"In a minute, sir, in a minute," says Pelageya. She rushes out of
the hut, and soon afterwards comes back with a bit of candle.

Yefim's cheeks are rosy and his eyes are shining, and there is a
peculiar keenness in his glance, as though he were seeing right
through the hut and the doctor.

"Come, what is it? What are you thinking about?" says the doctor,
bending down to him. "Aha! have you had this long?"

"What? Dying, your honour, my hour has come. . . . I am not to stay
among the living."

"Don't talk nonsense! We will cure you!"

"That's as you please, your honour, we humbly thank you, only we
understand. . . . Since death has come, there it is."

The doctor spends a quarter of an hour over Yefim, then he gets up
and says:

"I can do nothing. You must go into the hospital, there they will
operate on you. Go at once . . . You must go! It's rather late,
they will all be asleep in the hospital, but that doesn't matter,
I will give you a note. Do you hear?"

"Kind sir, but what can he go in?" says Pelageya. "We have no horse."

"Never mind. I'll ask your master, he'll let you have a horse."