the wife and other stories-第38节

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　lived　alone　in　his　den；　or　perhaps　it　is　only　one　of　the　diversities　of　human　character　　who　knows？　I　am　not　a　natural　science　man；　and　it　is　not　my　business　to　settle　such　questions；　I　only　mean　to　say　that　people　like　Mavra　are　not　uncommon。　There　is　no　need　to　look　far；　two　months　ago　a　man　called　Byelikov；　a　colleague　of　mine；　the　Greek　master；　died　in　our　town。　You　have　heard　of　him；　no　doubt。　He　was　remarkable　for　always　wearing　goloshes　and　a　warm　wadded　coat；　and　carrying　an　umbrella　even　in　the　very　finest　weather。　And　his　umbrella　was　in　a　case；　and　his　watch　was　in　a　case　made　of　grey　chamois　leather；　and　when　he　took　out　his　penknife　to　sharpen　his　pencil；　his　penknife；　too；　was　in　a　little　case；　and　his　face　seemed　to　be　in　a　case　too；　because　he　always　hid　it　in　his　turned…up　collar。　He　wore　dark　spectacles　and　flannel　vests；　stuffed　up　his　ears　with　cotton…wool；　and　when　he　got　into　a　cab　always　told　the　driver　to　put　up　the　hood。　In　short；　the　man　displayed　a　constant　and　insurmountable　impulse　to　wrap　himself　in　a　covering；　to　make　himself；　so　to　speak；　a　case　which　would　isolate　him　and　protect　him　from　external　influences。　Reality　irritated　him；　frightened　him；　kept　him　in　continual　agitation；　and；　perhaps　to　justify　his　timidity；　his　aversion　for　the　actual；　he　always　praised　the　past　and　what　had　never　existed；　and　even　the　classical　languages　which　he　taught　were　in　reality　for　him　goloshes　and　umbrellas　in　which　he　sheltered　himself　from　real　life。

〃　'Oh；　how　sonorous；　how　beautiful　is　the　Greek　language！'　he　would　say；　with　a　sugary　expression；　and　as　though　to　prove　his　words　he　would　screw　up　his　eyes　and；　raising　his　finger；　would　pronounce　'Anthropos！'

〃And　Byelikov　tried　to　hide　his　thoughts　also　in　a　case。　The　only　things　that　were　clear　to　his　mind　were　government　circulars　and　newspaper　articles　in　which　something　was　forbidden。　When　some　proclamation　prohibited　the　boys　from　going　out　in　the　streets　after　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　or　some　article　declared　carnal　love　unlawful；　it　was　to　his　mind　clear　and　definite；　it　was　forbidden；　and　that　was　enough。　For　him　there　was　always　a　doubtful　element；　something　vague　and　not　fully　expressed；　in　any　sanction　or　permission。　When　a　dramatic　club　or　a　reading…room　or　a　tea…shop　was　licensed　in　the　town；　he　would　shake　his　head　and　say　softly：

〃It　is　all　right；　of　course；　it　is　all　very　nice；　but　I　hope　it　won't　lead　to　anything！〃

〃Every　sort　of　breach　of　order；　deviation　or　departure　from　rule；　depressed　him；　though　one　would　have　thought　it　was　no　business　of　his。　If　one　of　his　colleagues　was　late　for　church　or　if　rumours　reached　him　of　some　prank　of　the　high…school　boys；　or　one　of　the　mistresses　was　seen　late　in　the　evening　in　the　company　of　an　officer；　he　was　much　disturbed；　and　said　he　hoped　that　nothing　would　come　of　it。　At　the　teachers'　meetings　he　simply　oppressed　us　with　his　caution；　his　circumspection；　and　his　characteristic　reflection　on　the　ill…behaviour　of　the　young　people　in　both　male　and　female　high…schools；　the　uproar　in　the　classes。

〃Oh；　he　hoped　it　would　not　reach　the　ears　of　the　authorities；　oh；　he　hoped　nothing　would　come　of　it；　and　he　thought　it　would　be　a　very　good　thing　if　Petrov　were　expelled　from　the　second　class　and　Yegorov　from　the　fourth。　And；　do　you　know；　by　his　sighs；　his　despondency；　his　black　spectacles　on　his　pale　little　face；　a　little　face　like　a　pole…cat's；　you　know；　he　crushed　us　all；　and　we　gave　way；　reduced　Petrov's　and　Yegorov's　marks　for　conduct；　kept　them　in；　and　in　the　end　expelled　them　both。　He　had　a　strange　habit　of　visiting　our　lodgings。　He　would　come　to　a　teacher's；　would　sit　down；　and　remain　silent；　as　though　he　were　carefully　inspecting　something。　He　would　sit　like　this　in　silence　for　an　hour　or　two　and　then　go　away。　This　he　called　'maintaining　good　relations　with　his　colleagues'；　and　it　was　obvious　that　coming　to　see　us　and　sitting　there　was　tiresome　to　him；　and　that　he　came　to　see　us　simply　because　he　considered　it　his　duty　as　our　colleague。　We　teachers　were　afraid　of　him。　And　even　the　headmaster　was　afraid　of　him。　Would　you　believe　it；　our　teachers　were　all　intellectual；　right…minded　people；　brought　up　on　Turgenev　and　Shtchedrin；　yet　this　little　chap；　who　always　went　about　with　goloshes　and　an　umbrella；　had　the　whole　high…school　under　his　thumb　for　fifteen　long　years！　High…school；　indeed　　he　had　the　whole　town　under　his　thumb！　Our　ladies　did　not　get　up　private　theatricals　on　Saturdays　for　fear　he　should　hear　of　it；　and　the　clergy　dared　not　eat　meat　or　play　cards　in　his　presence。　Under　the　influence　of　people　like　Byelikov　we　have　got　into　the　way　of　being　afraid　of　everything　in　our　town　for　the　last　ten　or　fifteen　years。　They　are　afraid　to　speak　aloud；　afraid　to　send　letters；　afraid　to　make　acquaintances；　afraid　to　read　books；　afraid　to　help　the　poor；　to　teach　people　to　read　and　write。　。　。　。〃

Ivan　Ivanovitch　cleared　his　throat；　meaning　to　say　something；　but　first　lighted　his　pipe；　g　azed　at　the　moon；　and　then　said；　with　pauses：

〃Yes；　intellectual；　right　minded　people　read　Shtchedrin　and　Turgenev；　Buckle；　and　all　the　rest　of　them；　yet　they　knocked　under　and　put　up　with　it。　。　。　that's　just　how　it　is。〃

〃Byelikov　lived　in　the　same　house　as　I　did；〃　Burkin　went　on；　〃on　the　same　storey；　his　door　facing　mine；　we　often　saw　each　other；　and　I　knew　how　he　lived　when　he　was　at　home。　And　at　home　it　was　the　same　story：　dressing…gown；　nightcap；　blinds；　bolts；　a　perfect　succession　of　prohibitions　and　restrictions　of　all　sorts；　and　'Oh；　I　hope　nothing　will　come　of　it！'　Lenten　fare　was　bad　for　him；　yet　he　could　not　eat　meat；　as　people　might　perhaps　say　Byelikov　did　not　keep　the　fasts；　and　he　ate　freshwater　fish　with　butter　　not　a　Lenten　dish；　yet　one　could　not　say　that　it　was　meat。　He　did　not　keep　a　female　servant　for　fear　people　might　think　evil　of　him；　but　had　as　cook　an　old　man　of　sixty；　called　Afanasy；　half…witted　and　given　to　tippling；　who　had　once　been　an　officer's　servant　and　could　cook　after　a　fashion。　This　Afanasy　was　usually　standing　at　the　door　with　his　arms　folded；　with　a　deep　sigh；　he　would　mutter　always　the　same　thing：

〃　'There　are　plenty　of　_them_　about　nowadays！'

〃Byelikov　had　a　little　bedroom　like　a　box；　his　bed　had　curtains。　When　he　went　to　bed　he　covered　his　head　over；　it　was　hot　and　stuffy；　the　wind　battered　on　the　closed　doors；　there　was　a　droning　noise　in　the　stove　and　a　sound　of　sighs　from　the　kitchen　　ominous　sighs。　。　。　。　And　he　felt　frightened　under　the　bed…clothes。　He　was　afraid　that　something　might　happen；　that　Afanasy　might　murder　him；　that　thieves　might　break　in；　and　so　he　had　troubled　dreams　all　night；　and　in　the　morning；　when　we　went　together　to　the　high…school；　he　was　depressed　and　pale；　and　it　was　evident　that　the　high…school　full　of　people　excited　dread　and　aversion　in　his　whole　being；　and　that　to　walk　beside　me　was　irksome　to　a　man　of　his　solitary　temperament。

〃　'They　make　a　great　noise　in　our　classes；'　he　used　to　say；　as　though　trying　to　find　an　explanation　for　his　depression。　'It's　beyond　anything。'

〃And　the　Greek　master；　this　man　in　a　case　　would　you　believe　it？　　almost　got　married。〃

Ivan　Ivanovitch　glanced　quickly　into　the　barn；　and　said：

〃You　are　joking！〃

〃Yes；　strange　as　it　seems；　he　almost　got　married。　A　new　teacher　of　history　and　geography；　Milhail　Savvitch　Kovalenko；　a　Little　Russian；　was　appointed。　He　came；　not　alone；　but　with　his　sister　Varinka。　He　was　a　tall；　dark　young　man　with　huge　hands；　and　one　could　see　from　his　face　that　he　had　a　bass　voice；　and；　in　fact；　he　had　a　voice　that　seemed　to　come　out　of　a　barrel　　'boom；　boom；　boom！'　And　she　was　not　so　young；　about　thirty；　but　she；　too；　was　tall；　well…made；　with　black　eyebrows　and　red　cheeks　　in　fact；　she　was　a　regular　sugar…plum；　and　so　sprightly；　so　noisy；　she　was　always　singing　Little　Russian　songs　and　laughing。　For　the　least　thing　she　would　go　off　into　a　ringing　laugh　　'Ha…ha…ha！'　We　made　our　first　thorough　acquaintance　with　the　Kovalenkos　at　the　headmaster's　name…day　party。　Among　the　glum　and　intensely　bored　teachers　who　came　even　to　the　name…day　party　as　a　duty　we　suddenly　saw　a　new　Aphrodite　risen　from　the　waves；　she　walked　with　her　arms　akimbo；　laughed；　sang；　danced。　。　。　。　She　sang　with　feeling　'The　Winds　do　Blow；'　then　another　song；　and　another；　and　she　fascinated　us　all　　all；　even　Byelikov。　He　sat　down　by　her　and　said　with　a　honeyed　smile：

〃　'The　Little　Russian　reminds　one　of　the　ancient　Greek　in　its　softness　and　agreeable　resonance。'

〃That　flattered　her；　and　she　began　telling　him　with　feeling　and　earnestness　that　they　had　a　farm　in　the　Gadyatchsky　district；　and　that　her　mamma　lived　at　the　farm；　and　that　they　had　such　pears；　such　melons；　such　_kabaks_！　The　Little　Russians　call　pumpkins　_kabaks_　（i。e。；　pothouses）；　while　their　pothouses　they　call　_shinki_；　and　they　make　a　beetroot　soup　with　tomatoes　and　aubergines　in　it；　'which　was　so　nice　　awfully　nice！'

〃We　listened　and　listened；　and　suddenly　the　same　idea　dawned　upon　us　all：

〃　'It　would　be　a　good　thing　to　make　a　match　of　it；'　the　headmaster's　wife　said　to　me　softly。

〃We　all　for　some　reason　recalled　the　fact　that　our　friend　Byelikov　was　not　married；　and　it　now　seemed　to　us　strange　that　we　had　hitherto　failed　to　obse