第15章

“Letusexchangeplaces，“Icriedatlength。 “Whatiswrong？“inquiredGubininresponse“Downhereitiscold——Ican’tstanditanylonger。“ “Geeup！“exclaimedGubintotheoldhorsewhichsuppliedtheleveragepowerforthebucket；whereuponIseatedmyselfupontheedgeofthereceptacleandwentaloft，whereeverythingwaslookingsobrightandwarmastobearanewandunwontedlypleasingappearance。 SonowitwasGubin’sturntostandatthebottomofthewell。 Andsoon，inadditiontotheodourofdecay，andasubduedsoundofsplashing，andtherumblingsandbumpingsoftheironbucketagainstitschain，therebegantocomeupfromthedamp，blackcavityaperfectstreamofcurses。 “Theinfernalskinflints！“Iheardmycompanionexclaim。 “Hullo，hereissomething！Adogorababy，eh？Thedamnedoldbarbarians！“ Andthebucketascendedwith，amongitscontents，asoddenandmostancienthat。WiththepassageoftimeGubin’stempergrewworseandworse。 “IfISHOULDfindababyhere，“nextheexclaimed，“Ishallreportthemattertothepolice，andgetthoseblessedoldbrothersintotrouble。“ Eachmovementoftheleathern-hided，wall-eyedsteedwhichdidourbiddingwasaccompaniedbyaswishingofasandytailwhichhadforitsobjectthebrushingawayofautumn’sharbingers，thebluebottles。Almostwiththetranquilgaitofareligiousdidtheanimalaccomplishitsperiodicaljourneysfromthewalltotheentrancegatesandbackagain；afterwhichitalwaysheavedaprofoundsigh，andstoodwithitsbonycrestlowered。 Presently，fromacorneroftheyardthatlayscreenedbehindsomerank，pale，withered，trampledherbageadoorscreeched。 IntotheyardthereissuedNadezhdaBirkin，carryingabunchofkeys，andfollowedbyaladywho，elderlyandrotundoffigure，hadafewdarkhairsgrowingonherfullandratherhaughtyupperlip。Asthetwowalkedtowardsthecellar(Nadezhdabeingcladonlyinanunder-petticoat，withachemisehalf-coveringhershoulders，andslippersthrustontobarefeet)，Iperceivedfromthelanguoroftheyoungerwoman’sgaitthatshewasfeelingwearyindeed。 “Whydoyoulookatuslikethat？“herseniorinquiredofmeasshedrewlevel。Andasshedidsotheeyesthatpeeredatmefromabovethefulland，somehow，displaced-lookingcheeksbidinthemadim，misty，half-blindexpression。 “ThatmustbePeterBirkin’smother-in-law，“wasmyunspokenreflection。 AtthedoorofthecellarNadezhdahandedthekeystohercompanion，andwithaslowstepwhichsetheramplebosomswaying，andincreasedthedisarrayofthebodiceonherround，butbroad，shoulders，approachedmyself，andsaidquietly: “Pleaseopenthegutter-sluiceandletoutthewaterintothestreet，ortheyardwillsoonbeflooded。Oh，thesmellofit！ Whatisthatthingthere？Arat？Ohbatinshka，whatahorriblemess！“ Herfacehadaboutitadrawnlook，andunderhereyestherewereapairofdarkpatches，andintheirdepthsthedryglitterofapersonwhohasspentanightofwaking。True，itwasafacestillfreshofhue；yetbeadsofsweatwerestandingontheforehead，andhershoulderslookedgreyandheavy——asgreyandheavyasunleavenedbreadwhichthefirehascoatedwithathincrust，yetfailedtobakethroughout。 “Please，also，openthewicket，“shecontinued。“And，incasealameoldbeggar-womanshouldcall，comeandtellme。IamtheNadezhdaIvanovnaforwhomshewillinquire。Doyouunderstand？“ Fromthewell，atthispoint，thereissuedthewords: “Whoisthatspeaking？“ “Itisthemistress，“Ireplied。 “What？Nadezhda？WithherIhaveabonetopick。“ “Whatdidhesay？“thewomanaskedtenselyassheraisedherdark，thinlypencilledbrows，andmadeasthoughtogoandleanoverthewell。IndependentlyofmyownvolitionIforestalledwhatGubinmightnexthavebeengoingtosaybyremarking: “Imusttellyouthatlastnighthesawyouwalkinginthegardenhere。“ “Indeed？“sheejaculated，anddrewherselftoherfullheight。 Yetindoingsosheblushedtohershoulders，and，clappingplumphandstoherbosom，andopeningdarkeyestotheirfullest，saidinahastyandconfusedwhisperas，againpalingandshrinkinginstature，shesubsidedlikeapieceofpastrythatisturningheavy: “GoodLord！WHATdidhesee？……Ifthelamewomanshouldcall，youmustnotadmither。No，tellherthatshewillnotbewanted，thatIcannot，thatImustnot——Butseehere。Hereisaroubleforyou。Oh，goodLord！“ BythistimeevenlouderandmoreangryexclamationshadbeguntoascendfromGubin。Yettheonlysoundtoreachmyearswasthewoman’smutteredwhispering，andasIglancedintoherfaceIperceivedthatitshithertohigh-colouredandroundedcontourshadfallenin，andturnedgrey，andthatherflushedlipsweretremblingtosuchanextentasalmosttopreventthearticulationofherwords。Lastly，hereyeswerefrozenintoanexpressionofpitiful，dogliketerror。 Suddenlysheshruggedhershoulders，straightenedherform，putawayfromhertheexpressionofterror，andsaidquietly，butincisively: “Youwillnotneedtosayanythingaboutthis。Allowme。“ Andwithaswayingstepshedeparted——astepsoshortasalmosttoconveytheimpressionthatherlegswereboundtogether。Yetwhilethegaitwasthegaitofapersonfullofsuppressedfury，itwasalsothegaitofapersonwhocanscarcelyseeaninchinadvance。 “Haulaway，you！“shoutedGubin。 Ihauledhimupinastateofcoldandwet；whereafterhefelltostampingaroundthecopingofthewell，cursing，andwavinghisarms。 “Whathaveyoubeenthinkingofallthistime？“hevociferated。“Why，foreversolongIshoutedandshoutedtoyou！“ “IhavebeentellingNadezhdathatlastnightyousawherwalkinginthegarden。“ Hesprangtowardsmewithaviciousscowl。 “Whogaveyouleavetodoso？“heexclaimed。 “Waitamoment。Isaidthatitwasonlyinadream，thatyousawhercrossingthegardentothewashhouse。“ “Indeed？Andwhydidyoudothat？“ Somehow，as，bareleggedanddrippingwithmud，hestoodblinkinghiseyesatmewithamostdisagreeableexpression，helookedextremelycomical。 “Seehere，“Iremarked，“youhaveonlytogoandtellherhusbandaboutherformetogoandtellhimthesamestoryaboutyourhavingseenthewholethinginadream。“ “Why？“criedGubin，nowalmostbesidehimself。Presently，however，herecoveredsufficientself-possessiontogrinandaskinanundertone: “HOWMUCHDIDSHEGIVEYOU？“ IexplainedtohimthatmysolereasonforwhatIhaddonehadbeenthatIpitiedthewoman，andfearedlestthebrothersBirkinshoulddoaninjurytoonewhoatleastoughtnottobebetrayed。Gubinbeganbydecliningtobelieveme，buteventually，afterthematterhadbeenthoughtout，said: “Acceptanceofmoneyfordoingwhatisrightiscertainlyirregular；butatleastisitbetterthanacceptanceofmoneyforconnivingatsin。Well，youhavespoiltmyscheme，youngfellow。Hiredonlytocleanoutthewell，Iwouldneverthelesshavecleanedouttheestablishmentasawhole，andtakenpleasureindoingso。“ Thenoncemoreherelapsedintofury，andmutteredashescurriedroundandroundthewell: “HowDAREDyoupokeyournoseintootherpeople’saffairs？WhoareYOUinthisestablishment？“ Theairwashotandarid，yetstilltheskywasasdullasthoughcoatedthroughoutwiththedustofsummer，and，asyet，onecouldgazeatthesun’spurple，raylessorbwithoutblinking，andaseasilyasonecouldhavegazedattheglowingembersofawoodfire。 Seatedonthefence，anumberofrooksweredirectingintelligentblackeyesupontheheapsofmudwhichlayaroundthecopingofthewell。Andfromtimetotimetheyflutteredtheirwingsimpatiently，andcawed。 “Igotyousomework，“Gubincontinuedinagrumblingtone，“andputheartintoyouwiththeprospectofemployment。Andnowyouhavegoneandtreatedmelike——“ AtthispointIcaughtthesoundofahorsetrottingtowardstheentrance-gates，andheardsomeoneshout，astheanimaldrewlevelwiththehouse: “YOURtimbertoohascaughtalight！“ Instantly，frightenedbytheshout，therookstooktotheirwingsandflewaway。Also，awindowsashsqueaked，andthecourtyardresoundedwithsuddenbustle——theculinaryregionsvomitingtheelderlyladyandthetousled，half-cladJonah；andanopenwindowtheupperhalfofthered-headedPeter。 “Men，harnessupasquicklyaspossible！“thelattercried，hisvoicechargedwithaplaintivenote。 And，indeed，hehadhardlyspokenbeforeGubinledoutafatroanpony，andJonahpulledfromashelteralightbuggyorbritchka。MeanwhileNadezhdacalledfromtheverandatoJonah: