第43章

Yetwhereaswewereout-at-elbows，thecarpentersweresleek，respectable，monied，well-cladfellows。Also，therewassomethingdourandirritatingaboutthem，since，foronething，theyhadfailedtorespondtoourgreetingonourfirstappearance，andeyeduswithnothingbutdislikeandsuspicion。Hence，hurtbytheirchillyattitude，wehadwithdrawnfromtheirimmediateneighbourhood，constructedacausewayofsteppingstonestotheeasternbankoftherivulet，andtakenupourabodebeneaththechaoticgreymistswhichenvelopedthemountainsideinthatdirection。 Also，overthecarpenterstherewasaforeman——amanwhosebonyframe，cladinawhiteshirtandapairofwhitetrousers，lookedalwaysasthoughitwereready-attiredfordeath。Moreover，heworenocaptoconcealtheyellowpatchofbaldnesswhichcoveredmostofhishead，and，inaddition，hisnosewassquatandgrey，hisneckandfacehadoverthemskinofaporous，pumice-likeconsistency，hiseyesweregreenanddim，anduponhisfeaturestherewasstampedadeadanddisagreeableexpression。Tobecandid，however，behindthedarklipslayasetoffine，closeteeth，whilethehairsofthegreybeard(abeardtrimmedaftertheTartarfashion)werethickand，seemingly，soft。 Neverdidthismanputahandactuallytothework；alwayshekeptroamingaboutwiththelarge，rigid-lookingfingersofhishandstuckedintohisbelt，andhisfixedandexpressionlesseyesscanningthebarraque，themen，andtheworkashislipsventedsomesuchlinesas: OhGodourFather，boundhastThouAcrownofthornsuponmybrow！ Listentomyhumbleprayer！ LightentheburdenwhichIbear！ “Whatonearthcanbeintheman’smind？“onceremarkedtheex- soldier，withafrowningglanceatthesinger。 Asforourduties，mymatesandIhadnothingtodo，andsoonbegantofindthetimetedious。Forhispart，themanwiththeCossackphysiognomyscaledthemountainside；whencehecouldbeheardwhistlingandsnappingtwigswithhisheavyfeet，whiletheex-soldierselectedaspacebetweentworocksforashelteroface-roseboughs，and，stretchinghimselfonhisstomach，felltosmokingstrongmountaintobaccoinhislargemeerschaumpipeasdimly，dreamilyhecontemplatedtheplayofthemountaintorrent。 Lastly，Imyselfselectedaseatonarockwhichoverhungthebrook，dippedmyfeetinthecoolnessofthewater，andproceededtomendmyshirt。 Atintervals，thedefilewouldconveytoourearsadullechoofsoundssowhollyatvariancewiththelocalityasmuffledhammer- blows，ascreechingofsaws，araspingofplanes，andaconfusedmurmurofhumanvoices。 Also，amoistbreezeblewconstantlyfromthedark-bluedepthsofthedefile，andcausedthestiff，uprightlarchesontheknollbehindthebarraquetorustletheirboughs，anddistilledfromtheranksoilthevoluptuousscentsoface-roseandpitch-pine，andevokedinthetrees’quietgloomasoft，crooning，somnolentlullaby。 Aboutasazhen[Fathom]belowthelevelofthebarraquetherecoursednoisilyoveritsbedofstonesarivuletwhitewithfoam。 Yetthoughofothersoundsinthevicinitytherewerebutfew，thegeneraleffectwastosuggestthateverythingintheneighbourhoodwasspeakingorsingingataleofsuchsortastoshamethehumanspeciesintosilence。 Onourownsideofthevalleythegroundlaybathedinsunshine—— layscorchedtothepointofseemingtohavespreadoveritatissue-cloth。Oldgoldincolour，whilefromeverysidearosethesweetperfumeofdriedgrasses，andindarkcleftstherecouldbeseensproutingthelong，straightspearsandfiery，reddish，cone-shapedblossomsofthatbold，hardyplantwhichisknowntousassaxifrage——theplantofwhichthecontemplationmakesonelongtoburstintomusic，andfillsone’swholebodywithsensuouslanguor。 Lacedwithpalpitating，snow-whitefoam，thebeautifulrivuletpursueditssportivewayovertessellatedstoneswhichflashedthroughtheeddiesoftheglassy，sunlit，amber-colouredwaterwiththesilkensheenofapatchworkcarpetorcostlyshawlofCashmir。 ThroughthemouthofthedefileonecouldreachthevalleyoftheSunzha，whence，sincemenwerether，buildingarailwaytoPetrovskontheCaspianSea，therekeptissuingandbreakingagainstthecragsadullrumbleofexplosions，ofironraspedagainststone，ofwhistlesofworkslocomotives，andofanimatedhumanvoices。 Fromthebarraquethedistancetothepointwherethedefiledeboucheduponthevalleywasaboutahundredpaces，andasoneissuedthenceonecouldsee，awaytotheleft，thelevelsteppesoftheCis-Caucasus，withaboundarywallofbluehills，toppedbythesilver-hewnsaddleofMountElburzbehindit。True，forthemostpartthesteppeshadadry，yellow，sandylook，withmerelyhereandtheredarkpatchesofgardensorblackpoplarclumpswhichrenderedthegoldenglaremoreglaringstill；yetalsotherecouldbediscernedontheexpansefarmbuildingsshapedlikelumpsofsugarorbutter，with，intheirvicinity，toylikehumanbeingsanddiminutivecattle——thewholeshimmeringandmeltinginamiragebornoftheheat。Andatthemeresightofthosesteppes，withtheirembroideryofsilkundertheblueofthezenith，one’smusclestightened，andonefeltinspiredwithalongingtospringtoone’sfeet，closeone’seyes，andwalkforeverwiththesoft，mournfulsongofthewastecrooninginone’sears。 TotherightalsoofthedefilelaythewindingvalleyoftheSunzha，withmorehills；andabovethosehillshungthebluesky，andintheirflankswerecleftswhich，fullofgreymist，keptemittingaceaselessdinoflabour，asoundofdullexplosions，asagreatpuissantforceattainedrelease。 Yetalmostatthesamemomentwouldthathurly-burlysomergewiththeechoofourdefile，sobecomeburiedinthedefile’sverdureandrockcrevices，thatoncemoretheplacewouldseemtobesingingonlyitsowngentle，gracioussong。 And，shouldoneturntoglanceupthedefile，itcouldbeseentogrownarrowerandnarrowerasitascendedtowardsthemists，andthelattertogrowthickerandthickeruntilthewholedefilewasswathedinadarkbluepall。Higheryettherecouldbediscernedthebrilliantgleamofbluesky。Higheryetonecoulddistinguishtheice-cappedpeakofKaraDagh，floatinganddissolvingamidthe(fromhere)invisiblesunlight。Highestofallagainbroodedtheserene，steadfastpeaceofheaven。 Also，everythingwasbathedinastrangetintofbluishgrey:towhichcircumstancemusthavebeenduethefactthatalwaysone’ssoulfeltfilledwithrestlessness，one’sheartstirredtodisquietude，andfiredaswithintoxication，chargedwithincomprehensiblethoughts，andconsciousasofasummonstosetforthforsomeunknowndestination。 Theforemanofthecarpentersshadedhiseyestogazeinourdirection；andashedidso，hedrawledandraspedoutintediousfashion: “Someshalltotheleftbesent，AndinthepitofHellliepent。 Whileothers，holdingpalminhand，ShallonGod’srighttakeuptheirstand。“ “DIDyouhearthat？“theex-soldiergrowledthroughclenchedteeth。“’Palminhand’indeed！Why，thefellowmustbeaMennoniteoraMolokan，thoughthetwo，really，areone，andabsolutelyindistinguishable，aswellasequallyfoolish。Yes，’palminhand’indeed！“ SimilarlycouldIunderstandtheex-soldier’sindignation，for，likehim，Ifeltthatsuchdreary，monotonoussingingwasaltogetheroutofplaceinaspotwhereeverythingcouldtrollasongsodelightfulastoleadonetowishtohearnothingmore，tohearonlythewhisperingoftheforestandthebabblingofthestream。Andespeciallyoutofplacedidtheterms“palm“and“Mennonite“appear。 YetIhadnogreatlovefortheex-soldier。Somehowhejarreduponme。Middle-aged，squat，square，andbleachedwiththesun，hehadfadedeyes，flattened-outfeatures，andanexpressionofrestlessmoroseness。NevercouldImakeoutwhathereallywanted，whathewasreallyseeking。Forinstance，once，afterreviewingtheCaucasusfromKhassav-UrttoNovorossisk，andfromBatumtoDerbent，and，duringthereview，crossingthemountainrangebythreedifferentroutesatleast，heremarkedwithadisparagingsmile: “IsupposetheLordGodmadethecountry。“ “Youdonotlikeit，then？HowshouldI？GoodfornothingiswhatIcallit。“ Then，withafurtherglanceatme，andatwistofhissinewyneck，headded: “However，notbadaltogetherareitsforests。“ AnativeofKaluga，hehadservedinTashkend，and，infightingwiththeChechintzesofthatregion，hadbeenwoundedintheheadwithastone。Yetashetoldmethestoryofthisincident，hesmiledshamefacedly，and，throughout，kepthisglassyeyesfixedupontheground。 “ThoughIamashamedtoconfessit，“hesaid，“onceawomanchippedapieceoutofme。Yousee，thewomenofthatregionareshriekingdevils——thereisnootherwordforit；andwhenwecapturedavillagecalledAkhal-Tiapaanumberofthemhadtobecutup，sothattheylayaboutinheaps，andtheirbloodmadewalkingslippery。Justasourcompanyofthereserveenteredthestreet，somethingcaughtmeonthehead。Afterwards，Ilearntthatawomanonaroofhadthrownastone，and，liketherest，hadhadtobeputoutoftheway。“ Here，knittinghisbrows，theex-soldierwentoninmoreseriousvein: “Yetallthatfolkusedtosayaboutthosewomen，abouttheirhavingbeardstoshave，turnedouttobesomuchgossip，asI ascertainedformyself。Ididsobyliftingthewoman’sskirtonthepointofmybayonet，whenIperceivedthat，thoughshewaslean，andsmeltlikeagoat，shewasquiteasregularas，as——“ “Thingsmusthavebeenindeedterribleonthatexpedition！“I interposed。