\"Youdon’tunderstand?\"whisperedFatherGrigory,steppingbackinastonishmentandclaspinghishands。\"Whathaveyougotonyourshoulders,aheadorsomeotherobject?Yousendanoteuptothealtar,andwriteawordinitwhichitwouldbeunseemlyeventoutterinthestreet!Whyareyourollingyoureyes?
Surelyyouknowthemeaningoftheword?\"
\"Areyoureferringtothewordharlot?\"mutteredtheshopkeeper,flushingcrimsonandblinking。\"Butyouknow,theLordinHismercy……forgavethisverything,……forgaveaharlot……Hehaspreparedaplaceforher,andindeedfromthelifeoftheholysaint,MariyaofEgypt,onemayseeinwhatsensethewordisused——excuseme……\"
Theshopkeeperwantedtobringforwardsomeotherargumentinhisjustification,buttookfrightandwipedhislipswithhissleeve\"Sothat’swhatyoumakeofit!\"criedFatherGrigory,claspinghishands。\"ButyouseeGodhasforgivenher——doyouunderstand?Hehasforgiven,butyoujudgeher,youslanderher,callherbyanunseemlyname,andwhom!Yourowndeceaseddaughter!NotonlyinHolyScripture,buteveninworldlyliteratureyouwon’treadofsuchasin!Itellyouagain,Andrey,youmustn’tbeover-subtle!No,no,youmustn’tbeover-subtle,brother!IfGodhasgivenyouaninquiringmind,andifyoucannotdirectit,betternotgointothings……Don’tgointothings,andholdyourpeace!\"
\"Butyouknow,she,……excusemymentioningit,wasanactress!\"articulatedAndreyAndreyitch,overwhelmed。
\"Anactress!Butwhatevershewas,yououghttoforgetitallnowsheisdead,insteadofwritingitonthenote。\"
\"Justso,……\"theshopkeeperassented。
\"Yououghttodopenance,\"boomedthedeaconfromthedepthsofthealtar,lookingcontemptuouslyatAndreyAndreyitch’sembarrassedface,\"thatwouldteachyoutoleaveoffbeingsoclever!Yourdaughterwasawell-knownactress。Therewereevennoticesofherdeathinthenewspapers……Philosopher!\"
\"Tobesure,……certainly,\"mutteredtheshopkeeper,\"thewordisnotaseemlyone;butIdidnotsayittojudgeher,FatherGrigory,Ionlymeanttospeakspiritually,……thatitmightbeclearertoyouforwhomyouwerepraying。Theywriteinthememorialnotesthevariouscallings,suchastheinfantJohn,thedrownedwomanPelagea,thewarriorYegor,themurderedPavel,andsoon……Imeanttodothesame。\"
\"Itwasfoolish,Andrey!Godwillforgiveyou,butbewareanothertime。Aboveall,don’tbesubtle,butthinklikeotherpeople。
Maketenbowsandgoyourway。\"
\"Iobey,\"saidtheshopkeeper,relievedthatthelecturewasover,andallowinghisfacetoresumeitsexpressionofimportanceanddignity。\"Tenbows?Verygood,Iunderstand。Butnow,Father,allowmetoaskyouafavor……SeeingthatIam,anyway,herfather,……youknowyourself,whatevershewas,shewasstillmydaughter,soIwas,……excuseme,meaningtoaskyoutosingtherequiemtoday。Andallowmetoaskyou,FatherDeacon!\"
\"Well,that’sgood,\"saidFatherGrigory,takingoffhisvestments。\"ThatIcommend。Icanapproveofthat!Well,goyourway。Wewillcomeoutimmediately。\"
AndreyAndreyitchwalkedwithdignityfromthealtar,andwithasolemn,requiem-likeexpressiononhisredfacetookhisstandinthemiddleofthechurch。ThevergerMatveysetbeforehimalittletablewiththememorialfooduponit,andalittlelatertherequiemservicebegan。
Therewasperfectstillnessinthechurch。Nothingcouldbeheardbutthemetallicclickofthecenserandslowsinging……NearAndreyAndreyitchstoodthevergerMatvey,themidwifeMakaryevna,andherone-armedsonMitka。Therewasnooneelse。
Thesacristansangbadlyinanunpleasant,hollowbass,butthetuneandthewordsweresomournfulthattheshopkeeperlittlebylittlelosttheexpressionofdignityandwasplungedinsadness。
HethoughtofhisMashutka,……herememberedshehadbeenbornwhenhewasstillalackeyintheserviceoftheownerofVerhnyZaprudy。Inhisbusylifeasalackeyhehadnotnoticedhowhisgirlhadgrownup。Thatlongperiodduringwhichshewasbeingshapedintoagracefulcreature,withalittleflaxenheadanddreamyeyesasbigaskopeck-piecespassedunnoticedbyhim。Shehadbeenbroughtuplikeallthechildrenoffavoritelackeys,ineaseandcomfortinthecompanyoftheyoungladies。Thegentry,tofilluptheiridletime,hadtaughthertoread,towrite,todance;hehadhadnohandinherbringingup。Onlyfromtimetotimecasuallymeetingheratthegateoronthelandingofthestairs,hewouldrememberthatshewashisdaughter,andwould,sofarashehadleisureforit,beginteachinghertheprayersandthescripture。Oh,eventhenhehadthereputationofanauthorityonthechurchrulesandtheholyscriptures!Forbiddingandstolidasherfather’sfacewas,yetthegirllistenedreadily。Sherepeatedtheprayersafterhimyawning,butontheotherhand,whenhe,hesitatingandtryingtoexpresshimselfelaborately,begantellingherstories,shewasallattention。Esau’spottage,thepunishmentofSodom,andthetroublesoftheboyJosephmadeherturnpaleandopenherblueeyeswide。
Afterwardswhenhegaveupbeingalackey,andwiththemoneyhehadsavedopenedashopinthevillage,MashutkahadgoneawaytoMoscowwithhismaster’sfamily……
Threeyearsbeforeherdeathshehadcometoseeherfather。Hehadscarcelyrecognizedher。Shewasagracefulyoungwomanwiththemannersofayounglady,anddressedlikeone。Shetalkedcleverly,asthoughfromabook,smoked,andslepttillmidday。
WhenAndreyAndreyitchaskedherwhatshewasdoing,shehadannounced,lookinghimboldlystraightintheface:\"Iamanactress。\"Suchfranknessstrucktheformerflunkeyastheacmeofcynicism。Mashutkahadbegunboastingofhersuccessesandherstagelife;butseeingthatherfatheronlyturnedcrimsonandthrewuphishands,sheceased。Andtheyspentafortnighttogetherwithoutspeakingorlookingatoneanothertillthedayshewentaway。Beforeshewentawaysheaskedherfathertocomeforawalkonthebankoftheriver。Painfulasitwasforhimtowalkinthelightofday,inthesightofallhonestpeople,withadaughterwhowasanactress,heyieldedtoherrequest。
\"Whatalovelyplaceyoulivein!\"shesaidenthusiastically。
\"Whatravinesandmarshes!Goodheavens,howlovelymynativeplaceis!\"
Andshehadburstintotears。
\"Theplaceissimplytakinguproom,……\"AndreyAndreyvitchhadthought,lookingblanklyattheravines,notunderstandinghisdaughter’senthusiasm。\"Thereisnomoreprofitfromthemthanmilkfromabilly-goat。\"
Andshehadcriedandcried,drawingherbreathgreedilywithherwholechest,asthoughshefeltshehadnotalongtimelefttobreathe。
AndreyAndreyitchshookhisheadlikeahorsethathasbeenbitten,andtostiflepainfulmemoriesbeganrapidlycrossinghimself……
\"Bemindful,OLord,\"hemuttered,\"ofThydepartedservant,theharlotMariya,andforgivehersins,voluntaryorinvoluntary……\"
Theunseemlyworddroppedfromhislipsagain,buthedidnotnoticeit:whatisfirmlyimbeddedintheconsciousnesscannotbedrivenoutbyFatherGrigory’sexhortationsorevenknockedoutbyanail。Makaryevnasighedandwhisperedsomething,drawinginadeepbreath,whileone-armedMitkawasbroodingoversomething……
\"Wherethereisnosickness,norgrief,norsighing,\"dronedthesacristan,coveringhisrightcheekwithhishand。
Bluishsmokecoiledupfromthecenserandbathedinthebroad,slantingpatchofsunshinewhichcutacrossthegloomy,lifelessemptinessofthechurch。Anditseemedasthoughthesoulofthedeadwomanweresoaringintothesunlighttogetherwiththesmoke。Thecoilsofsmokelikeachild’scurlseddiedroundandround,floatingupwardstothewindowand,asitwere,holdingalooffromthewoesandtribulationsofwhichthatpoorsoulwasfull。
INTHECOACH-HOUSE
ITwasbetweennineandteno’clockintheevening。Stepanthecoachman,Mihailothehouse-porter,Alyoshkathecoachman’sgrandson,whohadcomeupfromthevillagetostaywithhisgrandfather,andNikandr,anoldmanofseventy,whousedtocomeintotheyardeveryeveningtosellsaltherrings,weresittingroundalanterninthebigcoach-house,playing\"kings。\"Throughthewide-opendoorcouldbeseenthewholeyard,thebighouse,wherethemaster’sfamilylived,thegates,thecellars,andtheporter’slodge。Itwasallshroudedinthedarknessofnight,andonlythefourwindowsofoneofthelodgeswhichwasletwerebrightlylitup。Theshadowsofthecoachesandsledgeswiththeirshaftstippedupwardsstretchedfromthewallstothedoors,quiveringandcuttingacrosstheshadowscastbythelanternandtheplayers……Ontheothersideofthethinpartitionthatdividedthecoach-housefromthestablewerethehorses。Therewasascentofhay,andadisagreeablesmellofsaltherringscomingfromoldNikandr。
Theporterwonandwasking;heassumedanattitudesuchaswasinhisopinionbefittingaking,andblewhisnoseloudlyonared-checkedhandkerchief。
\"NowifIlikeIcanchopoffanybody’shead,\"hesaid。Alyoshka,aboyofeightwithaheadofflaxenhair,leftlonguncut,whohadonlymissedbeingkingbytwotricks,lookedangrilyandwithenvyattheporter。Hepoutedandfrowned。
\"Ishallgiveyouthetrick,grandfather,\"hesaid,ponderingoverhiscards;\"Iknowyouhavegotthequeenofdiamonds。\"
\"Well,well,littlesilly,youhavethoughtenough!\"
Alyoshkatimidlyplayedtheknaveofdiamonds。Atthatmomentaringwasheardfromtheyard。
\"Oh,hangyou!\"mutteredtheporter,gettingup。\"Goandopenthegate,Oking!\"
Whenhecamebackalittlelater,Alyoshkawasalreadyaprince,thefish-hawkerasoldier,andthecoachmanapeasant。
\"It’sanastybusiness,\"saidtheporter,sittingdowntothecardsagain。\"Ihavejustletthedoctorsout。Theyhavenotextractedit。\"
\"Howcouldthey?Justthink,theywouldhavetopickopenthebrains。Ifthereisabulletinthehead,ofwhatusearedoctors?\"
\"Heislyingunconscious,\"theporterwenton。\"Heisboundtodie。Alyoshka,don’tlookatthecards,youlittlepuppy,orI
willpullyourears!Yes,Iletthedoctorsout,andthefatherandmotherin……Theyhaveonlyjustarrived。Suchcryingandwailing,Lordpreserveus!Theysayheistheonlyson……
It’sagrief!\"
AllexceptAlyoshka,whowasabsorbedinthegame,lookedroundatthebrightlylightedwindowsofthelodge。
\"Ihaveorderstogotothepolicestationtomorrow,\"saidtheporter。\"Therewillbeaninquiry……ButwhatdoIknowaboutit?Isawnothingofit。Hecalledmethismorning,gavemealetter,andsaid:’Putitintheletter-boxforme。’Andhiseyeswereredwithcrying。Hiswifeandchildrenwerenotathome。Theyhadgoneoutforawalk。SowhenIhadgonewiththeletter,heputabulletintohisforeheadfromarevolver。WhenI
camebackhiscookwaswailingforthewholeyardtohear。\"
\"It’sagreatsin,\"saidthefish-hawkerinahuskyvoice,andheshookhishead,\"agreatsin!\"
\"Fromtoomuchlearning,\"saidtheporter,takingatrick;\"hiswitsoutstrippedhiswisdom。Sometimeshewouldsitwritingpapersallnight……Play,peasant!……Buthewasanicegentleman。Andsowhiteskinned,black-hairedandtall!……
Hewasagoodlodger。\"
\"Itseemsthefairsexisatthebottomofit,\"saidthecoachman,slappingthenineoftrumpsonthekingofdiamonds。
\"Itseemshewasfondofanotherman’swifeanddislikedhisown;
itdoeshappen。\"
\"Thekingrebels,\"saidtheporter。
Atthatmomenttherewasagainaringfromtheyard。Therebelliouskingspatwithvexationandwentout。Shadowslikedancingcouplesflittedacrossthewindowsofthelodge。Therewasthesoundofvoicesandhurriedfootstepsintheyard。
\"Isupposethedoctorshavecomeagain,\"saidthecoachman。\"OurMihailoisrunoffhislegs……\"
Astrangewailingvoicerangoutforamomentintheair。
Alyoshkalookedinalarmathisgrandfather,thecoachman;thenatthewindows,andsaid:
\"Hestrokedmeontheheadatthegateyesterday,andsaid,’Whatdistrictdoyoucomefrom,boy?’Grandfather,whowasthathowledjustnow?\"
Hisgrandfathertrimmedthelightinthelanternandmadenoanswer。
\"Themanislost,\"hesaidalittlelater,withayawn。\"Heislost,andhischildrenareruined,too。It’sadisgraceforhischildrenfortherestoftheirlivesnow。\"
Theportercamebackandsatdownbythelantern。
\"Heisdead,\"hesaid。\"Theyhavesenttothealmshousefortheoldwomentolayhimout。\"
\"Thekingdomofheavenandeternalpeacetohim!\"whisperedthecoachman,andhecrossedhimself。
Lookingathim,Alyoshkacrossedhimselftoo。
\"Youcan’tprayforsuchashim,\"saidthefish-hawker。
\"Whynot?\"
\"It’sasin。\"
\"That’strue,\"theporterassented。\"Nowhissoulhasgonestraighttohell,tothedevil……\"
\"It’sasin,\"repeatedthefish-hawker;\"suchashehavenofuneral,norequiem,butareburiedlikecarrionwithnorespect。\"
Theoldmanputonhiscapandgotup。
\"Itwasthesamethingatourlady’s,\"hesaid,pullinghiscaponfurther。\"Wewereserfsinthosedays;theyoungersonofourmistress,theGeneral’slady,shothimselfthroughthemouthwithapistol,fromtoomuchlearning,too。Itseemsthatbylawsuchhavetobeburiedoutsidethecemetery,withoutpriests,withoutarequiemservice;buttosavedisgraceourlady,youknow,bribedthepoliceandthedoctors,andtheygaveherapapertosayhersonhaddoneitwhendelirious,notknowingwhathewasdoing。Youcandoanythingwithmoney。Sohehadafuneralwithpriestsandeveryhonor,themusicplayed,andhewasburiedinthechurch;forthedeceasedGeneralhadbuiltthatchurchwithhisownmoney,andallhisfamilywereburiedthere。Onlythisiswhathappened,friends。Onemonthpassed,andthenanother,anditwasallright。InthethirdmonththeyinformedtheGeneral’sladythatthewatchmenhadcomefromthatsamechurch。
Whatdidtheywant?Theywerebroughttoher,theyfellatherfeet。’Wecan’tgoonserving,yourexcellency,’theysaid。’Lookoutforotherwatchmenandgraciouslydismissus。’’Whatfor?’
’No,’theysaid,’wecan’tpossibly;yoursonhowlsunderthechurchallnight。’\"
Alyoshkashuddered,andpressedhisfacetothecoachman’sbacksoasnottoseethewindows。
\"AtfirsttheGeneral’sladywouldnotlisten,\"continuedtheoldman。\"’Allthisisyourfancy,yousimplefolkhavesuchnotions,’shesaid。’Adeadmancannothowl。’Sometimeafterwardsthewatchmencametoheragain,andwiththemthesacristan。Sothesacristan,too,hadheardhimhowling。TheGeneral’sladysawthatitwasabadjob;shelockedherselfinherbedroomwiththewatchmen。’Here,myfriends,herearetwenty-fiveroublesforyou,andforthatgobynightinsecret,sothatnooneshouldhearorseeyou,digupmyunhappyson,andburyhim,’shesaid,’outsidethecemetery。’AndIsupposeshestoodthemaglass……Andthewatchmendidso。Thestonewiththeinscriptiononitistheretothisday,buthehimself,theGeneral’sson,isoutsidethecemetery……OLord,forgiveusourtransgressions!\"sighedthefish-hawker。\"Thereisonlyonedayintheyearwhenonemayprayforsuchpeople:theSaturdaybeforeTrinity……Youmustn’tgivealmstobeggarsfortheirsake,itisasin,butyoumayfeedthebirdsfortherestoftheirsouls。TheGeneral’sladyusedtogoouttothecrossroadseverythreedaystofeedthebirds。Onceatthecross-roadsablackdogsuddenlyappeared;itranuptothebread,andwassucha……weallknowwhatthatdogwas。TheGeneral’sladywaslikeahalf-crazycreatureforfivedaysafterwards,sheneitheratenordrank……Allatonceshefellonherkneesinthegarden,andprayedandprayed……Well,good-by,friends,theblessingofGodandtheHeavenlyMotherbewithyou。Letusgo,Mihailo,you’llopenthegateforme。\"
Thefish-hawkerandtheporterwentout。ThecoachmanandAlyoshkawentouttoo,soasnottobeleftinthecoach-house。
\"Themanwaslivingandisdead!\"saidthecoachman,lookingtowardsthewindowswhereshadowswerestillflittingtoandfro。
\"Onlythismorninghewaswalkingabouttheyard,andnowheislyingdead。\"
\"Thetimewillcomeandweshalldietoo,\"saidtheporter,walkingawaywiththefish-hawker,andatoncetheybothvanishedfromsightinthedarkness。
Thecoachman,andAlyoshkaafterhim,somewhattimidlywentuptothelightedwindows。Averypaleladywithlargetearstainedeyes,andafine-lookinggrayheadedmanweremovingtwocard-tablesintothemiddleoftheroom,probablywiththeintentionoflayingthedeadmanuponthem,andonthegreenclothofthetablenumberscouldstillbeseenwritteninchalk。
Thecookwhohadrunabouttheyardwailinginthemorningwasnowstandingonachair,stretchinguptotryandcoverthelookingglasswithatowel。
\"Grandfatherwhataretheydoing?\"askedAlyoshkainawhisper。
\"Theyarejustgoingtolayhimonthetables,\"answeredhisgrandfather。\"Letusgo,child,itisbedtime。\"
ThecoachmanandAlyoshkawentbacktothecoach-house。Theysaidtheirprayers,andtookofftheirboots。Stepanlaydowninacorneronthefloor,Alyoshkainasledge。Thedoorsofthecoachhousewereshut,therewasahorriblestenchfromtheextinguishedlantern。AlittlelaterAlyoshkasatupandlookedabouthim;throughthecrackofthedoorhecouldstillseealightfromthoselightedwindows。
\"Grandfather,Iamfrightened!\"hesaid。
\"Come,gotosleep,gotosleep!……\"
\"ItellyouIamfrightened!\"
\"Whatareyoufrightenedof?Whatababy!\"
Theyweresilent。
Alyoshkasuddenlyjumpedoutofthesledgeand,loudlyweeping,rantohisgrandfather。
\"Whatisit?What’sthematter?\"criedthecoachmaninafright,gettingupalso。
\"He’showling!\"
\"Whoishowling?\"
\"Iamfrightened,grandfather,doyouhear?\"
Thecoachmanlistened。
\"It’stheircrying,\"hesaid。\"Come!there,littlesilly!Theyaresad,sotheyarecrying。\"
\"Iwanttogohome,……\"hisgrandsonwentonsobbingandtremblingallover。\"Grandfather,letusgobacktothevillage,tomammy;come,grandfatherdear,Godwillgiveyoutheheavenlykingdomforit……\"
\"Whatasilly,ah!Come,bequiet,bequiet!Bequiet,Iwilllightthelantern,……silly!\"
Thecoachmanfumbledforthematchesandlightedthelantern。ButthelightdidnotcomfortAlyoshka。
\"GrandfatherStepan,let’sgotothevillage!\"hebesoughthim,weeping。\"Iamfrightenedhere;oh,oh,howfrightenedIam!Andwhydidyoubringmefromthevillage,accursedman?\"
\"Who’sanaccursedman?Youmustn’tusesuchdisrespectablewordstoyourlawfulgrandfather。Ishallwhipyou。\"
\"Dowhipme,grandfather,do;beatmelikeSidor’sgoat,butonlytakemetomammy,forGod’smercy!……\"
\"Come,come,grandson,come!\"thecoachmansaidkindly。\"It’sallright,don’tbefrightened……Iamfrightenedmyself……
Sayyourprayers!\"
Thedoorcreakedandtheporter’sheadappeared。\"Aren’tyouasleep,Stepan?\"heasked。\"Ishan’tgetanysleepallnight,\"hesaid,comingin。\"Ishallbeopeningandshuttingthegatesallnight……Whatareyoucryingfor,Alyoshka?\"
\"Heisfrightened,\"thecoachmanansweredforhisgrandson。
Againtherewasthesoundofawailingvoiceintheair。Theportersaid:
\"Theyarecrying。Themothercan’tbelievehereyes……It’sdreadfulhowupsetsheis。\"
\"Andisthefatherthere?\"
\"Yes……Thefatherisallright。Hesitsinthecornerandsaysnothing。Theyhavetakenthechildrentorelations……
Well,Stepan,shallwehaveagameoftrumps?\"
\"Yes,\"thecoachmanagreed,scratchinghimself,\"andyou,Alyoshka,gotosleep。Almostbigenoughtobemarried,andblubbering,yourascal。Come,goalong,grandson,goalong……
ThepresenceoftheporterreassuredAlyoshka。Hewent,notveryresolutely,towardsthesledgeandlaydown。Andwhilehewasfallingasleepheheardahalf-whisper。
\"Ibeatandcover,\"saidhisgrandfather。
\"Ibeatandcover,\"repeatedtheporter。
Thebellrangintheyard,thedoorcreakedandseemedalsosaying:\"Ibeatandcover。\"WhenAlyoshkadreamedofthegentlemanand,frightenedbyhiseyes,jumpedupandburstoutcrying,itwasmorning,hisgrandfatherwassnoring,andthecoach-housenolongerseemedterrible。
PANICFEARS
DURINGalltheyearsIhavebeenlivinginthisworldIhaveonlythreetimesbeenterrified。
Thefirstrealterror,whichmademyhairstandonendandmadeshiversrunalloverme,wascausedbyatrivialbutstrangephenomenon。Ithappenedthat,havingnothingtodooneJulyevening,Idrovetothestationforthenewspapers。Itwasastill,warm,almostsultryevening,likeallthosemonotonouseveningsinJulywhich,whenoncetheyhavesetin,goonforaweek,afortnight,orsometimeslonger,inregularunbrokensuccession,andaresuddenlycutshortbyaviolentthunderstormandalavishdownpourofrainthatrefresheseverythingforalongtime。
Thesunhadsetsometimebefore,andanunbrokengraydusklayallovertheland。Themawkishlysweetscentsofthegrassandflowerswereheavyinthemotionless,stagnantair。
Iwasdrivinginaroughtrolley。Behindmybackthegardener’ssonPashka,aboyofeightyearsold,whomIhadtakenwithmetolookafterthehorseincaseofnecessity,wasgentlysnoring,withhisheadonasackofoats。Ourwaylayalonganarrowby-road,straightasaruler,whichlayhidlikeagreatsnakeinthetallthickrye。Therewasapalelightfromtheafterglowofsunset;astreakoflightcutitswaythroughanarrow,uncouth-lookingcloud,whichseemedsometimeslikeaboatandsometimeslikeamanwrappedinaquilt……
Ihaddrivenamileandahalf,ortwomiles,whenagainstthepalebackgroundoftheeveningglowtherecameintosightoneafteranothersomegracefultallpoplars;ariverglimmeredbeyondthem,andagorgeouspicturesuddenly,asthoughbymagic,laystretchedbeforeme。Ihadtostopthehorse,forourstraightroadbrokeoffabruptlyandrandownasteepinclineovergrownwithbushes。Wewerestandingonthehillsideandbeneathusatthebottomlayahugeholefulloftwilight,offantasticshapes,andofspace。Atthebottomofthishole,inawideplainguardedbythepoplarsandcaressedbythegleamingriver,nestledavillage。Itwasnowsleeping……Itshuts,itschurchwiththebelfry,itstrees,stoodoutagainstthegraytwilightandwerereflecteddarklyinthesmoothsurfaceoftheriver。
IwakedPashkaforfearheshouldfalloutandbegancautiouslygoingdown。
\"HavewegottoLukovo?\"askedPashka,liftinghisheadlazily。
\"Yes。Holdthereins!……\"
Iledthehorsedownthehillandlookedatthevillage。Atthefirstglanceonestrangecircumstancecaughtmyattention:attheverytopofthebelfry,inthetinywindowbetweenthecupolaandthebells,alightwastwinkling。Thislightwaslikethatofasmolderinglamp,atonemomentdyingdown,atanotherflickeringup。Whatcoulditcomefrom?
Itssourcewasbeyondmycomprehension。Itcouldnotbeburningatthewindow,fortherewereneitherikonsnorlampsinthetopturretofthebelfry;therewasnothingthere,asIknew,butbeams,dust,andspiders’webs。Itwashardtoclimbupintothatturret,forthepassagetoitfromthebelfrywascloselyblockedup。
Itwasmorelikelythananythingelsetobethereflectionofsomeoutsidelight,butthoughIstrainedmyeyestotheutmost,Icouldnotseeoneotherspeckoflightinthevastexpansethatlaybeforeme。Therewasnomoon。Thepaleand,bynow,quitedimstreakoftheafterglowcouldnothavebeenreflected,forthewindowlookednottothewest,buttotheeast。TheseandothersimilarconsiderationswerestrayingthroughmymindallthewhilethatIwasgoingdowntheslopewiththehorse。AtthebottomIsatdownbytheroadsideandlookedagainatthelight。
Asbeforeitwasglimmeringandflaringup。
\"Strange,\"Ithought,lostinconjecture。\"Verystrange。\"
AndlittlebylittleIwasovercomebyanunpleasantfeeling。AtfirstIthoughtthatthiswasvexationatnotbeingabletoexplainasimplephenomenon;butafterwards,whenIsuddenlyturnedawayfromthelightinhorrorandcaughtholdofPashkawithonehand,itbecameclearthatIwasovercomewithterror……
Iwasseizedwithafeelingofloneliness,misery,andhorror,asthoughIhadbeenflungdownagainstmywillintothisgreatholefullofshadows,whereIwasstandingallalonewiththebelfrylookingatmewithitsredeye。
\"Pashka!\"Icried,closingmyeyesinhorror。
\"Well?\"
\"Pashka,what’sthatgleamingonthebelfry?\"
Pashkalookedovermyshoulderatthebelfryandgaveayawn。
\"Whocantell?\"
Thisbriefconversationwiththeboyreassuredmeforalittle,butnotforlong。Pashka,seeingmyuneasiness,fastenedhisbigeyesuponthelight,lookedatmeagain,thenagainatthelight……
\"Iamfrightened,\"hewhispered。
Atthispoint,besidemyselfwithterror,Iclutchedtheboywithonehand,huddleduptohim,andgavethehorseaviolentlash。
\"It’sstupid!\"Isaidtomyself。\"ThatphenomenonisonlyterriblebecauseIdon’tunderstandit;everythingwedon’tunderstandismysterious。\"
Itriedtopersuademyself,butatthesametimeIdidnotleaveofflashingthehorse。WhenwereachedthepostingstationI
purposelystayedforafullhourchattingwiththeoverseer,andreadthroughtwoorthreenewspapers,butthefeelingofuneasinessdidnotleaveme。Onthewaybackthelightwasnottobeseen,butontheotherhandthesilhouettesofthehuts,ofthepoplars,andofthehillupwhichIhadtodrive,seemedtomeasthoughanimated。AndwhythelightwasthereIdon’tknowtothisday。
ThesecondterrorIexperiencedwasexcitedbyacircumstancenolesstrivial……Iwasreturningfromaromanticinterview。Itwasoneo’clockatnight,thetimewhennatureisburiedinthesoundest,sweetestsleepbeforethedawn。Thattimenaturewasnotsleeping,andonecouldnotcallthenightastillone。
Corncrakes,quails,nightingales,andwoodcockswerecalling,cricketsandgrasshopperswerechirruping。Therewasalightmistoverthegrass,andcloudswerescurryingstraightaheadacrosstheskynearthemoon。Naturewasawake,asthoughafraidofmissingthebestmomentsofherlife。
Iwalkedalonganarrowpathattheveryedgeofarailwayembankment。Themoonlightglidedoverthelineswhichwerealreadycoveredwithdew。Greatshadowsfromthecloudskeptflittingovertheembankment。Farahead,adimgreenlightwasglimmeringpeacefully。
\"Soeverythingiswell,\"Ithought,lookingatthem。
Ihadaquiet,peaceful,comfortablefeelinginmyheart。Iwasreturningfromatryst,Ihadnoneedtohurry;Iwasnotsleepy,andIwasconsciousofyouthandhealthineverysigh,everystepItook,rousingadullechointhemonotonoushumofthenight。Idon’tknowwhatIwasfeelingthen,butIrememberIwashappy,veryhappy。
Ihadgonenotmorethanthree-quartersofamilewhenIsuddenlyheardbehindmeamonotonoussound,arumbling,ratherliketheroarofagreatstream。Itgrewlouderandloudereverysecond,andsoundednearerandnearer。Ilookedround;ahundredpacesfrommewasthedarkcopsefromwhichIhadonlyjustcome;theretheembankmentturnedtotherightinagracefulcurveandvanishedamongthetrees。Istoodstillinperplexityandwaited。
Ahugeblackbodyappearedatonceattheturn,noisilydartedtowardsme,andwiththeswiftnessofabirdflewpastmealongtherails。Lessthanhalfaminutepassedandtheblurhadvanished,therumblemeltedawayintothenoiseofthenight。
Itwasanordinarygoodstruck。Therewasnothingpeculiaraboutitinitself,butitsappearancewithoutanengineandinthenightpuzzledme。Wherecouldithavecomefromandwhatforcesentitflyingsorapidlyalongtherails?Wherediditcomefromandwherewasitflyingto?
IfIhadbeensuperstitiousIshouldhavemadeupmyminditwasapartyofdemonsandwitchesjourneyingtoadevils’sabbath,andshouldhavegoneonmyway;butasitwas,thephenomenonwasabsolutelyinexplicabletome。Ididnotbelievemyeyes,andwasentangledinconjectureslikeaflyinaspider’sweb……
IsuddenlyrealizedthatIwasutterlyaloneonthewholevastplain;thatthenight,whichbynowseemedinhospitable,waspeepingintomyfaceanddoggingmyfootsteps;allthesounds,thecriesofthebirds,thewhisperingsofthetrees,seemedsinister,andexistingsimplytoalarmmyimagination。Idashedonlikeamadman,andwithoutrealizingwhatIwasdoingIran,tryingtorunfasterandfaster。AndatonceIheardsomethingtowhichIhadpaidnoattentionbefore:thatis,theplaintivewhiningofthetelegraphwires。
\"Thisisbeyondeverything,\"Isaid,tryingtoshamemyself。
\"It’scowardice!it’ssilly!\"
Butcowardicewasstrongerthancommonsense。IonlyslackenedmypacewhenIreachedthegreenlight,whereIsawadarksignal-box,andnearitontheembankmentthefigureofaman,probablythesignalman。
\"Didyouseeit?\"Iaskedbreathlessly。
\"Seewhom?What?\"
\"Why,atruckranby。\"
\"Isawit,……\"thepeasantsaidreluctantly。\"Itbrokeawayfromthegoodstrain。Thereisaninclineattheninetiethmile……;thetrainisdraggeduphill。Thecouplingonthelasttruckgaveway,soitbrokeoffandranback……Thereisnocatchingitnow!……\"
Thestrangephenomenonwasexplainedanditsfantasticcharactervanished。MypanicwasoverandIwasabletogoonmyway。
MythirdfrightcameuponmeasIwasgoinghomefromstandshootinginearlyspring。Itwasintheduskofevening。Theforestroadwascoveredwithpoolsfromarecentshowerofrain,andtheearthsquelchedunderone’sfeet。Thecrimsonglowofsunsetfloodedthewholeforest,coloringthewhitestemsofthebirchesandtheyoungleaves。Iwasexhaustedandcouldhardlymove。
Fourorfivemilesfromhome,walkingalongtheforestroad,I
suddenlymetabigblackdogofthewaterspanielbreed。Asheranby,thedoglookedintentlyatme,straightinmyface,andranon。
\"Anicedog!\"Ithought。\"Whoseisit?\"
Ilookedround。Thedogwasstandingtenpacesoffwithhiseyesfixedonme。Foraminutewescannedeachotherinsilence,thenthedog,probablyflatteredbymyattention,cameslowlyuptomeandwaggedhistail。
Iwalkedon,thedogfollowingme。
\"Whosedogcanitbe?\"Ikeptaskingmyself。\"Wheredoeshecomefrom?\"
Iknewallthecountrygentryfortwentyorthirtymilesround,andknewalltheirdogs。Notoneofthemhadaspaniellikethat。
Howdidhecometobeinthedepthsoftheforest,onatrackusedfornothingbutcartingtimber?Hecouldhardlyhavedroppedbehindsomeonepassingthrough,fortherewasnowhereforthegentrytodrivetoalongthatroad。
Isatdownonastumptorest,andbeganscrutinizingmycompanion。He,too,satdown,raisedhishead,andfasteneduponmeanintentstare。Hegazedatmewithoutblinking。Idon’tknowwhetheritwastheinfluenceofthestillness,theshadowsandsoundsoftheforest,orperhapsaresultofexhaustion,butI
suddenlyfeltuneasyunderthesteadygazeofhisordinarydoggyeyes。IthoughtofFaustandhisbulldog,andofthefactthatnervouspeoplesometimeswhenexhaustedhavehallucinations。
Thatwasenoughtomakemegetuphurriedlyandhurriedlywalkon。Thedogfollowedme。
\"Goaway!\"Ishouted。
Thedogprobablylikedmyvoice,forhegaveagleefuljumpandranaboutinfrontofme。
\"Goaway!\"Ishoutedagain。
Thedoglookedround,staredatmeintently,andwaggedhistailgood-humoredly。Evidentlymythreateningtoneamusedhim。Ioughttohavepattedhim,butIcouldnotgetFaust’sdogoutofmyhead,andthefeelingofpanicgrewmoreandmoreacute……
Darknesswascomingon,whichcompletedmyconfusion,andeverytimethedogranuptomeandhitmewithhistail,likeacowardIshutmyeyes。Thesamethinghappenedaswiththelightinthebelfryandthetruckontherailway:Icouldnotstanditandrushedaway。
AthomeIfoundavisitor,anoldfriend,who,aftergreetingme,begantocomplainthatashewasdrivingtomehehadlosthiswayintheforest,andasplendidvaluabledogofhishaddroppedbehind。
THEBET
ITWASadarkautumnnight。Theoldbankerwaswalkingupanddownhisstudyandrememberinghow,fifteenyearsbefore,hehadgivenapartyoneautumnevening。Therehadbeenmanyclevermenthere,andtherehadbeeninterestingconversations。Amongotherthingstheyhadtalkedofcapitalpunishment。Themajorityoftheguests,amongwhomweremanyjournalistsandintellectualmen,disapprovedofthedeathpenalty。Theyconsideredthatformofpunishmentoutofdate,immoral,andunsuitableforChristianStates。Intheopinionofsomeofthemthedeathpenaltyoughttobereplacedeverywherebyimprisonmentforlife。
\"Idon’tagreewithyou,\"saidtheirhostthebanker。\"Ihavenottriedeitherthedeathpenaltyorimprisonmentforlife,butifonemayjudge_apriori_,thedeathpenaltyismoremoralandmorehumanethanimprisonmentforlife。Capitalpunishmentkillsamanatonce,butlifelongimprisonmentkillshimslowly。Whichexecutioneristhemorehumane,hewhokillsyouinafewminutesorhewhodragsthelifeoutofyouinthecourseofmanyyears?\"
\"Bothareequallyimmoral,\"observedoneoftheguests,\"fortheybothhavethesameobject——totakeawaylife。TheStateisnotGod。Ithasnottherighttotakeawaywhatitcannotrestorewhenitwantsto。\"
Amongtheguestswasayounglawyer,ayoungmanoffive-and-twenty。Whenhewasaskedhisopinion,hesaid:
\"Thedeathsentenceandthelifesentenceareequallyimmoral,butifIhadtochoosebetweenthedeathpenaltyandimprisonmentforlife,Iwouldcertainlychoosethesecond。Toliveanyhowisbetterthannotatall。\"
Alivelydiscussionarose。Thebanker,whowasyoungerandmorenervousinthosedays,wassuddenlycarriedawaybyexcitement;
hestruckthetablewithhisfistandshoutedattheyoungman:
\"It’snottrue!I’llbetyoutwomillionsyouwouldn’tstayinsolitaryconfinementforfiveyears。\"
\"Ifyoumeanthatinearnest,\"saidtheyoungman,\"I’lltakethebet,butIwouldstaynotfivebutfifteenyears。\"
\"Fifteen?Done!\"criedthebanker。\"Gentlemen,Istaketwomillions!\"
\"Agreed!YoustakeyourmillionsandIstakemyfreedom!\"saidtheyoungman。
Andthiswild,senselessbetwascarriedout!Thebanker,spoiltandfrivolous,withmillionsbeyondhisreckoning,wasdelightedatthebet。Atsupperhemadefunoftheyoungman,andsaid:
\"Thinkbetterofit,youngman,whilethereisstilltime。Tometwomillionsareatrifle,butyouarelosingthreeorfourofthebestyearsofyourlife。Isaythreeorfour,becauseyouwon’tstaylonger。Don’tforgeteither,youunhappyman,thatvoluntaryconfinementisagreatdealhardertobearthancompulsory。Thethoughtthatyouhavetherighttostepoutinlibertyatanymomentwillpoisonyourwholeexistenceinprison。
Iamsorryforyou。\"
Andnowthebanker,walkingtoandfro,rememberedallthis,andaskedhimself:\"Whatwastheobjectofthatbet?Whatisthegoodofthatman’slosingfifteenyearsofhislifeandmythrowingawaytwomillions?Canitprovethatthedeathpenaltyisbetterorworsethanimprisonmentforlife?No,no。Itwasallnonsensicalandmeaningless。Onmypartitwasthecapriceofapamperedman,andonhispartsimplegreedformoney……\"
Thenherememberedwhatfollowedthatevening。Itwasdecidedthattheyoungmanshouldspendtheyearsofhiscaptivityunderthestrictestsupervisioninoneofthelodgesinthebanker’sgarden。Itwasagreedthatforfifteenyearsheshouldnotbefreetocrossthethresholdofthelodge,toseehumanbeings,tohearthehumanvoice,ortoreceivelettersandnewspapers。Hewasallowedtohaveamusicalinstrumentandbooks,andwasallowedtowriteletters,todrinkwine,andtosmoke。Bythetermsoftheagreement,theonlyrelationshecouldhavewiththeouterworldwerebyalittlewindowmadepurposelyforthatobject。Hemighthaveanythinghewanted——
books,music,wine,andsoon——inanyquantityhedesiredbywritinganorder,butcouldonlyreceivethemthroughthewindow。Theagreementprovidedforeverydetailandeverytriflethatwouldmakehisimprisonmentstrictlysolitary,andboundtheyoungmantostaythere_exactly_fifteenyears,beginningfromtwelveo’clockofNovember14,1870,andendingattwelveo’clockofNovember14,1885。Theslightestattemptonhisparttobreaktheconditions,ifonlytwominutesbeforetheend,releasedthebankerfromtheobligationtopayhimtwomillions。
Forthefirstyearofhisconfinement,asfarasonecouldjudgefromhisbriefnotes,theprisonersufferedseverelyfromlonelinessanddepression。Thesoundsofthepianocouldbeheardcontinuallydayandnightfromhislodge。Herefusedwineandtobacco。Wine,hewrote,excitesthedesires,anddesiresaretheworstfoesoftheprisoner;andbesides,nothingcouldbemoredrearythandrinkinggoodwineandseeingnoone。Andtobaccospoilttheairofhisroom。Inthefirstyearthebookshesentforwereprincipallyofalightcharacter;novelswithacomplicatedloveplot,sensationalandfantasticstories,andsoon。