"But," they inquire, "what sort of a book in Russia is that
'Polusonnik'?"[29]
"That," says he, "is a book concerned with this--that if there is
anything touching on fortune-telling which King David has not clearly
set forth in the Psalter, then people are able to divine the completion
in the Polusonnik."
They say: "That's a pity; 't would be better if you knew at least the
four ordinary rules of arithmetic,--they would be far more useful
to you than the entire Polusonnik. Then you would be able to grasp
the fact that in every machine there is a calculation of powers, and
although you are very clever with your hands, you have not taken into
consideration that such a tiny machine as the nymfozoria is calculated
with the most exact accuracy, and that it cannot carry its shoes."
To that the left-handed man agreed. "As to that," says he, "there is
no dispute--that we have not gone in for science, but only we are
faithfully loyal to our Fatherland."
But the Englishmen say to him; "Stay with us, we will transmit to you
great instruction, and you will turn out a wonderful master-expert."
But to that the left-handed man did not agree: "I have parents at
home," says he.
The Englishmen offered to send his parents money, but the left-handed
man would not accept it.
"We," says he, "are devoted to our country, and my daddy is already an
old man, and my mother is an old woman, and they are used to going to
church in their own parish, and besides, I should be very lonely all
by myself, for I am still in the vocation of a bachelor."
"You'll get used to it," say they,--"accept our law[30] and we will
marry you off."
"That," replies the left-handed man, "can never be."
"Why so?"
"Because," he replies, "our Russian faith is the most correct, and as
the ancestors have believed, so, also, should the descendants believe."
"You do not know our faith," say the Englishmen; "we hold to the same
Christian law and the same Gospels."
"The Gospels," replies the left-handed man, "are, indeed, the same
among all, but our books are thicker than yours, and our faith is more
complete, also."
"How do you make that out?"
"Because," he replies, "we possess all the visible proofs."
"What proofs?"
"These," says he: "that we have God-sent holy images, and grave-oozing
heads,[31] and relics, but you have nothing, and even no extra
holidays, nothing beyond Sunday; and for the second reason, even if I
were married to an Englishwoman, it would confuse me to live with her."
"Why so?" they ask. "Do not scorn her--our women also dress very neatly
and are good housewives."