In which Vasili Andreevich, caught in the merciless snowstorm, strives with steady resolve to protect and warm the frostbitten Nikita beneath his fur coat, overcoming his own fear and weariness with a tender, unspoken affection. And as a long night’s vigil stretches on, his thoughts wander from the troubles of trade to a profound sense of comfort found in shared ordeal, quieting all else but the gentle breath of the man he guards.
