第49章

“Silence！“athreateningvoicenearthebarraquebrokein。“I amtheforemanhere。“ Thevoiceoftheex-soldierreplied: “Whatworkmenaretheseofyours？Theyaremeresectarians，fellowswhoareforeversinginghymns。“ Towhichsomeoneelseadded: “Besides，olddevilthatyouare，aren’tyouboundtofinishallbuildingworkbeforethebeginningofaSunday？“ “Letusthrowtheirtoolsintothestream。“ “Yes，andstartariot，“wasSilantiev’scommentashesquattedbeforetheembersofthefire。 Aroundthebarraque，pickedoutagainsttheyellowofitsframework，anumberofdarkfiguresweresurgingtoandfroasaroundaconflagration。Presentlyweheardsomethingsmashedtopieces——atallevents，weheardthecrackingandscrapingofwoodagainststone，andthenthestrident，hilariouscommand: “Holdonthere！I’LLsoonputthingstorights！Carpenters，justhandoverthesaw！“ Apparentlytherewerethreemeninchargeoftheproceedings:theoneared-beardedmuzhikinaseaman’sblouse；thesecondatallmanwithhunchedshoulders，thinlegs，andlongarmswhokeptgraspingtheforemanbythecollar，shakinghim，andbawling，“Whereareyourlathes？Bringthemout！“(whilenoticeablealsowasabroad-shoulderedyoungfellowinaraggedredshirtwhokeptthrustingpiecesofscantlingthroughthewindowsofthebarraque，andshouting，“Catchholdofthese！Laythemoutinarow！“)；andthethirdtheex-soldierhimself。Thelast-named，ashejostledhiswayamongthecrowd，keptvociferating，viciously，virulently，andwithacurioussystemofdivisionofhissyllables: “Aha-a，ra-abble，secta-arians。Yo-ouwouldhavenothingtosaytome，youSe-erbs！YetIsaytoYOU:Goalong，mychickens，forthere-estofusareti-iredofyou，andcometosa-ayso！“ “Whatdoeshewant？“askedSilantievquietlyashelitacigarette。“Vodka？Oh，THEY’LLgivehimvodka！……Yetareyounotsorryforfellowsofthatstamp？“ Throughthebluetobacco-smokehegazedintotheglowingembers； untilatlasthetookacharredstick，andcollectedtheembersintoaheapglowingred-goldlikeabouquetoffierypoppies；andashedidso，hishandsomeeyesgleamedwithjustsuchareverentaffection，suchaprayerfulkindliness，asmusthavelurkedintheeyesofprimeval，nomadicmaninthepresenceofthedancing，beneficentsourceoflightandheat。 “AtleastIamsorryforsuchfellows，“Vasilicontinued。 “Aye，theverythoughtofthemany，manyfolkwhohavecometonothing！Theverythoughtofit！Terrible，terrible！“ Atouchofdaylightwasstilllingeringonthetopsofthemountains，butinthedefileitselfnightwasbeginningtoloom，andtolullallthingstosleep——toinclineoneneithertospeakoneselfnortolistentothedullclamourofthoseothersontheoppositebank，whereeventothemurmuroftherivuletthedistastefuldinseemedtocommunicateanoteofanger。 Therethecrowdhadlitahugebonfire，andthenaddedtoitasecondonewhich，crackling，hissing，andemittingcoilsofbluish-tintedsmoke，hadfallentovyingwithitsfellowinlacingthefoamoftherivuletwithmuslin-likepatternsinred。 Asthemassofdarkfiguressurgedbetweenthetwoflaresanhilariousvoiceshoutedtoustheinvitation: “Comeoverhere，you！Don’tbebackward！Comeoverhere，Isay！“ Uponwhichfollowedaclatterasofthesmashingofadrinking- vessel，whilefromthered-beardedmuzhikcameathick，raucousshoutof: “Thesefellowsneededtobetaughtalesson！“ Almostatthesamemomenttheforemanofthecarpentersbrokehiswayclearofthecrowd，and，carefullycrossingtherivuletbythestepping-stoneswhichwehadconstructed，squatteddownuponhisheelsbythemargin，andwithmuchpuffingandblowingfelltorinsinghisface，afacewhichinthemurkyfirelightlookedflushedandred。 “Ithinkthatsomeonehasgivenhimablow，“hazardedSilantievsottovoce。 Andwhentheforemanrosetoapproachusthisprovedtobethecase，forthenwesawthatdrippingfromhisnose，andmeanderingoverhismoustacheandsoakedwhitebeard，therewasastreamofdarkbloodwhichhadspottedandstreakedhisshirt-front。 “Peacetothisgathering！“hesaidgravelyas，pressinghislefthandtohisstomach，hebowed。 “Andweprayyourindulgence，“wasSilantiev’sresponse，thoughhedidnotraisehiseyesashespoke。“Praybeseated。“ Small，withered，and，forallbuthisblood-stainedshirt，scrupulouslyclean，theoldmanremindedmeofcertainpicturesofold-timehermits，andthemoresosinceeitherpainorshameorthegleamofthefirelighthadcausedhishithertodeadeyestogatherlifeandgrowbrighter——aye，andsterner。Somehow，asI lookedathim，Ifeltawkwardandabashed。 Acoughtwistedhisbroadnose。Thenhewipedhisbeardonthepalmofhishand，andhishandonhisknee；whereafter，ashestretchedforththepairofsenile，dark-colouredhands，andheldthemovertheembers，hesaid: “Howcoldthewateroftherivuletis！Itisabsolutelyicy。“ WithaglancefromunderhisbrowsSilantievinquired: “Areyouverybadlyhurt？“ “No。Merelyamancaughtmeablowonthebridgeofthenose，wherethebloodflowsreadily。Yet，asGodknows，hewillgainnothingbyhisact，whereasthesufferingwhichhehascausedmewillgotoswellmyaccountwiththeHolySpirit。“ Asthemanspokeheglancedacrosstherivulet。Ontheoppositebanktwomenwerestaggeringalong，anddrunkenlybawlingthetipsyrefrain: “Inthedu-u-uokletmedie，Intheau-autumntime！“ “Aye，longisitsinceIreceivedablow，“theoldmancontinued，scanningthetworevellersfromunderhishand。 “TwentyyearsitmustbesincelastIdidso。Andnowtheblowwasstruckfornothing，fornorealfault……Yousee，Ihavebeenallowednonailsforthedoingofthework，andhavebeenobligedtomakeuseofwoodenclampsformostofit，whilebattensalsohavenotbeenforthcoming；and，thisbeingso，itwasthroughnoremissnessofminethattheworkcouldnotbefinishedbysunsettonight。Isuspect，too，that，toekeoutitswages，thatrabblehasbeenthieving，withtheeldestleadingtherest。Andthat，again，isnotathingforwhichIcanbeheldresponsible。True，thisisaGovernmentjob，andsomeofthosefellowsareyoung，andyoung，hungryfellowssuchastheywill(maytheybeforgiven！)steal，sinceeveryonehankerstogetsomethinginreturnforaverylittle。But，oncemore，howisthatmyfault？ Yes，thatrabblemustbearegularsetofrascals！Justnowtheydeprivedmyeldestsonofasaw，ofabrand-newsaw；andthereaftertheyspiltmyblood，thebloodofagreybeard！“ Herehissmall，greyfacecontractedintowrinkles，and，closinghiseyes，hesobbedadry，gratingsob。 Silantievfidgeted——thensighed。Presentlytheoldmanlookedathim，blewhisnose，wipedhishanduponhistrousers，andsaidquietly: “Somewhere，Ithink，Ihaveseenyoubefore。“ “Thatisso。YousawmeoneeveningwhenIvisitedyoursettlementforthemendingofathresher。“ “Yes，yes。ThatiswhereIDIDseeyou。Itwasyou，wasitnot？ Well，doyoustilldisagreewithme？“ Towhichtheoldmanaddedwithanodandasmile: “SeehowwellIrememberyourwords！Youare，Iimagine，stillofthesameopinion？“ “HowshouldInotbe？“respondedSilantievdourly。 “Ah，well！Ah，well！“ Andtheoldmanstretchedhishandsoverthefireoncemore，discolouredhandsthethumbsofwhichwerecuriouslybentoutwardsandsplayed，and，seemingly，unabletomoveinharmonywiththefingers。 Theex-soldiershoutedacrosstheriver: “Thelandhereiseasytowork，andmakesthepeoplelazy。Whowouldcaretoliveinsucharegion？Whowouldcaretocometoit？MuchratherwouldIgoandearnalivingondifficultland。“ Theoldmanpaidnoheed，butsaidtoSilantiev——saidtohimwithanaustere，derisivesmile: “DoyouSTILLthinkitnecessarytostruggleagainstwhathasbeenordainedofGod？DoyouSTILLthinkthatlong-sufferingisbad，andresistancegood？Youngman，yoursoulisweakindeed: