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"I'll be back in no time," Yefrem repeated again as he went out of the door. He certainly did return very quickly with two bottles under his arm, of which one was already uncorked, put them on the table, brought two little green glasses, part of a loaf and some salt. "Now this is what I like," he kept repeating, as he sat down opposite Akim. "Why grieve?"
"You've sworn now, mind!" he shouted after him. Akim turned, and looking round the yard, said mournfully, "Possess it all, so be it forever! ... Good-bye." And he went slowly out into the road accompanied by Yefrem. Naum ordered the horse to be unharnessed and with a wave of his hand went back into the house. "Where are you off to, Akim Semyonitch?
But Akim pulled the horse up sharply. At that instant Avdotya ran up to the road and flung herself down with her face straight in the dust. "Akim Semyonitch," she wailed, "he has turned me out, too!" Akim looked at her and did not stir; he only gripped the reins tighter. "Hurrah!" Yefrem shouted again. "So he has turned you out?" said Akim.
"Now, mind, old man," he added as he pulled the cord off his wrists, "remember, I have spared you, mind that!" "Naum Ivanitch, my dear," faltered Yefrem, "the Lord will have mercy upon you!" Akim freed his chilled and swollen hands and was moving towards the gate. Naum suddenly "showed the Jew" as the saying is he must have regretted that he had let Akim off.
Stop!" a woman's voice sounded close by, "Stop!" Akim looked round. A woman so pale and dishevelled that at first he did not recognise her, was running across the field towards the cart. "Stop! Stop!" she moaned again, gasping for breath and waving her arms. Akim started: it was his wife. He snatched up the reins. "What's the good of stopping?" muttered Yefrem. "Stopping for a woman? Gee-up!"
Aren't you coming back to me?" cried Yefrem, seeing that Akim was hurrying to the right out of the high road. "No, Yefremushka, thank you," answered Akim. "I am going to see what my wife is doing." "You can see afterwards.... But now we ought to celebrate the occasion." "No, thank you, Yefrem.... I've had enough. Good-bye." And Akim walked off without looking round. "Well!
"Akim Semyonitch!" she began, in a faint voice. Akim got up and went back to the cart. She caught at the skirt of his coat. "Get away!" he shouted savagely, and pushed her off. "Where are you going?" Yefrem asked, seeing that he was getting in beside him again. "You were going to take me to my home," said Akim, "but take me to yours ... you see, I have no home now. They have bought mine."
"Go and look yourself; he hasn't got down from the stove yet. How drunk you both were yesterday! You should look at your face you don't look like yourself. You are as black as a sweep and your hair is full of hay!" "That doesn't matter," answered Yefrem, and, passing his hand over his head, he went into the room.
Yefrem moved to one side and Akim climbed into the cart. Yefrem, who seemed to be somewhat exhilarated, began lashing at his wretched little horse with the ends of his cord reins; it set off at a weary trot continually tossing its unbridled head. They drove for nearly a mile without saying one word to each other.
Luckily I caught him in the act; now I am taking him to the town." "Was it Akim, I wonder?" Yefrem asked slowly. "How did you know? Akim. He came at night with a burning log in a pot and got into the yard and was setting fire to it ... all my men are witnesses. Would you like to see him? It's time for us to take him, by the way."
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