She suddenly began to laugh.
"Your mother probably sent messages for your father by you?"
Iakov gave a shrug of ill humor and replied:
"Of course. What if she did?"
"Oh, nothing."
And she laughed the louder.
Her laugh displeased Iakov. He paid no attention to her and thought of
his mother's instructions. When she accompanied him to the end of the
village she had said quickly, blinking her eyes:
"In Christ's name, Iakov say to him: 'Father, mother is alone yonder.
Five years have gone by and she is always alone. She is getting old.'
Tell him that, Iakov, my little Iakov, for the love of God. Mother will
soon be an old woman. She's always alone, always at work. In Christ's
name, tell him that."
And she had wept silently, hiding her face in her apron.
Iakov had not pitied her then, but he did now. And his face took on a
hard expression before Malva, as if he were about to abuse her.
"Here I am!" cried Vassili, bursting in on them with a wriggling fish in
one hand and a knife in the other.
He had not got over his uneasiness, but had succeeded in dissimulating
it deep within him. Now he looked at his guests with serenity and good
nature; only his manner was more agitated than usual.
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