第62章

fancied——soughttoslipoutafterit，and，floatinginthatdirection，fannedmyfacewithabreathasofice，whiletheflameofthecandleflickeredthemore——asthoughittoowereseekingtowrestitselffromthecandlestick，andgofloatingupwardstojointhebandofstars——abandofluminarieswhichitmightwellhavedeemedtobeofabrillianceassmallandaspitifulasitsown。AndI，formypart，sinceIhadnowishtoseewhatlighttherewasdisappear，followedthestrugglesofthetinyflamewithatenseanxietywhichmademyeyesache。 OppressedanduneasyalloverasIstoodbythedeadman’sshoulder，Istrainedmyearsandlistened，listenedever，tothesilenceencompassingthehut。 Eventually，drowsinessbegantostealoverme，andprovedafeelinghardtoresist。YetstillwithaneffortdidIcontrivetorecallthebeautifulprayersofSaintsMakariVeliki，Chrysostom，andDamarkin，whileatthesametimesomethingresemblingaswarmofmosquitosstartedtohuminmyhead，thewordswhereintheSixthPreceptissuesitsinjunctionto:“allpersonsabouttowithdrawtoacouchofrest。“ Andnext，toescapefallingasleep，Ifelltorecitingthekondak[Hymnfortheendoftheday]whichbegins: “OhLord，refreshmysoulthusgrievouslymadefeeblewithwrongdoing。“ Stillengagedinthismanner，suddenlyIheardsomethingrustleoutsidethedoor。Thenadrywhisperarticulated: “OhGodofMercy，receiveuntoThyselfalsomysoul！“ Uponthat，thefancyoccurredtomethatprobablytheoldwoman’ssoulwasasgreyandtimidasalinnet，andthatwhenitshouldflyuptothethroneoftheMotherofGod，andtheMothershouldextendtothatlittlesoulhertender，white，andgracioushand，thenewcomerwouldtrembleallover，andflutterhergentlewingsuntilwellnighdeathshouldsupervene。 AndthentheMotherofGodwouldsaytoHerSon: “Son，prayseethefearfulnessofThypeopleonearth，andtheirestrangementfromjoy！OhSon，isthatwell？“ AndHewouldmakeanswertoHer—— HewouldmakeanswertoHer，andsayIknownotwhat。 Andsuddenly，soIfancied，avoiceansweredmineoutofthebroodinghush，asthoughittoowererecitingaprayer。Yetsocomplete，soprofound，wasthestillness，thatthevoiceseemedfaraway，submerged，unreal——amerephantomofanecho，oftheechoofmyownvoice。Until，onmydesistingfrommyrecital，andstrainingmycarsyetmore，thesoundseemedtoapproachandgrowclearerasshufflingfootstepsalsoadvancedinmydirection，andtherecameamutterof: “Nay，itCANNOTbeso！“ “Whyisitthatthedogshavefailedtobark？“Ireflected，rubbingmyeyes，andfancyingasIdidsothatthedeadman’seyebrowstwitched，andhismoustachestirredinagrimsmile。 Presentlyadeep，hoarse，raspingvoicevociferatedintheforecourt: “Whatdoyousay，oldwoman？Yes，thathemustdie——Iknewallalong，——soyoucanceaseyourchattering？Menlikehimkeepuptothelast，thenlaythemdowntorisetomore……WHOiswithhim？A stranger？A-ah！“ And，thenextmoment，abulksolargeandshapelessthatitmightwellhavebeenthedarknessofthenightembodied，stumbledagainsttheoutersideofthedoor，grunted，hiccuped，andlurchingheadforemostintothehut，grewwellnightotheceiling。Thenitwavedagigantichand，crosseditselfinthedirectionofthecandle，and，bendingforwarduntilitsforeheadalmosttouchedthefeetofthecorpse，queriedunderitsbreath: “Hownow，Vasil？“ Thereafter，thefigureventedasobwhilstastrongsmellofvodkaaroseintheroom，andfromthedoorwaytheoldwomansaidinanappealingvoice: “PraygiveHIMthebook，FatherDemid。“ “Noindeed！WhyshouldI？Iintendtodothereadingmyself。“ Andaheavyhandlaiditselfuponmyshoulder，whileagreathairyfacebentovermine，andinquired: “Ayoungman，areyounot？Amemberoftheclergy，too，I suppose？“ Socoveredwithtuftsofauburnhairwastheenormousheadaboveme——tuftsthesheenofwhicheventhesemi-obscurityofthepalecandlelightfailedtorenderinconspicuous——thatthemass，asawhole，resembledamop。Andasitsownerlurchedtoandfro，hemademelurchresponsivelybynowdrawingmetowardshimself，nowthrustingmeaway。Meanwhilehecontinuedtosuffusemyfacewiththehot，thickodourofspirituousliquor。 “FatherDemid！“againessayedtheoldwomanwithanimploringwail，buthecuthershortwiththemenacingadmonition: “HowoftenhaveItoldyouthatyoumustnotaddressadeaconas’Father’？Gotobed！Yes，beoffwithyou，andletmemindmyaffairsmyself！GO，Isay！Butfirstlightmeanothercandle，forIcannotseeasinglethinginfrontofme。“ Withwhich，throwinghimselfuponabench，thedeaconslappedhiskneewithabookwhichhehadinhishands，andputtomethequery: “Shouldyoucaretohaveadramofgorielka？[Anothernameforvodka。] “No，“Ireplied。“Atallevents，nothere。“ “Indeed？“thedeaconcried，unabashed。“Butcome，abottleofthestuffishere，inmyverypocket。“ “Thisisnoplaceinwhichtobedrinking。“ Foramomentthedeaconsaidnothing。Thenhemuttered: “True，true。Soletusadjourntotheforecourt……Yes，whatyousayisnomorethanthetruth。“ “Hadyounotbetterremainseatedwhereyouare，andbeginthereading？“ “No，Iamgoingtodonosuchthing。YOUshalldothereading。 TonightI，I——wellIamnotverywell，forIhavebeendrinkingalittle。“ And，thrustingthebookintomystomach，hesankhisheaduponhisbreast，andfelltoswayingitponderouslyupanddown。 “Folkdie，“washisnextutterance，“andtheworldremainsasfullofgriefasever。Yes，folkdieevenbeforetheyhaveseenalittlegoodaccruetothemselves。“ “IseethatyourbookisnotaPsalter，“hereIinterposedafteraninspectionofthevolume。 “Youarewrong。“ “Thenlookforyourself。“ Hegrabbedthebookbyitscover，and，bydintofholdingthecandleclosetoitspages，discovered，eventually，thatmatterswereasIhadstated。 Thistookhimabackcompletely。 “Whatcanthefactmean？“heexclaimed。“Oh，Iknowwhathashappened。Themistakehascomeofmybeinginsuchahurry。Theotherbook，thetruePsalter，isafat，heavyvolume，whereasthisoneis——“ Foramomentheseemedsoberedbytheshock。Atallevents，heroseand，approachingthecorpse，said，ashebentoverthebedwithhisbeardheldback: “Pardonme，Vasil，butwhatistobedone？“ Thenhestraightenedhimselfagain，threwbackhiscurls，and，drawingabottlefromhispocket，andthrustingtheneckofthebottleintohismouth，tookalongdraught，withawhistlingofhisnostrilsashedidso。 “Well？“Isaid。 “Well，Iintendtogotobed——myideaistodrinkandenjoymyselfawhile。“ “Go，then。“ “Andwhatofthereading？“ “Whowouldwishyoutomumblewordswhichyouwouldnotbecomprehendingasyouutteredthem？“ Thedeaconreseatedhimselfuponthebench，leanedforward，buriedhisfaceinhishandsandremainedsilent。 FasttheJulynightwaswaning。Fastitsshadowsweredissolvingintocorners，andallowingawhiffoffreshdewymorningtidetoenteratthewindow。Alreadywasthecombinedlightofthetwocandlesgrowingpaler，withtheirflameslookingliketheeyesofafrightenedchild。 “Youhavelivedyourlife，Vasi，“atlengththedeaconmuttered，“andthoughonceIhadaplacetowhichtoresort，nowIshallhavenone。Yes，mylastfriendisdead。OhLord——whereisThyjustice？“ Formyself，Iwentandtookaseatbythewindow，and，thrustingmyheadintotheopenair，litapipe，andcontinuedtolistenwithashivertothedeacon’swailings。 “Folkusedtogirdatmywife，“hewenton，“andnowtheyaregnawingatmeaspigsmightgnawatacabbage。Thatisso，Vasil。 Yesthatisso。“ Againthebottlemadeitsappearance。Againthedeacontookadraught。Againhewipedhisbeard。Thenhebentoverthedeadmanoncemore，andkissedthecorpse’sforehead。 “Good-bye，friendofmine！“hesaid。Thentomyselfheaddedwithunlooked-forclarityandvigour: “Myfriendherewasbutaplainman——amanasinconspicuousamonghisfellowsasarookamongaflockofrooks。Yetnorookwashe。