第14章

“IexpectPetrushkaisasleep，forprobablyhehastakentoomuchliquorattheBassanov’ssmotrini。[Afestivalatwhichafiancepayshisfirstvisittothehouseoftheparentsofhisbetrothed。]Aye，hewillbeasleep。AndasforJonah，HEwillhavegonetoVaskaKlochi。Sotonight，untilmorning，Nadezhdawillbeabletokickupherheelstoherheart’scontent。“ Itoohadbeguntosurmisethatthewomanwascomethitherforpurposesofherown。Yetthescenewasalmostdreamlikeinitsbeauty。Itthrilledmetothesoultowatchhowthewoman’sblueeyesgazedabouther——gazedasthoughshewereardently，caressinglywhisperingtoalllivingcreatures，asleeporawake: “0hmydarlings！0hmydarlings！“ Besidemetheuncouth，broken-downGubinwentoninhoarseaccents: “YoumustknowthatsheisPetrushka’sTHIRDwife，awomanwhomhetooktohimselffromthefamilyofamerchantofMurom。YetthetownhasitthatnotonlyPetrushka，butalsoJonah，makesuseofher——thatsheactsaswifetobothbrothers，andthereforelackschildren。AlsohasitbeensaidofherthatoneTrinitySundayshewasseenbyapartyofwomentomisconductherselfinthisgardenwithapolicesergeant，andthentositonhislapandweep。YetthislastIdonotwhollybelieve，forthesergeantinquestionisaveteranscarcelyabletoputonefootbeforetheother。Also，Jonah，thoughabrute，livesinabjectfearofhisstepmother。“ Hereaworm-eatenapplefelltotheground，andthewomanpaused；whereafter，withheadalittleraised，sheresumedherwaywithgreaterspeed。 AsforGubin，hecontinued，unchecked，thoughwithatriflelessanimosity，ratherasthoughhewerereadingaloudamanuscriptwhichhefoundwearisome: “SeehowamanlikePeterBirkinmaypridehimselfuponhiswealth，andreceivehonourduringhislifetime，yetallthewhilehavethedevilgrinningoverhisshoulder！“ Thenhe，Gubin，keptsilentawhile，andmerelybreathedheavily，andtwistedhisbodyabout。Butsuddenly，heresumedinastrangewhisper: “Fifteenyearsago——no，surelyitwaslongeragothanthat？—— MadameNadkin，Nadezhda’smother-in-law，madeitherpracticetocometothisspottomeetherlover。AndafinegallantHE was！“ Somehow，asIwatchedthewomancreepingalong，andlookingasthoughshewereintendingtocommitatheft，orasthoughshefanciedthatatanymomentshemightseetheplumpbrothersBirkinissuefromthecourtyardintothegardenandcomeshufflingponderouslyoverthedarkenedground，withropesandcudgelsgraspedincoarse，redhandswhichknewnopity； somehow，asIwatchedher，Ifeltsaddened，andpaidlittleheedtoGubin’swhisperedremarks，sointentlyweremyeyesfixeduponthegranarywallas，afterglidingalongitawhile，thewomanbentherheadanddisappearedthroughthedarkblueofthewashhousedoor。AsforGubin，hewenttosleepwithalastdrowsyremarkof: “Lifeisallfalsity。Husbands，wives，fathers，children——allofthempractisedeceit。“ Intheeast，portionsoftheskywereturningtolightpurple，andotherportionstoadarkerhue，whilefromtimetotimeI couldsee，loomingblackagainstthoseportions，coilsofsmokethedensityofwhichkeptbeingstabbedwithfieryspikesofflame，sothatthevague，toweringforestlookedlikeahillonthetopofwhichafierydragonwascrawlingabout，andwrithing，andintermittentlyraisingtremulous，scarletwings，andasoftenrelapsinginto，becomingsubmergedin，thebankofvapour。And，incontemplatingthespectacle，Iseemedactuallytobeabletohearthecruel，hissingdinofcombatbetweenredandblack，andtoseepale，frightenedrabbitsscuddingfromunderneaththerootsoftreesamidshowersofsparks，andpanting，half-suffocatedbirdsflutteringwildlyamidthebranchesasfurtherandfurtherafield，andmoreandmoretriumphantly，thescarletdragonunfurleditswings，andconsumedthedarkness，anddevouredtherain-soakedtimber。 Presentlyfromthedark，blurreddoorwayinthewallofthewashhousethereemergedadarkfigurewhichwentflittingawayamongthetrees，whileafteritsomeonecalledinasharp，incisivewhisper: “Donotforget。YouMUSTcome。“ “Oh，Ishallbeonlytooglad！“ “Verywell。Inthemorningthelamewomanshallcalluponyou。 Doyouhear？“ Andasthewomandisappearedfromviewtheotherpersonsaunteredacrossthegarden，andscaledthefencewithaclatter。 ThatnightIcouldnotsleep，but，untildawn，laywatchingtheburningforestasgraduallythewearymoondeclined，andthelampofVenus，coldandgreenasanemerald，cameintoviewoverthecrossesonthePrince’sChurch。IndeedwasthelatterafittingplaceforVenustoillumineifreallyithadbeenthecasethatthePrinceandPrincesshad“passedtheirlivesinkindly，unchanginglove“！ Gradually，thedewclearedthetreesofthenightdarkness，andcausedthedamp，greyfoliagetosmileoncemorewithaniseedandredraspberry，andtosparklewiththegoldoftheirmildew。 Also，therecamehoveringaboutusgoldfincheswiththeirlittlered-hoodedcrests，andfussytomtitsintheircravatsofyellow，whileanimble，dark，bluewoodpeckerscaledthestemofanappletree。Andeverywhere，yellowleavesflutteredtoearth，and，indoingso，socloselyresembledbirdsastomakeitnotalwayseasytodistinguishwhetheraleaforatomtithadglimmeredforamomentintheair。 Gubinawoke，sighed，andwithhisgnarledknucklesgavehispuffyeyesarub。Thenheraisedhimselfuponall-fours，and，crawling，muchdishevelledwithsleep，outofthewatchman’shut，snuffedtheair(aprocessinwhichhismovementsapproximatedcomicallytothoseofakeen-nosedwatch-dog)。 Finallyherosetohisfeet，and，intheact，shookoneofthetreessoviolentlyastocauseaboughtosheditsburdenofripefruit，anddispersetheappleshitherandthitheroverthedrysurfaceoftheground，orcausethemtoburythemselvesamongthelonggrass。Threeofthejuiciestappleshedulyrecovered，and，afterexaminationoftheirexterior，probedwithhisteeth，whilekickingawayfromhimasmanyoftheremainderashecoulddescry。 “Whyspoilthoseapples？“Iqueried“Oh，soyouareNOTasleep？“hecounteredwithanodofhismelon-shapedcranium。“Asamatteroffact，afewappleswon’tbemissed，fortherearetoomanyofthemabout。Myownfatheritwasthatplantedthetreeswhichhavegrownthem。“ Then，turninguponmeakeen，good-humouredeye，andchuckling，headded: “WhataboutthatNadezhda？Ah，sheisacleverwomanindeed！ YetIhaveasurpriseinstoreforherandherlover。“ “Whyshouldyouhave？“ “BecauseIdesiretobenefitmankindatlarge“(thiswassaiddidactically，andwithafrown)。“For，nomatterwhereIdetectevilorunderhandedness，itismyduty——Ifeelittobemyduty—— toexposethatevil，andtolayitbare。Thereexistpeoplewhoneedtobetaughtalesson，andtowhomIlongtocry:’Sinnersthatyouare，doyouleadmorerighteouslives！’“ Frombehindsomecloudsthesunwasrisingwithadiskasmurkyandmournfulasthefaceofanailingchild。Itwasasthoughhewerefeelingconsciousthathehaddoneamissinsolongdelayingtoshedlightupontheworld，insolongdallyingonhisbedofsoftcloudsamidthesmokeoftheforestfire。Butgraduallythecheeringbeamssuffusedthegardenthroughout，andevokedfromtheripeningfruitanintoxicatingwaveofscentinwhichtherecouldbedistinguishedalsothebracingbreathofautumn。 Simultaneouslythereroseintothesky，inthewakeofthesun，adensestratumofcloudwhich，blueandsnow-whiteincolour，laywithitssofthummocksreflectedinthecalmOka，andsowroughtthereinasecondaryfirmamentasprofoundandimpalpableasitsoriginal。 “Nowthen，Makar！“wasGubin’scommand，andoncemoreIpostedmyselfatthebottomofthewell。Aboutthreesazheniindepth，andlinedwithcold，dampmudtoabovethelevelofmymiddle，theorificewaschargedwithastiflingodourbothofrottenwoodandofsomethingmoreintolerablestill。Also，wheneverI hadfilledthepailwithmud，andthenemptieditintothebucketandshouted“Rightaway！“thebucketwouldstartswingingagainstmypersonandbumpingit，asunwillinglyitwentaloft，andthereafterdischargeuponmyheadandshouldersclotsoffilthanddrippingsofwater——meanwhilescreening，withitscircularbottom，theglowingsunandnowscarcevisiblestars。Inpassing，thespectacleofthosestars’waningbothpainedandcheeredme，foritmeantthatforacompanioninthefirmamenttheynowhadthesun。Henceitwasuntilmyneckfeltalmostfractured，andmyspineandthenapeofmyneckwereachingasthoughclampedinacastofplasterofparis，thatI keptmyeyesturnedaloft。Yes，anythingtogainasightofthestars！FromthemIcouldnotremovemyvision，fortheyseemedtoexhibittheheavensinanewguise，andtoconveytomethejoyfultidingsthatintheskytherewaspresentalsothesun。 Yetthough，meanwhile，Itriedtoponderonsomethinggreat，I neverfailedtofindmyselfcherishingtheabsurd，obstinateapprehensionthatsoontheBirkinswouldleavetheirbeds，enterthecourtyard，andhaveNadezhdabetrayedtothembyGubin。 Andthroughouttherekeptdescendingtomefromabovethelatter’sinarticulate，asitweredamp-sodden，observations。 “Anotherrat！“Iheardhimexclaim。“Tothinkthatthosetwofellows，menofmoney，shouldneglectfortwowholeyearstocleanouttheirwell！Why，whatcanthebruteshavebeendrinkingmeanwhile？Lookoutbelow，you！“ Andoncemore，withacreakingofthepulley，thebucketwoulddescend——bumpingandthuddingagainsttheliningofthewellasitdidso，andbespatteringafreshmyheadandshoulderswithitsfilth。Rightlyspeaking，theBirkinsoughttohaveclearedoutthewellthemselves！