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〃On the road near Nikita's buckwheat 。 。 。 the engineer with his
dog 。 。 。〃 Rodion began; after a rest; scratching his ribs and
his elbow。 〃 'You must pay;' says he 。 。 。 'coin;' says he。 。 。 。
Coin or no coin; we shall have to collect ten kopecks from every
hut。 We've offended the gentleman very much。 I am sorry for him。
。 。 。〃

〃We've lived without a bridge;〃 said Volodka; not looking at
anyone; 〃and we don't want one。〃

〃What next; the bridge is a government business。〃

〃We don't want it。〃

〃Your opinion is not asked。 What is it to you?〃

〃 'Your opinion is not asked;' 〃 Volodka mimicked hi m。 〃We don't
want to drive anywhere; what do we want with a bridge? If we have
to; we can cross by the boat。〃

Someone from the yard outside knocked at the window so violently
that it seemed to shake the whole hut。

〃Is Volodka at home?〃 he heard the voice of the younger Lytchkov。
〃Volodka; come out; come along。〃

Volodka jumped down off the stove and began looking for his cap。

〃Don't go; Volodka;〃 said Rodion diffidently。 〃Don't go with
them; son。 You are foolish; like a little child; they will teach
you no good; don't go!〃

〃Don't go; son;〃 said Stepanida; and she blinked as though about
to shed tears。 〃I bet they are calling you to the tavern。〃

〃 'To the tavern;' 〃 Volodka mimicked。

〃You'll come back drunk again; you currish Herod;〃 said Lukerya;
looking at him angrily。 〃Go along; go along; and may you burn up
with vodka; you tailless Satan!〃

〃You hold your tongue;〃 shouted Volodka。

〃They've married me to a fool; they've ruined me; a luckless
orphan; you red…headed drunkard 。 。 。〃 wailed Lukerya; wiping her
face with a hand covered with dough。 〃I wish I had never set eyes
on you。〃

Volodka gave her a blow on the ear and went off。

III

Elena Ivanovna and her little daughter visited the village on
foot。 They were out for a walk。 It was a Sunday; and the peasant
women and girls were walking up and down the street in their
brightly…coloured dresses。 Rodion and Stepanida; sitting side by
side at their door; bowed and smiled to Elena Ivanovna and her
little daughter as to acquaintances。 From the windows more than a
dozen children stared at them; their faces expressed amazement
and curiosity; and they could be heard whispering:

〃The Kutcherov lady has come! The Kutcherov lady!〃

〃Good…morning;〃 said Elena Ivanovna; and she stopped; she paused;
and then asked: 〃Well; how are you getting on?〃

〃We get along all right; thank God;〃 answered Rodion; speaking
rapidly。 〃To be sure we get along。〃

〃The life we lead!〃 smiled Stepanida。 〃You can see our poverty
yourself; dear lady! The family is fourteen souls in all; and
only two bread…winners。 We are supposed to be blacksmiths; but
when they bring us a horse to shoe we have no coal; nothing to
buy it with。 We are worried to death; lady;〃 she went on; and
laughed。 〃Oh; oh; we are worried to death。〃

Elena Ivanovna sat down at the entrance and; putting her arm
round her little girl; pondered something; and judging from the
little girl's expression; melancholy thoughts were straying
through her mind; too; as she brooded she played with the
sumptuous lace on the parasol she had taken out of her mother's
hands。

〃Poverty;〃 said Rodion; 〃a great deal of anxiety  you see no
end to it。 Here; God sends no rain 。 。 。 our life is not easy;
there is no denying it。〃

〃You have a hard time in this life;〃 said Elena Ivanovna; 〃but in
the other world you will be happy。〃

Rodion did not understand her; and simply coughed into his
clenched hand by way of reply。 Stepanida said:

〃Dear lady; the rich men will be all right in the next world;
too。 The rich put up candles; pay for services; the rich give to
beggars; but what can the poor man do? He has no time to make the
sign of the cross。 He is the beggar of beggars himself; how can
he think of his soul? And many sins come from poverty; from
trouble we snarl at one another like dogs; we haven't a good word
to say to one another; and all sorts of things happen; dear lady
 God forbid! It seems we have no luck in this world nor the
next。 All the luck has fallen to the rich。〃

She spoke gaily; she was evidently used to talking of her hard
life。 And Rodion smiled; too; he was pleased that his old woman
was so clever; so ready of speech。

〃It is only on the surface that the rich seem to be happy;〃 said
Elena Ivanovna。 〃Every man has his sorrow。 Here my husband and I
do not live poorly; we have means; but are we happy? I am young;
but I have had four children; my children are always being ill。 I
am ill; too; and constantly being doctored。〃

〃And what is your illness?〃 asked Rodion。

〃A woman's complaint。 I get no sleep; a continual headache gives
me no peace。 Here I am sitting and talking; but my head is bad; I
am weak all over; and I should prefer the hardest labour to such
a condition。 My soul; too; is troubled; I am in continual fear
for my children; my husband。 Every family has its own trouble of
some sort; we have ours。 I am not of noble birth。 My grandfather
was a simple peasant; my father was a tradesman in Moscow; he was
a plain; uneducated man; too; while my husband's parents were
wealthy and distinguished。 They did not want him to marry me; but
he disobeyed them; quarrelled with them; and they have not
forgiven us to this day。 That worries my husband; it troubles him
and keeps him in constant agitation; he loves his mother; loves
her dearly。 So I am uneasy; too; my soul is in pain。〃

Peasants; men and women; were by now standing round Rodion's hut
and listening。 Kozov came up; too; and stood twitching his long;
narrow beard。 The Lytchkovs; father and son; drew near。

〃And say what you like; one cannot be happy and satisfied if one
does not feel in one's proper place。〃 Elena Ivanovna went on。
〃Each of you has his strip of land; each of you works and knows
what he is working for; my husband builds bridges  in short;
everyone has his place; while I; I simply walk about。 I have not
my bit to work。 I don't work; and feel as though I were an
outsider。 I am saying all this that you may not judge from
outward appearances; if a man is expensively dressed and has
means it does not prove that he is satisfied with his life。〃

She got up to go away and took her daughter by the hand。

〃I like your place here very much;〃 she said; and smiled; and
from that faint; diffident smile one could tell how unwell she
really was; how young and how pretty; she had a pale; thinnish
face with dark eyebrows and fair hair。 And the little girl was
just such another as her mother: thin; fair; and slender。 There
was a fragrance of scent about them。

〃I like the river and the forest and the village;〃 Elena Ivanovna
went on; 〃I could live here all my life; and I feel as though
here I should get strong and find my place。 I want to help you 
I want to dreadfully  to be of use; to be a real friend to you。
I know your need; and what I don't know I feel; my heart guesses。
I am sick; feeble; and for me perhaps it is not possible to
change my life as I would。 But I have children。 I will try to
bring them up that they may be of use to you; may love you。 I
shall impress upon them continually that their life does not
belong to them; but to you。 Only I beg you earnestly; I beseech
you; trust us; live in friendship with us。 My husband is a kind;
good man。 Don't worry him; don't irritate him。 He is sensitive to
every trifle; and yesterday; for instance; your cattle were in
our vegetable garden; and one of your people broke down the fence
to the bee…hives; and such an attitude to us drives my husband to
despair。 I beg you;〃 she went on in an imploring voice; and she
clasped her hands on her bosom  〃I beg you to treat us as good
neighbours; let us live in peace! There is a saying; you know;
that even a bad peace is better than a good quarrel; and; 'Don't
buy property; but buy neighbours。' I repeat my husband is a kind
man and good; if all goes well we promise to do everything in our
power for you; we will mend the roads; we will build a school for
your children。 I promise you。〃

〃Of course we thank you humbly; lady;〃 said Lytchkov the father;
looking at the ground; 〃you are educated people; it is for you to
know best。 Only; you see; Voronov; a rich peasant at Eresnevo;
promised to build a school; he; too; said; 'I will do this for
you;' 'I will do that for you;' and he only put up the framework
and refused to go on。 And then they made the peasants put the
roof on and finish it; it cost them a thousand roubles。 Voronov
did not care; he only stroked his beard; but the peasants felt it
a bit hard。〃

〃That was a crow; but now there's a rook; too;〃 said Kozov; and
he winked。

There was the sound of laughter。

〃We don't want a school;〃 said Volodka sullenly。 〃Our children go
to Petrovskoe; and  they can
 go on going there; we don't want it。〃

Elena Ivanovna seemed suddenly intimidated; her face looked paler
and thinner; she shrank into herself as though she had been
touched with something coarse; and walked away without uttering
another word。 And she walked more and more quickly; without
looking round。

〃Lady;〃 said Rodion; wal

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