the wife and other stories-第39节

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〃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　observe；　and　had　in　fact　completely　lost　sight　of；　a　detail　so　important　in　his　life。　What　was　his　attitude　to　woman？　How　had　he　settled　this　vital　question　for　himself？　This　had　not　interested　us　in　the　least　till　then；　perhaps　we　had　not　even　admitted　the　idea　that　a　man　who　went　out　in　all　weathers　in　goloshes　and　slept　under　curtains　could　be　in　love。

〃　'He　is　a　good　deal　over　forty　and　she　is　thirty；'　the　headmaster's　wife　went　on；　developing　her　idea。　'I　believe　she　would　marry　him。'

〃All　sorts　of　things　are　done　in　the　provinces　through　boredom；　all　sorts　of　unnecessary　and　nonsensical　things！　And　that　is　because　what　is　necessary　is　not　done　at　all。　What　need　was　there　for　instance；　for　us　to　make　a　match　for　this　Byelikov；　whom　one　could　not　even　imagine　married？　The　headmaster's　wife；　the　inspector's　wife；　and　all　our　high…school　ladies；　grew　livelier　and　even　better…looking；　as　though　they　had　suddenly　found　a　new　object　in　life。　The　headmaster's　wife　would　take　a　box　at　the　theatre；　and　we　beheld　sitting　in　her　box　Varinka；　with　such　a　fan；　beaming　and　happy；　and　beside　her　Byelikov；　a　little　bent　figure；　looking　as　though　he　had　been　extracted　from　his　house　by　pincers。　I　would　give　an　evening　party；　and　the　ladies　would　insist　on　my　inviting　Byelikov　and　Varinka。　In　short；　the　machine　was　set　in　motion。　It　appeared　that　Varinka　was　not　averse　to　matrimony。　She　had　not　a　very　cheerful　life　with　her　brother；　they　could　do　nothing　but　quarrel　and　scold　one　another　from　morning　till　night。　Here　is　a　scene；　for　instance。　Kovalenko　would　be　coming　along　the　street；　a　tall；　sturdy　young　ruffian；　in　an　embroidered　shirt；　his　love…locks　falling　on　his　forehead　under　his　cap；　in　one　hand　a　bundle　of　books；　in　the　other　a　thick　knotted　stick；　followed　by　his　sister；　also　with　books　in　her　hand。

〃　'But　you　haven't　read　it；　Mihalik！'　she　would　be　arguing　loudly。　'I　tell　you；　I　swear　you　have　not　read　it　at　all！'

〃　'And　I　tell　you　I　have　read　it；'　cries　Kovalenko；　thumping　his　stick　on　the　pavement。

〃　'Oh；　my　goodness；　Mihalik！　why　are　you　so　cross？　We　are　arguing　about　principles。'

〃　'I　tell　you　that　I　have　read　it！'　Kovalenko　would　shout；　more　loudly　than　ever。

〃And　at　home；　if　there　was　an　outsider　present；　there　was　sure　to　be　a　skirmish。　Such　a　life　must　have　been　wearisome；　and　of　course　she　must　have　longed　for　a　home　of　her　own。　Besides；　there　was　her　age　to　be　considered；　there　was　no　time　left　to　pick　and　choose；　it　was　a　case　of　marrying　anybody；　even　a　Greek　master。　And；　indeed；　most　of　our　young　ladies　don't　mind　whom　they　marry　so　long　as　they　do　get　married。　However　that　may　be；　Varinka　began　to　show　an　unmistakable　partiality　for　Byelikov。

〃And　Byelikov？　He　used　to　visit　Kovalenko　just　as　he　did　us。　He　would　arrive；　sit　down；　and　remain　silent。　He　would　sit　quiet；　and　Varinka　would　sing　to　him　'The　Winds　do　Blow；'　or　would　look　pensively　at　him　with　her　dark　eyes；　or　would　suddenly　go　off　into　a　peal　　'Ha…ha…ha！'

〃Suggestion　plays　a　great　part　in　love　affairs；　and　still　more　in　getting　married。　Everybody　　both　his　colleagues　and　the　ladies　　began　assuring　Byelikov　that　he　ought　to　get　married；　that　there　was　nothing　left　for　him　in　life　but　to　get　married；　we　all　congratulated　him；　with　solemn　countenances　delivered　ourselves　of　various　platitudes；　such　as　'Marriage　is　a　serious　step。'　Besides；　Varinka　was　good…looking　and　interesting；　she　was　the　daughter　of　a　civil　councillor；　and　had　a　farm；　and　what　was　more；　she　was　the　first　woman　who　had　been　warm　and　friendly　in　her　manner　to　him。　His　head　was　turned；　and　he　decided　that　he　really　ought　to　get　married。〃

〃Well；　at　that　point　you　ought　to　have　taken　away　his　goloshes　and　umbrella；〃　said　Ivan　Ivanovitch。

〃Only　fancy！　that　turned　out　to　be　impossible。　He　put　Varinka's　portrait　on　his　table；　kept　coming　to　see　me　and　talking　about　Varinka；　and　home　life；　　saying　marriage　was　a　serious　step。　He　was　frequently　at　Kovalenko's；　but　he　did　not　alter　his　manner　of　life　in　the　least；　on　the　contrary；　indeed；　his　determination　to　get　married　seemed　to　have　a　depressing　effect　on　him。　He　grew　thinner　and　paler；　and　seemed　to　retreat　further　and　further　into　his　case。

〃　'I　like　Varvara　Savvishna；'　he　used　to　say　to　me；　with　a　faint　and　wry　smile；　'and　I　know　that　every　one　ought　to　get　married；　but　。　。　。　you　know　all　this　has　happened　so　suddenly。　。　。　。　One　must　think　a　little。'

〃　'What　is　there　to　think　over？'　I　used　to　say　to　him。　'Get　married　　that　is　all。'

〃　'No；　marriage　is　a　serious　step。　One　must　first　weigh　the　duties　before　one；　the　responsibilities　。　。　。　that　nothing　may　go　wrong　afterwards。　It　worries　me　so　much　that　I　don't　sleep　at　night。　And　I　must　confess　I　am　afraid：　her　brother　and　she　have　a　strange　way　of　thinking；　they　look　at　things　strangely；　you　know；　and　her　disposition　is　very　impetuous。　One　may　get　married；　and　then；　there　is　no　knowing；　one　may　find　oneself　in　an　unpleasant　position。'

〃And　he　did　not　make　an　offer；　he　kept　putting　it　off；　to　the　great　vexation　of　the　headmaster's　wife　and　all　our　ladies；　he　went　on　weighing　his　future　duties　and　responsibilities；　and　meanwhile　he　went　for　a　walk　with　Varinka　almost　every　day　　possibly　he　thought　that　this　was　necessary　in　his　position　　and　came　to　see　me　to　talk　about　family　life。　And　in　all　probability　in　the　end　he　would　have　proposed　to　her；　and　would　have　made　one　of　those　unnecessary；　stupid　marriages　such　as　are　made　by　thousands　among　us　from　being　bored　and　having　nothing　to　do；　if　it　had　not　been　for　a　_kolossalische　scandal_。　I　must　mention　that　Varinka's　brother；　Kovalenko；　detested　Byelikov　from　the　first　day　of　their　acquaintance；　and　could　not　endure　him。

〃　'I　don't　understand；'　he　used　to　say　to　us；　shrugging　his　shoulders　'I　don't　understand　how　you　can　put　up　with　that　sneak；　that　nasty　phiz。　Ugh！　how　can　you　live　here！　The　atmosphere　is　stifling　and　unclean！　Do　you　call　yourselves　schoolmasters；　teachers？　You　are　paltry　government　clerks。　You　keep；　not　a　temple　of　science；　but　a　department　for　red　tape　and　loyal　behaviour；　and　it　smells　as　sour　as　a　police…station。　No；　my　friends；　I　will　stay　with　you　for　a　while；　and　then　I　will　go　to　my　farm　and　there　catch　crabs　and　teach　the　Little　Russians。　I　shall　go；　and　you　can　stay　here　with　your　Judas　　damn　his　soul！'

〃Or　he　would　laugh　till　he　cried；　first　in　a　loud　bass；　then　in　a　shrill；　thin　laugh；　and　ask　me；　waving　his　hands：

〃　'What　does　he　sit　here　for？　What　does　he　want？　He　sits　and　stares。'

〃He　even　gave　Byelikov　a　nickname；　'The　Spider。'　And　it　will　readily　be　understood　that　we　avoided　talking　to　him　of　his　sister's　being　about　to　marry　'The　Spider。'

〃And　on　one　occasion；　when　the　headmaster's　wife　hinted　to　him　what　a　good　thing　it　would　be　to　secure　his　sister's　future　with　such　a　reliable；　universally　respected　man　as　Byelikov；　he　frowned　and　muttered：

〃　'It's　not　my　business；　let　her　marry　a　reptile　if　she　likes。　I　don't　like　meddling　in　other　people's　affairs。'

〃Now　hear　what　happened　next。　Some　mischievous　person　drew　a　caricature　of　Byelikov　walking　along　in　his　goloshes　with　his　trousers　tucked　up；　under　his　umbrella；　with　Varinka　on　his　arm；　below；　the　inscription　'Anthropos　in　love。'　The　expression　was　caught　to　a　marvel；　you　know。　The　artist　must　have　worked　for　more　than　one　night；　for　the　teachers　of　both　the　boys'　and　girls'　high…schools；　the　teachers　of　the　seminary；　the　government　officials；　all　received　a　copy。　Byelikov　received　one；　too。　The　caricature　made　a　very　painful　impression　on　him。

〃We　went　out　together；　it　was　the　first　of　May；　a　Sunday；　and　all　of　us；　the　boys　and　the　teachers；　had　agreed　to　meet　at　the　high…school　and　then　to　go　for　a　walk　together　to　a　wood　beyond　the　town。　We　set　off；　and　he　was　green　in　the　face　and　gloomier　than　a　storm…cloud。

'What　wicked；　ill…natured　people　there　are！'　he　said；　and　his　lips　quivered。

〃I　felt　really　sorry　for　him。　We　were　walking　along；　and　all　of　a　sudden　　would　you　believe　it？　　Kovalenko　came　bowling　along　on　a　bicycle；　and　after　him；　also　on　a　bicycle；　Varinka；　flushed　and　exhausted；　but　good…humoured　and　gay。

〃　'We　are　going　on　ahead；'　she　called。　'What　lovely　weather！　Awfully　lovely！'

〃And　they　both　disappeared　from　our　sight。　Byelikov　turned　white　instead　of　green；　and　seemed　petrified。　He　stopped　short　and　stared　at　me。　。　。　。

〃　'What　is　the　meaning　of　it？　Tell　me；　please！'　he　asked。　'Can　my　eyes　have　deceived　me？　Is　it　the　proper　thing　for　high…school　masters　and　ladies　to　ride　bicycles？'

〃　'What　is　there　improper　about　it？'　I　said。　'Let　them　ride　and　enjoy　themselves。'

〃　'But　how　can　that　be？'　he　cried；　amazed　at　my　calm。　'What　are　you　saying？'

〃And　he　was　so　shocked　that　he　was　unwilling　to　go　on；　and　returned　home。

〃Next　day　he　was　continually　twitching　and　nervously　rubbing　his　hands；　and　it　was　evident　from　his　face　that　he　was　unwell。　And　he　left　before　his　work　was　over；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life。　And　he　ate　no　dinner。　Towards　evening　he　wrapped　himself　up　warmly；　though　it　was　quite　warm　weather；　and　sa