第10章

Andevermoreandmoreswiftlywasthewaterrising，andwashingawaysoilfromthebank，andspreadingathicksedimentoverthedarkbluesurfaceoftheriver。Andasitdidso，thereresoundedintheairastrangenoiseasofchewingandchamping，anoiseasthoughsomehugewildanimalweremasticating，andlickingitselfwithitsgreatlongtongue。 Andstilltherecontinuedtocomefromthetownthemelancholy，distance-softened，sweet-tonedsongofthebells。 Presently，thebrothersDiatlovappeareddescendingfromthehillwithbottlesintheirhands，andsportinglikeacoupleofjoyouspuppies，whiletointerceptthemtherecouldbeseenadvancingalongthebankoftheriveragrey-coatedpolicesergeantandtwoblack-coatedconstables。 “0hLord！“groanedOssipasherubbedhisknee。 Asforthetownsfolk，theyhadnoloveforthepolice，sohastenedtowithdrawtoalittledistance，wheretheysilentlyawaitedtheofficers’approach。Beforelongthesergeant，alittle，witheredsortofafellowwithdiminutivefeaturesandasandy，stubbymoustache，calledoutingruff，stern，hoarse，labouredaccents: “Sohereyouare，yourascals！“ Ossipprisedhimselfupfromthegroundwithhiselbow，andsaidhurriedly: “ItwasIthatcontrivedtheideaofthething，yourExcellency；but，prayletmeoffinhonourofthefestival。“ “Whatdoyousay，you——？“thesergeantbegan，buthisblusterwaslostamidtheswiftflowofOssip’sfurtherconciliatorywords。 “Wearefolkofthistown，“Ossipcontinued，“whotonightfoundourselvesstrandedonthefurtherbank，withnothingtobuybreadwith，eventhoughthedayaftertomorrowwillbeChrist’sday，thedaywhenChristianslikeourselveswishtocleanthemselvesupalittle，andtogotochurch。SoIsaidtomymates，’Beoffwithyou，mygoodfellows，andmayGodsendthatnomishapbefallyou！’AndforthispresumptuousnessofmineIhavebeenpunishedalready，for，asyoucansee，haveasgoodasbrokenmyleg。“ “Yes，“ejaculatedthesergeantgrimly。“Butifyouhadbeendrowned，whatthen？“ Ossipsighedwearily。 “Whatthen，doyousay，yourExcellency？Why，then，nothing，withyourpermission。“ Thisledtheofficertostartrailingattheculprit，whilethecrowdlistenedassilentlyandattentivelyasthoughhehadbeensayingsomethingworthytobeheardandheeded，ratherthanfoullyandcynicallymiscallingtheirmothers。 Lastly，ournameshavingbeennoted，thepolicewithdrew，whileeachofusdrankadramofvodka(andtherebygainedameasureofwarmthandcomfort)，andthenbegantomakeforourseveralhomes。Ossipfollowedthepolicewithderisiveeyes；whereafter，heleapttohisfeetwithanimble，adroitmovement，andcrossedhimselfwithpunctiliouspiety。 “That’sallaboutit，thankGod！“heexclaimed。 “What？“sniggeredBoev，nowbothdisillusionedandastonished。 “Doyoureallymeantosaythatthatlegofyoursisbetteralready？Ordoyoumeanthatitneverwasinjuredatall？“ “Ah！SoyouwishthatitHADbeeninjured，eh？“ “TherascalofaPetrushka！“theotherexclaimed。 “Now，“commandedOssip，“doallofyoubeoff，mates。“Andwiththathepulledhiswetcapontohishead。 Iaccompaniedhim——walkingalittlebehindtherest。Ashelimpedalong，hesaidinanundertone-saidkindly——andasthoughhewerecommunicatingasecretknownonlytohimself: “Whatsoeveronemaydo，andwhithersoeveronemayturn，onewillfindthatlifecannotbelivedwithoutameasureoffraudanddeceit。ForthatiswhatlifeIS，Makarei，thedevilflyawaywithit！……Isupposeyou’remakingforthehill？Well，I’llkeepyoucompany。“ Darknesshadfallen，butatacertainspotsomeredandyellowlamps，lampsthebeamsofwhichseemedtobesaying，“Comeuphither！“wereshiningthroughtheobscurity。 Meanwhile，asweproceededinthedirectionofthebellsthatwereringingonthehill，rivuletsofwaterflowedwithamurmurunderourfeet，andOssip’skindlyvoicekeptminglingwiththeirsound。 “See，“hecontinued，“howeasilyIbefooledthatsergeant！ Thatishowthingshavetobedone，Makarei——onehastokeepfolkfromknowingone’sbusiness，yettomakethemthinkthattheyarethechiefpersonsconcerned，andthepersonswhosewithasputthecaponthewhole。“ YetasIlistenedtohisspeech，whilesupportinghissteps，I couldmakelittleofit。 NordidIcaretomakeverymuchofit，forIwasofasimpleandeasygoingnature。AndthoughatthemomentIcouldnothavetoldwhetherIreallylikedOssip，Iwouldstillhavefollowedhisleadinanydirection——yes，evenacrosstheriveragain，thoughtheicehadbeengivingwaybeneathme。 Andasweproceeded，andthebellsechoedandre-echoed，I thoughttomyselfwithaspasmofjoy: “Ah，manytimesmayIthuswalktogreetthespring！“ WhileOssipsaidwithasigh: “Thehumansoulisawingedthing。Eveninsleepitflies。“ Awingedthing？Yes，andathingofwonder。 TheplacewhereIfirstsawhimwasatavernwherein，ensconcedinthechimney-corner，andfacingatable，hewasexclaimingstutteringly，“Oh，Iknowthetruthaboutyouall！Yes，Iknowthetruthaboutyou！“whilestandinginasemicircleinfrontofhim，andunconsciouslyrenderinghimmoreandmoreexcitedwiththeirsarcasticinterpolations，weresometradesmenofthesuperiorsort——fiveinnumber。Oneofthemremarkedindifferently: “HowshouldyouNOTknowthetruthaboutus，seeingthatyoudonothingbutslanderus？“ Shabby，infactinrags，Gubinatthatmomentremindedmeofahomelessdogwhich，havingstrayedintoastrangestreet，hasfounditselfheldupbyabandofdogsofsuperiorstrength，and，seizedwithnervousness，issittingbackonitshaunchesandsweepingthedustwithitstail；and，withgrowls，andoccasionalbaringsofitsfangs，andsundrybarkings，attemptingnowtointimidateitsadversaries，andnowtoconciliatethem。 Meanwhile，havingperceivedthestranger’shelplessnessandinsignificance，thenativepackisbeginningtomoderateitsattitude，intheconvictionthat，thoughcontinuedmaintenanceofdignityisimperative，itisnotworthwhiletopickaquarrelsolongasanoccasionalyelpbeventedinthestranger’sface。 “Towhomareyouofanyuse？“oneofthetradesmenatlengthinquired。 “Notamanofusbutmaybeofuse。“ “Towhom，then？“…… Ihadlongsincegrownfamiliarwithtaverndisputesconcerningverities，andnotinfrequentlyseenthosedisputesdevelopintoopenbrawls；butneverhadIpermittedmyselftobedrawnintotheirtoils，ortobesetwanderingamidtheirtangleslikeablindmannegotiatinganumberofhillocks。Moreover，justbeforethisencounterwithGubin，Ihadarrivedatadimsurmisethatwhensuchdifferenceswerecarriedtothepointofmadnessandbloodshed。Really，theyconstitutedanexpressionoftheunmeaning，hopeless，melancholylifethatislivedinthewilderandmoreremotedistrictsofRussia——ofthelifethatislivedonswampybanksofdingyrivers，andinoursmallerandmoreGod-forgottentowns。Foritwouldseemthatinsuchplacesmenhavenothingtolookfor，noranyknowledgeofhowtolookforanything；wherefore，theybrawlandshoutinvainattemptstodissipatedespondency…… ImyselfwassittingnearGubin，butontheothersideofthetable。Yet，thiswasnotbecausehisoutburstsandthetradesmen’sretortstheretowereapleasuretolistento，sincetomeboththeoneandtheotherseemedaboutasfutileasbeatingtheair。 “TowhomareYOUofuse？“ “Tohimselfeverymancanbeuseful。“ “Butwhatgoodcanonedooneself？“…… Thewindowsofthetavernwereopen，whileinthependent，undulatingcloudofbluesmokethattheflamesofthelampsemitted，thoselampslookedlikesomanyyellowpitchersfloatingamidthewatersofastagnantpond。OutofdoorstherewasbroodingthequietofanAugustnight，andnotarustle，notawhisperwastheretobeheard。Hence，asnumbedwithmelancholy，IgazedattheinkyheavensandlimpidstarsIthoughttomyself: “Surely，neverweretheskyandthestarsmeanttolookdownuponalifelikethis，alifelikethis？“