第35章

Onthepresentoccasionhehasarrivedonthesceneincompanywithtwowomen。Oneofthem，agedabouttwenty，isgentle- looking，plump，andglassyofeye，withamouthperpetuallyhalf- open，sothatthefacelookslikethatofanimbecile，andthoughtheexposedteethofitslowerportionmayseemtobesetinasmile，youwillperceive，shouldyoupeerintothemotionlesseyesundertheoverhangingbrows，thatshehasrecentlybeenweepingintheterrified，hystericalfashionofapersonofweakintellect。 IhavecomeherewiththatmanandotherstrangersthusIheardhernarrateinlow，queruloustonesaswithastumpyfingersherearrangedthefadedhairunderheryellowandgreenscarf。 Afat-facedyouthwithhighcheek-bonesandthesmalleyesofaMongolherenudgedher，andsaidcarelessly: “Youmean，rather，thatyourownmanhascastyouoff。Probablyhewastheonlymanyoueversaw。“ “Aye，“Konevdrawledthoughtfullyashefeltinhiswallet。 Nowadaysfolkneedthinklittleofdesertingawoman，sinceinthisyearofgracewomenarenogoodatall。“ Uponthisthewomanfrowned——thenblinkedhereyestimidly，andwouldhaveopenedherlipstoreply，butthathercompanioninterruptedherbysayinginabrisk，incisivetone: “Donotlistentothoserascals！“ Thewoman’scompanion，somefiveorsixyearshersenior，hasafaceexceptionalintheconstantchangeandmovementofitsgreatdarkeyesasatonemomenttheywithdrawthemselvesfromthestreetoftheCossackhamlet，togazefixedlyandgravelytowardsthesteppewhereitliesscouredwiththescuddingbreeze，andatanothermomentfalltoscanningthefacesofthepersonsaroundher，and，atanother，frownanxiously，orsendasmileflittingacrosshercomelylipsasshebendsherhead，untilherfeaturesareconcealed。Next，theheadisraisedagain，fortheeyeshavetakenonanotherphase，andbecomedilatedwithinterest，whileasharpfurrowisformingbetweentheslendereyebrows，andthefinelymouldedlipsandtrimmouthhavecompressedthemselvestogether，andthethinnostrilsofthestraightnosearesnuffingtheairlikethoseofahorse。 Infact，inthewomanthereissomethingnon-peasantinitsorigin。Forinstance，letonebutwatchhersharplyclickingfeetas，inwalking，theypeepfromunderherblueskirt，andonewillperceivethattheyarenotthesplayedfeetofavillager，but，rather，feetarchedofinstep，andatonetimeaccustomedtothewearingofboots。Or，asthewomansitsengagedinembroideringabluebodicewithapatternofwhitepeas，onewillperceivethatshehaslongbeenaccustomedtoplyingtheneedlesodexterously；swiftlydothesmall，sunburnthandsflyinandoutunderthetumbledmaterial，eagerlythoughthewindmaystrivetowrestitfromher。Again，asshesitsbendingoverherwork，onewilldescrythrougharentinherbodiceasmall，firmbosomwhichmightalmosthavebeenthatofavirgin，wereitnotforthefactthataprojectingteatproclaimsthatsheisawomanpreparingtosuckleaninfant。Inshort，asshesitsamonghercompanionsshelookslikeafragmentofcopperflungintothemidstofsomerustyoldscrap-iron。 MostofthepeopleinwhosesocietyIwanderneitherrisetogreatheightsnorsinktogreatdepths，butareascolourlessasdust，andwearisomelyinsignificant。HenceisitthatwheneverI chanceuponapersonwhosesoulIcanprobeandexploreforthoughtsunfamiliartomeandwordsnothithertoheardI congratulatemyself，seeingthatthoughitismydesiretoseelifegrowmorefairandexalted，andIyearntobringaboutthatend，thereconstantlyrevealsitselftomemerelyavistaofsharpanglesanddarkspacesandpoorcrushed，defraudedpeople。 Yes，neverdoIseektoprojectasparkofmyownfireintothedarknessofmyneighbour’ssoulbutIseethatsparkdisappear，becomelost，inachaosofdumbvacuity。 HencethewomanofwhomIhavejustspokenparticularlyexcitesmyfancy，andleadsmetoattemptdivinationsofherpast，untilIfindmyselfevolvingastorywhichisnotonlyofvastcomplexity，buthasgotpaintedintoitmerelythecoloursofmyownhopesandaspirations。Itisastorynecessarilyillusory，necessarilyboundtomakelifeseemevenworsethanbefore。YetitisagrievousthingNEVERtodistortactuality，NEVERtoenvelopactualityinthewrappingsofone’simagination…… Closinghiseyes，andpickinghiswordswithdifficulty，atall，fairpeasantdrawlsinthick，glueliketones: “’Verywell，’Isaid:andoffweset。OnthewayIsaidagain: ’Gubin，thoughyoumaynotliketobetoldso，youarenobetterthanathief。’“ Theo’sutteredbythispeasantareuniformlyroundandfirm——theyrollforwardasacartwheeltrundlesalongahot，dustycountryroad。 Theyouthwiththehighcheek-bonesfixesthewhitesofhisporcineeyes(eyesthepupilsofwhichareasindeterminateastheeyesofablindman)uponthewomaninthegreenscarf。 Then，having，likeacalf，pluckedandchewedsomestalksofthewitheredgrass，herollsupthesleevesofhisshirt，bendsonefistintothecrookoftheelbow，andsaystoKonevwithaglanceatthewell-developedmuscle: “Shouldyoucaretohitme？“ “No，youcanhityourself。Hityourselfoverthehead。Then，perhaps，you’llgrowwiser。“ StolidlytheyoungfellowlooksatKonev，andinquires: “Howdoyouknowmetobeafool？“ “Becauseyourpersonalitytellsmeso。“ “Eh？“criestheyoungfellowtruculentlyasheraiseshimselftoakneelingposture。“HowknowyouwhatIam？“ “IhavebeentoldwhatyouarebytheGovernorofyourprovince。“ Theyoungfellowopenshismouth，andstaresatKonev。Thenheasks: “TowhatprovincedoIbelong？“ “Ifyouyourselfhaveforgottentowhatprovinceyoubelong，youhadbettertryandloosenyourwits。“ “Lookhere。IfIweretohityou，I——“ Thewomanwhohasbeensewingdropsherworktoshrugoneroundedshoulderasthoughshewerecold，andaskconciliatorily: “Well，WHATprovincedoyoubelongto？“ “I？“theyoungfellowre-echoesashesubsidesontohisheels。 “IbelongtoPenza。Whydoyouask？“ “Ohnevermindwhy。“ Presently，withastrangelyyouthfullaugh，thewomanaddsinamurmur: “IaskbecauseItoobelongtothatprovince。“ “Andtowhichcanton？“ “TothatofPenza。“Inthewoman’stoneisatouchofpride。 Theyoungfellowsquatsdownbeforeher，asbeforeawoodfire，stretchesouthishands，andsaysinaningratiatingvoice: “Whatafineplaceisourcantonaltown！Whatchurchesandshopsandstonehousesthereareinit！Infact，oneshopsellsamachineonwhichyoucanplayanythingyoulike，anysortofatune！“ “Aswellas，probably，thefool，“commentsKonevinanundertone，thoughtheyoungfellowistooenthralledwiththememoryoftheamenitiesofhiscantonalcapitaltonoticetheremark。Next，smackinghislips，andchewinghiswords，hecontinuesinamurmur: “Inthosestonehouses。“ Herethewomandropshersewingasecondtimetoinquire:“Isthereaconventthere？“ “Aconvent？“ Andtheyoungfellowpausesuncouthlytoscratchhisneck。Onlyafterawhiledoesheanswer: “Aconvent？Well，Idonotknow，foronlyonce，totellthetruth，haveIbeeninthetown，andthatwaswhensomeofusfaminefolkweresettoajobofroadmaking。“ “Well，well！“gaspsKonev，asherisesandtakeshisdeparture。 Thevagabonds，huddledagainstthechurchyardwall，looklikelitterdriventhitherbythesteppewind，andasliabletobewhirledawayagainwheneverthewindshallchoose。Threeofthepartyaresleeping，andtheremaindereithermendingtheirclothing，orkillingfleas，orlethargicallymunchingbreadcollectedatthewindowsoftheCossacks’huts。Ifindthesightofthemwearymeasmuchasdoestheyoungfellowsfatuousbabble。Also，Ifindthatwhenevertheelderofthetwowomenliftshereyesfromherwork，andhalfsmiles，thefainthalf- smileinquestionvexesmeintensely。Consequently，IendbydepartinginKonev’swake。 Guardingtheentranceofthechurchyard，fourpoplartreesstanderect，savewhen，asthewindharriesthem，theybowalternatelytothearid，dustyearthandtowardsthedimvistaoftow-