第22章

类别:其他 作者:Anton Chekhov字数:5000更新时间:18/12/27 08:30:00
Thegardenswerecalledthewidows’becausetheywerekeptbytwowidows,motheranddaughter。Acampfirewasburningbrightlywithacracklingsound,throwingoutlightfararoundontheploughedearth。ThewidowVasilisa,atall,fatoldwomaninaman’scoat,wasstandingbyandlookingthoughtfullyintothefire;herdaughterLukerya,alittlepock-markedwomanwithastupid-lookingface,wassittingontheground,washingacaldronandspoons。Apparentlytheyhadjusthadsupper。Therewasasoundofmen’svoices;itwasthelabourerswateringtheirhorsesattheriver。 “Hereyouhavewinterbackagain,“saidthestudent,goinguptothecampfire。“Goodevening。“ Vasilisastarted,butatoncerecognizedhimandsmiledcordially。 “Ididnotknowyou;Godblessyou,“shesaid。 “You’llberich。“ Theytalked。Vasilisa,awomanofexperience,whohadbeeninservicewiththegentry,firstasawet-nurse,afterwardsasachildren’snurse,expressedherselfwithrefinement,andasoft,sedatesmileneverleftherface;herdaughterLukerya,avillagepeasantwoman,whohadbeenbeatenbyherhusband,simplyscreweduphereyesatthestudentandsaidnothing,andshehadastrangeexpressionlikethatofadeafmute。 “AtjustsuchafiretheApostlePeterwarmedhimself,“saidthestudent,stretchingouthishandstothefire,“soitmusthavebeencoldthen,too。Ah,whataterriblenightitmusthavebeen,granny!Anutterlydismallongnight!“ Helookedroundatthedarkness,shookhisheadabruptlyandasked: “NodoubtyouhavebeenatthereadingoftheTwelveGospels?“ “Yes,Ihave,“answeredVasilisa。 “IfyourememberattheLastSupperPetersaidtoJesus,’IamreadytogowithTheeintodarknessanduntodeath。’AndourLordansweredhimthus:’Isayuntothee,Peter,beforethecockcroweththouwilthavedeniedMethrice。’AfterthesupperJesuswentthroughtheagonyofdeathinthegardenandprayed,andpoorPeterwaswearyinspiritandfaint,hiseyelidswereheavyandhecouldnotstruggleagainstsleep。Hefellasleep。ThenyouheardhowJudasthesamenightkissedJesusandbetrayedHimtoHistormentors。TheytookHimboundtothehighpriestandbeatHim,whilePeter,exhausted,wornoutwithmiseryandalarm,hardlyawake,youknow,feelingthatsomethingawfulwasjustgoingtohappenonearth,followedbehind。HelovedJesuspassionately,intensely,andnowhesawfromfaroffhowHewasbeaten。“ Lukeryaleftthespoonsandfixedanimmovablestareuponthestudent。 “Theycametothehighpriest’s,“hewenton;“theybegantoquestionJesus,andmeantimethelabourersmadeafireintheyardasitwascold,andwarmedthemselves。Peter,too,stoodwiththemnearthefireandwarmedhimselfasIamdoing。A woman,seeinghim,said:’HewaswithJesus,too’——thatisasmuchastosaythathe,too,shouldbetakentobequestioned。 Andallthelabourersthatwerestandingnearthefiremusthavelookedsourlyandsuspiciouslyathim,becausehewasconfusedandsaid:’Idon’tknowHim。’AlittlewhileafteragainsomeonerecognizedhimasoneofJesus’disciplesandsaid:’Thou,too,artoneofthem,’butagainhedeniedit。Andforthethirdtimesomeoneturnedtohim:’Why,didInotseetheewithHiminthegardento-day?’Forthethirdtimehedeniedit。Andimmediatelyafterthattimethecockcrowed,andPeter,lookingfromafaroffatJesus,rememberedthewordsHehadsaidtohimintheevening。 Heremembered,hecametohimself,wentoutoftheyardandweptbitterly——bitterly。IntheGospelitiswritten:’Hewentoutandweptbitterly。’Iimagineit:thestill,still,dark,darkgarden,andinthestillness,faintlyaudible,smotheredsobbing。“ Thestudentsighedandsankintothought。Stillsmiling,Vasilisasuddenlygaveagulp,bigtearsflowedfreelydownhercheeks,andshescreenedherfacefromthefirewithhersleeveasthoughashamedofhertears,andLukerya,staringimmovablyatthestudent,flushedcrimson,andherexpressionbecamestrainedandheavylikethatofsomeoneenduringintensepain。 Thelabourerscamebackfromtheriver,andoneofthemridingahorsewasquitenear,andthelightfromthefirequivereduponhim。Thestudentsaidgood-nighttothewidowsandwenton。Andagainthedarknesswasabouthimandhisfingersbegantobenumb。Acruelwindwasblowing,winterreallyhadcomebackanditdidnotfeelasthoughEasterwouldbethedayafterto-morrow。 NowthestudentwasthinkingaboutVasilisa:sinceshehadshedtearsallthathadhappenedtoPeterthenightbeforetheCrucifixionmusthavesomerelationtoher。 Helookedround。Thesolitarylightwasstillgleaminginthedarknessandnofigurescouldbeseennearitnow。ThestudentthoughtagainthatifVasilisahadshedtears,andherdaughterhadbeentroubled,itwasevidentthatwhathehadjustbeentellingthemabout,whichhadhappenednineteencenturiesago,hadarelationtothepresent——tobothwomen,tothedesolatevillage,tohimself,toallpeople。Theoldwomanhadwept,notbecausehecouldtellthestorytouchingly,butbecausePeterwasneartoher,becauseherwholebeingwasinterestedinwhatwaspassinginPeter’ssoul。 Andjoysuddenlystirredinhissoul,andheevenstoppedforaminutetotakebreath。“Thepast,“hethought,“islinkedwiththepresentbyanunbrokenchainofeventsflowingoneoutofanother。“Anditseemedtohimthathehadjustseenbothendsofthatchain;thatwhenhetouchedoneendtheotherquivered。 Whenhecrossedtheriverbytheferryboatandafterwards,mountingthehill,lookedathisvillageandtowardsthewestwherethecoldcrimsonsunsetlayanarrowstreakoflight,hethoughtthattruthandbeautywhichhadguidedhumanlifethereinthegardenandintheyardofthehighpriesthadcontinuedwithoutinterruptiontothisday,andhadevidentlyalwaysbeenthechiefthinginhumanlifeandinallearthlylife,indeed; andthefeelingofyouth,health,vigour——hewasonlytwenty-two——andtheinexpressiblesweetexpectationofhappiness,ofunknownmysterioushappiness,tookpossessionofhimlittlebylittle,andlifeseemedtohimenchanting,marvellous,andfullofloftymeaning。 THEvillageofUkleevolayinaravinesothatonlythebelfryandthechimneysoftheprintedcottonsfactoriescouldbeseenfromthehighroadandtherailway-station。Whenvisitorsaskedwhatvillagethiswas,theyweretold: “That’sthevillagewherethedeaconateallthecaviareatthefuneral。“ IthadhappenedatthedinneratthefuneralofKostukovthattheolddeaconsawamongthesavouriessomelarge-grainedcaviareandbeganeatingitgreedily;peoplenudgedhim,tuggedathisarm,butheseemedpetrifiedwithenjoyment:feltnothing,andonlywentoneating。Heateupallthecaviare,andtherewerefourpoundsinthejar。Andyearshadpassedsincethen,thedeaconhadlongbeendead,butthecaviarewasstillremembered。Whetherlifewassopoorhereorpeoplehadnotbeencleverenoughtonoticeanythingbutthatunimportantincidentthathadoccurredtenyearsbefore,anywaythepeoplehadnothingelsetotellaboutthevillageUkleevo。 Thevillagewasneverfreefromfever,andtherewasboggymudthereeveninthesummer,especiallyunderthefencesoverwhichhungoldwillow-treesthatgavedeepshade。Heretherewasalwaysasmellfromthefactoryrefuseandtheaceticacidwhichwasusedinthefinishingofthecottonprint。 Thethreecottonfactoriesandthetanyardwerenotinthevillageitself,butalittlewayoff。Theyweresmallfactories,andnotmorethanfourhundredworkmenwereemployedinallofthem。Thetanyardoftenmadethewaterinthelittleriverstink; therefusecontaminatedthemeadows,thepeasants’cattlesufferedfromSiberianplague,andordersweregiventhatthefactoryshouldbeclosed。Itwasconsideredtobeclosed,butwentonworkinginsecretwiththeconnivanceofthelocalpoliceofficerandthedistrictdoctor,whowaspaidtenroublesamonthbytheowner。Inthewholevillagetherewereonlytwodecenthousesbuiltofbrickwithironroofs;oneofthemwasthelocalcourt,intheother,atwo-storiedhousejustoppositethechurch,therelivedashopkeeperfromEpifancalledGrigoryPetrovitchTsybukin。 Grigorykeptagrocer’sshop,butthatwasonlyforappearance’ sake:inrealityhesoldvodka,cattle,hides,grain,andpigs; hetradedinanythingthatcametohand,andwhen,forinstance,magpieswerewantedabroadforladies’hats,hemadesomethirtykopecksoneverypairofbirds;heboughttimberforfelling,lentmoneyatinterest,andaltogetherwasasharpoldman,fullofresources。 Hehadtwosons。Theelder,Anisim,wasinthepoliceinthedetectivedepartmentandwasrarelyathome。Theyounger,Stepan,hadgoneinfortradeandhelpedhisfather:butnogreathelpwasexpectedfromhimashewasweakinhealthanddeaf;hiswifeAksinya,ahandsomewomanwithagoodfigure,whoworeahatandcarriedaparasolonholidays,gotupearlyandwenttobedlate,andranaboutalldaylong,pickingupherskirtsandjinglingherkeys,goingfromthegranarytothecellarandfromtheretotheshop,andoldTsybukinlookedathergood-humouredlywhilehiseyesglowed,andatsuchmomentsheregrettedshehadnotbeenmarriedtohiseldersoninsteadoftotheyoungerone,whowasdeaf,andwhoevidentlyknewverylittleaboutfemalebeauty。 Theoldmanhadalwaysaninclinationforfamilylife,andhelovedhisfamilymorethananythingonearth,especiallyhiselderson,thedetective,andhisdaughter-in-law。Aksinyahadnosoonermarriedthedeafsonthanshebegantodisplayanextraordinarygiftforbusiness,andknewwhocouldbeallowedtorunupabillandwhocouldnot:shekeptthekeysandwouldnottrustthemeventoherhusband;shekepttheaccountsbymeansofthereckoningbeads,lookedatthehorses’teethlikeapeasant,andwasalwayslaughingorshouting;andwhatevershedidorsaidtheoldmanwassimplydelightedandmuttered: “Welldone,daughter-in-law!Youareasmartwench!“ Hewasawidower,butayearafterhisson’smarriagehecouldnotresistgettingmarriedhimself。Agirlwasfoundforhim,livingtwentymilesfromUkleevo,calledVarvaraNikolaevna,nolongerquiteyoung,butgood-looking,comely,andbelongingtoadecentfamily。Assoonasshewasinstalledintotheupper-storeyroomeverythinginthehouseseemedtobrightenupasthoughnewglasshadbeenputintoallthewindows。Thelampsgleamedbeforetheikons,thetableswerecoveredwithsnow-whitecloths,flowerswithredbudsmadetheirappearanceinthewindowsandinthefrontgarden,andatdinner,insteadofeatingfromasinglebowl,eachpersonhadaseparateplatesetforhim。VarvaraNikolaevnahadapleasant,friendlysmile,anditseemedasthoughthewholehouseweresmiling,too。Beggarsandpilgrims,maleandfemale,begantocomeintotheyard,athingwhichhadneverhappenedinthepast;theplaintivesing-songvoicesoftheUkleevopeasantwomenandtheapologeticcoughsofweak,seedy-lookingmen,whohadbeendismissedfromthefactoryfordrunkennesswereheardunderthewindows。Varvarahelpedthemwithmoney,withbread,witholdclothes,andafterwards,whenshefeltmoreathome,begantakingthingsoutoftheshop。Onedaythedeafmansawhertakefourouncesofteaandthatdisturbedhim。 “Here,mother’stakenfourouncesoftea,“heinformedhisfatherafterwards;“whereisthattobeentered?“ Theoldmanmadenoreplybutstoodstillandthoughtamoment,movinghiseyebrows,andthenwentupstairstohiswife。