“As she went into the house I was at her heels.
“‘What did you say to him, you she-devil, you?’
“Now you may believe it or not as you like, but she looked at me as bold as you please, and answered:
“‘I love him better than anything or anybody in this world.’
“‘I say!’
“That day I didn’t utter one single word. Only towards evening I said to her: ‘Akoulka, I’m going to kill you now.’ I didn’t close an eye the whole night. I went into the little room leading to ours and drank kwass. At daybreak I went into the house again. ‘Akoulka, get ready and come into the fields.’ I had arranged to go there before; my wife knew it.
“‘You are right,’ said she. ‘It’s quite time to begin reaping. I’ve heard that our labourer is ill and doesn’t work a bit.’
“I put to the cart without saying a word. As you go out of the town there’s a forest fifteen versts in length. At the end of it is our field. When we had gone about three versts through the wood I stopped the horse.
“‘Come, get up, Akoulka; your end is come.’
“She looked at me all in a fright, and got up without a word.