then--so be it--take possession of everything! I agree and wish you
all success. I promise you as before God, if you let me go you will
not regret it. God be with you.'
Akim shut his eyes and ceased speaking.
'A likely story!' retorted Naum, 'as though one could believe you!'
'But, by God, you can,' said Yefrem, 'you really can. I'd stake my
life on Akim Semyonitch's good faith--I really would.'
'Nonsense,' cried Naum. 'Come along.'
Akim looked at him.
'As you think best, Naum Ivanitch. It's for you to decide. But you are
laying a great burden on your soul. Well, if you are in such a hurry,
let us start.'
Naum in his turn looked keenly at Akim.
'After all,' he thought to himself, 'hadn't I better let him go? Or
people will never have done pestering me about him. Avdotya will give
me no peace.' While Naum was reflecting, no one uttered a word. The
labourer in the cart who could see it all through the gate did nothing
but toss his head and flick the horse's sides with the reins. The two
other labourers stood on the steps and they too were silent.
'Well, listen, old man,' Naum began, 'when I let you go and tell these
fellows' (he motioned with his head towards the labourers) 'not to
talk, shall we be quits--do you understand me--quits ... eh?'
'I tell you, you can have it all.'
'You won't consider me in your debt?'
'You won't be in my debt, I shall not be in yours.'
Naum was silent again.
'And will you swear it?'
'Yes, as God is holy,' answered Akim.
'Well, I know I shall regret it,' said Naum, 'but there, come what
may! Give me your hands.'
Akim turned his back to him; Naum began untying him.
'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.
'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? 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! 'I've had enough'!' the puzzled sacristan pronounced. 'And I
pledged my word for him! Well, I never expected this,' he added, with
vexation, 'after I had pledged my word for him, too!'
He remembered that he had not thought to take his knife and his pot
and went back to the inn.... Naum ordered his things to be given to
him but never even thought of offering him a drink. He returned home
thoroughly annoyed and thoroughly sober.
'Well?' his wife inquired, 'found?'
'Found what?' answered Yefrem, 'to be sure I've found it: here is your
pot.'
'Akim?' asked his wife with especial emphasis.
Yefrem nodded his head.
'Yes. But he is a nice one! I pledged my word for him; if it had not
