第50章

andrememberthatitisonlythesoulthatcanovercomeSatan。“ InresponseSilantievrosetohisfeet，shookhisfistattheoldman，andshoutedinarough，angryvoice，avoicethatwasnothisown: “AllthatIhaveheardbefore，andfromothersbesidesyourself。 ThetruthisthatIholdallyoufather-confessorsinabhorrence。 “Moreover，“(thislastwasaddedwithaviolentoath)“itisnotSatanthatneedstoberesisted，butsuchdevil’sravens，suchdevil’svampires，asYOU。“ Whichsaid，hekickedastoneawayfromthefire，thrusthishandsintohispockets，andturnedslowlyonhisheel，withhiselbowspressedclosetohissides。Neverthelesstheoldman，stillsmiling，saidtomeinanundertone: “Heisproud，butthatwillnotlastforlong。“ “Whynot？“ “BecauseIknowinadvancethat——“ Breakingoffshort，heturnedhisheaduponhisshoulder，andsatlisteningtosomeshoutingthatwasgoingonacrosstheriver。 Everyoneinthatquarterwasdrunk，and，inparticular，someonecouldbeheardbawlinginatoneofchallenge: “Oh？I，yousay？A-a-ah！Thentakethat！“ Silantiev，steppinglightlyfromstonetostone，crossedtheriver。Thenhemingled——aconspicuousfigure(owingtohisapparenthandlessness)——withthecrowd。Somehow，onhisdeparture，Ifeltillatease。 Twitchinghisfingersasthoughperformingaconjuringtrick，theoldmancontinuedtositwithhishandsstretchedovertheembers。Bythistimehisnosehadswollenoverthebridge，andbruisesrisenunderhiseyeswhichtendedtoobscurehisvision。 Indeed，ashesatthere，satmouthingwithdark，bestreakedlipsunderacoveringofhoarybeardandmoustache，Ifoundthathisbloodstained，disfigured，wrinkled，asitwere“antique“faceremindedmemorethaneverofthoseofgreatsinnersofancienttimeswhoabandonedthisworldfortheforestandthedesert。 “Ihaveseenmanyproudfolk，“hecontinuedwithashakeofhishatlessheadanditssparsehairs。“Afiremayburnupquickly，andcontinuetoburnfiercely，yet，liketheseembers，becometurnedtoashes，and。soliesmoulderingtilldawn。Youngman，thereyouhavesomethingtothinkof。Noraretheymerelymywords。TheyarethewordsoftheHolyGospelitself。“ Everdescending，everweighingmoreheavilyuponus，thenightwasasblackandhotandstiflingasthepreviousonehadbeen，albeitaskindlyasamother。Stillthetwofiresontheoppositebankoftherivuletwereaflame，andsendinghotblastsofvapouracrossaseemingbrookofgold。 Foldinghisarmsuponhisbreast，theoldmantuckedthepalmsofhishandsintohisarmpits，andsettledhimselfmorecomfortably。 Nevertheless，whenImadeasthoughtoaddmoretwigsandshavingstotheembersheexclaimedimperiously: “Thereisnoneedforthat。“ “Whyistherenot？“ “Becausethatwouldcausethefiretobeseen，andbringsomeofthosemenoverhere。“ Again，ashekickedawaysomeboughswhichIhadjustbrokenup，herepeated: “Thereisnoneedforthat，Itellyou。“ Presently，thereapproachedusthroughtheshimmeringfirelightontheoppositebanktwocarpenterswithboxesontheirbacks，andaxesintheirhands。 “Arealltherestofourmengone？“inquiredtheforemanofthenewcomers。 “Yes，“repliedoneofthem，atallmanwithadroopingmoustacheandnobeard。 “Well，’shunevil，andgoodwillresult。’“ “Aye，andwelikewisewishtodepart。“ “Butataskoughtnottobeleftunfinished。Atdinner-timeI sentOleshatosaythatnoneofthosefellowshadbetterbereleasedfromwork；butreleasedtheyhavebeen，andnowtheresultisapparent！Presently，whentheyhavedrunkalittlemoreoftheirpoison，theywillfirethebarraque。“ Everytimethatthefirstofthetwocarpentersinhaledthesmokeofmycigarettehespatintotheembers，whiletheotherman，ayoungfellowasplumpasafemalebaker，sankhistowsledheaduponhisbreastassoonashesatdown，andfellasleep。 Next，theclamouracrosstherivuletsubsidedforawhile。ButsuddenlyIheardtheex-soldierexclaimindrunken，singsongaccentswhichcamefromtheverycentreofthetumult: “Hi，doyouanswerme！HowcomesitthatyouhavenorespectforRussia？IsnotRiazanapartofRussia？WhatisRussia，then，I shouldliketoknow？“ “Atavern，“theforemancommentedquietly；whereafter，turningtome，headdedmoreloudly: “Isaythisofsuchfellows——thatatavern……Butwhatanoisethoseroisterersaremaking，tobesure！“ Theyoungfellowintheredshirthadjustshouted: “Hi，there，soldier！Seizehimbythethroat！Seizehim，seizehim！“ WhilefromSilantievhadcomethegruffretort: “What？Doyousupposethatyouarehuntingapackofhounds？“ “Here，answerme！“wasthenextshoutedutterance——itcamefromtheex-soldier——whereupontheoldmanremarkedtomeinanundertone: “Itwouldseemthatafightisbrewing。“ Rising，Imovedinthedirectionoftheuproar。AsIdidso，I heardtheoldmansaysoftlytohiscompanions: “Hetooisgone，thankGod！“ Suddenlytheresurgedtowardsmefromtheoppositebankacrowdofmen。Belching，hiccuping，andgrunting，theyseemedtobecarryingordraggingintheirmidstsomeheavyweight。Presentlyawoman’svoicescreamed，“Ya-av-sha！“andothervoicesraisedmingledshoutsof“Throwhimin！Givehimathrashing！“and“Draghimalong！“ ThenextmomentwesawSilantievbreakoutofthecrowd，straightenhimself，swinghisrightfistintheair，andhurlhimselfatthecrowdagain。Ashedidsotheyoungfellowintheredshirtraisedagiganticarm，andtherefollowedthesoundofamuffled，grislyblow。Staggeringbackwards，Silantievslidsilentlyintothewater，andlaythereatmyfeet。 “That’sright！“wasthecommentofsomeone。 Foramomentortwotheclamoursubsidedalittle，andduringthatmomentortwoone’searsoncemorebecamelavedwiththesweetsingsongoftheriver。Shortlyafterwardssomeonethrewintothewaterahugestone，andsomeoneelselaughedinadullway。 AsIwasbendingtolookatSilantievsomeofthemenjostledme。 Nevertheless，Icontinuedtostruggletoraisehimfromthespotwhere，halfinandhalfoutofthewater，helaywithhisheadandbreastrestingagainstthestepping-stones。 “Youhavekilledhim！“nextIshouted——notbecauseIbelievedthestatementtobetrue，butbecauseIhadamindtofrightenintosobrietythemenwhowereimpedingme。 Uponthissomeoneexclaimedinafaltering，soberedtone: “Surelynot？“ Asfortheyoungfellowintheredshirt，hepassedmebywithabraggart，resentfulshoutof: “Well？Hehadnorighttoinsultme。WhyshouldhehavesaidthatIwasanuisancetothewholecountry？“ Andsomeoneelseshouted: “Whereistheex-soldier？Whoisthewatchmanhere？“ “Bringalight，“wasthecryofathird。 Yetallthesevoicesweremoresober，moresubdued，morerestrainedthantheyhadbeen，andpresentlyalittlemuzhikwhosepollwasswathedinaredhandkerchiefstoopedandraisedSilantiev’shead。Butalmostasinstantlyheletitfallagain，and，dippinghishandsintothewater，saidgravely: “Youhavekilledhim。Heisdead。“ AtthemomentIdidnotbelievethewords；butpresently，asI stoodwatchinghowthewatercoursedbetweenSilantiev’slegs，andturnedthemthiswayandthat，andmadethemstirasthoughtheywerestrivingtodivestthemselvesoftheshabbyoldboots，Irealisedwithallmybeingthatthehandswhichwererestinginminewerethehandsofacorpse。And，trueenough，whenI releasedthemtheyslappeddownuponthesurfacelikewetdish- cloths。