the wife and other stories-第40节

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armly；　though　it　was　quite　warm　weather；　and　sallied　out　to　the　Kovalenkos'。　Varinka　was　out；　he　found　her　brother；　however。

〃　'Pray　sit　down；'　Kovalenko　said　coldly；　with　a　frown。　His　face　looked　sleepy；　he　had　just　had　a　nap　after　dinner；　and　was　in　a　very　bad　humour。

〃Byelikov　sat　in　silence　for　ten　minutes；　and　then　began：

〃　'I　have　come　to　see　you　to　relieve　my　mind。　I　am　very；　very　much　troubled。　Some　scurrilous　fellow　has　drawn　an　absurd　caricature　of　me　and　another　person；　in　whom　we　are　both　deeply　interested。　I　regard　it　as　a　duty　to　assure　you　that　I　have　had　no　hand　in　it。　。　。　。　I　have　given　no　sort　of　ground　for　such　ridicule　　on　the　contrary；　I　have　always　behaved　in　every　way　like　a　gentleman。'

〃Kovalenko　sat　sulky　and　silent。　Byelikov　waited　a　little；　and　went　on　slowly　in　a　mournful　voice：

〃　'And　I　have　something　else　to　say　to　you。　I　have　been　in　the　service　for　years；　while　you　have　only　lately　entered　it；　and　I　consider　it　my　duty　as　an　older　colleague　to　give　you　a　warning。　You　ride　on　a　bicycle；　and　that　pastime　is　utterly　unsuitable　for　an　educator　of　youth。'

〃　'Why　so？'　asked　Kovalenko　in　his　bass。

〃　'Surely　that　needs　no　explanation；　Mihail　Savvitch　　surely　you　can　understand　that？　If　the　teacher　rides　a　bicycle；　what　can　you　expect　the　pupils　to　do？　You　will　have　them　walking　on　their　heads　next！　And　so　long　as　there　is　no　formal　permission　to　do　so；　it　is　out　of　the　question。　I　was　horrified　yesterday！　When　I　saw　your　sister　everything　seemed　dancing　before　my　eyes。　A　lady　or　a　young　girl　on　a　bicycle　　it's　awful！'

〃　'What　is　it　you　want　exactly？'

〃　'All　I　want　is　to　warn　you；　Mihail　Savvitch。　You　are　a　young　man；　you　have　a　future　before　you；　you　must　be　very；　very　careful　in　your　behaviour；　and　you　are　so　careless　　oh；　so　careless！　You　go　about　in　an　embroidered　shirt；　are　constantly　seen　in　the　street　carrying　books；　and　now　the　bicycle；　too。　The　headmaster　will　learn　that　you　and　your　sister　ride　the　bicycle；　and　then　it　will　reach　the　higher　authorities。　。　。　。　Will　that　be　a　good　thing？'

〃　'It's　no　business　of　anybody　else　if　my　sister　and　I　do　bicycle！'　said　Kovalenko；　and　he　turned　crimson。　'And　damnation　take　any　one　who　meddles　in　my　private　affairs！'

〃Byelikov　turned　pale　and　got　up。

〃　'If　you　speak　to　me　in　that　tone　I　cannot　continue；'　he　said。　'And　I　beg　you　never　to　express　yourself　like　that　about　our　superiors　in　my　presence；　you　ought　to　be　respectful　to　the　authorities。'

〃　'Why；　have　I　said　any　harm　of　the　authorities？'　asked　Kovalenko；　looking　at　him　wrathfully。　'Please　leave　me　alone。　I　am　an　honest　man；　and　do　not　care　to　talk　to　a　gentleman　like　you。　I　don't　like　sneaks！'

〃Byelikov　flew　into　a　nervous　flutter；　and　began　hurriedly　putting　on　his　coat；　with　an　expression　of　horror　on　his　face。　It　was　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　had　been　spoken　to　so　rudely。

〃　'You　can　say　what　you　please；'　he　said；　as　he　went　out　from　the　entry　to　the　landing　on　the　staircase。　'I　ought　only　to　warn　you：　possibly　some　on　e　may　have　overheard　us；　and　that　our　conversation　may　not　be　misunderstood　and　harm　come　of　it；　I　shall　be　compelled　to　inform　our　headmaster　of　our　conversation　。　。　。　in　its　main　features。　I　am　bound　to　do　so。'

〃　'Inform　him？　You　can　go　and　make　your　report！'

〃Kovalenko　seized　him　from　behind　by　the　collar　and　gave　him　a　push；　and　Byelikov　rolled　downstairs；　thudding　with　his　goloshes。　The　staircase　was　high　and　steep；　but　he　rolled　to　the　bottom　unhurt；　got　up；　and　touched　his　nose　to　see　whether　his　spectacles　were　all　right。　But　just　as　he　was　falling　down　the　stairs　Varinka　came　in；　and　with　her　two　ladies；　they　stood　below　staring；　and　to　Byelikov　this　was　more　terrible　than　anything。　I　believe　he　would　rather　have　broken　his　neck　or　both　legs　than　have　been　an　object　of　ridicule。　'Why；　now　the　whole　town　would　hear　of　it；　it　would　come　to　the　headmaster's　ears；　would　reach　the　higher　authorities　　oh；　it　might　lead　to　something！　There　would　be　another　caricature；　and　it　would　all　end　in　his　being　asked　to　resign　his　post。　。　。　。

〃When　he　got　up；　Varinka　recognized　him；　and；　looking　at　his　ridiculous　face；　his　crumpled　overcoat；　and　his　goloshes；　not　understanding　what　had　happened　and　supposing　that　he　had　slipped　down　by　accident；　could　not　restrain　herself；　and　laughed　loud　enough　to　be　heard　by　all　the　flats：

〃　'Ha…ha…ha！'

〃And　this　pealing；　ringing　'Ha…ha…ha！'　was　the　last　straw　that　put　an　end　to　everything：　to　the　proposed　match　and　to　Byelikov's　earthly　existence。　He　did　not　hear　what　Varinka　said　to　him；　he　saw　nothing。　On　reaching　home；　the　first　thing　he　did　was　to　remove　her　portrait　from　the　table；　then　he　went　to　bed；　and　he　never　got　up　again。

〃Three　days　later　Afanasy　came　to　me　and　asked　whether　we　should　not　send　for　the　doctor；　as　there　was　something　wrong　with　his　master。　I　went　in　to　Byelikov。　He　lay　silent　behind　the　curtain；　covered　with　a　quilt；　if　one　asked　him　a　question；　he　said　'Yes'　or　'No'　and　not　another　sound。　He　lay　there　while　Afanasy；　gloomy　and　scowling；　hovered　about　him；　sighing　heavily；　and　smelling　like　a　pothouse。

〃A　month　later　Byelikov　died。　We　all　went　to　his　funeral　　that　is；　both　the　high…schools　and　the　seminary。　Now　when　he　was　lying　in　his　coffin　his　expression　was　mild；　agreeable；　even　cheerful；　as　though　he　were　glad　that　he　had　at　last　been　put　into　a　case　which　he　would　never　leave　again。　Yes；　he　had　attained　his　ideal！　And；　as　though　in　his　honour；　it　was　dull；　rainy　weather　on　the　day　of　his　funeral；　and　we　all　wore　goloshes　and　took　our　umbrellas。　Varinka；　too；　was　at　the　funeral；　and　when　the　coffin　was　lowered　into　the　grave　she　burst　into　tears。　I　have　noticed　that　Little　Russian　women　are　always　laughing　or　crying　　no　intermediate　mood。

〃One　must　confess　that　to　bury　people　like　Byelikov　is　a　great　pleasure。　As　we　were　returning　from　the　cemetery　we　wore　discreet　Lenten　faces；　no　one　wanted　to　display　this　feeling　of　pleasure　　a　feeling　like　that　we　had　experienced　long；　long　ago　as　children　when　our　elders　had　gone　out　and　we　ran　about　the　garden　for　an　hour　or　two；　enjoying　complete　freedom。　Ah；　freedom；　freedom！　The　merest　hint；　the　faintest　hope　of　its　possibility　gives　wings　to　the　soul；　does　it　not？

〃We　returned　from　the　cemetery　in　a　good　humour。　But　not　more　than　a　week　had　passed　before　life　went　on　as　in　the　past；　as　gloomy；　oppressive；　and　senseless　　a　life　not　forbidden　by　government　prohibition；　but　not　fully　permitted；　either：　it　was　no　better。　And；　indeed；　though　we　had　buried　Byelikov；　how　many　such　men　in　cases　were　left；　how　many　more　of　them　there　will　be！〃

〃That's　just　how　it　is；〃　said　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　he　lighted　his　pipe。

〃How　many　more　of　them　there　will　be！〃　repeated　Burkin。

The　schoolmaster　came　out　of　the　barn。　He　was　a　short；　stout　man；　completely　bald；　with　a　black　beard　down　to　his　waist。　The　two　dogs　came　out　with　him。

〃What　a　moon！〃　he　said；　looking　upwards。

It　was　midnight。　On　the　right　could　be　seen　the　whole　village；　a　long　street　stretching　far　away　for　four　miles。　All　was　buried　in　deep　silent　slumber；　not　a　movement；　not　a　sound；　one　could　hardly　believe　that　nature　could　be　so　still。　When　on　a　moonlight　night　you　see　a　broad　village　street；　with　its　cottages；　haystacks；　and　slumbering　willows；　a　feeling　of　calm　comes　over　the　soul；　in　this　peace；　wrapped　away　from　care；　toil；　and　sorrow　in　the　darkness　of　night；　it　is　mild；　melancholy；　beautiful；　and　it　seems　as　though　the　stars　look　down　upon　it　kindly　and　with　tenderness；　and　as　though　there　were　no　evil　on　earth　and　all　were　well。　On　the　left　the　open　country　began　from　the　end　of　the　village；　it　could　be　seen　stretching　far　away　to　the　horizon；　and　there　was　no　movement；　no　sound　in　that　whole　expanse　bathed　in　moonlight。

〃Yes；　that　is　just　how　it　is；〃　repeated　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　〃and　isn't　our　living　in　town；　airless　and　crowded；　our　writing　useless　papers；　our　playing　_vint_　　isn't　that　all　a　sort　of　case　for　us？　And　our　spending　our　whole　lives　among　trivial；　fussy　men　and　silly；　idle　women；　our　talking　and　our　listening　to　all　sorts　of　nonsense　　isn't　that　a　case　for　us；　too？　If　you　like；　I　will　tell　you　a　very　edifying　story。〃

〃No；　it's　time　we　were　asleep；〃　said　Burkin。　〃Tell　it　tomorrow。〃

They　went　into　the　barn　and　lay　down　on　the　hay。　And　they　were　both　covered　up　and　beginning　to　doze　when　they　suddenly　heard　light　footsteps　　patter；　patter。　。　。　。　Some　one　was　walking　not　far　from　the　barn；　walking　a　little　and　stopping；　and　a　minute　later；　patter；　patter　again。　。　。　。　The　dogs　began　growling。

〃That's　Mavra；〃　said　Burkin。

The　footsteps　died　away。

〃You　see　and　hear　that　they　lie；〃　said　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　turning　over　on　the　other　side；　〃and　they　call　you　a　fool　for　putting　up　with　their　lying。　You　endure　insult　and　humiliation；　and　dare　not　openly　say　that　you　are　on　the　side　of　the　honest　and　the　free；　and　you　lie　and　smile　yourself；　and　all　that　for　the　sake　of　a　crust　of　bread；　for　the　sake　of　a　warm　corner；　for　the　sake　of　a　wretched　little　worthless　rank　in　the　service。　No；　one　can't　go　on　living　like　this。〃

〃Well；　you　are　off　on　another　tack　now；　Ivan　Ivanovitch；〃　said　the　schoolmaster。　〃Let　us　go　to　sleep！

And　ten