creatures that once were men-第8节

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there　。　。　。　of　consumption　they　say。　　Yees；　there　were　five　

of　them　。　。　。　Ecclesiastics　are　prolific；　you　know。〃　　He　began

explaining　why　this　was　so；　and　they　laughed　till　they　nearly　

burst　at　his　tales。　　When　the　laughter　stopped；　Aleksei　

Maksimovitch　Simtsoff　remembered　that　he　too　had　once　had　a　

daughter。



〃Her　name　was　Lidka　。　。　。　she　was　very　stout。　。　。　。〃



More　than　this　he　did　not　seem　to　remember；　for　he　looked　at　

them　all；　was　silent　and　smiled　。　。　。　in　a　guilty　way。　　Those　

men　spoke　very　little　to　each　other　about　their　past；　and　they　

recalled　it　very　seldom；　and　then　only　its　general　outlines。　

When　they　did　mention　it；　it　was　in　a　cynical　tone。　Probably；　

this　was　just　as　well；　since；　in　many　people；　remembrance　of　

the　past　kills　all　present　energy　and　deadens　all　hope　for　the

future。



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On　rainy；　cold；　or　dull　days　in　the　late　autumn；　these　

〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　gathered　in　the　eating…house　of　

Vaviloff。　　They　were　well　known　there；　where　some　feared　them　

as　thieves　and　rogues；　and　some　looked　upon　them　contemptuously　

as　hard　drinkers；　although　they　respected　them；　thinking　that　

they　were　clever。



The　eating…house　of　Vaviloff　was　the　club　of　the　main　street；　

and　the　〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　were　its　most　intellectual　

members。　





45　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





On　Saturday　evenings　or　Sunday　mornings；　when　the　eating…house　

was　packed；　the　〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　were　only　too　

welcome　guests。　　They　brought　with　them；　besides　the　forgotten　

and　poverty…stricken　inhabitants　of　the　street；　their　own　spirit；　

in　which　there　was　something　that　brightened　the　lives　of　men　

exhausted　and　worn　out　in　the　struggle　for　existence；　as　great　

drunkards　as　the　inhabitants　of　Kuvalda's　shelter；　and；　like　

them；　outcasts　from　the　town。　　Their　ability　to　speak　on　all　

subjects；　their　freedom　of　opinion；　skill　in　repartee；　courage

in　the　presence　of　those　of　whom　the　whole　street　was　in　terror；　

together　with　their　daring　demeanor；　could　not　but　be　pleasing　

to　their　companions。　　Then；　too；　they　were　well　versed　in　law；　

and　could　advise；　write　petitions；　and　help　to　swindle　without　

incurring　the　risk　of　punishment。　　For　all　this　they　were　paid　

with　vodki　and　flattering　admiration　of　their　talents。



The　inhabitants　of　the　street　were　divided　into　two　parties　

according　to　their　sympathies。　　One　was　in　favor　of　Kuvalda；　

who　was　thought　〃a　good　soldier；　clever；　and　courageous〃；　the　

other　was　convinced　of　the　fact　that　the　teacher　was　〃superior〃　

to　Kuvalda。　　The　latter's　admirers　were　those　who　were　known　to　

be　drunkards；　thieves；　and　murderers；　for　whom　the　road　from

beggary　to　prison　was　inevitable。　　But　those　who　respected　the　

teacher　were　men　who　still　had　expectations；　still　hoped　for　

better　things；　who　were　eternally　occupied　with　nothing；　and　

who　were　nearly　always　hungry。



The　nature　of　the　teacher's　and　Kuvalda's　relations　toward　the　

street　may　be　gathered　from　the　following：





46　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Once　in　the　eating…house　they　were　discussing　the　resolution　

passed　by　the　Corporation　regarding　the　main　street；　viz。；　that　

the　inhabitants　were　to　fill　up　the　pits　and　ditches　in　the　

street；　and　that　neither　manure　nor　the　dead　bodies　of　domestic　

animals　should　be　used　for　the　purpose；　but　only　broken　tiles；　

etc。；　from　the　ruins　of　other　houses。



〃Where　am　I　going　to　get　these　same　broken　tiles　and　bricks？　

I　could　not　get　sufficient　bricks　together　to　build　a　

hen…house；〃　plaintively　said　Mokei　Anisimoff；　a　man　who　hawked　

kalaches　（a　sort　of　white　bread）　which　were　baked　by　his　wife。



〃Where　can　you　get　broken　bricks　and　lime　rubbish？　　Take　bags　

with　you；　and　go　and　remove　them　from　the　Corporation　buildings。　

They　are　so　old　that　they　are　of　no　use　to　anyone；　and　you　will　

thus　be　doing　two　good　deeds；　firstly；　by　repairing　the　main　

street；　and　secondly；　by　adorning　the　city　with　a　new　Corporation

building。〃



〃If　you　want　horses；　get　them　from　the　Lord　Mayor；　and　take　his　

three　daughters；　who　seem　quite　fit　for　harness。　　Then　destroy　

the　house　of　Judas　Petunikoff　and　pave　the　street　with　its　

timbers。　　By　the　way；　Mokei；　I　know　out　of　what　your　wife　baked　

to…day's　kalaches；　out　of　the　frames　of　the　third　window　and　the　

two　steps　from　the　roof　of　Judas'　house。〃



When　those　present　had　laughed　and　joked　sufficiently　over　the　

Captain's　proposal；　the　sober　market　gardener；　Pavlyugus　asked：



〃But　seriously；　what　are　we　to　do；　your　honor？　。　。　。　Eh？　What　

do　you　think？〃





47　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃I？　I　shall　neither　move　hand　nor　foot。　　If　they　wish　to　clean　

the　street；　let　them　do　it。〃



〃Some　of　the　houses　are　almost　coming　down。　。　。　。〃



〃Let　them　fall；　don't　interfere；　and　when　they　fall　ask　help　

from　the　city。　　If　they　don't　give　it　you；　then　bring　a　suit　

in　court　against　them！　　Where　does　the　water　come　from？　　From　

the　city！　　Therefore　let　the　city　be　responsible　for　the　

destruction　of　the　houses。〃



〃They　will　say　it　is　rain…water。〃



〃Does　it　destroy　the　houses　in　the　city？　　Eh？　　They　take　taxes　

from　you；　but　they　do　not　permit　you　to　speak！　　They　destroy　

your　property　and　at　the　same　time　compel　you　to　repair　it！〃　

And　half　the　radicals　in　the　street；　convinced　by　the　words　

of　Kuvalda；　decided　to　wait　till　the　rain…water　came　down　in　

huge　streams　and　swept　away　their　houses。　　The　others；　more　

sensible；　found　in　the　teacher　a　man　who　composed　for　them　an　

excellent　and　convincing　report　for　the　Corporation。　　In　this　

report　the　refusal　of　the　street's　inhabitants　to　comply　with　

the　resolution　of　the　Corporation　was　well　explained　that　the　

Corporation　actually　entertained　it。　　It　was　decided　that　the　

rubbish　left　after　some　repairs　had　been　done　to　the　barracks　

should　be　used　for　mending　and　filling　up　the　ditches　in　their　

street；　and　for　the　transport　of　this　five　horses　were　given　

by　the　fire　brigade。　　Still　more；　they　even　saw　the　necessity　

of　laying　a　drain…pipe　through　the　street。　　This　and　many

other　things　vastly　increased　the　popularity　of　the　teacher。　　

He　wrote　petitions　for　them　and　published　various　remarks　in　

the　newspapers。　　





48　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





For　instance；　on　one　occasion　Vaviloff's　customers　noticed　that　

the　herrings　and　other　provisions　of　the　eating…house　were　not

what　they　should　be；　and　after　a　day　or　two　they　saw　Vaviloff　

standing　at　the　bar　with　the　newspaper　in　his　hand　making　a　

public　apology。



〃It　is　true；　I　must　acknowledge；　that　I　bought　old　and　not　very　

good　herrings；　and　the　cabbage　。　。　。　also　。　。　。　was　old。　　It　is　

only　too　well　known　that　anyone　can　put　many　a　five…kopeck　piece　

in　his　pocket　in　this　way。　　And　what　is　the　result？　　It　has　not　

been　a　success；　I　was　greedy；　I　own；　but　the　cleverer　man　has

exposed　me；　so　we　are　quits。　。　。　。〃



This　confession　made　a　very　good　impression　on　the　people；　and　

it　also　gave　Vaviloff　the　opportunity　of　still　feeding　them　with　

herrings　and　cabbages　which　were　not　good；　though　they　failed　

to　notice　it；　so　much　were　they　impressed。



This　incident　was　very　significant；　because　it　increased　not　only　

the　teacher's　popularity；　but　also　the　effect　of　press　opinion。



It　often　happened；　too；　that　the　teacher　read　lectures　on　

practical　morality　in　the　eating…house。



〃I　saw　you；〃　he　said　to　the　painter；　Yashka　Tyarin；　〃I　saw　you；　

Yakov；　beating　your　wife。　。　。　。〃



Yashka　was　〃touched　with　paint〃　after　having　two　glasses　of　

vodki；　and　was　in　a　slightly　uplifted　condition。



The　people　looked　at　him；　expecting　him　to　make　a　row；　and　all　

were　silent。



〃Did　you　see　me？　　And　how　did　it　please　you？〃　asks　Yashka。



The　people　control　their　laughter。





49　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃No；　it　did　not　please　me；〃　replies　the　teacher。　His　tone　is　

so　serious　that　the　people　are　silent。



〃You　see　I　was　just　trying　it；〃　said　Yashka；　with　bravado；　

fearing　that　the　teacher　would　rebuke　him。　　〃The　wife　is　

satisfied。　。　。　She　has　not　got　up　yet　today。　。　。　。〃



The　teacher；　who　was　drawing　absently　with　his　fingers　on　the　

table；　said；　〃Do　you　see；　Yakov；　why　this　did　not　please　me？　

。　。　。　Let　us　go　into　the　matter　thoroughly；　and　understand　what　

you　are　really　doing；　and　what　the　result　may　be。　　Your　wife　is　

pregnant。　　You　struck　her　last　night　on　her　sides　and　breast。　

That　means　that　you　beat　not　only　her　but　the　child　too。　　You　

may　have　killed　him；　and　your　wife　might　have　died　or　else　have　

become　seriously　ill。　　To　have　the　trouble　of　looking　after　a　

sick　woman　is　not　pleasant。　　It　is　wearing；　and　would　cost　you　

dear；　because　illness　requires　medicine；　and　medicine　money。　　

If　you　have　not　killed