第54章

Yes，atsuchtimesonedesirestotastelifetothefull，andsotolivethattheancientrocksshallsmile，andthesea’swhitehorsesprancethehigher，asone’smouthacclaimstheearthinsuchapaeanthat，intoxicatedwiththelaudation，itshallunfolditsricheswithaddedbountifulnessanddisplaymoreandmoremanifestbeautyunderthespuroftheloveexpressedbyoneofitscreatures，expressedbyahumanbeingwhofeelsfortheearthwhathewouldfeelforawoman，andyearnstofertilisethesametoever-increasingsplendour。 Nevertheless，wordsareasheavyasstones，andafterfellingfancytotheground，servebuttoheaphergreycoffin-lid，andcauseone，asonestandscontemplatingthetomb，tolaughinsheerself-derision…… Suddenly，plungedindreamsasIwalkedalong，Iheardthroughtheplashofthewavesandthesizzleofthefoamtheunfamiliarwords: “Hymen，Demon，Igamon，andZmiulan。Gooddevilsarethese，notbad。“ “HowdoesChristgetonwiththem？“Iasked。 “Christ？Hedoesnotenterintothematter。“ “IsHehostiletothem？“ “IsHeHOSTILEtothem？HowcouldHebe？Devilsofthatkindaredevilstothemselves-devilsofadecentsort。Besides，tonooneisChristhostile“ [IntheRussianthishiatusoccursasmarked。] Asthoughunableanylongertobravetheassaultofthebillows，thepathsuddenlyswervedtowardsthebushesonourright，and，indoingso，causedthecloud-wrappedmountainstoshiftcorrespondinglytoourimmediatefront，wherethemassesofvapourweredarkeningasthoughrainwereprobable。 Kalinin’sdiscourseprovedinstructiveaswithhisstickhefromtimetotimeknockedthetrackclearofclingingtendrils。 “Thelocalityisnotwithoutitsperils，“onceheremarked。 “Forhereaboutstherelurksmalaria。ItdoessobecauselongagoMaliarofKostromabanishedhisevilsister，Fever，totheseparts。Probablyhewaspaidtodoso，buttheexactcircumstancesescapemymemory。“ Sothicklywasthesurfaceoftheseastreakedwithcloud-shadowsthatitboretheappearanceofbeinginmourning，ofbeingdeckedinthefuneralcoloursofblackandwhite。Afaroff，Gudaoutlaylashedwithfoam，whileconstantlyobjectslikesnowdriftskeptglidingtowardsit。 “Tellmemoreaboutthosedevils，“Isaidatlength。 “Well，ifyouwish。ButwhatexactlyamItotellyouaboutthem？“ “Allthatyoumayhappentoknow。“ “Oh，IknowEVERYTHINGaboutthem。“ Tothismycompanionaddedawink。Thenhecontinued: “IsaythatIknoweverythingaboutthosedevilsforthereasonthatformymotherIhadamostremarkablewoman，awomancognisantofeachandeveryspeciesofproverb，anathema，anditemofhagiology。Youmustknowthat，afterspreadingmybedbesidethekitchenstoveeachnight，andherownbedonthetopofthestove(for，afterherwet-nursingofthreeoftheGeneral’schildren，shelivedalifeofabsoluteease，anddidnoworkatall)——“ HereKalininhalted，and，drivinghisstickintotheground，glancedbackalongthepathbeforeresuminghiswaywithfirm，lengthystrides。 “ImaytellyouthattheGeneralhadaniecenamedValentinaIgnatievna。Andshetoowasamostremarkablewoman。“ “Remarkableforwhat？“ “RemarkableforEVERYTHING。“ Atthismomenttherecamefloatingoverourheadsthroughthedamp-saturatedairacormorant——oneofthosevoraciousbirdswhichsomarkedlylackintelligence。Andsomehowthewhistlingofitspowerfulpinionsawokeinmeanunpleasantreminiscentthought。 “Praycontinue，“Isaidtomyfellowtraveller。 Andeachnight，asIlayonthefloor(ImaymentionthatneverdidIclimbontothestove，andtothisdayIdisliketheheatofone)，itwashercustomtositwithherlegsdanglingovertheedgeofthetop，andtellmestories。Andthoughtheroomwouldbetoodarkformetoseeherface，Icouldyetseethethingsofwhichshewouldbespeaking。Andattimes，asthesetalescamefloatingdowntome，Iwouldfindthemsohorribleastobeforcedtocryout，’Oh，Mamka，Mamka，DON’T！……’TothishourIhavenoloveforthebizarre，andambutapoorhandatrememberingit。Andasstrangeasherstorieswasmymother。 Eventuallyshediedofanattackofblood-poisoningand，thoughbutforty，hadbecomegrey-headed。Yes，andsoterriblydidshesmellafterherdeaththateveryoneinthekitchenwasconstrainedtoexclaimattheodour。“ “Yes，butwhatofthedevils？“ “Youmustwaitaminuteortwo。“ Everasweproceeded，clinging，fantasticbrancheskeptclosinginuponthepath，sothatweappearedtobewalkingthroughaseaofmurmuringverdure。Andfromtimetotimeaboughwouldflickusasthoughtosay:“Speed，speed，ortherainwillbeuponyou！“ Ifanything，however，mycompanionslackenedhispaceasinmeasured，sing-songaccentshecontinued: “WhenJesusChrist，God’sSon，wentforthintothewildernesstocollectHisthoughts，SatansentdevilstosubjectHimtotemptation。Christwasthenyoung；andasHesatontheburningsandinthemiddleofthedesert，Heponderedupononethingandanother，andplayedwithahandfulofpebbleswhichHehadcollected。Untilpresentlyfromafar，theredescriedHimthedevilsHymen，Demon，Igamon，andZmiulan——devilsofequalagewiththeSaviour。 “DrawingnearuntoHim，theysaid，’PraysufferustosportwithThee。’WhereuponChristansweredwithasmile:’Praybeseated。’ Thenallofthemdidsitdowninacircle，andproceedtobusiness，whichbusinesswastoseewhetherornotanymemberofthepartycouldsothrowastoneintotheairastopreventitfromfallingbackupontheburningsand。 [IntheoriginalRussianthishiatusoccursasgiven。] “ChristHimselfwasthefirsttothrowastone；whereuponHisstonebecamechangedintoasix-wingeddove，andflutteredawaytowardstheTempleofJerusalem。And，next，theimpotentdevilsstrovetodothesame；untilatlength，whentheysawthatChristcouldnotinanywisebetempted，Zmiulan，theseniorofthedevils，cried: “’0hLord，wewilltemptTheenomore；forofasuretydoweavailnot，and，thoughwebedevils，nevershalldoso！’ “’Aye，nevershallye！’Christdidagree。’And，therefore，I willnowfulfilthatwhichfromthefirstIdidconceive。ThatyebedevilsIknowrightwell。Andthat，whileyetafaroff，yedid，onbeholdingme，havecompassionuponmeIknowrightwell。 Whilealsoyedidnotinanywiseseektoconcealfrommethetruthasconcerningyourselves。Henceshallye，fortheremainderofyourlives，beGOODdevils；sothatatthelastshallmattersberenderedeasierforyou。Dothou，Zmiulan，becomeKingoftheOcean，andsendthewindsoftheseatocleansethelandoffoulair。Anddothou，Demon，seetoitthatthecattleshalleatofnopoisonousherb，butthatallherbsofthesortbecoveredwithprickles。Dothou，Igamon，comfort，bynight，allcomfortlesswidowswhoshallbeblamingGodforthedeathoftheirhusbands？ Anddothou，Hymen，astheyoungestdeviloftheband，chooseforthyselfwhereinshallliethycharge。’ “’0hLord，’repliedHymen，’Idolovebuttolaugh。’ “AndtheSaviourreplied: “’Thencausethoufolktolaugh。Only，markthou，seetoitthattheylaughnotINCHURCH。’ “’YeteveninchurchwouldIlaugh，0hLord，’thedevilobjected。 “’JesusChristHimselflaughed。 “’Godgowithyou！’atlengthHesaid。’Thenletfolklaugheveninchurch——butQUIETLY。’ “InsuchwisedidChristconvertthosefourevildevilsintodevilsofgoodness。“ Soaringoverthegreen，bushyseawereanumberofoldoaks。Onthemtheyellowleavesweretremblingasthoughchilled；hereandthereasturdyhazelwasdoffingitswitheredgarments，andelsewhereawildcherrywasquivering，andelsewhereanalmostnakedchestnutwaspolitelyrenderingobeisancetotheearth。 “Didyoufindthatstoryofmineagoodone？“mycompanioninquired。 “Idid，forChristwassogoodinit。“ “AlwaysandeverywhereHeisso，“Kalininproudlyrejoined。“ButdoyoualsoknowwhatanoldwomanofSmolenskusedtosingconcerningHim？“ “Idonot。“ Halting，mystrangetravellerchantedinafeignedlysenileandtremulousvoice，ashebeattimewithhisfoot: Intheheavensaflow’rdothblow，ItistheSonofGod。 Fromitallourjoysdoflow，ItistheSonofGod。 Inthesun’sredraysHedwellsHe，theSonofGod。 Hislightoureveryilldispels。