第37章

TheCossackglancesather——thensmiles。 “Andwhereisthepartygoingtosleep？“heinquiresofthecrowd。 “Here，“someoneventures。 “Thenyoumustnot——someonemightbreakintothechurch。Go，rather，totheAtaman[Cossackheadmanormayor]，andyouwillbebilletedamongthehuts。“ “Itisamatterofnoconsequence，“Konevremarksashepacesbesideme。“Yet——“ “Theyseemtobetakingusforrobbers，“ismyinterruption。 “Asiseverywheretheway，“hecomments。“Itisbutonethingmorelaidtoourcharge。Cautiondecidesalwaysthatastrangerisathief。“ InfrontofuswalksthewomanfromRiazan，incompanywiththeyoungfellowofthebloatedfeatures。Heisdowncastofmien，andatlengthmutterssomethingwhichIcannotcatch，butinanswertowhichshetossesherhead，andsaysinadistinct，maternaltone: “Youaretooyoungtoassociatewithsuchbrutes。“ Thebellofthechurchisslowlybeating，andfromthehutstherekeepcomingneatoldmenandwomenwhomakethehithertodesertedstreetassumeabriskappearance，andthesquathutstakeonawelcomingair。 Inaresonant，girlishvoicetheremeetsourears: “Ma-am！Ma-amka！Whereisthekeyofthegreenbox？Iwantmyribands！“ Whileinanswertothebell’ssummons，theoxenlowadeepecho。 Thewindhasfallen，butreddishcloudsstillareglidingoverthehamlet，andthemountainpeaksblushinguntiltheyseem，thawing，tobesendingstreamsofgolden，liquidfireontothesteppes，where，asthoughcastinstone，astork，standingononeleg，islistening，seemingly，totherustlingoftheheat- exhaustedherbage。 IntheforecourtoftheAtaman’shutwearedeprivedofourpassports，whiletwoofournumber，foundtobewithoutsuchdocuments，areledawaytoanight’slodginginadarkstorehouseinacornerofthepremises。Everythingisexecutedquietlyenough，andwithouttheleastfuss，purelyasamatterofroutine；yetKonevmutters，asdejectedlyhecontemplatesthedarkeningsky: “Whatasurprisingthing，tobesure！“ “Whatis？“ “Apassport。Surelyadecent，peaceablemanoughttobeabletotravelWITHOUTapassport？Solongashebeharmless，lethim——“ “Youarenotharmless，“withangryemphasisthewomanfromRiazaninterposes。 Konevcloseshiseyeswithasmile，andsaysnothingmore。 Almostuntilthevigilserviceisoverarewekeptkickingourheelsaboutthatforecourt，likesheepinaslaughter-house。ThenKonev，myself，thetwowomen，andthefat-facedyoungfellowareledawaytowardstheoutskirtsofthevillage，andallottedanemptyhutwithbroken-downwallsandacrackedwindow。 “Nogoingoutwillbepermitted，“saystheCossackwhohasconductedusthither。“Elseyouwillbearrested。“ “Thengiveusamorselofbread，“Konevsayswithastammer。 “Haveyoudoneanyworkhere？“theCossackinquires。 “Yes——alittle。“ “Forme？“ “No。Itdidnotsohappen。“ “WhenitdoessohappenIwillgiveyousomebread。“ Andlikeawater-buttthefatkindly-lookingmangoesrollingoutoftheyard。 “Whatelsewastobeexpected？“grumblesKonevwithhiseyebrowselevatedtothemiddleofhisforehead。“Thefolkhereaboutsareknaves。Ah，well！“ Asforthewomen，theywithdrawtothedarkestcornerofthehut，andliedown，whiletheyoungfellowdisappearsafterprobingthewallsandfloor，andreturnswithanarmfulofstrawwhichhestrewsuponthehard，beatenclay。Thenhestretcheshimselfthereonwithhandsclaspedbehindhisbatteredhead。 “SeetheresourcefulnessofthatfellowfromPenza！“commentsKonevenviously。“Hi，youwomen！Thereis，itwouldseem，somestrawabout。“ Tothiscomesfromthewomen’scornertheacidreply: “Thengoandfetchsome。“ “Foryou？“ “Yes，forus。“ “ThenImust，Isuppose。“ NeverthelessKonevmerelyremainssittingonthewindowsill，anddiscoursingonthesubjectofcertainneedyfolkwhodobutdesiretogoandsaytheirprayersinchurch，yetarebandedintobarns。 “Yes，andthoughyoumaysaythatfolk，theworldover，haveasoulincommon，Itellyouthatthisisnotso——that，onthecontrary，weRussianstrangersfinditahardmatterheretogetlookeduponasrespectable。“ Withwhichheslipsoutquietlyintothestreet，anddisappearsfromview。 Theyoungfellow’ssleepisrestless——hekeepstossingabout，withhisfatarmsandlegssprawlingoverthefloor，andgrunting，andsnoring。Underhimthestrawmakesacracklingsound，whilethetwowomenwhispertogetherinthedarkness，andthereedsofthedrythatchontheroofrustle(thewindisstilldrawinganoccasionalbreath)，andeverandanonatwigbrushesagainstanoutsidewall。Thesceneislikeasceneinadream。 Outofdoorsthemyriadtonguesofthepitch-black，starlessnightseemtobedebatingsomethinginsoft，sad，pitifultoneswhicheverkeepgrowingfainter；until，whenthehouroftenhasbeenstruckonthewatchman’sgong，andthemetalceasestovibrate，theworldgrowsquieterstill，muchasthoughalllivingthings，alarmedbytheclanginthenight，haveconcealedthemselvesintheinvisibleearthortheequallyinvisibleheavens。 Iseatmyselfbythewindow，andwatchhowtheearthkeepsexhalingdarkness，andthedarknessenveloping，drowningthegrey，blurredhutsinblack，tepidvapour，thoughthechurchremainsinvisible——evidentlysomethingstandsinterposedbetweenitandmyviewpoint。Anditseemstomethatthewind，theseraphofmanypinionswhichhasspentthreedaysinharryingtheland，mustnowhavewhirledtheearthintoablackness，adenseness，inwhich，exhausted，andpanting，andscarcelymoving，itishelplesslystrivingtoremainwithintheencompassing，all- pervadingobscuritywhere，helplessandwearyinlikedegree，thewindhasslougheditsthousandsofwing-feathers——featherswhiteandblueandgoldenoftint，butalsobroken，andsmearedwithdustandblood。 AndasIthinkofourpetty，grievoushumanlife，asofadrunkard’stuneonasorrymusicalinstrument，orasofabeautifulsongspoiltbyawitless，voicelesssinger，therebeginstowailinmysoulaninsatiablelongingtobreatheforthwordsofsympathywithallmankind，wordsofburningloveforalltheworld，wordsofappreciationof，forexample，thesun’sbeautyas，enfoldingtheearthinhisbeams，andcaressingandfertilisingher，hebearsherthroughtheexpansesofblue。Yes，Iyearntorecitetomyfellow-menwordswhichshallraisetheirheads。AndatlengthIfindmyselfcompoundingthefollowingjejunelines: ToourlandweallarebornInhappinesstodwell。 ThesunhasbredustothislandItsfairnesstoexcel。 InthetempleofthesunWehighpriestsare，divine。 Theneachofusshouldclaimhislife，Andcry，“Thislifeismine！“ Meanwhilefromthewomen’scornertherecomesasoft，intermittentwhispering；andasitcontinuestofilterthroughthedarkness，IstrainmyearsuntilIsucceedincatchingafewofthewordsuttered，andcandistinguishatleastthevoicesofthewhisperers。 ThewomanfromRiazanmuttersfirmly，andwithassurance: “Neveroughtyoutoshowthatithurtsyou。“ Andwithasniff，inatoneofdubiousacquiescence，hercompanionreplies: “Ye-es-solongasonecanbearit。“ “Ah，butnevermind。PRETEND。Thatistosay，whenhebeatsyou，makelightofit，andtreatitasajoke。“ “Butwhatifhebeatsmeverymuchindeed？“ “Continuestilltomakelightofit，stilltosmileathimkindly。“ “Well，YOUcanneverhavebeenbeaten，foryoudonotseemtoknowwhatitislike。“ “Oh，butIhave，mydear——Idoknowwhatitislike，formyexperienceofithasbeenlarge。Donotbeafraid，however。HE won’tbeatyou。“ Adogyelps，pausesamomenttolisten，andthenbarksmoreangrilythanever。Uponthatotherdogsreply，andforamomentortwoIamannoyedtofindthatIcannotoverhearthewomen’sconversation。Intime，however，thedogsceasetheiruproar，forwantofbreath，andthesuppresseddialoguefiltersoncemoretomyears。 “Neverforget，mydear，thatamuzhik’slifeisahardone。Yes，forusplainfolklifeishard。Hence，oneoughttomakenothingofthings，andletthemcomeeasytoone。“ “MotherofGod！“