CHAPTER II 



THE LAMP OF ST. NICHOLAS 



In the cabin hung three lamps before three ikona. On 

 the left St. Philip of Solovetsk, on the right St. Alex- 

 ander, in the middle St. Nicholas. These had each its 

 lamp; but that of St. Nicholas was the biggest lamp, 

 because his ikon was very old — (it had belonged to 

 Alexander's father) — and he is patron to all who follow 

 the sea. 



This lamp was always the subject of much concern. 

 But to-day something - surely ailed it, for it would not 

 burn. In vain Alexander stirred the wick with a pin, 

 in vain Yakoff warmed the holy oil and fed it afresh. It 

 would burn perhaps for half an hour, and then die down. 

 The oil had thickened with the cold ; that was obvious, 

 but not obvious enough for Alexander. ' Your bolvan,' 

 he said, 'is in the box right under the Holy Nicholas. 

 He likes it not. Can his lamp then burn ? ' 



Had this happened earlier I would have shifted it 

 just to humour him. But now we were, so to say, pitted 

 one against the other : I was sick of all the nonsense, and 

 I vowed I wouldn't budge an inch. I knew that to move 

 the bolvan would be the first step to losing it altogether. 



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