sudden whip of the landowner did not put an end to my dreams, I
would dream away, and see things no language could describe.

Well, I took the bag and led the horses out into the open field.
But that time, out of sheer spite or for some other reason, I did
not go into our neighbor's field, but descended right into the
valley that my patron had left lying fallow, and stretched myself
upon the soft grass of the hospitable turf.

That night I longed to bring father and mother before my mind's eye
and have an imaginary talk with them. But I did not succeed.
Instead, the figure of the old rabbi hovered before my eyes. It
seemed to me that he was looking at me angrily, and telling me the
story of Joseph the righteous: how he lived in the house of
Potiphar, and ate nothing but vegetables.

But when I reminded myself of Joseph the righteous, I felt my heart
sink at the thought of what Marusya had done to me. I could not
deny that the good looks of the Gentile girl were endearing her to
me, that out of her hands I would eat pork ten times a day, and that
in fact I myself was trying to put up a defense of her. I took all
the responsibility on myself. I was ready to believe that she did
not seek my company, but that it was I who called her to myself. I
was a sinner in my own estimation, and I could not even cry. Then
it seemed to me that the sky was much darker than usual, and the
stars did not shine at all. With such thought in my mind I fell
asleep.

I awoke at the sound of voices. Some one is crying, I thought. The
sound seemed near enough. It rose and rose and filled the valley.