第52章

Whistlingfromoffthesea，thewindwaschargedwithmoist，saltspray，anddashingfoamingbillowsashorewiththeirwhitemanesfullofsnakelike，gleamingblackribandsofseaweed，andcausingtherockstorumbleangrilyinresponse，andthetreestorustlewithadry，agitatedsoundastheirtopsswayedtoandfro，andtheirtrunksbentearthwardsasthoughtheywouldfainreeveuptheirroots，andbetakethemwhitherthemountainsstoodveiledinatogaofheavy，darkmist。 Overtheseathecloudswerehurryingtowardsthelandaseverandanontheyrentthemselvesintostrips，andrevealedfathomlessabyssesofbluewhereintheautumnsunburneduneasily，andsentcloud-shadowsglidingoverthepuckeredwasteofwaters，until，theshorereached，thewindfurtherharriedthemassesofvapourtowardsthesharpflanksofthemountains，and，afterdrawingthemupanddowntheslopes，relegatedthemtoclefts，andleftthemsteamingthere。 Therewasaboutthewholescenealouringappearance，anappearanceasthougheverythingwerecontendingwitheverything，asnowallthingsturnedsullenlydark，andnowallthingsemittedadullsheenwhichalmostblindedtheeyes。Alongthenarrowroad，aroadprotectedfromtheseabyalineofwave- washeddykes，somewitheredleavesofoakandwildcherrywerescuddinginmutualchaseofoneanother；withthegeneralresultthatthecombinedsoundsofsplashingandrustlingandhowlingcametomergethemselvesintoasingledinwhichissuedasasongwitharhythmmarkedbythemeasuredblowsofthewavesastheystrucktherocks。 “Zmiulan，theKingoftheOcean，isabroad！“shoutedmyfellowtravellerinmyear。Hewasatall，round-shoulderedmanofchildishlychubbyfeaturesandboyishlybright，transparenteyes。 “WHOdoyousayisabroad？“Iqueried。 “KingZmiulan。“ Neverhavingheardofthemonarch，Imadenoreply。 Theextenttowhichthewindbuffetedusmighthaveledonetosupposethatitsprimaryobjectivewastodeflectoursteps，andturntheminthedirectionofthemountains。Indeed，attimesitspressurewassostrongthatwehadnochoicebuttohalt，toturnourbackstothesea，and，withfeetplantedapart，topriseourselvesagainstoursticks，andsoremain，poisedonthreelegs，untilwewerepastanyriskofbeingoverwhelmedwiththesoftincubusofthetempest，andhavingourcoatstornfromourshoulders。 Atintervalssuchgaspswouldcomefrommycompanionthathemightwellhavebeenstandingonthedrying-boardofabath。Nor，astheydidso，washisappearanceaughtbutcomical，seeingthathisears，appendageslargeandshaggylikeadog’s，andindifferentlyshieldedwithashabbyoldcap，keptbeingpushedforwardbythewinduntilhissmallheadboreanabsurdresemblancetoachinabowl。Andthat，tocompletetheresemblance，hislongandmassivenose，afeaturegrosslydisproportionatetotherestofhisdiminutiveface，mightequallywellhavepassedforthespoutofthereceptacleindicated。 Yetafaceoutofthecommonitwas，likethewholeofhispersonality。AndthiswasthefactwhichhadcaptivatedmefromthemomentwhenIhadbeheldhimparticipatinginavigilserviceheldintheneighbouringchurchofthemonasteryofNewAthos。 There，spare，butwithhiswitheredformerect，andhisheadslightlytilted，hehadbeengazingattheCrucifixwitharadiantsmile，andmovinghisthinlipsinasortofwhispered，confidential，friendlyconversationwiththeSaviour。Indeed，somuchhadtheman’ssmooth，roundfeatures(featuresasbeardlessasthoseofaSkopetz[AmemberoftheSkoptzi，anon-Orthodoxsectthemembersofwhich“domakeofthemselveseunuchsfortheLord’ssake。“]，savefortwobrighttuftsatthecornersofthemouth)beeninstinctwithintimacy，withaconsciousnessofactuallybeinginthepresenceoftheSonofGod，thatthespectacle，transcendinganythingofthekindthatmyeyeshadbeforebeheld，hadledme，withitstotalabsenceofthecustomarylaboured，servile，pusillanimousattitudetowardstheAlmightywhichIhadgenerallyfoundtobetherule，toaccordthemanmywholeinterest，and，aslongastheservicehadlasted，tokeepaneyeupononewhocouldthusconversewithGodwithoutrenderingHimconstantobeisance，oragainandagainmakingthesignofthecross，orinvariablymakingittotheaccompanimentofgroansandtearswhichhadalwayshithertoobtrudeditselfuponmynotice。 AgainhadIencounteredthemanwhenIhadhadsupperattheworkmen’sbarraque，andthenproceededtothemonastery’sguest- chamber。Seatedatatableunderacircleoflightfallingfromalampsuspendedfromtheceiling，hehadgatheredaroundhimaknotofpilgrimsandtheirwomen，andwasholdingforthinlow，cheerfultonesthatyethadinthemthetelling，incisivenoteofthepreacher，ofthemanwhofrequentlyconverseswithhisfellowmen。 “Onethingitmaybebestalwaystodisclose，“hewassaying，“andanotherthingtoconceal。Ifaughtinourselvesseemsharmfulorsenseless，letusputtoourselvesthequestion:’Whyisthisso？’Contrariwiseoughtaprudentmannevertothrusthimselfforwardandsay:’HowdiscreetamI！’whilehewhomakesaparadeofhishardlot，andsays，’Goodfolk，seeyeandhearhowbittermylifeis，’alsodoeswrong。“ Hereapilgrimwithablackbeard，abrigand’sdarkeyes，andthewastedfeaturesofanasceticrosefromthefurthersideofthetable，straightenedhisvirileframe，andsaidinadullvoice: “Mywifeandoneofmychildrenwereburnttodeaththroughthefallingofanoillamp。OnTHAToughtItokeepsilence？“ Noanswerfollowed。Onlysomeonemutteredtohimself: “What？Again？“:untilthefirstspeaker，thespeakerseatednearthecornerofthetable，launchedintotheoppressivelulltheunhesitatingreply: “ThatofwhichyouspeakmaybetakentohavebeenapunishmentbyGodforsin。“ “What？Forasincommittedbyonethreeyearsofage(for，indeed，mylittlesonwasnomore)？Theaccidenthappenedofhispullingdownalampuponhimself，andofmywifeseizinghim，andherselfbeingburnttodeath。Shewasweak，too，forbutelevendayshadpassedsinceherconfinement。“ “No。WhatImeanisthatinthataccidentyouseeapunishmentforsinscommittedbythechild’sfatherandmother。“ Thisreplyfromthecornercamewithperfectconfidence。Theblack-beardedman，however，pretendednottohearit，butspreadouthishandsasthoughpartingtheairbeforehim，andproceededhurriedly，breathlesslytodetailthemannerinwhichhiswifeandlittleonehadmettheirdeaths。Andallthetimethathewasdoingsoonehadaninklingthatoftenbeforehadherecountedhisnarrativeofhorror，andthatoftenagainwouldherepeatit。 Hisshaggyblackeyebrows，ashedeliveredhisspeech，metinasinglestrip，whilethewhitesofhiseyesgrewbloodshot，andtheirdull，blackpupilsneverceasedtheirnervoustwitching。 Presentlythegloomyrecitalwasoncemoreroughly，unceremoniouslybrokeninuponbythecheerfulvoiceoftheChrist-lovingpilgrim。 “Itisnotright，brother，“thevoicesaid，“toblameGodforuntowardaccidents，orformistakesandfolliescommittedbyourselves。“ “ButifGodbeGod，Heisresponsibleforallthings。“ “Notso。Concedetoyourselfthefacultyofreason。“ “Pah！Whatavailsreasonifitcannotmakemeunderstand？“ “CannotmakeyouunderstandWHAT？“ “Themainpoint，thepointwhyMYwifehadtobeburntratherthanmyneighbour’s？“ Somewhereanoldwomancommentedinspitefullydistincttones: “Ohho，ho！Thismancomestoamonastery，andstartsrailingassoonashegetsthere！“ Flashinghiseyesangrily，theblack-beardedmanloweredhisheadlikeabull。Then，thinkingbetterofhisposition，andcontentinghimselfwithagesture，hestrodeswiftly，heavilytowardsthedoor。UponthistheChrist-lovingpilgrimrosewithaswayingmotion，bowedtoeveryonepresent，andsetaboutfollowinghislateinterlocutor。 “Ithasallcomeofabrokenheart，“hesaidwithasmileashepassedme。Yetsomehowthesmileseemedtolacksympathy。 Withadisapprovingairsomeoneelseremarked: “Thatfellow’sonethoughtistoenlargeandtoenlargeuponhistale。“ “Yes，andtonopurposedoeshedoso，“addedtheChrist-lovingpilgrimashehaltedinthedoorway。“Allthatheaccomplishesbyitistowearyhimselfandothersalike。Suchexperiencesarefarbetterputbehindone。“ PresentlyIfollowedthepairintotheforecourt，andneartheentrance-gatesheardavoicesayquietly: “Donotdisturbyourself，goodfather。“ “Nevertheless“(thesecondvoicewasthatoftheporterofthemonastery，FatherSeraphim，astrappingVetlugan)“aspectrewalksherenightly。“ “Nevermindifitdoes。Asregardsmyself，nospectrewouldtouchme。“ HereImovedinthedirectionofthegates。 “Whocomesthere？“Seraphiminquiredashethrustahairyanduncouth，butinfinitelykindly，faceclosetomine。“Oh，itistheyoungfellowfromNizhniNovgorod！Youarewastingyourtime，mygoodsir，forthewomenhaveallgonetobed。“ Withwhichhelaughedandchuckledlikeabear。 Beyondthewalloftheforecourtthestillnessoftheautumnnightwasthelanguidinertiaofaworldexhaustedbysummer，andthewitheredgrassandotherobjectsoftheseasonwereexhalingasweetandbracingodour，andthetreeslookinglikefragmentsofcloudwheremotionlesstheyhunginthemoist，sultryair。