the witch and other stories-第11节

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another　word。　And　she　walked　more　and　more　quickly；　without
looking　round。

〃Lady；〃　said　Rodion；　walking　after　her；　〃lady；　wait　a　bit；　hear
what　I　would　say　to　you。〃

He　followed　her　without　his　cap；　and　spoke　softly　as　though
begging。

〃Lady；　wait　and　hear　what　I　will　say　to　you。〃

They　had　walked　out　of　the　village；　and　Elena　Ivanovna　stopped
beside　a　cart　in　the　shade　of　an　old　mountain　ash。

〃Don't　be　offended；　lady；〃　said　Rodion。　〃What　does　it　mean？　Have
patience。　Have　patience　for　a　couple　of　years。　You　will　live
here；　you　will　have　patience；　and　it　will　all　come　round。　Our
folks　are　good　and　peaceable；　there's　no　harm　in　them；　it's　God's
truth　I'm　telling　you。　Don't　mind　Kozov　and　the　Lytchkovs；　and
don't　mind　Volodka。　He's　a　fool；　he　listens　to　the　first　that
speaks。　The　others　are　quiet　folks；　they　are　silent。　Some　would
be　glad；　you　know；　to　say　a　word　from　the　heart　and　to　stand　up
for　themselves；　but　cannot。　They　have　a　heart　and　a　conscience；
but　no　tongue。　Don't　be　offended　。　。　。　have　patience。　。　。　。　What
does　it　matter？〃

Elena　Ivanovna　looked　at　the　broad；　tranquil　river；　pondering；
and　tears　flowed　down　her　cheeks。　And　Rodion　was　troubled　by
those　tears；　he　almost　cried　himself。

〃Never　mind　。　。　。〃　he　muttered。　〃Have　patience　for　a　couple　of
years。　You　can　have　the　school；　you　can　have　the　roads；　only　not
all　at　once。　If　you　went；　let　us　say；　to　sow　corn　on　that　mound
you　would　first　have　to　weed　it　out；　to　pick　out　all　the　stones；
and　then　to　plough；　and　work　and　work　。　。　。　and　with　the　people；
you　see；　it　is　the　same　。　。　。　you　must　work　and　work　until　you
overcome　them。〃

The　crowd　had　moved　away　from　Rodion's　hut；　and　was　coming　along
the　street　towards　the　mountain　ash。　They　began　singing　songs　and
playing　the　concertina；　and　they　kept　coming　closer　and　closer。　。
。　。

〃Mamma；　let　us　go　away　from　here；〃　said　the　little　girl；　huddling
up　to　her　mother；　pale　and　shaking　all　over；　〃let　us　go　away；
mamma！

〃Where？〃

〃To　Moscow。　。　。　。　Let　us　go；　mamma。〃

The　child　began　crying。

Rodion　was　utterly　overcome；　his　face　broke　into　profuse
perspiration；　he　took　out　of　his　pocket　a　little　crooked
cucumber；　like　a　half…moon；　covered　with　crumbs　of　rye　bread；　and
began　thrusting　it　into　the　little　girl's　hands。

〃Come；　come；〃　he　muttered；　scowling　severely；　〃take　the　little
cucumber；　eat　it　up。　。　。　。　You　mustn't　cry。　Mamma　will　whip　you。
。　。　。　She'll　tell　your　father　of　you　when　you　get　home。　Come；
come。　。　。　。〃

They　walked　on；　and　he　still　followed　behind　them；　wanting　to　say
something　friendly　and　persuasive　to　them。　And　seeing　that　they
were　both　absorbed　in　their　own　thoughts　and　their　own　griefs；
and　not　noticing　him；　he　stopped　and；　shading　his　eyes　from　the
sun；　looked　after　them　for　a　long　time　till　they　disappeared　into
their　copse。


IV


The　engineer　seemed　to　grow　irritable　and　petty；　and　in　every
trivial　incident　saw　an　act　of　robbery　or　outrage。　His　gate　was
kept　bolted　even　by　day；　and　at　night　two　watchmen　walked　up　and
down　the　garden　beating　a　board；　and　they　gave　up　employing
anyone　from　Obrutchanovo　as　a　labourer。　As　ill…luck　would　have　it
someone　（either　a　peasant　or　one　of　the　workmen）　took　the　new
wheels　off　the　cart　and　replaced　them　by　old　ones；　then　soon
afterwards　two　bridles　and　a　pair　of　pincers　were　carried　off；
and　murmurs　arose　even　in　the　village。　People　began　to　say　that　a
search　should　be　made　at　the　Lytchkovs'　and　at　Volodka's；　and
then　the　bridles　and　the　pincers　were　found　under　the　hedge　in
the　engineer's　garden；　someone　had　thrown　them　down　there。

It　happened　that　the　peasants　were　coming　in　a　crowd　out　of　the
forest；　and　again　they　met　the　engineer　on　the　road。　He　stopped；
and　without　wishing　them　good…day　he　began；　looking　angrily　first
at　one；　then　at　another：

〃I　have　begged　you　not　to　gather　mushrooms　in　the　park　and　near
the　yard；　but　to　leave　them　for　my　wife　and　children；　but　your
girls　come　before　daybreak　and　there　is　not　a　mushroom　left。　。　。
。Whether　one　asks　you　or　not　it　makes　no　difference。　Entreaties；
and　friendliness；　and　persuasion　I　see　are　all　useless。〃

He　fixed　his　indignant　eyes　on　Rodion　and　went　on：

〃My　wife　and　I　behaved　to　you　as　human　beings；　as　to　our　equals；
and　you？　But　what's　the　use　of　talking！　It　will　end　by　our
looking　down　upon　you。　There　is　nothing　left！〃

And　making　an　effort　to　restrain　his　anger；　not　to　say　too　much；
he　turned　and　went　on。

On　getting　home　Rodion　said　his　prayer；　took　off　his　boots；　and
sat　down　beside　his　wife。

〃Yes　。　。　。〃　he　began　with　a　sigh。　〃We　were　walking　along　just
now；　and　Mr。　Kutcherov　met　us。　。　。　。　Yes。　。　。　。　He　saw　the　girls
at　daybreak。　。　。　'Why　don't　they　bring　mushrooms；'　。　。　。　he　said
'to　my　wife　and　children？'　he　said。　。　。　。　And　then　he　looked　at
me　and　he　said：　'I　and　my　wife　will　look　after　you；'　he　said。　I
wanted　to　fall　down　at　his　feet；　but　I　hadn't　the　courage。　。　。　。
God　give　him　health。　。　。　God　bless　him！　。　。　。〃

Stephania　crossed　herself　and　sighed。

〃They　are　kind；　simple…hearted　people；〃　Rodion　went　on。　〃　'We
shall　look　after　you。'　。　。　。　He　promised　me　that　before　everyone。
In　our　old　age　。　。　。　it　wouldn't　be　a　bad　thing。　。　。　。　I　should
always　pray　for　them。　。　。　。　Holy　Mother；　bless　them。　。　。　。〃

The　Feast　of　the　Exaltation　of　the　Cross；　the　fourteenth　of
September；　was　the　festival　of　the　village　church。　The　Lytchkovs；
father　and　son；　went　across　the　river　early　in　the　morning　and
returned　to　dinner　drunk；　they　spent　a　long　time　going　about　the
village；　alternately　singing　and　swearing；　then　they　had　a　fight
and　went　to　the　New　Villa　to　complain。　First　Lytchkov　the　father
went　into　the　yard　with　a　long　ashen　stick　in　his　hands。　He
stopped　irresolutely　and　took　off　his　hat。　Just　at　that　moment
the　engineer　and　his　family　were　sitting　on　the　verandah；
drinking　tea。

〃What　do　you　want？〃　shouted　the　engineer。

〃Your　honour　。　。　。〃　Lytchkov　began；　and　burst　into　tears。　〃Show
the　Divine　mercy；　protect　me　。　。　。　my　son　makes　my　life　a　misery
。　。　。　your　honour。　。　。〃

Lytchkov　the　son　walked　up；　too；　he；　too；　was　bareheaded　and　had
a　stick　in　his　hand；　he　stopped　and　fixed　his　drunken　senseless
eyes　on　the　verandah。

〃It　is　not　my　business　to　settle　your　affairs；〃　said　the
engineer。　〃Go　to　the　rural　captain　or　the　police　officer。〃

〃I　have　been　everywhere。　。　。　。　I　have　lodged　a　petition　。　。　。〃
said　Lytchkov　the　father；　and　he　sobbed。　〃Where　can　I　go　now？　He
can　kill　me　now；　it　seems。　He　can　do　anything。　Is　that　the　way　to
treat　a　father？　A　father？〃

He　raised　his　stick　and　hit　his　son　on　the　head；　the　son　raised
his　stick　and　struck　his　father　just　on　his　bald　patch　such　a
blow　that　the　stick　bounced　back。　The　father　did　not　even　flinch；
but　hit　his　son　again　and　again　on　the　head。　And　so　they　stood
and　kept　hitting　one　another　on　the　head；　and　it　looked　not　so
much　like　a　fight　as　some　sort　of　a　game。　And　peasants；　men　and
women；　stood　in　a　crowd　at　the　gate　and　looked　into　the　garden；
and　the　faces　of　all　were　grave。　They　were　the　peasants　who　had
come　to　greet　them　for　the　holiday；　but　seeing　the　Lytchkovs；
they　were　ashamed　and　did　not　go　in。

The　next　morning　Elena　Ivanovna　went　with　the　children　to　Moscow。
And　there　was　a　rumour　that　the　engineer　was　selling　his　house。　。
。　。

V

The　peasants　had　long　ago　grown　used　to　the　sight　of　the　bridge；
and　it　was　difficult　to　imagine　the　river　at　that　place　without　a
bridge。　The　heap　of　rubble　left　from　the　building　of　it　had　long
been　overgrown　with　grass；　the　navvies　were　forgotten；　and
instead　of　the　strains　of　the　〃Dubinushka〃　that　they　used　to
sing；　the　peasants　heard　almost　every　hour　the　sounds　of　a
passing　train。

The　New　Villa　has　long　ago　been　sold；　now　it　belongs　to　a
government　clerk　who　comes　here　from　the　town　for　the　holidays
with　his　family；　drinks　tea　on　the　terrace；　and　then　goes　back　to
the　town　again。　He　wears　a　cockade　on　his　cap；　he　talks　and
clears　his　throat　as　though　he　were　a　very　important　official；
though　he　is　only　of　the　rank　of　a　collegiate　secretary；　and　when
the　peasants　bow　he　makes　no　response。

In　Obrutchanovo　everyone　has　grown　older；　Kozov　is　dead。　In
Rodion's　hut　there　are　even　more　children。　Volodka　has　grown　a
long　red　beard。　They　are　still　as　poor　as　ever。

In　the　early　spring　the　Obrutchanovo　peasants　were　sawing　wood
near　the　station。　And　after　work　they　were　going　home；　they
walked　without　haste　one　after　the　other。　Broad　saws　curved　over
their　shoulders；　the　sun　was　reflected　in　them。　The　nightingales
were　singing　in　the　bushes　on　the　bank；　larks　were　trilling　in
the　heavens。　It　was　quiet　at　the　New　Villa；　there　was　not　a　soul
there；　and　only　golden　pigeons　　golden　because　the　sunlight　was
streaming　upon　them　　were　flying　over　the　house。　All　of　them　
Rodion；　the　two　Lytchkovs；　and　Volodka　　thought　of　the　white
horses；　the　little　ponies；　the　fireworks；　the　boat　with　the
lanterns；　they　remembered　how　the　engineer's　wife；　so　beautiful
and　so　grandly　dressed；　had　come　into　the　village　and　talked　to
them　in　such　a　friendly　way。　And　it　seemed　as　though　all　that　had
never　been；　it　was　like　a　dream　or　a　fairy…tale。

They　trudged　alo