第60章

AsIdidso，therearosefromtheground-levelananimatedclodofearthintheshapeofasturdyindividual。Unwashedandunshaven，hehadhangingonhisframeanopencanvasshirt，greywithdust，andbaggybluebreeches。 “Goodevening，“Isaidtothefellow。 “Iwishyouthesame，“hereplied。“Whitherareyoubound？“ “Firstofall，whatisthenameofthisriver？“ “Whatisitsname？Why，itistheSagaidak，ofcourse。“ Ontheman’slarge，roundheadtherewasashockofbristling，grizzledcurls，whilependenttothemoustachebelowitwereendslikethoseofthemoustacheofaChinaman。Also，ashissmalleyesscannedmewithanairofimpudentdistrust，Icoulddetectthattheywereengagedincountingtheholesanddamsinmyraiment。Onlyafteralongintervaldidhedrawadeepbreathasfromhispocketheproducedaclaypipewithacanemouthpiece，and，knittinghisbrowsattentively，felltopeeringintothepipe’sblackbowl。Thenhesaid: “Haveyoumatches？“ Irepliedintheaffirmative。 “Andsometobacco？“ Forawhilehecontinuedtocontemplatethesunwherethatluminaryhungsuspendedaboveacloud-bankbeforefinallydeclining。Thenheremarked: “Givemeapinchofthetobacco。Asformatches，Ihavesome。“ Sobothofuslitup；afterwhichherestedhiselbowsuponthebalustradeofthebridge，leantbackagainstthecentralstanchions，andforsometimecontinuedmerelytoemitandinhalebluecoilsofsmoke。Thenhisnosewrinkled，andheexpectorated。 “Muscovitetobaccoisit？“heinquired。 “No——Roman，Italian。“ “Oh！“Andasthewrinklesofhisnosestraightenedthemselvesagainheadded:“Thenofcourseitisgoodtobacco。“ Toenteradwellinginadvanceofone’shostisabreachofdecorum；wherefore，IfoundmyselfforcedtoremainstandingwhereIwasuntilmyinterlocutor’staleofquestionsastomypreciseidentity，myexactplaceoforigin，mytruedestination，andmyrealreasonsfortravellingshouldtardilywinitswaytoafinish。Greatlytheprocessvexedme，forIwaseager，rather，tolearnwhatthesteppesettlementmighthaveinstoreformydelectation。 “Work？“thefellowdrawledthroughhisteeth。“Ohno，thereisnoworktobegothere。Howcouldtherebeatthisseasonoftheyear？“ Turningaside，hespatintotherivulet。 Onthefurtherbankofthelatter，agoosewasstruttingimportantlyattheheadofastringofround，fluffy，yellowgoslings，whilstdrivingthebroodweretwolittlegirls——theoneachildbutlittlelargerthanthegooseitself，dressedinaredfrock，andarmedwithaswitch；andtheotheroneayoungsterabsolutelyofasizewiththebird，paleoffeature，plumpofbody，bowedofleg，andgraveofexpression。 “Ufim！“cameatthismomentinthestridentvoiceofawomanunseen，butincensed；uponwhichmycompanionbestoweduponmeasidelongnod，andmutteredwithanairofappreciation: “THERE’Slungsforyou！“ Whereafter，hefelltotwitchingthetoesofachafedandblackenedfoot，andtogazingattheirnails。Hisnextquestionwas: “Areyou，maybe，ascholar？“ “Whydoyouask？“ “Because，ifyouare，youmightliketoreadtheBookoveracorpse。“ Andsoproud，apparently，washeoftheproposalthatafaintsmilecrossedhisflaccidcountenance。 “Yousee，itwouldbework，“headdedwithhisbrowneyesveiled，“whilst，inaddition，youwouldbepaidtenkopecksforyourtrouble，andallowedtokeeptheshroud。“ “Andshouldalsobegivensomesupper，Isuppose？“ “Yes——andshouldalsobegivensomesupper。“ “Whereisthecorpselying？“ “Inmyownhut。Shallwegothere？“ Offweset。Enrouteweheardoncemoreastridentshoutof: “Ufi-i-im！“ Asweproceeded，shadowsoftreesglidedalongthesoftroadtomeetus，whilebehindaclumpofbushesonthefurtherbankoftherivuletsomechildrenwereshoutingattheirplay。Thus，whatwiththechildren’svoices，andthepurlingofthewater，andthenoiseofsomeoneplaningapieceofwood，theairseemedfulloftremulous，suspendedsound。Meanwhile，myhostsaidtomewithadrawl: “Oncewedidhaveareaderhere。Anoldwomanshewas，aregularoldwitchwhoatlasthadtoberemovedtothetownforamputationofthefeet。Theymightwellhavecutoffhertonguetoowhilsttheywereaboutit，since，thoughusefulenough，shecouldrailindeed！“ Presentlyablackpuppy，acreatureofaboutthesizeofatoad，cameambling，three-leggedfashion，underourfeet。Uponthatitstiffeneditstail，growled，andsnuffedtheairwithitstinypinknose。 Nexttherepoppedupfromsomewhereoranotherabarefootedyoungwoman。Clappingherhands，shebawled: “Here，youUfim，howIhavebeencallingforyou，andcallingforyou！“ “Eh？Well，Ineverheardyou。“ “Wherewereyou，then？“ Bywayofreply，myconductorsilentlypointedinmydirectionwiththestemofhispipe。Thenheledmeintotheforecourtofthehutnexttotheonewhencetheyoungwomanhadissued，whilstsheproceededtoprojectfreshvolleysofabuse，andfreshexpressionsofaccentuatednon-amiability。 Inthelittledoorwayofthedwellingnexttohers，wefoundseatedtwooldwomen。Oneofthemwasasrotundanddishevelledasabattered，leathernball，andtheotheronewasawomanbonyandcrookedofback，swarthyofskin，andirritableoffeature。 Atthewomen’sfeetlay，lollingoutarag-liketongue，ashaggydogwhich，redandpatheticofeye，couldboastofaframenearlyaslargeasasheep’s。 Firstofall，Ufimrelatedindetailhowhehadfalleninwithmyself。ThenhestatedthepurposeforwhichheconceiveditwaspossiblethatImightproveuseful。Andallthetimethathewasspeaking，twopairsofeyescontemplatedhiminsilence； until，onthecompletionofhisrecital，oneoftheoldwomengaveajerktoathin，darkneck，andtheotherolddameinvitedmetotakeaseatwhilstshepreparedsomesupper。 Amidthetangledherbageoftheforecourt，aspotovergrownwithmallowandbrambleshoots，therewasstandingacartwhich，lackingwheels，haditsaxle-pointsdarkwithmildew。Presentlyaherdofcattlewasdrivenpastthehut，andoverthehamletthereseemedtoarise，drift，andfloat，aperfectwaveofsound。 Also，aseveningdescended，Icouldseeanever-increasingnumberofgreyshadowscomecreepingforthfromtheforecourt’srecesses，andoverlayinganddarkeningtheturf。 “Onedayallofusmustdie，“remarkedUfim，withempressementashetappedthebowlofhispipeagainstawall。 Thenextmomentthebarefooted，red-cheekedyoungwomanshowedherselfatthegate，andaskedintonesratherlessvehementthanrecently: “Areyoucoming，orareyounot？“ “Presently，“repliedUfim。“Onethingatatime。“ ForsupperIwasgivenahunchofbreadandabowlofmilk； whereuponthedogrose，laiditsaged，slobberingmuzzleuponmyknee，andgazedintomyfacewithitsdimeyesasthoughitweresaying，“MayItoohaveabite？“ Next，likeaneventidebreezeamongwitheredherbage，therefloatedacrosstheforecourtthehoarsevoiceofthecrook-backedoldwoman。 “Letuspray，“shesaid。“OhGod，takeawayfromusallsorrow，andreceivethereforerequitementintwofoldmeasure！“ Assherecitedtheprayerwithamienasdarkasfate，thesupplicantrolledherlongneckfromsidetoside，andnoddedherophidian-shapedheadinaccordancewithasortofregular，lethargicrhythm。NextIheardsinktoearth，atmyfeet，somesenilewordsutteredinasortofsingsong。 “Somefolkneedworkjustasmuchastheywish，andothersneeddonoworkatall。YetOURfolkhavetoworkbeyondtheirstrength，andtoworkwithoutanyrecompenseforthetoilwhichtheyundergo。“ Uponthisthesmalleroftheoldcroneswhispered: “ButtheMotherofGodwillrecompensethem。Sherecompenseseveryone。“ Thenadeadsilencefell——aweightysilence，asilenceseeminglyfraughtwithmattersofimport，andinspiringinoneanassurancethatpresentlytherewouldbebroughtforthimpressivereflections——therewouldreachtheearwordsofmark。