第55章

PraisedbetheSonofGod！ EachsuccessivelineseemedtoinspireKalinin’svoicewithaddedyouthfulness，until，indeed，theconcludingwords——“TheOneandOnlyGod“——issuedinahigh，agreeabletenor。 Suddenlyaflashoflightningblazedbeforeus，whiledullthundercrashedamongthemountains，andsentitshundred-voicedechoesrollingoverlandandsea。Inhisconsternation，Kalininopenedhismouthuntilasetoffine，eventeethbecamebaredtoview。Then，withrepeatedcrossingsofhimself，hemuttered。 “0hdreadGod，0hbeneficentGod，0hGodwhosittestonhigh，andonagoldenthrone，andunderagildedcanopy，doThounowpunishSatan，lestheoverwhelmmeinthemidstofmysins！“ Whereafter，turningasmallandterrifiedfaceinmydirection，andblinkinghisbrighteyes，headdedwithhurrieddiction: “Come，brother！Come！Letusrunonahead，forthunderstormsaremybane。Yes，letusrunwithallpossiblespeed，runANYWHERE，forsoontherainwillbepouringdown，andthesepartsarefulloflurkingfever。“ Off，therefore，westarted，withthewindsmitingusbehind，andourkettlesandteapotsjangling，andmywallet，inparticular，thumpingmeaboutthemiddleofthebodyasthoughithadbeenwieldingalarge，softfist。Yetafarcrywoulditbetothemountains，norwasanydwellinginsight，whileeverandanonbranchescaughtatourclothes，andstonesleaptaloftunderourtread，andtheairgrewsteadilydarker，andthemountainsseemedtobeginglidingtowardsus。 Oncemorefromtheblackcloud-masses，heavenbelchedafierydartwhichcausedtheseatoscintillatewithbluesapphiresinresponse，and，seemingly，torecoilfromtheshoreastheearthshook，andthemountaindefilesemittedagiganticscrunchingsoundoftheirrock-hewnjaws。 “0hHolyOne！0hHolyOne！0hHolyOne！“screamedKalininashedivedintothebushes。 Intherear，thewaveslashedusasthoughtheyhadamindtoarrestourprogress；fromthegloomtoourfrontcameasortofscrapingandrasping；longblackhandsseemedtowaveoverourheads；justatthepointwherethemountaincrestslayswathedintheirdensecoverletofcloud，thererumbledoncemorethedeafeningironchariotofthethunder-god；moreandmorefrequentlyflashedthelightningastheearthrang，andriftscleftbytheblueglaredisclosed，amidtheobscurity，greattreesthatwererustlingandrockingand，toallappearances，racingheadlongbeforethescourgeofacold，slantingrain。 Theoccasionwasaharassingbutbracingone，forasthefinebandsofrainbeatuponourfaces，ourbodiesfeltfilledwithaheadyvigourofakindtofitustorunindefinitely——atalleventstorununtilthisstormofrainandthundershouldbeoutpaced，andclearweatherbereachedagain。 SuddenlyKalininshouted:“Stop！Look！“ Thiswasbecausethefitfulilluminationofaflashhadjustshownupinfrontofusthetrunkofanoaktreewhichhadalargeblackhollowletintoitlikeadoorway。Sointothathollowwecrawledastwomicemighthavedone——laughingaloudinourgleeaswedidso。 “HerethereisroomforTHREEpersons，“mycompanionremarked。 “Evidentlyitisahollowthathasbeenburntout——thoughrascalsindeedmusttheburnershavebeentokindleafireinalivingtree！“ However，thespacewithinthehollowwasbothconfinedandredolentofsmokeanddeadleaves。Also，heavydropsofrainstillbespatteredourheadsandshoulders，andateverypealofthunderthetreequiveredandcreakeduntilthestridentdinaroundusgaveonetheillusionofbeingafloatinanarrowcaique。Meanwhileateveryflashofthelightning’sglare，wecouldseeslantingribandsofraincuttingtheairwithanetworkofblue，glistening，vitreouslines。 Presently，thewindbegantowhistlelessloudly，asthoughnowitfeltsatisfiedathavingdrivensomuchproductiverainintotheground，andwashedcleanthemountaintops，andloosenedthestonysoil。 “U-oh！U-oh！“hootedagreymountainowljustoverourheads。 “Why，surelyitbelievesthetimetobenight！“Kalinincommentedinawhisper。 “U-oh！U-u-u-oh！“hootedthebirdagain，andinresponsemycompanionshouted: “Youhavemadeamistake，mybrother！“ Bythistimetheairwasfeelingchilly，andabrightgreyfoghadstreamedoverus，andwrappedasemi-transparentveilaboutthegnarled，barrel-liketrunkswiththeiroutgrowingshootsandthefewremainingleavesstilladhering。 Farandwidethemonotonousdincontinuedtorage——itdidsountilconsciousthoughtbeganalmosttobeimpossible。Yetevenasonestrainedone’sattention，andlistenedtotherainlashingthefallenleaves，andpoundingthestones，andbespatteringthetrunksofthetrees，andtothemurmuringandsplashingofrivuletsracingtowardsthesea，andtotheroaringoftorrentsastheythunderedovertherocksofthemountains，andtothecreakingoftreesbeforethewind，andtothemeasuredthud-thudofthewaves；asonelistenedtoallthis，thethousandsoundsseemedtocombineintoasingleheavinessofhurriedclamour，andinvoluntarilyonefoundoneselfstrivingtodisunitethem，andtospacethemevenasonespacesthewordsofasong。 Kalininfidgeted，nudgedme，andmuttered: “Ifindthisplacetoocloseforme。AlwaysIhavehatedconfinement。“ NeverthelesshehadtakenfarmorecarethanItomakehimselfcomfortable，forhehadedgedhimselfrightintothehollow，and，bysquattingonhishaunches，reducedhisframetotheformofaball。Moreover，therain-drippingsscarcelyorinnowisetouchedhim，while，ingeneral，heappearedtohavedevelopedtothefullanaptitudeforvagrancyasapermanentcondition，andfortheallowingofnounpleasantcircumstancetodebarhimfrominvariablyfindingthemostconvenientvantage-groundatagivenjuncture。Presently，infact，hecontinued: “Yes；despitetherainandcoldandeverythingelse，Iconsiderlifetobenotquiteintolerable。“ “Notquiteintolerableinwhat？“ “NotquiteintolerableinthefactthatatleastIamboundtotheserviceofnoonesaveGod。Forifdisagreeablenesseshavetobeendured，atalleventstheycomebetterfromHimthanfromone’sownspecies。“ “Thenyouhavenogreatloveforyourownspecies？“ “Onelovesone’sneighbourasthedoglovesthestick。“Towhich，afterapause，thespeakeradded: ForWHYshouldIlovehim？“ Itpuzzledmetociteareasonoff-hand，but，fortunately，Kalinindidnotwaitforananswer——rather，hewentontoask: “Haveyoueverbeenafootman？“ “No，“Ireplied。 “Thenletmetellyouthatitispeculiarlydifficultforafootmantolovehisneighbour。“ “Wherefore？“ “Goandbeafootman；THENyouwillknow。Infact，itisneverthecasethat，ifoneservesaman，onecanlovethatman…… Howsteadilytherainpersists！“ Indeed，oneveryhandtherewasinprogressatricklingandasplashingsoundasthoughtheweepingearthwereventingsoft，sorrowfulsobsoverthedepartureofsummerbeforewinteranditsstormsshouldarrive。 “HowcomeyoutobetravellingtheCaucasus？“Iaskedatlength。 “Merelythroughthefactthatmywalkingandwalkinghasbroughtmehither，“wasthereply。“Forthatmatter，everyoneendsbyheadingfortheCaucasus。“ “Whyso？“ “WhyNOT，seeingthatfromone’searliestyearsonehearsofnothingbuttheCaucasus，theCaucasus？Why，evenouroldGeneralusedtoharpuponthename，withhismoustachebristling，andhiseyesprotruding，ashedidso。Andthesameasregardsmymother，whohadvisitedthecountryinthedayswhen，asyet，theGeneralwasincommandbutofacompany。Yes，everyonetendshither。Andanotherreasonisthefactthatthecountryisaneasyonetolivein，acountrywhichenjoysmuchsunshine，andproducesmuchfood，andhasawinterlesslongandseverethanourownwinter，andthereforepresentspleasanterconditionsoflife。“ “Andwhatofthecountry’speople？“ “Whatofthecountry’speople？Oh，solongasyoukeepyourselftoyourselftheywillnotinterferewithyou。“ “Andwhywilltheynot？“ Kalininpaused，staredatme，smiledcondescendingly，and，finally，said: “Whatadullardyouaretoaskaboutsuchsimplethings！Wereyounevergivenanysortofaneducation？Surelybythistimeyououghttobeabletounderstandsomething？“ Then，withachangeofsubject，andsubduinghistonetooneofsnufflingsupplication，headdedinthesing-songchantofapersonrecitingaprayer: “’0hLord，suffermenottobecomebounduntotheclergythepriesthood，thediaconate，thetchinovstvo，[Theofficialclass] ortheintelligentsia！’Thiswasapetitionwhichmymotherusedoftentorepeat。“