He signed her three times with the cross, took from his own neck a little ikon and put it upon her.
She bowed down to the earth without speaking.
He got up and looked cheerfully at a healthy peasant woman with a tiny baby in her arms.
"From Vyshegorye, dear Father."
"Five miles you have dragged yourself with the baby.
What do you want?"
"I've come to look at you.
I have been to you before- or have you forgotten?
You've no great memory if you've forgotten me.
They told us you were ill. Thinks I, I'll go and see him for myself. Now I see you, and you're not ill!
You'll live another twenty years. God bless you!
There are plenty to pray for you; how should you be ill?"
"I thank you for all, daughter."
"By the way, I have a thing to ask, not a great one. Here are sixty copecks. Give them, dear Father, to someone poorer than me.
I thought as I came along, better give through him. He'll know whom to give to."
"Thanks, my dear, thanks! You are a good woman.
I love you.
I will do so certainly.
Is that your little girl?"
"My little girl, Father, Lizaveta."
"May the Lord bless you both, you and your babe Lizaveta!
You have gladdened my heart, mother.
Farewell, dear children, farewell, dear ones."
He blessed them all and bowed low to them.
Chapter 4.
A Lady of Little Faith
A visitor looking on the scene of his conversation with the peasants and his blessing them shed silent tears and wiped them away with her handkerchief.
She was a sentimental society lady of genuinely good disposition in many respects.
When the elder went up to her at last she met him enthusiastically.
"Ah, what I have been feeling, looking on at this touching scene!... "She could not go on for emotion. "Oh, I understand the people's love for you. I love the people myself. I want to love them. And who could help loving them, our splendid Russian people, so simple in their greatness!"
"How is your daughter's health?
You wanted to talk to me again?"
"Oh, I have been urgently begging for it, I have prayed for it! I was ready to fall on my knees and kneel for three days at your windows until you let me in.
We have come, great healer, to express our ardent gratitude.
You have healed my Lise, healed her completely, merely by praying over her last Thursday and laying your hands upon her.
We have hastened here to kiss those hands, to pour out our feelings and our homage."
"What do you mean by healed?
But she is still lying down in her chair."
"But her night fevers have entirely ceased ever since Thursday," said the lady with nervous haste. "And that's not all. Her legs are stronger.
This mourning she got up well; she had slept all night. Look at her rosy cheeks, her bright eyes!
She used to be always crying, but now she laughs and is gay and happy.
This morning she insisted on my letting her stand up, and she stood up for a whole minute without any support.
She wagers that in a fortnight she'll be dancing a quadrille.
I've called in Doctor Herzenstube. He shrugged his shoulders and said, 'I am amazed; I can make nothing of it.'
And would you have us not come here to disturb you, not fly here to thank you?
Lise, thank him- thank him!"
Lise's pretty little laughing face became suddenly serious. She rose in her chair as far as she could and, looking at the elder, clasped her hands before him, but could not restrain herself and broke into laughter.
"It's at him," she said, pointing to Alyosha, with childish vexation at herself for not being able to repress her mirth.
If anyone had looked at Alyosha standing a step behind the elder, he would have caught a quick flush crimsoning his cheeks in an instant.
His eyes shone and he looked down.