creatures that once were men-第19节

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is　only　terrible　and　fearful　for　those　who　have　said　everything　

and　have　nothing　more　to　say　to　each　other；　for　men；　on　the　

contrary；　who　have　never　begun　to　communicate　with　one　another；　

it　is　easy　and　simple。



Sometimes；　too；　we　sang；　and　this　is　how　it　happened　that　we　

began　to　sing：　one　of　us　would　sigh　deeply　in　the　midst　of　our　

toil；　like　an　overdriven　horse；　and　then　we　would　begin　one　of　

those　songs　whose　gentle　swaying　melody　seems　always　to　ease　

the　burden　on　the　singer's　heart。



At　first　one　sang　by　himself；　and　we　others　sat　in　silence　

listening　to　his　solitary　song；　which；　under　the　heavy　vaulted　

roof　of　the　cellar；　died　gradually　away；　and　became　extinguished；　

like　a　little　fire　in　the　steppes；　on　a　wet　autumn　night；　when　

the　gray　heaven　hangs　like　a　heavy　mass　over　the　earth。　





107　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





Then　another　would　join　in　with　the　singer；　and　now　two　soft；　

sad　voices　would　break　into　song　in　our　narrow；　dull　hole　of　a

cellar。　　Suddenly　others　would　join　in；　and　the　song　would　roll　

forward　like　a　wave；　would　grow　louder　and　swell　upward；　till　it　

would　seem　as　if　the　damp；　foul　walls　of　our　stone　prison　were　

widening　out　and　opening。　　Then；　all　six…and…twenty　of　us　would　

be　singing；　our　loud；　harmonious　song　would　fill　the　whole　

cellar；　our　voices　would　travel　outside　and　beyond；　striking；　as　

it　were；　against　the　walls　in　moaning　sobs　and　sighs；　moving　our　

hearts　with　soft；　tantalizing　ache；　tearing　open　old　wounds；　and

awakening　longings。



The　singers　would　sigh　deeply　and　heavily；　suddenly　one　would　

become　silent　and　listen　to　the　others　singing；　then　let　his　

voice　flow　once　more　in　the　common　tide。　Another　would　exclaim　

in　a　stifled　voice；　〃Ah！〃　and　would　shut　his　eyes；　while　the　

deep；　full　sound　waves　would　show　him；　as　it　were；　a　road；　in　

front　of　hima　sunlit；　broad　road　in　the　distance；　which　he　

himself；　in　thought　wandered　along。



But　the　flame　flickers　once　more　in　the　huge　oven；　the　baker　

scrapes　incessantly　with　his　shovel；　the　water　simmers　in　the　

kettle；　and　the　flicker　of　the　fire　on　the　wall　dances　as　before　

in　silent　mockery。　　While　in　other　men's　words　we　sing　out　our　

dumb　grief；　the　weary　burden　of　live　men　robbed　of　the　sunlight；　

the　burden　of　slaves。





108　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





So　we　lived；　we　six…and…twenty；　in　the　vault…like　cellar　of　a　

great　stone　house；　and　we　suffered　each　one　of　us；　as　if　we　

had　to　bear　on　our　shoulders　the　whole　three　storys　of　that　

house。



But　we　had　something　else　good；　besides　the　singingsomething　

we　loved；　that　perhaps　took　the　place　of　the　sunshine。



In　the　second　story　of　our　house　there　was　established　a　

gold…embroiderer's　shop；　and　there；　living　among　the　other　

embroidery　girls；　was　Tanya；　a　little　maid…servant　of　sixteen。　

Every　morning　there　peeped　in　through　the　glass　door　a　rosy　

little　face；　with　merry　blue　eyes；　while　a　ringing；　tender　

voice　called　out　to　us：



〃Little　prisoners！　　Have　you　any　knugels；　please；　for　me？〃



At　that　clear　sound；　we　knew　so　well；　we　all　used　to　turn　

round；　gazing　with　simple…hearted　joy　at　the　pure　girlish　face　

which　smiled　at　us　so　sweetly。　　The　sight　of　the　small　nose　

pressed　against　the　window…pane；　and　of　the　white　teeth　

gleaming　between　the　half…open　lips；　had　become　for　us　a　daily　

pleasure。　　Tumbling　over　each　other　we　used　to　jump　up　to　open　

the　door；　and　she　would　step　in；　bright　and　cheerful；　holding　

out　her　apron；　with　her　head　thrown　on　one　side；　and　a　smile

on　her　lips。　　Her　thick；　long　chestnut　hair　fell　over　her　

shoulder　and　across　her　breast。　But　we；　ugly；　dirty　and　

misshapen　as　we　were；　looked　up　at　herthe　threshold　door　was　

four　steps　above　the　floorlooked　up　at　her　with　heads　thrown　

back；　wishing　her　good…morning；　and　speaking　strange；　

unaccustomed　words；　which　we　kept　for　her　only。　





109　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





Our　voices　became　softer　when　we　spoke　to　her；　our　jests　were　

lighter。　　For　hereverything　was　different　with　us。　　The　baker　

took　from　his　oven　a　shovel　of　the　best　and　the　brownest　

kringels；　and　threw　them　deftly　into　Tanya's　apron。



〃Be　off　with　you　now；　or　the　boss　will　catch　you！〃　we　warned　

her　each　time。　　She　laughed　roguishly；　called　out　cheerfully：　　

〃Good…bye；　poor　prisoners！〃　and　slipped　away　as　quick　as　a　

mouse。



That　was　all。　　But　long　after　she　had　gone　we　talked　about　her　

to　one　another　with　pleasure。　　It　was　always　the　same　thing　as　

we　had　said　yesterday　and　the　day　before；　because　everything　

about　us；　including　ourselves　and　her；　remained　the　sameas　

yesterdayand　as　always。



Painful　and　terrible　it　is　when　a　man　goes　on　living；　while　

nothing　changes　around　him；　and　when　such　an　existence　does　

not　finally　kill　his　soul；　then　the　monotony　becomes　with　

time；　even　more　and　more　painful。　　Generally　we　spoke　about　

women　in　such　a　way；　that　sometimes　it　was　loathsome　to　us　

ourselves　to　hear　our　rude；　shameless　talk。　　The　women　whom　

we　knew　deserved　perhaps　nothing　better。　　But　about　Tanya　we

never　let　fall　an　evil　word；　none　of　us　ever　ventured　so　much　

as　to　lay　a　hand　on　her；　even　too　free　a　jest　she　never　heard　

from　us。　　Maybe　this　was　so　because　she　never　remained　for　

long　with　us；　she　flashed　on　our　eyes　like　a　star　falling　from　

the　sky；　and　vanished；　and　maybe　because　she　was　little　and　

very　beautiful；　and　everything　beautiful　calls　forth　respect；　

even　in　coarse　people。　　





110　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





And　beside~though　our　life　of　penal　labor　had　made　us　dull　

beasts；　oxen；　we　were　still　men；　and；　like　all　men；　could　

not　live　without　worshipping　something　or　other。　　Better　

than　her　we　had　none；　and　none　but　her　took　any　notice　of　us；　

living　in　the　cellarno　one；　though　there　were　dozens　of　

people　in　the　house。　　And　then；　tomost　likely；　this　was　

the　chief　thingwe　all　regarded　her　as　something　of　our　own；　

something　existing　as　it　were　only　by　virtue　of　our　kringels。　

We　took　on　ourselves　in　turns　the　duty　of　providing　her　with　

hot　kringels；　and　this　became　for　us　like　a　daily　sacrifice　

to　our　idol；　it　became　almost　a　sacred　rite；　and　every　day

it　bound　us　more　closely　to　her。　　Besides　kringels；　we　gave　

Tanya　a　great　deal　of　advice　to　wear　warmer　clothes；　not　to　

run　upstairs　too　quickly；　not　to　carry　heavy　bundles　of　wood。　

She　listened　to　all　our　counsels　with　a　smile；　answered　them　

by　a　laugh；　and　never　took　our　advice；　but　we　were　not　

offended　at　that；　all　we　wanted　was　to　show　how　much　care　we　

bestowed　upon　her。



Often　she　would　apply　to　us　with　different　requests；　she　asked　

us；　for　instance；　to　open　the　heavy　door　into　the　store…cellar；　

and　to　chop　wood：　with　delight　and　a　sort　of　pride；　we　did　this　

for　her；　and　everything　else　she　wanted。



But　when　one　of　us　asked　her　to　mend　his　solitary　shirt　for　

him；　she　said；　with　a　laugh　of　contempt：



〃What　next！　A　likely　idea！〃



We　made　great　fun　of　the　queer　fellow　who　could　entertain　such　

an　idea；　andnever　asked　her　to　do　anything　else。　　We　loved　

herall　is　said　in　that。　　





　111　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





Man　always　wants　to　lay　his　love　on　someone；　though　sometimes　

he　crushes；　sometimes　he　sullies；　with　it；　he　may　poison　

another　life　because　he　loves　without　respecting　the　beloved。　

We　were　bound　to　love　Tanya；　for　we　had　no　one　else　to　love。



At　times　one　of　us　would　suddenly　begin　to　reason　like　this：



〃And　why　do　we　make　so　much　of　the　wench？　　What　is　there　in　

her？　　eh？　　What　a　to…do　we　make　about　her！〃　



The　man　who　dared　to　utter　such　words　we　promptly　and　

coarsely　cut　shortwe　wanted　something　to　love：　　we　had　

found　it　and　loved　it；　and　what　we　twenty…six　loved　must　be　

for　each　of　us　unalterable；　as　a　holy　thing；　and　anyone　who　

acted　against　us　in　this　was　our　enemy。　　We　loved；　maybe；　not　

what　was　really　good；　but　you　see　there　were　twenty…six　of　us；　

and　so　we　always　wanted　to　see　what　was　precious　to　us　held　

sacred　by　the　rest。



Our　love　is　not　less　burdensome　than　hate；　and　maybe　that　is　

just　why　some　proud　souls　maintain　that　our　hate　is　more　

flattering　than　our　love。　　But　why　do　they　not　run　away　from　

us；　if　it　is　so？



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Besides　our　department；　our　employer　had　also　a　bread…bakery；　

it　was　in　the　same　house；　separated　from　our　hole　only　by　a　

wall；　but　the　bakersthere　were　four　of　themheld　aloof　from　

us；　considering　their　work　superior　to　ours；　and　therefore　

themselves　better　than　us；　they　never　used　to　come　into　our　

workroom；　and　laughed　contemptuously　at　us　when　they　met　us　

in　the　yard。　　We；　too；　did　not　go　to　see　them；　this　was　

forbidden　by　our　employer；　from　fear　that　we　should　steal

the　fancy　bread。　





112　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





We　did　not　like