creatures that once were men-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！









55　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Cursed　cross…bred　fox　and　pig！〃　swore　the　Captain　under　his　

breath；　recalling　his　first　meeting　with　Petunikoff。　　The　

merchant　came　with　one　of　the　town　councillors　to　buy　the　

house；　and　seeing　the　Captain　asked　his　companion：



〃Is　this　your　lodger？〃



And　from　that　day；　a　year　and　a　half　ago；　there　has　been　keen　

competition　among　the　inhabitants　of　the　dosshouse　as　to　which　

can　swear　the　hardest　at　the　merchant。　　And　last　night　there　

was　a　〃slight　skirmish　with　hot　words；〃　as　the　Captain　called　

it；　between　Petunikoff　and　himself。　　Having　dismissed　the　

architect　the　merchant　approached　the　Captain。

　　　　　

〃What　are　you　hatching？〃　asked　he；　putting　his　hand　to　his　cap；

perhaps　to　adjust　it；　perhaps　as　a　salutation。



〃What　are　you　plotting？〃　answered　the　Captain　in　the　same　tone。　

He　moved　his　chin　so　that　his　beard　trembled　a　little；　a　

non…exacting　person　might　have　taken　it　for　a　bow；　otherwise　it　

only　expressed　the　desire　of　the　Captain　to　move　his　pipe　from　

one　corner　of　his　mouth　to　the　other。　　〃You　see；　having　plenty　

of　money；　I　can　afford　to　sit　hatching　it。　　Money　is　a　good　

thing；　and　I　possess　it；〃　the　Captain　chaffed　the　merchant；　

casting　cunning　glances　at　him。　　〃It　means　that　you　serve　money；　

and　not　money　you；〃　went　on　Kuvalda；　desiring　at　the　same　time　

to　punch　the　merchant's　belly。



〃Isn't　it　all　the　same？　　Money　makes　life　comfortable；　but　no　

money；〃　。　。　。　and　the　merchant　looked　at　the　Captain　with　a　

feigned　expression　of　suffering。　　The　other's　upper　lip　curled；　

and　exposed　large；　wolf…like　teeth。







56　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃With　brains　and　a　conscience；　it　is　possible　to　live　without　

it。　　Men　only　acquire　riches　when　they　cease　to　listen　to　their　

conscience　。　。　。　the　less　conscience　the　more　money！〃



〃Just　so；　but　then　there　are　men　who　have　neither　money　nor　

conscience。〃



〃Were　you　just　like　what　you　are　now　when　you　were　young？〃　

asked　Kuvalda　simply。　　The　other's　nostrils　twitched。　　Ivan　

Andreyevitch　sighed；　passed　his　hand　over　his　eyes　and　said：



〃Oh！　When　I　was　young　I　had　to　undergo　a　great　many　difficulties　

。　。　。　Work！　Oh！　I　did　work！〃



〃And　you　cheated；　too；　I　suppose？〃



〃People　like　you？　　Nobles？　　I　should　just　think　so！

They　used　to　grovel　at　my　feet！〃



〃You　only　went　in　for　robbing；　not　murder；　I　suppose？〃　asked　the　

Captain。　　Petunikoff　turned　pale；　and　hastily　changed　the　

subject。



〃You　are　a　bad　host。　　You　sit　while　your　guest　stands。〃



〃Let　him　sit；　too；〃　said　Kuvalda。



〃But　what　am　I　to　sit　on？〃



〃On　the　earth　。　。　。　it　will　take　any　rubbish　。　。　。〃



〃You　are　the　proof　of　that；〃　said　Petunikoff　quietly；　while　

his　eyes　shot　forth　poisonous　glances。



And　he　went　away；　leaving　Kuvalda　under　the　pleasant　impression　

that　the　merchant　was　afraid　of　him。　　If　he　were　not　afraid　of　

him　he　would　long　ago　have　evicted　him　from　the　dosshouse。　







57　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





But　then　he　would　think　twice　before　turning　him　out；　because　of　

the　five　roubles　a　month。　　And　the　Captain　gazed　with　pleasure

at　Petunikoff's　back　as　he　slowly　retreated　from　the　court…yard。　

Following　him　with　his　eyes；　he　noticed　how　the　merchant　passed　

the　factory　and　disappeared　into　the　wood；　and　he　wished　very　

much　that　he　might　fall　and　break　all　his　bones。　　He　sat　

imagining　many　horrible　forms　of　disaster　while　watching　

Petunikoff；　who　was　descending　the　hill　into　the　wood　like　a　

spider　going　into　its　web。　　Last　night　he　even　imagined　that　the　

wood　gave　way　before　the　merchant　and　he　fell　。　。　。　but　

afterward　he　found　that　he　had　only　been　dreaming。



And　to…day；　as　always；　the　red　building　stands　out　before　the　

eyes　of　Aristid　Kuvalda；　so　plain；　so　massive；　and　clinging　so　

strongly　to　the　earth；　that　it　seems　to　be　sucking　away　all　its　

life。　　It　appears　to　be　laughing　coldly　at　the　Captain　with　its　

gaping　walls。　　The　sun　pours　its　rays　on　them　as　generously　as　

it　does　on　the　miserable　hovels　of　the　main　street。



〃Devil　take　the　thing！〃　exclaimed　the　Captain；　thoughtfully　

measuring　the　walls　of　the　factory　with　his　eyes。　　〃If　only　

。　。　。　。〃　　Trembling　with　excitement　at　the　thought　that　had　just　

entered　his　mind　Aristid　Kuvalda　jumped　up　and　ran　to　Vaviloff's　

eating…house　muttering　to　himself　all　the　time。



Vaviloff　met　him　at　the　bar　and　gave　him　a　friendly　welcome。



〃I　wish　your　honor　good　health！〃　　He　was　of　middle　height　and　

had　a　bald　head；　gray　hair；　and　straight　mustaches　like　

tooth…brushes。　　Upright　and　neat　in　his　clean　jacket；　he　showed　

by　every　movement　that　he　was　an　old　soldier。







58　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Egorka；　show　me　the　lease　and　plan　of　your　house；〃

demanded　Kuvalda　impatiently。



〃I　have　shown　it　you　before。〃　Vaviloff　looked　up　suspiciously　

and　closely　scanned　the　Captain's　face。



〃Show　it　me！〃　shouted　the　Captain；　striking　the　bar　with　his　

fist　and　sitting　down　on　a　stool　close　by。



〃But　why？〃　asked　Vaviloff；　knowing　that　it　was　better　to　keep　

his　wits　about　him　when　Kuvalda　got　excited。



〃You　fool！　　Bring　it　at　once。〃



Vaviloff　rubbed　his　forehead；　and　turned　his　eyes　to　the　

ceiling　in　a　tired　way。



〃Where　are　those　papers　of　yours？〃



There　was　no　answer　to　this　on　the　ceiling；　so　the　old　sergeant　

looked　down　at　the　floor；　and　began　drumming　with　his　fingers　

on　the　bar　in　a　worried　and　thoughtful　manner。



〃It's　no　good　your　making　wry　faces！〃　shouted　the　Captain；　for　

he　had　no　great　affection　for　him；　thinking　that　a　former　

soldier　should　rather　have　become　a　thief　than　an　eating…house　

keeper。



〃Oh！　Yes！　Aristid　Fomich；　I　remember　now。　　They　were　left　at　

the　High　Court　of　Justice　at　the　time　when　I　came　into　

possession。〃



〃Get　along；　Egorka！　It　is　to　your　own　interest　to　show　me　the　

plan；　the　title…deeds；　and　everything　you　have　immediately。　　You　

will　probably　clear　at　least　a　hundred　roubles　over　this；　do　

you　understand？〃



Vaviloff　did　not　understand　at　all；　but　the　Captain　spoke　in　

such　a　serious　and　convincing　tone　that　the　sergeant's　eyes　

burned　with　curiosity；　and；　telling　him　that　he　would　see　if　

the　papers　were　in　his　desk；　he　went　through　the　door　behind　

the　bar。　





59　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN　





Two　minutes　later　he　returned　with　the　papers　in　his　hand；　

and　an　expression　of　extreme　astonishment　on　his　face。



〃Here　they　are；　the　deeds　about　the　damned　houses！〃



〃Ah！　You　。　。　。　vagabond！　And　you　pretend　to　have　been　a　

soldier；　too！〃　　And　Kuvalda　did　not　cease　to　belabor　him　with　

his　tongue；　as　he　snatched　the　blue　parchment　from　his　hands。　

Then；　spreading　the　papers　out　in　front　of　him；　and　excited　

all　the　more　by　Vaviloff's　inquisitiveness；　the　Captain　began　

reading　and　bellowing　at　the　same　time。　　At　last　he　got　up　

resolutely；　and　went　to　the　door；　leaving　all　the　papers　on　

the　bar；　and　saying　to　Vaviloff：



〃Wait！　Don't　lift　them！〃



Vaviloff　gathered　them　lip；　put　them　into　the　cashbox；　and　

locked　it；　then　felt　the　lock　with　his　hand；　to　see　if　it　were　

secure。　　After　that；　he　scratched　his　bald　head；　thoughtfully；　

and　went　up　on　the　roof　of　the　eating…house。　　There　he　saw　the　

Captain　measuring　the　front　of　the　house；　and　watched　him　

anxiously；　as　he　snapped　his　fingers；　and　began　measuring　the　

same　line　over　again。　　Vaviloff's　face　lit　up　suddenly；　and　he　

smiled　happily。



〃Aristid；　Fomich；　is　it　possible？〃　　he　shouted；　when　the　Captain　

came　opposite　to　him。



〃Of　course　it　is　possible。　　There　is　more　than　one　short　in　the　

front　alone；　and　as　to　the　depth　I　shall　see　immediately。〃



〃The　depth　。　。　。　seventy…three　feet。〃





60　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃What？　　Have　you　guessed；　you　shaved；　ugly　face？〃



〃Of　course；　Aristid　Fomich！　　If　you　have　eyes　you　can　see　a　

thing　or　two；〃　shouted　Vaviloff　joyfully。



A　few　minutes　afterward　they　sat　side　by　side　in　Vaviloff's　

parlor；　and　the　Captain　was　engaged　in　drinking　large　

quantities　of　beer。



〃And　so　all　the　walls　of　the　factory　stand　on　your　ground；〃　

said　he　to　the　eating…house　keeper。　　〃Now；　mind　you　show　no　

mercy！　　The　teacher　will　be　here　presently；　and　we　will　get　

him　to　draw　up　a　petition　to　the　court。　　As　to　the　amount　of　

the　damages　you　will　name　a　very　moderate　sum　in　order　not　to　

waste　money　in　deed　stamps；　but　we　will　ask　to　have　the　factory

knocked　down。　　This；　you　see；　donkey；　is　the　result　of　

trespassing　on　other　people's　property。　　It　is　a　splendid

piece　of　luck　for　you。　　We　will　force　him　to　have　the　place　

smashed；　and　I　can　tell　you　it　will　be　an　expensive　job　for　

him。　　Off　with　you　to　the　court。　　Bring　pressure　to　bear　on　

Judas。　　We　will　calculate　how　much　it　will　take　to　break　the　

factory　down　to　its　very　found