第48章

Getbacktowork，there！“Indeed，he，theforeman，hadoutdoneallinhismanifestationsofdislikeforourfriendship，andasmonotonouslyasthoughhehadbeenmindedtorivaltherivuletasasongster，hehadhummedhispiousditties，orelseraisedhissnufflingvoicetosingthemwithanever-importunatemeasureofinsistence，sothatalldaylongthosedittieshadbeencoursingtheirwayinamurky，melancholy-compellingflood。Indeed，astheforemanhadsteppedcautiouslyonthinlegsfromstonetostoneduringhisceaselessinspectionoftheworkofhismen，hehadcometoseemtohaveforhisobjectthedescribingofaninvisible，circularpath，asameansofsegregatingusmoresecurelythaneverfromthesocietyofthecarpenters。 Personally，however，Ihadnodesiretoconversewithhim，forhisfrozeneyeschilledandrepelledmeandfromthemomentwhenIhadapproachedhim，andseenhimfoldhishandsbehindhim，andrecoilastepasheinquiredwithsuppressedsternness，“Whatdoyouwant？“therehadfallenawayfrommeallfurtherambitiontolearnthenatureofthesongswhichhesang。 Theex-soldiergazedathimresentfully，thensaidwithanoath: “Theoldwizardandpilferer！Takemywordforitthatalumpofpietylikethathasgotaprettystoreputawaysomewhere。“ Whereafter，ashelithispipeandsquintedinthedirectionofthecarpenters，headdedwithstifledwrath: “Theairsthatthe’elect’givethemselves——thesonsofbitches！“ “Itisalwaysso，“commentedVasiliwitharesentmentequaltothelastspeaker’s。“Yes，nosooner，withus，doesamanaccumulatealittlemoneythanhestickshisnoseintheair，andfallstothinkinghimselfarealbarin。“ “Whyisitthatyoualwayssay’Withus，’and’Amongus，’andsoon？“ “AmongusRussians，then，ifyoulikeitbetter。“ “Idolikeitbetter。ForyouarenotaGerman，areyou，noraTartar？“ “No。ItismerelythatIcanseethefaultsinourRussianfolk。“ Uponthat(notforthefirsttime)thepairplungedintoadiscussionwhichhadcomesotowearythemthatnowtheyspokeonlyindifferently，withouteffort。 “Theword’faults’is，Iconsider，aninsult，“begantheex- soldierashepuffedathispipe。“Besides，youdon’tspeakconsistently。OnlythismomentIobservedachangeinyourterms。“ “Towhat？“ “Totheterm’Russians。’“ “Whatshouldyouprefer？“ AnewsoundfloatedintothedefileasfromsomepointonthesteppethesoundofabellsummoningfolktotheusualSaturdayvigilservice。Removinghispipefromhismouth，theex-soldierlistenedforamomentortwo。Then，atthethirdandlaststrokeofthebell，hedoffedhiscap，crossedhimselfwithpunctiliouspiety，andsaid: “Therearenotverymanychurchesintheseparts。“ Whereafterhethrewaglanceacrosstheriver，andaddedvenomously: “ThosedevilsTHEREdon’tcrossthemselves，theaccursedSerbs！“ Vasililookedathim，twistedaleft-handmoustache，smootheditagain，regardedforamomenttheskyandthedefile，andsankhishead。 “Thetroublewithme，“heremarkedinanundertone，“isthatI canneverremainverylonginoneplace——alwaysIkeepfancyingthatIshallmeetwithbetterthingselsewhere，alwaysIkeephearingabirdsinginginmyheart，’Doyougofurther，doyougofurther。’“ “ThatbirdsingsintheheartofEVERYman，“theex-soldiergrowledsulkily。 Withaglanceatusboth，Vasililaughedasubduedlaugh。 “’Intheheartofeveryman’？“herepeated。“Why，suchastatementisabsurd。Foritmeans，doesitnot，thateveryoneofusisanidler，everyoneofusisconstantlywaitingforsomethingtoturnup——that，infact，nooneofusisanybetterthan，orabletodoanybetterthan，thefolkwhosesoleutteranceis’Giveuntous，praygiveuntous’？Yes，ifthatbethecase，itisanunfortunatecaseindeed！“ Andagainhelaughed。Yethiseyesweresorrowful，andasthefingersofhisrighthandlayuponhiskneetheytwitchedasthoughtheywerelongingtograspsomethingunseen。 Theex-soldierfrownedandsnorted。Formyownpart，however，I felttroubledfor，andsorryfor，Vasili。Presentlyherose，brokeintoasoftwhistle，andmovedawaybythesideofthestream。 “Hisheadisnotquiteright，“mutteredtheex-soldierashewinkedinthedirectionoftheretreatingfigure。“Yes，Itellyouthatstraight，forfromthefirstitwascleartome。 Otherwise，whatcouldhiswordsindepredationofRussiamean，whenofRussianothingtheleasthardordefinitecanbesaid？ Whoreallyknowsher？Whatissheinreality，seeingthateachofherprovincesisasoultoitself，andnoonecouldstatewhichofthetwoHolyMothersstandsnearesttoGod——theHolyMotherofSmolensk，ortheHolyMotherofKazan？“ Forawhilethespeakersatscrapinggreasydepositfromthebottomandsidesofthekettle；andallthatwhilehegrumbledasthoughhehadagrudgeagainstsomeone。Atlength，however，heassumedanattitudeofattention，withhisneckstretchedoutasthoughtolistentosomesound。 “Hist！“washisexclamation。 Whatthenfollowed，followedasunexpectedlyaswhen，likeanevilbird，asummerwhirlwindsuddenlysweepsupfromthehorizon，anddischargesabluish-blackcloudintorrentsofrainandhail，untileverythingisoverwhelmedandbatteredtomud。 Thatistosay，withmuchdinofwhistlingandothersoundstherenowcamepouringintothedefile，andbegantoascendthetrailbesidethestream，astragglingprocessionofsomethirtyworkmenwith，gleamingdullyinthehandsoftheirleadingfiles，flagonsofvodka，and，suspendedonthebacksandshouldersofothers，walletsandbagsofbreadandothercomestibles，and，intwoinstances，poisedontheheadsofyetotherprocessionists，largeblackcauldronstheeffectofwhichwastomaketheirbearerslooklikemushrooms。 “Avedro[23/4gallons]andahalftothecauldron！“whisperedtheex-soldierwithacomputativegruntashegainedhisfeet。 “Yes，avedroandahalf，“herepeated。Ashespokethetipofhistongueprotrudeduntilitrestedontheunder-lipofhishalf-openedmouth。Inhisfacetherewasacuriouslythirsty，grossexpression，andhisattitude，ashestoodthere，wasthatofonewhohadjustreceivedablow，andwasabouttocryoutinconsequence。 Meanwhilethedefilerumbledlikeabarrelintowhichheavyweightsarebeingdropped，foroneofthenewcomerswasbeatinganemptytinpail，andanotheronewhistlinginamannerthetossedechoesofwhichdrownedeventherivulet’smurmurasnearerandnearercamethemobofmen，amobcladvariouslyinblack，grey，orrusset，withsleevesrolledup，andheads，inmanycases，baresavefortheirowntowsled，dishevelledlocks，andbodiesbentwithfatigue，orcarriedstumblinglyalongonlegsbowedoutwards。Meanwhile，asthedull，polyphonousroarofvoicessweptthroughtheneckofthedefile，amanshoutedinbroken，buttruculent，accents: “Isayno！Fiddlesticks！Notamanistherewhocoulddrinkmorethanavedroof’blood-and-sweat’inaday。“ “Amancoulddrinkalakeofit。“ “No，avedroandahalf。Thatistheproperreckoning。“ “Aye，avedroandahalf。“Andtheex-soldier，asherepeatedthewords，spokebothasthoughhewereanexpertinthematterandasthoughhefeltforthematteratouchofrespect。Then，lurchingforwardlikeamanpushedbythescruffoftheneck，hecrossedtherivulet，interceptedthecrowd，andbecameswallowedupinitsmidst。 Aroundthebarraquethecarpenters(theforemaneverglimmeringamongthem)werehurriedlycollectingtools。PresentlyVasilireturned——hisrighthandthrustintohispocket，andhisleftholdinghiscap。 “Beforelongthosefellowswillbeproperlydrunk！“hesaidwithafrown。“Ah，thatvodkaofours！Itisaperfectcurse！“ Thentome:“DoYOUdrink？“ “No，“Ireplied。 “ThankGodforthat！Ifonedoesnotdrinkonewillneverreallygetintotrouble。“ Foramomenthegazedgloomilyinthedirectionofthenewcomers。 Thenhesaidwithoutmoving，withoutevenlookingatme: “Youhaveremarkableeyes，youngfellow。Also，theyseemfamiliartome——Ihaveseenthemsomewherebefore。Possiblythathappenedinadream，thoughIcannotbesure。Wheredoyoucomefrom？“ Ianswered，but，afterscanningmeperplexedly，heshookhishead。 “No，“heremarked。“Ihavenevervisitedthatpartofthecountry，orindeed，beensofarfromhome。“ “Butthisplaceisfurtherstill？“ “Furtherstill？“ “Yes——fromKursk。“ Helaughed。 “Imusttellyouthetruth，“hesaid。“IamnotaKurskanatall，butaPskovian。ThereasonwhyItoldtheex-soldierthatI wasfromKurskwasthatIneitherlikedhimnorcaredtotellhimthewholetruth-hewasnotworththetrouble。Andasformyrealname，itisPaul，notVasili——PaulNikolaevSilantiev——andissomarkedonmypassport(forapassport，andapassportquiteinorder，Ihavegot)。“ “Andwhyareyouonyourtravels？“ “ForthereasonthatIamso——Icansaynomore。Ilookbackfromagivenplace，andwavemyhand，andamgoneagainasafeatherfloatsbeforethewind。“