head．Thepainoftheimpactmadehimdrophison．Heshookhisheadandlookedagain．Nob．wasadream．Hehadhitthenarrowdderwithsuchforcethatthepartofhishaweehumbandtheindexfingerwastorn．Sheihadnoteback．Shehadedtoclosethelidoftheman-holeandthefaintgraylightofdawnfilteredthrough．Itwasanotherday．Dimitrisatontheground，dazed，holdinghisinjuredhandnotknowihertocryh．

    Dimitrifoldeduphissleepingbagandputeverythingintepsticbag．Heclimbedupthestepsandfoundthathehadhititsohardwiththesteelpipethatitwascrooked．Hesmiledgrimlyasherecalledtheseinhisdream．Ifhehadreallyhitthedevil,hewouldhavebashedhisheadin．Ohwell!Heputhisbelongingsbatohiscartandpusheditinfrontofhim．Thelightswerestillonintheshops，butthedawnwasgraduallydrivingawaythedarkherewasnoonearouhedesertedstreets．ItwastooearlyandDimitrireallydidn’thaveaogo．Pushinghiscart，hefeltasearingpaininhishand．"ImustgoandfindMariannatoba,”hethought．Theashamed．Whydidhealwaysthinkofherwhenhewashurtry?Heagainpassedtheparkbenchwheretheoldcouplehadsatthenightbefore．Theolddymusthavebeeygirlwhenshewasyoung，andherhusband，ahandsomeyoungmaheywereanidealcoupleandhavehadaperfectlife，hemused．ThenhisthoughtsturoShei，theyoungprostitute，whoseprofessionwastosellcheaplytheuseofhersexualans.Dimitrididnotlookdownonher.Hewasedaboutherwhereabouts．Prostitutionwastheoldestprofessionintheworldbecausesocietycouldnotdowithoutit.Itwasobaheunbancedpartofhumannature，justasaunityneededsewerstodrainitswastewaterandraintopreventflooding．Sheioor，unfortunateyounggirlbutherprofessionwasaformoflife．herbodywasbutasacrifithealtarofFate．

    Dimitripushedhiscartaimlesslyaloreets,whichgraduallybrighteraffidpedestriansincreased．Thenoiseandcmorofcitylifehadbegun．Theslim，nymph-likefigureinbckappearedintheearlymsunlightandarrestedhiseyes．Itwasanun．Dimitrihadagreatrespectfornuns，lookinguponthemasangelsexpelledfromheavenfortheirsinsadowntotheearthtoatohem．Toughiscapwithhishand，hesaidgruffly，"Go，sister.”Thenunblessedherselfandsaid，"Go，sir,"inamelodiousvoithebrighteninglightofday,Dimitrisawshewasyoungayandherveilflutteringinthebreezegaveheranunworldlyairofspiritualintelligence．AsDimitriturogo，thenunnoticedfromtheerofhereyethathishandwaswouornandbleeding．

    "Youhavebeenhurt！"sheexcimed．Shesearchedfranticallyforsomethingtoputoverthewound．Thehoughtofherhandkerchief．Pullingitout，sheeditaroundhishandandsaid，"Youshouldnotleaveitlikethat，itwillgetied．Gototheidhaveittakencareofproperly.”Meanwhileherslendernimblefingerswerewbusily．Dimitrilookedatthementranced，feelingnopainatall．Insteadhestoodtherewithhishandout-stretched，enjoyingtherareoccasionofbeingmademuchof，feelingasfortableaswhenhisearwasbeingscratchedbyaQ-tip．"Thereyouare!”thenunsaid，"That’lldo．Godblessyou!”Shetappedhimslightlyonthearmandwalkedbrisklyaway．

    Dimitriwalkedohishandtohishehandkerchiefhadafeminineaurawhichhefoundverypleasant．Hehadn’tsleptwellsohewastired，buthewaofollowthenun．Finally，hedecidedthebestwaywastofindafortablespotandfollowherwithhisdreams．Hecametoatreeatthesideoftheparkwhoseleafyshadowsseemedquiteinviti

head．Thepainoftheimpactmadehimdrophison．Heshookhisheadandlookedagain．Nob．wasadream．Hehadhitthenarrowdderwithsuchforcethatthepartofhishaweehumbandtheindexfingerwastorn．Sheihadnoteback．Shehadedtoclosethelidoftheman-holeandthefaintgraylightofdawnfilteredthrough．Itwasanotherday．Dimitrisatontheground，dazed，holdinghisinjuredhandnotknowihertocryh．

    Dimitrifoldeduphissleepingbagandputeverythingintepsticbag．Heclimbedupthestepsandfoundthathehadhititsohardwiththesteelpipethatitwascrooked．Hesmiledgrimlyasherecalledtheseinhisdream．Ifhehadreallyhitthedevil,hewouldhavebashedhisheadin．Ohwell!Heputhisbelongingsbatohiscartandpusheditinfrontofhim．Thelightswerestillonintheshops，butthedawnwasgraduallydrivingawaythedarkherewasnoonearouhedesertedstreets．ItwastooearlyandDimitrireallydidn’thaveaogo．Pushinghiscart，hefeltasearingpaininhishand．"ImustgoandfindMariannatoba,”hethought．Theashamed．Whydidhealwaysthinkofherwhenhewashurtry?Heagainpassedtheparkbenchwheretheoldcouplehadsatthenightbefore．Theolddymusthavebeeygirlwhenshewasyoung，andherhusband，ahandsomeyoungmaheywereanidealcoupleandhavehadaperfectlife，hemused．ThenhisthoughtsturoShei，theyoungprostitute，whoseprofessionwastosellcheaplytheuseofhersexualans.Dimitrididnotlookdownonher.Hewasedaboutherwhereabouts．Prostitutionwastheoldestprofessionintheworldbecausesocietycouldnotdowithoutit.Itwasobaheunbancedpartofhumannature，justasaunityneededsewerstodrainitswastewaterandraintopreventflooding．Sheioor，unfortunateyounggirlbutherprofessionwasaformoflife．herbodywasbutasacrifithealtarofFate．

    Dimitripushedhiscartaimlesslyaloreets,whichgraduallybrighteraffidpedestriansincreased．Thenoiseandcmorofcitylifehadbegun．Theslim，nymph-likefigureinbckappearedintheearlymsunlightandarrestedhiseyes．Itwasanun．Dimitrihadagreatrespectfornuns，lookinguponthemasangelsexpelledfromheavenfortheirsinsadowntotheearthtoatohem．Toughiscapwithhishand，hesaidgruffly，"Go，sister.”Thenunblessedherselfandsaid，"Go，sir,"inamelodiousvoithebrighteninglightofday,Dimitrisawshewasyoungayandherveilflutteringinthebreezegaveheranunworldlyairofspiritualintelligence．AsDimitriturogo，thenunnoticedfromtheerofhereyethathishandwaswouornandbleeding．

    "Youhavebeenhurt！"sheexcimed．Shesearchedfranticallyforsomethingtoputoverthewound．Thehoughtofherhandkerchief．Pullingitout，sheeditaroundhishandandsaid，"Youshouldnotleaveitlikethat，itwillgetied．Gototheidhaveittakencareofproperly.”Meanwhileherslendernimblefingerswerewbusily．Dimitrilookedatthementranced，feelingnopainatall．Insteadhestoodtherewithhishandout-stretched，enjoyingtherareoccasionofbeingmademuchof，feelingasfortableaswhenhisearwasbeingscratchedbyaQ-tip．"Thereyouare!”thenunsaid，"That’lldo．Godblessyou!”Shetappedhimslightlyonthearmandwalkedbrisklyaway．

    Dimitriwalkedohishandtohishehandkerchiefhadafeminineaurawhichhefoundverypleasant．Hehadn’tsleptwellsohewastired，buthewaofollowthenun．Finally，hedecidedthebestwaywastofindafortablespotandfollowherwithhisdreams．Hecametoatreeatthesideoftheparkwhoseleafyshadowsseemedquiteinviti