Pacing the deck he had chanced upon this group, and attracted by the figure of the pilgrim, had paused near it.

There was something familiar to him in that large, strong body, in that stern, dark face, in those large, calm eyes.

The curly, grayish hair, falling from under the skull-cap, the unkempt bushy beard, which fell apart in thick locks, the long, hooked nose, the sharp-pointed ears, the thick lips--Foma had seen all these before, but could not recall when and where.
"Yes, we are very much in arrears before the Lord!" remarked one of the peasants, heaving a deep sigh.
"We must pray," whispered the peasant who lay on the bench, in a scarcely audible voice.
"Can you scrape your sinful wretchedness off your soul with words of prayer ?" exclaimed someone loudly, almost with despair in his voice.
No one of those that formed the group around the pilgrim turned at this voice, only their heads sank lower on their breasts, and for a long time these people sat motionless and speechless: The pilgrim measured his audience with a serious and meditative glance of his blue eyes, and said softly: "Ephraim the Syrian said: 'Make thy soul the central point of thy thoughts and strengthen thyself with thy desire to be free from sin.'" And again he lowered his head, slowly fingering the beads of the rosary.
"That means we must think," said one of the peasants; "but when has a man time to think during his life on earth ?" "Confusion is all around us." "We must flee to the desert," said the peasant who lay on the bench.
"Not everybody can afford it." The peasants spoke, and became silent again.

A shrill whistle resounded, a little bell began to jingle at the machine.

Someone's loud exclamation rang out: "Eh, there! To the water-measuring poles." "Oh Lord! Oh Queen of Heaven!"-- a deep sigh was heard.
And a dull, half-choked voice shouted: "Nine! nine!" Fragments of the fog burst forth upon the deck and floated over it like cold, gray smoke.
"Here, kind people, give ear unto the words of King David," said the pilgrim, and shaking his head, began to read distinctly: "'Lead me, Oh Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.