第61章

“Imaytellyou，“atlengththecrook-backedoldwomanremarkedassheattemptedtostraightenherself，“thatthoughmyhusbandwasnotwithoutenemies，healsohadaparticularfriendnamedAndrei，andthatwhenfailingstrengthwasbeginningtomakelifedifficultforusinouroldhomeontheDon，andfolktooktorevilingandgirdingatmyhusband，Andreicametousoneday，andsaid:’Yakov，letnotyourhandsfailyou，fortheearthislarge，andinallpartshasbeengiventomenfortheiruse。Iffolkbecruel，theyaresothroughstupidityandprejudice，andmustnotbejudgedforbeingso。Liveyourownlife。Lettheirsbetheirs，andyoursyours，sothat，dwellinginpeace，whileyieldingtonone，youshallintimeovercomethemall。’“ “ThatiswhatVasiltoousedtosay。Heusedtosay:’Lettheirsbetheirs，andoursours。’“ “Aye，neveragoodworddies，but，wheresoeveritbeuttered，fliesthencethroughtheworldlikeaswallow。“ Ufimcorroboratedthiswithanod。 “Trueindeed！“heremarked。“ThoughalsoithasbeensaidthatagoodwordisChrist’s，andabadwordthepriest’s。“ Oneoftheoldwomenshookherheadvigorouslyatthis，andcroaked: “Thebadnessliesnotinanywordofapriest，butinwhatyouyourselfhavejustsaid。Youaregreyheaded，Ufim，yetoftenyouspeakwithoutthought。“ PresentlyUfim’swifereappeared，and，wavingherhandsasthoughshewerebrandishingasieve，begantoventrenewedvolleysofvirulentabuse。 “MyGod，“shecried，“whatsortofamanisthat？Why，amanwhoneitherspeaksnorlistens，butforeverkeepsbayingatthemoonlikeadog！“ “NOWshe’sstarted！“Ufimdrawled。 Westwardtherewerearising，andsoaringskyward，cloudsofsuchasimilaritytobluesmokeandblood-redflamethatthesteppeseemedalmosttobeindangerofcatchingfirethence。Meanwhileasofteveningbreezewascaressingtheexpanseasawhole，andcausingthegraintobenddrowsilyearthwardasgolden-redripplesskimmeditssurface。Onlyintheeasternquarterwhencenight’sblack，sultryshadowwasstealthilycreepinginourdirectionhaddarknessyetdescended。 Atintervalstherecameventedfromthewindowabovemyheadthehotodourofadeadbody；and，wheneverthathappened，thedog’sgreynostrilsandmuzzlewouldquiver，anditseyeswouldblinkpitifullyasitgazedaloft。Glancingattheheavens，Ufimremarkedwithconviction: “Therewillbenoraintonight。“ “DoyoukeepsuchathingasaPsalterhere？“Iinquired。 “Suchathingasawhat？“ “AsaPsalter——abook？“ Noanswerfollowed。 Fasterandfasterthesouthernnightwentondescending，andwipingthelandcleanofheat，asthoughthatheathadbeendust。 UponmetherecameafeelingthatIshouldliketogoandburymyselfinsomesweet-smellinghay，andsleepthereuntilsunrise。 “MaybePanekhasoneofthosethings？“hazardedUfimafteralongpause。“AtanyratehehasdealingswiththeMolokans。“ Afterthat，thecompanyheldfurtherconverseinwhispers。Thenallsavethemorerotundoftheoldwomenlefttheforecourt，whileitsremainingoccupantsaidtomewithasigh: “Youmaycomeandlookathimifyouwish。“ Smallandgentlelookedthewoman’smeeklyloweredheadas，foldingherhandsacrossherbreast，sheaddedinawhisper: “OhpurestMotherofGod！OhThouofspotlesschastity！“ Incontrasttoherexpression，thatonthefaceofthedeadmanwasstemand，asitwere，fraughtwithimportancewherethickgreyeyebrowslaypartedoveralargenose，andthelattercurveddownwardstowardsamoustachewhichdividedintrospective，partiallyclosedeyesfromamouththatwassethalf-open。 Indeed，itwasasthoughthemanwereponderingsomethingofannoyance，sothatpresentlyhewouldmakeshifttodeliverhimselfofafinalandurgentinjunction。Thebluesmokeofameagrecandlequiveredmeanwhile，overhishead，thoughthewickdiffusedsofeeblealightthatthedeathblursundertheeyesandinthecheekfurrowslayuneffaced，andthedarkhandsandwrists，disposed，lumplike，onthefrontofthegreyish-blueshroud，seemedtohavehadtheirfingerstwistedinamannerwhichevendeathhadfailedtorectify。Andeverandanon，streamingfromdoortowindow，cameadraughtvariouslyfraughtwiththeodoursofwormwood，mint，andcorruption。 Presentlytheoldwoman’swhisperinggrewmoreanimatedandintelligible，whileconstantly，amidthewheezedmutterings，sheetlightningcuttheblacksquareofthewindowspacewithmenacingflashes，andseemed，withtheirblueglare，asitshotthroughthetomblikehut，tocausethecandle’sflickeringflametoundergoatemporaryextinction，atemporarywithdrawal，andthegreybristlesonthedeadman’sfacetogleamlikethescalesofafish，andhisfeaturestogatherthemselvesintoagrimfrown。Meanwhile，likeastreamofcold，bitterwaterdrippinguponmybreast，theoldwoman’swhisperedsoliloquymaintaineditsuninterruptedflow。 Atlengththererecurred，somehow，tomymindthewordswhich，impressivethoughtheybe，nevercanassuagesorrow——thewords: “Weepnotforme，Martha，norgazeintothetomb，for，lo，Iamrisen！“ Nay，andneverwouldTHISmanriseagain…… PresentlythebonyoldwomanreturnedwithareportthatnowhereamongthehutscouldaPsalterbefound，butonlyabookofanotherkind。Woulditdo？ TheotherbookturnedouttobeagrammaroftheChurchSlavonicdialect，withthefirstpagestornout，andbeginningwiththewords，“Drug，drugi，druzhe。“[“Afriend，ofafriend，O friend。“] “What，then，arewetodo？“vexedlyaskedthesmallerofthedameswhenIhadexplainedtoherthatagrammarcouldworknobenefittoacorpse。Assheputthequery，hersmall，childlikefacequiveredwithdisappointment，andhereyesswelledandoverflowedwithtears。 “Mymanhaslivedhislife，“shesaidwithasob，“andnowhecannotevenbegivenproperburial！“ And，similarly，whennextIofferedtoreciteoverherhusbandeachandeveryprayerandpsalmthatIcouldcontrivetorecalltomyrecollection，onconditionthatallpresentshouldmeanwhileleavethehut(forIfeltthat，sincethetaskwouldbeonenoveltome，theattendanceofauditorsmighthindermefrommusteringmyentirestockofpetitions)，shesodisbelievedme，orfailedtounderstandme，thatforlongenoughshecouldonlystandtotteringinthedoorwayas，withtwitchingnose，shedrewhersleeveacrossherworn，diminutivefeatures。 Neverthelessshedid，atlast，takeherdeparture。 Lowoverthesteppe，strayflashesofsummerlightningstillgleamedagainstthejetblackskyastheyfloodedthehutwiththeirluridshimmer；andeachtimethatthedarknessofthesultrynightsweptbackintotheroom，thecandleflickered，andthecorpse’spronefigureseemedtoopenitshalf-closedeyesandglanceattheshadowswhichpalpitatedonitsbreast，anddancedoverthewhitewallsandceiling。 SimilarlydidIglancefromtimetotimeatHIM，yetglancewithaguardedeye，andwithafeelinginmethatwhenacorpseispresentanythingmayhappen；untilfinallyIralliedconsciencetomyaid，andrecitedundermybreath: “PardonThouallwhohavesinned，whethertheybemen，orwhetherthey，beingnotmen，doyetstandhigherthanthebeastsofthefield。“ However，theonlyresultoftherecitationwastobringtomymindathoughtdirectlyatvariancewiththeimportofthewords，thethoughtthat“itisnotsinthatishardandbittertoensue，butrighteousness。“ “Sinswilfulandofignorance，“Icontinued。“Sinsknownandunknown。Sinscommittedthroughimprudenceandevilexample。Sinscommittedthroughforwardnessandsloth。“ “ThoughtoYOU，brother，“mentallyIaddedtothecorpse，“noneofthis，ofcourse，applies。“ Again，glancingatthebluestars，wheretheyhungglitteringinthefathomlessobscurityofthesky，Ireflected: “Whointhishouseislookingatthemsavemyself？“ Presently，withapatteringofclawsoverthebeatenclayofthefloor，thereenteredthedog。Onceortwiceitpacedthelengthoftheroom。Then，withasniffatmylegs，andagrumbletoitself，itdepartedasithadcome。Perhapsthecreaturefelttoooldtobayadirgetoitsmasterafterthemannerofitskind。Inanycase，asitvanishedthroughthedoorway，theshadows——soI