The cold blue radiance that cleaved the darkness caused the sea to sparkle with mysterious silvery brilliance, and Gavrila again felt hypnotized by that soul-crushing fear. He rowed mechanically, crouching as if expecting a blow from above, and now he was bereft of all desire—he was empty and soulless. The excitement of this night had driven everything human out of him.

But Chelkash was jubilant. His nerves, accustomed to shocks, were now relaxed. His moustache twitched voluptuously and a light shone in his eyes. He felt splendid. He whistled through his teeth, inhaled deep breaths of the moist sea air. He looked around, and smiled good-naturedly when his eyes fell upon Gavrila.

The wind swept down and chopped up the sea. The clouds were now thinner and less opaque, but they covered the whole sky. The wind, though still light, was freely sweeping over the sea, but the clouds were motionless and seemed to be absorbed in grey, dull thought.

“Now lad, it’s time you pulled yourself together! You look as if all your guts have been squeezed out of your body and there’s nothing left but a bag of bones! It’s all over now. Hey!”

Gavrila was pleased to hear a human voice at last, even if that voice was Chelkash’s.

“I can hear what you say,” he said softly.

“Very well, then, milksop.... Come and steer and I’ll take the oars. I suppose you’re tired.”

Gavrila mechanically changed places with Chelkash, and as they crossed, Chelkash saw the boy’s woe-begone face, and he noticed that his legs were trembling. He felt sorry for him. Patting him on the shoulder, he said:

“Come on, lad! Don’t be so down in the dumps. You’ve earned a good bit tonight. I’ll reward you well, my boy. Would you like the feel of a twenty-five ruble bill?”

“I don’t want anything. All I want is to get ashore....”

Chelkash waved his hand in disgust, spat, took up the oars and began to row, swinging the oars far back with his long arms.

The sea woke up and began to play with its little waves, giving birth to them, ornamenting them with fringes of foam, dashing them against each other, and breaking them up into fine spray. The foam melted with hisses and sighs, and the air all around was filled with a musical splashing noise. Even the darkness seemed to come to life.

Chelkash began to talk.

“Well now, tell me,” he said. “You’ll go back to your village and get married, and start grubbing the earth and sow corn. The wife will start bearing children. You won’t have enough food for them. Well, you’ll be struggling all your life.... Is there any pleasure in that?”

“Pleasure! I should say there isn’t!” answered Gavrila with a shudder.

Here and there the wind rent the clouds apart and scraps of the sky with one or two stars in them peeped between the spaces. Reflected in the sea, these stars played among the waves, now vanishing and now twinkling again.

“Steer to the right!” said Chelkash, “we shall be there soon.... Y-e-ss! ... We’re finished. It was a nice job! D’you see how it is? ...