第13章

“Finemastersthese——masterswhogrudgeoneagroat，andsquanderarouble！WhatifafireWEREtobreakout？Oh，theblockheads！“ Presently，theproprietorsinpersonissuedintothecourtyard——thestout，baldPeterBirkin，amanwhosefacewasflushedeventothewhitesofhisshiftyeyes，and，closebehindhim，ekehisshadow，JonahBirkin——apersonofsandy，sullenmien，andoverhangingbrows，anddull，heavyeyes。 “Goodday，dearsir，“saidPeterBirkinthinly，aswithapuffyhandheraisedfromhisheadaclothcap，whileJonahnodded。 Andthen，withasidelongglanceatmyself，askedinadeepbassvoice: “Whoisthisyoungman？“ Largeandimportantlikepeacocks，thepairthenshuffledacrossthewetyard，andinsodoing，wenttomuchtroubletoavoidsoilingtheirpolishedshoes。NextPetersaidtohisbrother: “Haveyounoticedthatthewater-buttsarerotted？Oh，thatfineYakinika！Heoughtlongagotohavebeendismissed。“ “Whoisthatyoungmanoverthere？“Jonahrepeatedwithanairofasperity。 “Thesonofhisfatherandmother，“Gubinrepliedquietly，andwithoutsomuchasaglanceatthebrothers。 “Well，comealong，“snuffledPeterwithadrawlingofhisvowels。“Itishightimethatweweremoving。Itdoesn’tmatterwhotheyoungmanmaybe。“ Andwiththattheyslip-sloppedacrosstotheentrancegates，whileGubingazedafterthemwithknittedbrows，andasthebrothersweredisappearingthroughthewicketsaidcarelessly: “Theoldsheep！Theylivesolelybythewitsoftheirstepmother，andifitwerenotforher，theywouldlongagohavecometogrief。Yes，sheisawomanbeyondwordsclever。Onceuponatimetherewerethreebrothers——Peter，Alexis，andJonah； but，unfortunately，Alexisgotkilledinabrawl。Afine，tallfellowHEwas，whereasthesetwoareapairofgluttons，likeeveryoneelseinthistown。Notfornothingdothreeloavesfigureonthemunicipalarms！Now，toworkagain！Orshallwetakearest？“ Heretheresteppedontotheverandaatall，well-grownyoungwomaninanopenpinkbodiceandablueskirtwho，shadingblueeyeswithherhand，scannedthecourtyardandthesteps，andsaidwithsomediffidence: “Goodday，YakovVasilitch。“ Withagood-humouredglanceinresponse，andhismouthopen，Gubinwavedahandingreeting: “GooddaytoYOU，NadezhdaIvanovna，“hereplied。“Howareyouthismorning？“ Somehowthismadeherblush，andcrossherarmsuponheramplebosom，whileherkindly，rounded，eminentlyRussianfaceevincedtheghostofashysmile。Atthesametime，itwasafacewhereinnotasinglefeaturewasofakindtoremainfixedinthememory，afaceasvacantasthoughnaturehadforgottentostampthereonasinglewish。Hence，evenwhenthewomansmiledthereseemedtoremainadoubtwhetherthesmilehadreallymaterialised。 “HowisNataliaVasilievna？“continuedGubin。 “Muchasusual，“thewomanansweredsoftly。 Whereafterhesitantly，andwithdowncasteyes，sheessayedtocrossthecourtyard。AsshepassedmeIcaughtawhiffofraspberriesandcurrants。 Disappearingintothegreymistthroughasmalldoorwithironstaples，shesoonreissuedthencewithahencoop，and，seatingherselfonthestepsofthedoorway，andsettingthecooponherknees，tookbetweenhertwolargepalmssomefluttering，chirping，downy，goldenchicks，andraisedthemtoherruddylipsandcheekswithamurmurof: “0hmylittledarlings！0hmylittledarlings！“ Andinhervoice，somehow，therewasanoteasofintoxication，ofabandonment。Meanwhiledull，reddishsunbeamswerebeginningtopeerthroughthefence，andtowarmthelong，pointedstapleswithwhichitwasfastenedtogether。Whileinastreamofwaterthatwasdrippingfromtheeaves，andtricklingoverthefloorofthecourt，andaroundthewoman’sfeet，asinglebeamwasbathingandquiveringasthoughitwouldfaineffectanadvancetothewoman’slapandthehencoop，and，withthesoft，downychicks，enjoythecaressesofthewoman’sbarewhitearms。 “Ah，littlethings！“againshemurmured。“Ah，littlechildrenofmine！“ UponthatGubinsuddenlydesistedfromhistaskofhaulingupthebucket，and，ashesteadiedtheropewithhisarmsraisedabovehishead，saidquickly: “NadezhdaIvanovna，yououghtindeedtohavehadsomechildren——sixattheleast！“ Yetnoreplycame，nordidthewomanevenlookathim。 Theraysofthesunwerenowspreading，smokelikeandgreyish-yellow，overthesilverriver。Abovetheriver’scalmbedamuslintextureofmistwascoiling。Againstthenebulousheavenstheblueoftheforestwasrearingitselfamidthefragrant，pungentfumesfromtheburningtimber。 Yetstillasleepamiditsshelteringhalf-circleofforestwasthequietlittletownofMiamlin，whilebehindit，andencompassingitaswithapairofdarkwings，theforestinquestionlookedasthoughitwererufflingitsfeathersinpreparationforfurtherflightbeyondthepointwhere，thepeacefulOkareached，thetreesstooddarkening，overshadowingthewater’scleardepths，andlookingatthemselvestherein。 Yet，thoughthehourwassoearly，everythingseemedtohaveaboutitanairofsadness，amienasthoughthedaylackedpromise，asthoughitsfacewereveiledandmournful，asthough，notyetcometobirth，itneverthelesswerefeelingwearyinadvance。 SeatingmyselfbyGubinonsometrampledstrawinthehutordinarilyusedbythewatchmanoftheBirkins’extensiveorchard，Ifoundthat，owingtotheorchardbeingsetonahillside，Icouldseeoverthetopsoftheappleandpearandfigtrees，wheretheirtopshungbespangledwithdewaswithquicksilver，andviewthewholetownanditsmulticolouredchurches，yellow，newly-paintedprison，andyellow-paintedbank。 Andwhileinthetown’slurid，four-squarebuildingsIcouldtraceacertainresemblancetotheacesofclubsstampeduponconvicts’backs，inthegreystripsofthestreetsIcouldtraceacertainresemblancetoanumberofrentsinanold，ragged，faded，dustycoat。Indeed，thatmorningallcomparisonsseemedtotakeonatingeofmelancholy；thereasonbeingthatthroughoutthepreviouseveningtherehadbeenmoaninginmysoulamournfuldirgeonthefuturelife。 Withnothing，however，werethechurchesofthetownofwhichI amspeakingexactlycomparable，formanyofthemhadattainedadegreeofbeautythecontemplationofwhichcausedthetowntoassumethroughout——adifferent，amorepleasingandseductive，aspect。ThoughtItomyself:“Wouldthatmenhadfashionedallotherbuildingsinthetownasthechurcheshavebeenfashioned！“ Oneofthelatter，anold，squatedificetheblankwindowsofwhichweredeeplysunkeninthestuccoedwalls，wasknownasthe“Prince’sChurch，“forthereasonthatitenshrinedtheremainsofalocalPrinceandhiswife，personsofwhomitstoodrecordedthat“theydidpassalltheirlivesinkindly，unchanginglove。“…… ThefollowingnightGubinandIchancedtoseePeterBirkin’stall，pale，timidyoungwifetraversethegardenonherwaytoatrystinthewashhousewithherlover，theprecentorofthePrince’sChurch。Andascladinasimplegown，andbarefooted，andhavingherampleshouldersswathedinanold，goldjacketorshawlofsomesort，shecrossedtheorchardbyapathrunningbetweentwolinesofappletrees；shewalkedwiththeunhastinggaitofacatwhichiscrossingayardafterashowerofrain，andfromtimetotime，wheneverapuddleisencountered，liftsandshakesfastidiouslyoneofitssoftpaws。 Probably，inthewoman’scase，thiscameofthefactthatthingskeptprickingandticklinghersolesassheproceeded。Also，herknees，Icouldsee，weretrembling，andherstephadinitacertainhesitancy，acertainlackofassurance。 Meanwhile，bendingoverthegardenfromthewarmnightsky，themoon’skindlyvisage，thoughonthewane，wasshiningbrightly； andwhenthewomanemergedfromtheshadowofthetreesIcoulddiscernthedarkpatchesofhereyes，herrounded，half-partedlips，andthethickplaitofhairwhichlayacrossherbosom。 Also，inthemoonlightherbodicehadassumedabluishtinge，sothatshelookedalmostphantasmal；andwhensoundlessly，movingasthoughonair，shesteppedbackintotheshadowofthetrees，thatshadowseemedtolighten。 Allthishappenedatmidnight，orthereabouts，butneitherofuswasyetasleep，owingtothefactthatGubinhadbeentellingmesomeinterestingstoriesconcerningthetownanditsfamiliesandinhabitants。However，assoonashedescriedthewomanloominglikeaghost，heleapttohisfeetincomicalterror，thensubsidedontothestrawagain，contractedhisbodyasthoughhewereinconvulsions，andhurriedlymadethesignofthecross。 “OhJesusourLord！“hegasped。“Tellmewhatthatis，tellmewhatthatis！“ “Keepquiet，you，“Iurged。 Instead，lurchinginmydirection，henudgedmewithhisarm，“IsitNadezhda，thinkyou？“hewhispered。 “Itis。“ “Phew！Thesceneseemslikeadream。Justinthesameway，andintheverysameplace，didhermother-in-law，Petrushka’sstepmother，usetocomeandwalk。Yes，itwasjustlikethis。“ Then，rollingover，facedownwards，hebrokeintosubdued，maliciouschuckles；whereafter，seizingmyhandandsawingitupanddown，hewhisperedamidhisexultantpants: