第36章

colouredsteppeandsnowcappedmountainpeaks。Yet，ohhowthatsteppe，bathedingoldensunshine，drawsonetoitselfanditssmoothdesolationofsweet，drygrassesastheparched，fragrantexpanserustlesunderthesoughingwind！ “Youaskaboutthatwoman，eh？“queriesKonev，whomIfindleaningagainstoneofthepoplartrunks，andembracingitwithanarm。 “Yes。Fromwheredoesshehail？“ “FromRiazan，shesays。AnotherstoryofhersisthathernameisTatiana。“ “Hasshebeenwithyoulong？“ “No。Infact，itwasonlythismorning，somethirtyverstsfromhere，thatIovertookherandhercompanion。However，Ihaveseenherbefore，atMaikop-on-Laba，duringtheseasonofhayharvest，whenshehadwithheranelderly，smoothfacedmuzhikwhomighthavebeenasoldier，andcertainlywaseitherherloveroranuncle，aswellasabullyandadrunkardofthetypewhich，beforeithasbeentwodaysinaplace，startsaboutasmanybrawls。Atpresent，however，sheistrampingwithnonebutthisfemalecompanion，for，afterthatthe’uncle’haddrunkawayhisverybelly-bandandreins，hewasclappedingaol。TheCossack，youknow，isanawkwardpersontodealwith。“ AlthoughKonevspeakswithoutconstraint，hiseyesarefixeduponthegroundinamannersuggestiveofsomedisturbingthought。Andasthebreezeruffleshisdishevelledbeardandraggedpea-jacketitendsbyrobbinghisheadofhiscap——ofthetattered，peaklesscloutwhich，withrentsinitslining，socloselyresemblesatchepchik[Woman’smob-cap]，astocommunicatetothepicturesquefeaturesofitsweareranappearancecomicallyfeminine。 “Ye-es，“expectorating，anddrawlingthewordsbetweenhisteeth，hecontinues:“Sheisaremarkablewoman，aregular，sotospeak，highstepper。YetitmusthavebeentheDevilhimselfthatblewthisyoungoafwiththebloatedjowlontothescene。 OtherwiseIshouldsoonhavefixedupmatterswithher。Thecurthatheis！“ “Butonceyoutoldmethatyouhadawifealready？“ Dartingatmeanangryglance，heturnsawaywithamutterof: “AMItocarrymywifeaboutwithmeinmywallet？“ HeretherecomeslimpingacrossthesquareamoustachioedCossack。Inonehandheisholdingabunchofkeys，andintheotherhandabatteredCossackcap，peakinfront。Behindhim，sobbingandapplyinghisknucklestohiseyes，thereiscreepingacurly-headedurchinofeight，whiletherearisbroughtupbyashaggydogwhosedejectedcountenanceandloweredtailwouldseemtoshowthathetooisindisgrace。EachtimethattheboywhimpersmoreloudlythanusualtheCossackhalts，awaitsthelad’scominginsilence，cuffshimovertheheadwiththepeakofthecap，and，resuminghiswaywiththegaitofadrunkenman，leavestheboyandthedogstandingwheretheyare——theboylamenting，andthedogwaggingitstailasitsoldblackmuzzlesniffstheair。SomehowIdiscerninthedog’smienofholdingitselfpreparedforanythingthatmayturnup，acertainresemblancetoKonev’sbearing，savethatthedogisolderinappearancethanisthevagabond。 “Youmentionedmywife，Ithink？“presentlyheresumeswithasigh。“Yes，Iknow，butnotEVERYmaladyprovesmortal，andI havebeenmarriednineteenyears！“ Therestiswell-knowntome，foralltoofrequentlyhaveIhearditandsimilartales。Unfortunately，Icannotnowtakethetroubletostophim；sooncemoreIamforcedtolethiscomplaintscomeoozingtediouslyintomyears。 “Thewenchwasplump，“saysKonev，“andpantingforlove；sowejustgotmarried，andbratsbegantocometumblingfromherlikebugsfromabunk。“ Subsidingalittle，thebreezetakes，asitwere，towhispering。 “Infact，Icouldscarcelyturnroundforthem。Evennowsevenofthemarealive，thoughoriginallythestudnumberedthirteen。 Andwhatwastheuseofsuchagang？For，consider:mywifeisforty-two，andIamforty-three。Sheiselderly，andIamwhatyoubehold。True，hithertoIhavecontrivedtokeepupmyspirits；yetpovertyiswearingmedown，andwhen，lastwinter，myoldwomanwenttopiecesIsetforth(forwhatelsecouldI do？)totourthetowns。Infact，folklikeyouandmyselfhaveonlyonejobavailable——thejoboflickingone’schops，andkeepingone’seyesopen。Yet，totellyouthetruth，InosoonerperceivemyselftobegrowingsuperfluousinaplacethanIspituponthatplace，andclearoutofit。“ Nevertothissturdy，inveteraterascaldoesitseemtooccurtoinsinuatethathehasbeendoingworkofanykind，orthatheintheleastcarestodoany；whileatthesametimeallself-pityiseschewedinhisnarrative，andherelateshisexperiencesmuchasthoughtheyaretheexperiencesofanotherman，andnotofhimself。 Presently，astheCossackandtheboydrawlevelwithus，theformer，fingeringhismoustache，inquiresthickly: “Whenceareyoucome？“ “FromRussia。“ “Allsuchfolkcomefromthere。“ Thereafter，withagestureofdisdain，thismanoftheabnormallybroadnose，eyesfloatinginfat，andflaxenheadshapedlikeaflounder’s，resumeshiswaytowardstheporchofthechurch。Asfortheboy，hewipeshisnoseandfollowshimwhilethedogsniffsatourlegs，yawns，andstretchesitselfbythechurchyardwall。 “Didyousee？“muttersKonev。“Ohyes，ItellyouthatthefolkherearefarlessamiablethanourownfolkinRussia…… Buthark！Whatisthat？“ Toourearstherehavecomefrombehindthecornerofthechurchyardwallawoman’sscreamandthesoundofdullblows。 Rushingthither，webeholdthefair-headedpeasantseatedontheprostrateformoftheyoungfellowfromPenza，andmethodically，gruntinglydeliveringblowafterblowupontheyoungfellow’searswithhisponderousfists，whilecountingtheblowsashedoesso。Vainly，atthesametime，thewomanfromRiazanisproddingtheassailantintheback，whilstherfemalecompanionisshrieking，andthecrowdatlargehasleapttoitsfeet，and，collectedintoaknot，isshoutinggleefully，“THAT’Stheway！ THAT’Stheway！“ “Five！“thefair-headedpeasantcounts。 “Whyareyoudoingthis？“theprostratemanprotests。 “Six！“ “Ohdear！“ejaculatesKonev，dancingwithnervousness。“Ohdear，ohdear！“ Thesmacking，smashingblowsfallinregularcadenceas，proneonhisface，theyoungfellowkicks，strugglesandpuffsupthedust。Meanwhileatall，dourmaninastrawhatisrollingupashirt-sleeve，andalternatelybendingandstretchingalongarm，whilstalithe，white-headedyoungstriplingishopping，sparrow- like，fromoneonlookertoanother，andexclaiminginsuppressed，cautioustones: “Stopit，praystopit，orweshallbearrestedforcreatingadisturbance！“ Presentlythetallmanstridestowardsthefair-headedpeasant，dealshimasingleblowwhichknockshimfromthebackoftheyoungfellow，and，turningtothecrowd，sayswithaninformingair: “THAT’ShowwedoitinTambov！“ “Brutes！Villains！“screamsthewomanfromRiazan，asshebendsovertheyoungfellow。Hercheeksarelivid，andasshewipestheflushedfaceofthebeatenyouthwiththehemofhergown，herdarkeyesareflashingwithdrywrath，andherlipsquiveringsopainfullyastodiscloseasetoffine，levelteeth。 Konev，peckinguptoher，sayswithanairofadvice: “Youhadbettertakehimaway，andgivehimsomewater。“ Uponthisthefair-headedmuzhik，risingtohisknees，stretchesafisttowardsthemanfromTambov，andexclaims: “Whyshouldhehavegoneandbraggedofhisstrength，pray？“ “Wasthatagoodreasonforthrashinghim？“ “Andwhoareyou？“ “WhoamI？“ “Yes，whoareYOU？“ “Nevermind。SeethatIdon’tgiveyouanotherswipe！“ Uponthistheonlookersplungeintoaheateddebateastowhowasactuallythebeginnerofthedisturbance，whilethelitheyoungfellowcontinuestowringhishands，andcryimploringly: “DON’Tmakesomuchnoiseaboutit！Rememberthatweareinastrangeland，andthatthefolkhereaboutsarestrict。“ Soqueerlydohisearsprojectfromhisheadthathewouldseemtobeable，ifhepleased，tofoldthemrightoverhiseyes。 Suddenlyfromtheroseateheavenscomesthevibrantnoteofabell；whereupon，thehubbubceasesandatthesamemomentayoungCossackwithafacestuddedwithfreckles，and，inhishands，acudgel，makeshisappearanceamongthecrowd。 “Whatdoesallthismean？“heinquiresnotuncivilly。 “Theyhavebeenbeatingaman，“thewomanfromRiazanreplies。 Asshedoessoshelookscomelyinspiteofherwrath。