What is there that he should regret?
What does he fear?
And what do I fear?
What is there that I should regret ?" These two questions seemed to strike Foma's heart and called forth in him a dull perplexity.

He looked at the movement of the working people and kept on thinking: What did he regret?
What did he fear?
"Alone, with my own strength, I shall evidently never come out anywhere.
Like a fool I shall keep on tramping about among people, mocked and offended by all.

If they would only jostle me aside; if they would only hate me, then--then--I would go out into the wide world! Whether I liked or not, I would have to go!" From one of the landing wharves the merry "dubinushka" ["Dubinushka," or the "Oaken Cudgel," is a song popular with the Russian workmen.] had already been smiting the air for a long time.

The carriers were doing a certain work, which required brisk movements, and were adapting the song and the refrain to them.
"In the tavern sit great merchants Drinking liquors strong," narrated the leader, in a bold recitative.

The company joined in unison: "Oh, dubinushka, heave-ho!" And then the bassos smote the air with deep sounds: "It goes, it goes." And the tenors repeated: "It goes, it goes." Foma listened to the song and directed his footsteps toward it, on the wharf.