They visit
just punishment upon us for abandoning them on such a road."
"Wha-at?" shouted the officer. "Louder!"
"I say, the children are our judges," the mother repeated with a sigh.
He said something quickly and angrily, but his words buzzed around her
without touching her. Marya Korsunova was a witness. She stood beside
the mother, but did not look at her; and when the officer turned to her
with a question, she invariably answered with a hasty, low bow: "I
don't know, your Honor. I am just a simple, ignorant woman. I make
my living by peddling, stupid as I am, and I know nothing."
"Shut up, then!" commanded the officer.
She was ordered to search Vlasova. She blinked her eyes, then
opened them wide on the officer, and said in fright:
"I can't, your Honor!"
The officer stamped his feet and began to shout. Marya lowered her
eyes, and pleaded with the mother softly:
"Well, what can be done? You have to submit, Pelagueya Nilovna."
As she searched and felt the mother's dress, the blood mounting to
her face, she murmured:
"Oh, the dogs!"
"What are you jabbering about there?" the officer cried rudely,
looking into the corner where she was making the search.
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