第4章
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  Theygotintoconversation。Thestrangerseemedtobeamanfondoftalkingandreadyofspeech,andDyudyalearnedfromhimthathewasfromthetown,wasofthetradesmanclass,andhadahouseofhisown,thathisnamewasMatveySavitch,thathewasonhiswaynowtolookatsomegardensthathewasrentingfromsomeGermancolonists,andthattheboy’snamewasKuzka。Theeveningwashotandclose,noonefeltinclinedforsleep。Whenitwasgettingdarkandpalestarsbegantotwinklehereandthereinthesky,MatveySavitchbegantotellhowhehadcomebyKuzka。

  AfanasyevnaandSofyastoodalittlewayoff,listening。Kuzkahadgonetothegate。

  “It’sacomplicatedstory,oldman,“beganMatveySavitch,“andifIweretotellyoualljustasithappened,itwouldtakeallnightandmore。Tenyearsagoinalittlehouseinourstreet,nextdoortome,wherenowthere’satallowandoilfactory,therewaslivinganoldwidow,MarfaSemyonovnaKapluntsev,andshehadtwosons:onewasaguardontherailway,buttheother,Vasya,whowasjustmyownage,livedathomewithhismother。

  OldKapluntsevhadkeptfivepairofhorsesandsentcarriersalloverthetown;hiswidowhadnotgivenupthebusiness,butmanagedthecarriersaswellasherhusbandhaddone,sothatsomedaystheywouldbringinasmuchasfiveroublesfromtheirrounds。

  “Theyoungfellow,too,madeatrifleonhisownaccount。Heusedtobreedfancypigeonsandsellthemtofanciers;attimeshewouldstandforhoursontheroof,wavingabroomintheairandwhistling;hispigeonswererightupintheclouds,butitwasn’tenoughforhim,andhe’dwantthemtogohigheryet。Siskinsandstarlings,too,heusedtocatch,andhemadecagesforsale。Alltrifles,but,mindyou,he’dpickupsometenroublesamonthoversuchtrifles。Well,astimewenton,theoldladylosttheuseofherlegsandtooktoherbed。Inconsequenceofwhicheventthehousewasleftwithoutawomantolookafterit,andthat’sforalltheworldlikeamanwithoutaneye。TheoldladybestirredherselfandmadeuphermindtomarryVasya。Theycalledinamatchmakeratonce,thewomengottotalkingofonethingandanother,andVasyawentofftohavealookatthegirls。HepickedoutMashenka,awidow’sdaughter。Theymadeuptheirmindswithoutlossoftimeandinaweekitwasallsettled。Thegirlwasalittleslipofathing,seventeen,butfair-skinnedandpretty-looking,andlikealadyinallherways;

  andadecentdowrywithher,fivehundredroubles,acow,abed。

  Well,theoldlady——itseemedasthoughshehadknownitwascoming——threedaysafterthewedding,departedtotheHeavenlyJerusalemwhereisneithersicknessnorsighing。Theyoungpeoplegaveheragoodfuneralandbegantheirlifetogether。Forjustsixmonthstheygotonsplendidly,andthenallofasuddenanothermisfortune。Itneverrainsbutitpours:

  Vasyawassummonedtotherecruitingofficetodrawlotsfortheservice。Hewastaken,poorchap,forasoldier,andnotevengrantedexemption。TheyshavedhisheadandpackedhimofftoPoland。ItwasGod’swill;therewasnothingtobedone。Whenhesaidgood-byetohiswifeintheyard,heboreitallright;butasheglancedupatthehay-loftandhispigeonsforthelasttime,heburstoutcrying。Itwaspitifultoseehim。

  “AtfirstMashenkagothermothertostaywithher,thatshemightn’tbedullallalone;shestayedtillthebaby——thisveryKuzkahere——wasborn,andthenshewentofftoOboyantoanothermarrieddaughter’sandleftMashenkaalonewiththebaby。

  Therewerefivepeasants——thecarriers——adrunkensaucylot;

  horses,too,anddray-cartstoseeto,andthenthefencewouldbebrokenorthesootafireinthechimney——jobsbeyondawoman,andthroughourbeingneighbours,shegotintothewayofturningtomeforeverylittlething。Well,I’dgoover,setthingstorights,andgiveadvice。Naturally,notwithoutgoingindoors,drinkingacupofteaandhavingalittlechatwithher。Iwasayoungfellow,intellectual,andfondoftalkingonallsortsofsubjects;she,too,waswell-bredandeducated。Shewasalwaysneatlydressed,andinsummershewalkedoutwithasunshade。SometimesIwouldbeginuponreligionorpoliticswithher,andshewasflatteredandwouldentertainmewithteaandjam。Inaword,nottomakealongstoryofit,Imusttellyou,oldman,ayearhadnotpassedbeforetheEvilOne,theenemyofallmankind,confoundedme。IbegantonoticethatanydayIdidn’tgotoseeher,Iseemedoutofsortsanddull。AndI’dbecontinuallymakingupsomethingthatImustseeherabout:’It’shightime,’I’dsaytomyself,’toputthedoublewindowsinforthewinter,’andthewholedayI’didleawayoveratherplaceputtinginthewindowsandtakegoodcaretoleaveacoupleofthemoverforthenextdaytoo。

  “’IoughttocountoverVasya’spigeons,toseenoneofthemhavestrayed,’andsoon。Iusedalwaystobetalkingtoheracrossthefence,andintheendImadealittlegateinthefencesoasnottohavetogosofarround。Fromwomankindcomesmuchevilintotheworldandeverykindofabomination。Notwesinnersonly;eventhesaintsthemselveshavebeenledastraybythem。Mashenkadidnottrytokeepmeatadistance。Insteadofthinkingofherhusbandandbeingonherguard,shefellinlovewithme。Ibegantonoticethatshewasdullwithoutme,andwasalwayswalkingtoandfrobythefencelookingintomyyardthroughthecracks。

  “Mybrainsweregoingroundinmyheadinasortoffrenzy。OnThursdayinHolyWeekIwasgoingearlyinthemorning——itwasscarcelylight——tomarket。Ipassedclosebyhergate,andtheEvilOnewasbyme——atmyelbow。Ilooked——shehadagatewithopentrellisworkatthetop——andthereshewas,upalready,standinginthemiddleoftheyard,feedingtheducks。I

  couldnotrestrainmyself,andIcalledhername。Shecameupandlookedatmethroughthetrellis。Herlittlefacewaswhite,hereyessoftandsleepy-looking。Ilikedherlooksimmensely,andIbeganpayinghercompliments,asthoughwewerenotatthegate,butjustasonedoesonnamedays,whilesheblushed,andlaughed,andkeptlookingstraightintomyeyeswithoutwinking。Ilostallsenseandbegantodeclaremylovetoher。Sheopenedthegate,andfromthatmorningwebegantoliveasmanandwife。“

  ThehunchbackAlyoshkacameintotheyardfromthestreetandranoutofbreathintothehouse,notlookingatanyone。Aminutelaterheranoutofthehousewithaconcertina。Jinglingsomecoppersinhispocket,andcrackingsunflowerseedsasheran,hewentoutatthegate。

  “Andwho’sthat,pray?“askedMatveySavitch。

  “MysonAlexey,“answeredDyudya。“He’soffonaspree,therascal。Godhasafflictedhimwithahump,sowearenotveryhardonhim。“

  “Andhe’salwaysdrinkingwiththeotherfellows,alwaysdrinking,“sighedAfanasyevna。“BeforeCarnivalwemarriedhim,thinkinghe’dbesteadier,butthere!he’sworsethanever。“

  “It’sbeennouse。Simplykeepinganotherman’sdaughterfornothing,“saidDyudya。

  Somewherebehindthechurchtheybegantosingaglorious,mournfulsong。Thewordstheycouldnotcatchandonlythevoicescouldbeheard——twotenorsandabass。Allwerelistening;

  therewascompletestillnessintheyard。Twovoicessuddenlybrokeoffwithaloudroaroflaughter,butthethird,atenor,stillsangon,andtooksohighanotethateveryoneinstinctivelylookedupwards,asthoughthevoicehadsoaredtoheavenitself。

  Varvaracameoutofthehouse,andscreeninghereyeswithherhand,asthoughfromthesun,shelookedtowardsthechurch。

  “It’sthepriest’ssonswiththeschoolmaster,“shesaid。

  Againallthethreevoicesbegantosingtogether。MatveySavitchsighedandwenton:

  “Well,that’showitwas,oldman。TwoyearslaterwegotaletterfromVasyafromWarsaw。Hewrotethathewasbeingsenthomesick。Hewasill。BythattimeIhadputallthatfoolishnessoutofmyhead,andIhadafinematchpickedoutallreadyforme,onlyIdidn’tknowhowtobreakitoffwithmysweetheart。EverydayI’dmakeupmymindtohaveitoutwithMashenka,butIdidn’tknowhowtoapproachhersoasnottohaveawoman’sscreechingaboutmyears。Theletterfreedmyhands。I

  readitthroughwithMashenka;sheturnedwhiteasasheet,whileIsaidtoher:’ThankGod;now,’saysI,’you’llbeamarriedwomanagain。’Butsaysshe:’I’mnotgoingtolivewithhim。’

  ’Why,isn’theyourhusband?’saidI。’Isitaneasything?

  IneverlovedhimandImarriedhimnotofmyownfreewill。Mymothermademe。’’Don’ttrytogetoutofit,silly,’saidI,’buttellmethis:wereyoumarriedtohiminchurchornot?’’I

  wasmarried,’shesaid,’butit’syouthatIlove,andIwillstaywithyoutothedayofmydeath。Folksmayjeer。Idon’tcare。’’You’reaChristianwoman,’saidI,’andhavereadtheScriptures;whatiswrittenthere?’

  “Oncemarried,withherhusbandshemustlive,“saidDyudya。

  “’Manandwifeareoneflesh。Wehavesinned,’Isaid,’youandI,anditisenough;wemustrepentandfearGod。WemustconfessitalltoVasya,’saidI;’he’saquietfellowandsoft——hewon’tkillyou。Andindeed,’saidI,’bettertosuffertormentsinthisworldatthehandsofyourlawfulmasterthantognashyourteethatthedreadSeatofJudgment。’Thewenchwouldn’tlisten;shestucktohersilly,’It’syouIlove!’andnothingmorecouldIgetoutofher。

  “VasyacamebackontheSaturdaybeforeTrinity,earlyinthemorning。FrommyfenceIcouldseeeverything;heranintothehouse,andcamebackaminutelaterwithKuzkainhisarms,andhewaslaughingandcryingallatonce;hewaskissingKuzkaandlookingupatthehay-loft,andhadn’tthehearttoputthechilddown,andyethewaslongingtogotohispigeons。Hewasalwaysasoftsortofchap——sentimental。Thatdaypassedoffverywell,allquietandproper。Theyhadbegunringingthechurchbellsfortheeveningservice,whenthethoughtstruckme:

  ’To-morrow’sTrinitySunday;howisittheyarenotdeckingthegatesandthefencewithgreen?Something’swrong,’Ithought。I

  wentovertothem。Ipeepedin,andtherehewas,sittingonthefloorinthemiddleoftheroom,hiseyesstaringlikeadrunkenman’s,thetearsstreamingdownhischeeksandhishandsshaking;

  hewaspullingcracknels,necklaces,gingerbreadnuts,andallsortsoflittlepresentsoutofhisbundleandflingingthemonthefloor。Kuzka——hewasthreeyearsold——wascrawlingonthefloor,munchingthegingerbreads,whileMashenkastoodbythestove,whiteandshiveringallover,muttering:’I’mnotyourwife;Ican’tlivewithyou,’andallsortsoffoolishness。I

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