來。

不管愛克修諾夫說了什麼，莫客.希某尼祁去懺悔認了他的罪。但是當他的釋放令下達的時候，愛克修諾夫已經去世了。

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In the town of Vladimir lived a young merchant named Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov. He had two shops and a house of his own.

Aksionov was a handsome, fair-haired, curly-headed fellow, full of fun, and very fond of singing. When quite a young man he had been given to drink, and was riotous when he had had too much; but after he married he gave up drinking, except now and then.

One summer Aksionov was going to the Nizhny Fair, and as he bade good-bye to his family, his wife said to him, "Ivan Dmitrich, do not start to-day; I have had a bad dream about you."

Aksionov laughed, and said, "You are afraid that when I get to the fair I shall go on a spree."

His wife replied: "I do not know what I am afraid of; all I know is that I had a bad dream. I dreamt you returned from the town, and when you took off your cap I saw that your hair was quite grey."

Aksionov laughed, "That's a lucky sign," said he, "See if I don't sell out all my goods, and bring you some presents from the fair."

So he said good-bye to his family, and drove away.

When he had traveled half-way, he met a merchant whom he knew, and they put up at the same inn for the night. They had some tea together, and then went to bed in adjoining rooms.

It was not Aksionov's habit to sleep late, and, wishing to travel while it was still cool, he aroused his driver before dawn, and told him to put in the horses.

Then he made his way across to the landlord of the inn (who lived in a cottage at the back), paid his bill, and continued his journey.

When he had gone about twenty-five miles, he stopped for the horses to be fed. Aksionov rested awhile in the passage of the inn, then he stepped out into the porch, and, ordering a samovar to be heated, got out his guitar and began to play.

Suddenly a troika drove up with tinkling bells and an official alighted, followed by two soldiers. He came to Aksionov and began to question him, asking him who he was and whence he came. Aksionov answered him fully, and said, "Won't you have some tea with me?" But the official went on cross-questioning him and asking him, "Where did you spend last night? Were you alone, or with a fellow-merchant? Did you see the other merchant this morning? Why did you leave the inn before dawn?"

Aksionov wondered why he was asked all these questions, but he described all that had happened, and then added, "Why do you cross-question me as if I were a thief or a robber? I am traveling on business of my own, and there is no need to question me."

Then the official, calling the soldiers, said, "I am the police-officer of this district, and I question you because the merchant with whom you spent last night has been found with his throat cut. We must search your things."

They entered the house. The soldiers and the police-officer unstrapped Aksionov's luggage and searched it. Suddenly the officer drew a knife out of a bag, crying, "Whose knife is this?"

Aksionov looked, and seeing a blood-stained knife taken from his bag, he was frightened.

"How is it there is blood on this knife?"

Aksionov tried to answer, but could hardly utter a word, and only stammered: "I--don't know--not mine." Then the police-officer said: "This morning the merchant was found in bed with his throat cut. You are the only person who could have done it. The house was locked from inside, and no one else was there. Here is this blood-stained knife in your bag and your face and manner betray you! Tell me how you killed him, and how much money you stole?"

Aksionov swore he had not done it; that he had not seen the merchant after they had had tea together; that he had no money except eight thousand rubles of his own, and that the knife was not his. But his voice was broken, his face pale, and he trembled with fear as though he went guilty.

The police-officer ordered the soldiers to bind Aksionov and to put him in the cart. As they tied his feet together and flung him into the cart, Aksionov crossed himself and wept. His money and goods were taken from him, and he was sent to the nearest town and imprisoned there. Enquiries as to his character were made in Vladimir. The merchants and other inhabitants of that town said that in former days he used to drink and waste his time, but that he was a good man. Then the trial came on: he was charged with murdering a merchant from Ryazan, and robbing him of twenty thousand rubles.

His wife was in despair, and did not know what to believe. Her children were all quite small; one was a baby at her breast. Taking them all with her, she went to the town where her husband was in jail. At first she was not allowed to see him; but after much begging, she obtained permission from the officials, and was taken to him. When she saw her husband in prison-dress and in chains, shut up with thieves and criminals, she fell down, and did not come to her senses for a long time. Then she drew her children to her, and sat down near him. She told him of things at home, and asked about what had happened to him. He told her all, and she asked, "What can we do now?"

"We must petition the Czar not to let an innocent man perish."

His wife told him that she had sent a petition to the Czar, but it had not been accepted.

Aksionov did not reply, but only looked downcast.

Then his wife said, "It was not for nothing I dreamt your hair had turned grey. You remember? You should not have started that day." And passing her fingers through his hair, she said: "Vanya dearest, tell your wife the truth; was it not you who did it?"

"So you, too, suspect me!" said Aksionov, and, hiding his face in his hands, he began to weep. Then a soldier came to say that the wife and children must go away; and Aksionov said good-bye to his family for the last time.

When they were gone, Aksionov recalled what had been said, and when he remembered that his wife also had suspected him, he said to himself, "It seems that only God can know the truth; it is to Him alone we must appeal, and from Him alone expect mercy."

And Aksionov wrote no more petitions; gave up all hope, and only prayed to God.

Aksionov was condemned to be flogged and sent to the mines. So he was flogged with a knot, and when the wounds made by the knot were healed, he was driven to Siberia with other convicts.

For twenty-six years Aksionov lived as a convict in Siberia. His hair turned white as snow, and his beard grew long, thin, and grey. All his mirth went; he stooped; he walked slowly, spoke little, and never laughed, but he often prayed.

In prison Aksionov learnt to make boots, and earned a little money, with which he bought The Lives of the Saints. He read this book when there was light enough in the prison; and on Sundays in the prison-church he read the lessons and sang in the choir; for his voice was still good.

The prison authorities liked Aksionov for his meekness, and his fellow-prisoners respected him: they called him "Grandfather," and "The Saint." When they wanted to petition the prison authorities about anything, they always made Aksionov their spokesman, and when there were quarrels among the prisoners they came to him to put things right, and to judge the matter.

No news reached Aksionov from his home, and he did not even know if his wife and children were still alive.

One day a fresh gang of convicts came to the prison. In the evening the old prisoners collected round the new ones and asked them what towns or villages they came from, and what they were sentenced for. Among the rest Aksionov sat down near the newcomers, and listened with downcast air to what was said.

One of the new convicts, a tall, strong man of sixty, with a closely-cropped grey beard, was telling the others what be had been arrested for.

"Well, friends," he said, "I only took a horse that was tied to a sledge, and I was arrested and accused of stealing. I said I had only taken it to get home quicker, and had then let it go; besides, the driver was a personal friend of mine. So I said, 'It's all right.' 'No,' said they, 'you stole it.' But how or where I stole it they could not say. I once really did something wrong, and ought by rights to have come here long ago, but that time I was not found out. Now I have been sent here for nothing at all... Eh, but it's lies I'm telling you; I've been to Siberia before, but I did not stay long."

"Where are you from?" asked some one.

"From Vladimir. My family are of that town. My name is Makar, and they also call me Semyonich."

Aksionov raised his head and said: "Tell me, Semyonich, do you know anything of the merchants Aksionov of Vladimir? Are they still alive?"

"Know them? Of course I do. The Aksionovs are rich, though their father is in Siberia: a sinner like ourselves, it seems! As for you, Gran'dad, how did you come here?"

Aksionov did not like to speak of his misfortune. He only sighed, and said, "For my sins I have been in prison these twenty-six years."

"What sins?" asked Makar Semyonich.

But Aksionov only said, "Well, well--I must have deserved it!" He would have said no more, but his companions told the newcomers how Aksionov came to be in Siberia; how some one had killed a merchant, and had put the knife among Aksionov's things, and Aksionov had been unjustly condemned.

When Makar Semyonich heard this, he looked at Aksionov, slapped his own knee, and exclaimed, "Well, this is wonderful! Really wonderful! But how old you've grown, Gran'dad!"

The others asked him why he was so surprised, and where he had seen Aksionov before; but Makar Semyonich did not reply. He only said: "It's wonderful that we should meet here, lads!"

These words made Aksionov wonder whether this man knew who had killed the merchant; so he said, "Perhaps, Semyonich, you have heard of that affair, or maybe you've seen me before?"

"How could I help hearing? The world's full of rumors. But it's a long time ago, and I've forgotten what I heard."

"Perhaps you heard who killed the merchant?" asked Aksionov.

Makar Semyonich laughed, and replied: "It must have been him in whose bag the knife was found! If some one else hid the knife there, 'He's not a thief till he's caught,' as the saying is. How could any one put a knife into your bag while it was under your head? It would surely have woke you up."

When Aksionov heard these words, he felt sure this was the man who had killed the merchant. He rose and went away. All that night Aksionov lay awake. He felt terribly unhappy, and all sorts of images rose in his mind. There was the image of his wife as she was when he parted from her to go to the fair. He saw her as if she were present; her face and her eyes rose before him; he heard her speak and laugh. Then he saw his children, quite little, as they were at that time: one with a little cloak on, another at his mother's breast. And then he remembered himself as he used to be-young and merry. He remembered how he sat playing the guitar in the porch of the inn where he was arrested, and how free from care he had been. He saw, in his mind, the place where he was flogged, the executioner, and the people standing around; the chains, the convicts, all the twenty-six years of his prison life, and his premature old age. The thought of it all made him so wretched that he was ready to kill himself.

"And it's all that villain's doing!" thought Aksionov. And his anger was so great against Makar Semyonich that he longed for vengeance, even if he himself should perish for it. He kept repeating prayers all night, but could get no peace. During the day he did not go near Makar Semyonich, nor even look at him.

A fortnight passed in this way. Aksionov could not sleep at night, and was so miserable that he did not know what to do.

One night as he was walking about the prison he noticed some earth that came rolling out from under one of the shelves on which the prisoners slept. He stopped to see what it was. Suddenly Makar Semyonich crept out from under the shelf, and looked up at Aksionov with frightened face. Aksionov tried to pass without looking at him, but Makar seized his hand and told him that he had dug a hole under the wall, getting rid of the earth by putting it into his high-boots, and emptying it out every day on the road when the prisoners were driven to their work.

"Just you keep quiet, old man, and you shall get out too. If you blab, they'll flog the life out of me, but I will kill you first."

Aksionov trembled with anger as he looked at his enemy. He drew his hand away, saying, "I have no wish to escape, and you have no need to kill me; you killed me long ago! As to telling of you--I may do so or not, as God shall direct."

Next day, when the convicts were led out to work, the convoy soldiers noticed that one or other of the prisoners emptied some earth out of his boots. The prison was searched and the tunnel found. The Governor came and questioned all the prisoners to find out who had dug the hole. They all denied any knowledge of it. Those who knew would not betray Makar Semyonich, knowing he would be flogged almost to death. At last the Governor turned to Aksionov whom he knew to be a just man, and said:

"You are a truthful old man; tell me, before God, who dug the hole?"

Makar Semyonich stood as if he were quite unconcerned, looking at the Governor and not so much as glancing at Aksionov. Aksionov's lips and hands trembled, and for a long time he could not utter a word. He thought, "Why should I screen him who ruined my life? Let him pay for what I have suffered. But if I tell, they will probably flog the life out of him, and maybe I suspect him wrongly. And, after all, what good would it be to me?"

"Well, old man," repeated the Governor, "tell me the truth: who has been digging under the wall?"

Aksionov glanced at Makar Semyonich, and said, "I cannot say, your honor. It is not God's will that I should tell! Do what you like with me; I am in your hands."

However much the Governor tried, Aksionov would say no more, and so the matter had to be left.

That night, when Aksionov was lying on his bed and just beginning to doze, some one came quietly and sat down on his bed. He peered through the darkness and recognized Makar.

"What more do you want of me?" asked Aksionov. "Why have you come here?"

Makar Semyonich was silent. So Aksionov sat up and said, "What do you want? Go away, or I will call the guard!"

Makar Semyonich bent close over Aksionov, and whispered, "Ivan Dmitrich, forgive me!"

"What for?" asked Aksionov.

"It was I who killed the merchant and hid the knife among your things. I meant to kill you too, but I heard a noise outside, so I hid the knife in your bag and escaped out of the window."

Aksionov was silent, and did not know what to say. Makar Semyonich slid off the bed-shelf and knelt upon the ground. "Ivan Dmitrich," said he, "forgive me! For the love of God, forgive me! I will confess that it was I who killed the merchant, and you will be released and can go to your home."

"It is easy for you to talk," said Aksionov, "but I have suffered for you these twenty-six years. Where could I go to now?... My wife is dead, and my children have forgotten me. I have nowhere to go..."

Makar Semyonich did not rise, but beat his head on the floor. "Ivan Dmitrich, forgive me!" he cried. "When they flogged me with the knot it was not so hard to bear as it is to see you now ... yet you had pity on me, and did not tell. For Christ's sake forgive me, wretch that I am!" And he began to sob.

When Aksionov heard him sobbing he, too, began to weep. "God will forgive you!" said he. "Maybe I am a hundred times worse than you." And at these words his heart grew light, and the longing for home left him. He no longer had any desire to leave the prison, but only hoped for his last hour to come.

In spite of what Aksionov had said, Makar Semyonich confessed his guilt. But when the order for his release came, Aksionov was already dead.