ABSTRACT
A certain archpriest had a daughter with a very wicked disposition. He married her to a merchant's son. Children came. After a certain time the young wife didn't like her father-in-law or mother-in-law and she tried to coerce her husband to kill them. For a long time he wouldn't agree but then he gave in to the requests of his wife and he asked her how he was to go about killing them. She answer, "strangle one of them with a scarf and stuff a kerchief in the mouth of the other." So the husband fulfilled the demands of his wife and killed his father and mother. And in such a manner they managed to conceal the crime. But after that his conscience began to torment the young merchant and tear him apart fiercely, and nowhere could he find any peace. He couldn't endure it and he set out on a pilgrimage to assuage his soul. For twelve years he went from monastery to monastery but he could never obtain forgiveness. Finally he came to a certain priest, confessed, and asked him to absolve him from the sin. Having heard him, he answered, "I cannot, my son, absolve you of this sin. Go to a certain monk with the rank of skhima who is more senior than I and ask him."
