第34章

Hereoneandallwereduetodisembark。 Iglancedtowardsthesternoncemore。Thedark-browedwomanwasbreakingoffmorselsfromawheatensconethatwaslyinginherlap，andsayingasshedidso: “Presentlywewillhaveacupoftea，andthenkeeptogetherasfarasChristopol。“ Inresponsetheyoungfellowedgednearertoher，andthoughtfullyeyedthelargehandswhich，thoughinuredtohardwork，couldalsobeverygentle。 “Ihavebeentroddenupon，“hesaid。 “Troddenuponbywhom？“ “Byall。AndIamafraidofthem。“ “Whyso？“ “BecauseIam。“ Breathinguponamorselofthescone，thewomanofferedithimwiththequietwords: “Youhavehadmuchtobear。Now，shallItellyoumyhistory，orshallwefirsthavetea？“ Onthebanktherewasnowtobeseenthefrontageofthegay，wealthysuburbofUslon，withitsbrightly-dressed，rainbow-tintedwomenandgirlstrippingthroughthestreets，andthewaterofitsfoamingriversparklinghotly，yetdimly，inthesunlight。 Itwasascenelikeascenebeheldinavision。 AWOMAN Thewindisscuddingoverthesteppe，andbeatingupontherampartoftheCaucasianheightsuntiltheirbackboneseemstobebellyinglikeahugesail，andtheearthtobewhirlingandwhizzingthroughunfathomabledepthsofblue，andleavingbehinditarackofwind-torncloudswhich，astheirshadowsglideoverthesurfaceoftheland，seemevertobestrivingtokeepintouchwiththeonrushofthegale，and，failingtomaintaintheeffort，dissolvingintearsanddespondency。 Thetreestooarebendingintheattitudeofflight——theirboughsarebrandishingtheirfoliageasadogworriesafleece，andlitteringtheblacksoilwithleavesamongwhichrunsaconstantqueruloushissingandrustling。Also，storksareutteringtheirsnappingcry，sleekrookscawing，steppegrasshoppersmaintainingtheirtirelesschirp，sturdy，well-grownhusbandmenutteringshoutslikewordsofcommand，thethreshing-floorsoftherollingsteppediffusingarainofgoldenchaff，andeddyingwhirlwindscatchingupstraypoultryfeathers，dried-onionstrips，andleavesyellowedwiththeheat，tosendthemdancingagainoverthetrimsquareofthelittleCossackhamlet。 Similarlydoesthesunkeepappearinganddisappearingasthoughhewerepursuingthefugitiveearth，andeverandanonhaltingthroughwearinessbeforehisdeclineintothedark，shadowyvistawherethesnowcladpeaksofthewesternmountainsarerearingtheirheads，andfast-reddeningcloudsareremindingoneofthesurfaceofaploughedfield。 AttimesthosecloudsparttheirbulktorevealinblindingsplendourthesilverysaddleofMountElburz，andthecrystalfangsofotherpeaks——all，apparently，strivingtocatchanddetainthescuddingvapours。Andtosuchapointdoesonecometorealisetheearth’sflightthroughspacethatonecanscarcelydrawone’sbreathforthetension，therapture，ofthethoughtthatwiththerushofthatdearandbeautifulearthoneselfiskeepingpacetowards，andevertendingtowards，theregionwhere，behindtheeternal，snow-cladpeaks，thereliesaboundlessoceanofblue——anoceanbesidewhichtheremayliestretchedyetotherproudandmarvellouslands，avoidofazureamidwhichonemaycometodescryfar-distant，many-tintedspheresofplanetsasyetunknown，butsisters，all，tothisearthofours。 Meanwhilefromthesteppeslow，ponderousgreyoxenwithsharphornsaredrawinganendlesssuccessionofwagon-loadsofthreshedgrainthroughrich，black，sootlikedust。Patientlythebeasts’roundeyesregardtheearth，whileonthetopofeachloadtherelollsaCossackwho，withfacesunburnttothelastpitchofswarthiness，andeyesreddenedwithexposuretothewind，andbeardmatted，seeminglysolidified，withdustandsweat，iscladinashirtdrabwithgrime，andhasashaggyPersiancapthrusttothebackofhishead。Occasionally，also，hemayheseenridingonthepoleinfrontofhisteam，andbeingbuffetedfrombehindbythewindwhichinflateshisshirt。AndassleekandcomfortableasthecarcassesofthebullocksaretheseCossacks’framesinproportiontheireyesaresluggishlyintelligent，andintheireverymovementisthedeliberateairofmenwhoknowpreciselywhattheyhavetodo。 “Tsob，tsobe！“suchfellowsshouttotheirteams。Thisyeartheyarereapingasplendidharvest。 Yetthoughthesefolk，oneandall，lookfatandprosperous，theirmienisdour，andtheyspeakreluctantly，andthroughtheirteeth。Possiblythisisbecausetheyareover-wearywithtoil。 Howeverthatmaybe，thefull-fedcountrypeopleoftheregionlaughbutlittle，andseldomsing。 Inthecentreofthehamletsoarstheredbrickchurchoftheplace——anedificewhich，withitsfivepinnacles，itsbelfryoveritsporch，anditsyellowplasterwindow-mouldings，lookslikeanedificethathasbeenfashionedofmeat，andcementedwithgrease。Nay，itsveryshadowseemssorichlyheavyastobetheshadowofafaneerectedbymenendowedwithaplethoraofthisworld’sgoodstoagodotioseinhisgrandeur。Rangedaroundthebuildinginringfashion，thehamlet’ssquatwhitehutsstandgirdledwithbeltsofplaitedwattle，shawledinthegorgeoussilkenscarvesofgardens，andcrownedwithafloweredbrocadeworkofreed-thatchedroofs。Infact，theyresembleabevyofbuxombabi，[Peasantwomen]asoverandaboutthemwavesilverpoplartrees，withquivering，lacelikeleavesofacacias，anddark-leavedchestnuts(theleavesofthelatterlikethepalmsofhumanhands)whichrocktoandfroasthoughtheywouldfainseize，anddetainthedrivingclouds。Also，fromcourttocourtscurryCossackwomenwho，withskirt-tailstuckeduptorevealmuscularlegsbaretotheknee，arepreparingtoarraythemselvesforthemorrow’sfestival，and，meanwhile，chatteringtooneanother，orshoutingtoplumpinfantswhichmaybeseenbathinginthedustlikesparrows，orpickinguphandfulsofsand，andtossingthemintotheair。 Shelteredfromthewindbythechurchyardwall，theremaybeseenalso，astheysprawlonthedry，fadedherbage，ascoreof“ strollersforwork“thatistosay，offolkwho，acommunityapart，consistof“nowherepeople，“ofdreamerswholiveconstantlyinexpectationofsomestrokeofluck，somekindlysmilefromfortune，andofwastrelswho，intoxicatedwiththeabundantbountyoftheopulentregion，havefallenpassivevictimstotheRussiancrazeforvagrancy。Thesefolktrampfromhamlettohamletinpartiesoftwoorthree，and，whilepurportingtoseekemployment，merelycontemplatethatemploymentlethargically，expressastonishmentattheplenitudewhichitproduces，andthendeclinetoputtheirhandstotoilsavewhendirenecessityrendersitnolongerpossibletosatisfyhunger’spangsthroughtheexpedientsofmendicancyandtheft。Dull，orcowed，ortimid，orfurtiveofeye，thesefolkhavelostallsenseofthedifferencebetweenthatwhichconstituteshonestyandthatwhichdoesnot。 ThemorrowbeingtheFeastoftheAssumption，thesepeoplehave，inthepresentinstance，gatheredfromeveryquarterofthecountry，forthereasonthattheyhopetobeprovidedwithfoodanddrinkwithoutfirstbeingmadetoearntheirentertainment。 ForthemostparttheyareRussiansfromthecentralprovinces，vagabondswhosefacesareblackened，andheadsblanchedwiththeunaccustomedsunshineoftheSouth，butwhosebodiesarecladmerelyinragstossedandtumbledbythewind。True，thewearersofthoseragsdeclarethemselvestobepeaceful，respectablecitizenswhomtoilandlife’sbuffetingshaveexhausted，andcompelledtoseektemporaryrestandprayer；yetneverdoesacreaking，groaning，ponderousgrainwagon，withitsCossackdriver，passthembywithouttheiraccordingthelatterahumble，obsequioussaluteas，withstrawinmouth，andomitting，always，toraisehiscap，themanglancesatthemaskanceandwithcontempt，or，morefrequently，doesnotevendescrythesetattered，grimyhulksbetweenwhomandhimselfthereisabsolutelynothingincommon。 Lowereven，andmorenoticeably，morepretentiously，thantherestdoesacertain“needy“nativeofTulanamedKonevsaluteeachCossack。Ahardbittenmuzhikassunburntasastickofergot，hehasablackbearddistributedirregularlyoveraleanface，afawningsmile，andeyesdeep-sunkenintheirsockets。 MostofthesepersonsIhavemetforthefirsttimetoday；butKonevisanoldacquaintanceofmine，forheandIhavemorethanonceencounteredoneanotherontheroadbetweenKurskandtheprovinceofTer。An“artelni，“thatistosay，amemberofaworkman’sunion，hecultivateshisfellows’goodgracesforthereasonthatheisalsoanarrantcoward，andaccustomed，everywheresaveinhisownvillage(whichliesburiedamongthesandsofAlexin)，toassertthat: “Certainly，thiscountrysideisrich，yetIcannothitthingsoffwithitsinhabitants。Inmyownpartofthecountryfolkaremorespiritual，moretrulyRussian，byfarthanhere——theyarefolkwithwhomthenativesofthisregionarenottobecompared，sinceintheonelocalitythepopulationhasahumansoul，whereasintheotherlocalityitisaflint-stone。“ Andwithacertainquietreflectiveness，helovesalsotorecountamarvellousexampleofunlooked-forenrichment。Hewillsaytoyou: “Maybeyoudonotbelieveinthevirtueofhorseshoes？YetI tellYOUthatonce，whenacertainpeasantofEfremovfoundahorseshoe，thenextthreeweekssawitbefallthatthatpeasant’suncle，atradesmanofEfremov，wasburnttodeathwithallhisfamily，andthepropertydevolvedtothepeasant。Didyoueverhearofsuchathing？WhatisgoingtohappenCANNOTbeforetold，foratanymomentfortunemaypityaman，andsendhimawindfall。“ AsKonevsaysthishisdark，pointedeyebrowswillgoshootinguphisforehead，andhiseyescomeprotrudingoutoftheirsockets，asthoughhehimselfcannotbelievewhathehasjustrelated。 Again，shouldaCossackpasshimwithoutreturninghissalute，hewillmutterashefollowsthemanwithhiseyes: “Anoverfedfellow，that——afellowwhocan’tevenlookatahumanbeing！Thesoulsofthesefolk，Itellyou，arewithered。“