the witch and other stories-第24节

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old　deacon　saw　among　the　savouries　some　large…grained　caviare　and
began　eating　it　greedily；　people　nudged　him；　tugged　at　his　arm；
but　he　seemed　petrified　with　enjoyment：　felt　nothing；　and　only
went　on　eating。　He　ate　up　all　the　caviare；　and　there　were　four
pounds　in　the　jar。　And　years　had　passed　since　then；　the　deacon
had　long　been　dead；　but　the　caviare　was　still　remembered。　Whether
life　was　so　poor　here　or　people　had　not　been　clever　enough　to
notice　anything　but　that　unimportant　incident　that　had　occurred
ten　years　before；　anyway　the　people　had　nothing　else　to　tell
about　the　village　Ukleevo。

The　village　was　never　free　from　fever；　and　there　was　boggy　mud
there　even　in　the　summer；　especially　under　the　fences　over　which
hung　old　willow…trees　that　gave　deep　shade。　Here　there　was　always
a　smell　from　the　factory　refuse　and　the　acetic　acid　which　was
used　in　the　finishing　of　the　cotton　print。

The　three　cotton　factories　and　the　tanyard　were　not　in　the
village　itself；　but　a　little　way　off。　They　were　small　factories；
and　not　more　than　four　hundred　workmen　were　employed　in　all　of
them。　The　tanyard　often　made　the　water　in　the　little　river　stink；
the　refuse　contaminated　the　meadows；　the　peasants'　cattle
suffered　from　Siberian　plague；　and　orders　were　given　that　the
factory　should　be　closed。　It　was　considered　to　be　closed；　but
went　on　working　in　secret　with　the　connivance　of　the　local　police
officer　and　the　district　doctor；　who　was　paid　ten　roubles　a　month
by　the　owner。　In　the　whole　village　there　were　only　two　decent
houses　built　of　brick　with　iron　roofs；　one　of　them　was　the　local
court；　in　the　other；　a　two…storied　house　just　opposite　the
church；　there　lived　a　shopkeeper　from　Epifan　called　Grigory
Petrovitch　Tsybukin。

Grigory　kept　a　grocer's　shop；　but　that　was　only　for　appearance'
sake：　in　reality　he　sold　vodka；　cattle；　hides；　grain；　and　pigs；
he　traded　in　anything　that　came　to　hand；　and　when；　for　instance；
magpies　were　wanted　abroad　for　ladies'　hats；　he　made　some　thirty
kopecks　on　every　pair　of　birds；　he　bought　timber　for　felling；
lent　money　at　interest；　and　altogether　was　a　sharp　old　man；　full
of　resources。

He　had　two　sons。　The　elder；　Anisim；　was　in　the　police　in　the
detective　department　and　was　rarely　at　home。　The　younger；　Stepan；
had　gone　in　for　trade　and　helped　his　father：　but　no　great　help
was　expected　from　him　as　he　was　weak　in　health　and　deaf；　his　wife
Aksinya；　a　handsome　woman　with　a　good　figure；　who　wore　a　hat　and
carried　a　parasol　on　holidays；　got　up　early　and　went　to　bed　late；
and　ran　about　all　day　long；　picking　up　her　skirts　and　jingling
her　keys；　going　from　the　granary　to　the　cellar　and　from　there　to
the　shop；　and　old　Tsybukin　looked　at　her　good…humouredly　while
his　eyes　glowed；　and　at　such　moments　he　regretted　she　had　not
been　married　to　his　elder　son　instead　of　to　the　younger　one；　who
was　deaf；　and　who　evidently　knew　very　little　about　female　beauty。

The　old　man　had　always　an　inclination　for　family　life；　and　he
loved　his　family　more　than　anything　on　earth；　especially　his
elder　son；　the　detective；　and　his　daughter…in…law。　Aksinya　had　no
sooner　married　the　deaf　son　than　she　began　to　display　an
extraordinary　gift　for　business；　and　knew　who　could　be　allowed　to
run　up　a　bill　and　who　could　not：　she　kept　the　keys　and　would　not
trust　them　even　to　her　husband；　she　kept　the　accounts　by　means　of
the　reckoning　beads；　looked　at　the　horses'　teeth　like　a　peasant；
and　was　always　laughing　or　shouting；　and　whatever　she　did　or　said
the　old　man　was　simply　delighted　and　muttered：

〃Well　done；　daughter…in…law！　You　are　a　smart　wench！〃

He　was　a　widower；　but　a　year　after　his　son's　marriage　he　could
not　resist　getting　married　himself。　A　girl　was　found　for　him；
living　twenty　miles　from　Ukleevo；　called　Varvara　Nikolaevna；　no
longer　quite　young；　but　good…looking；　comely；　and　belonging　to　a
decent　family。　As　soon　as　she　was　installed　into　the　upper…storey
room　everything　in　the　house　seemed　to　brighten　up　as　though　new
glass　had　been　put　into　all　the　windows。　The　lamps　gleamed　before
the　ikons；　the　tables　were　covered　with　snow…white　cloths；
flowers　with　red　buds　made　their　appearance　in　the　windows　and　in
the　front　garden；　and　at　dinner；　instead　of　eating　from　a　single
bowl；　each　person　had　a　separate　plate　set　for　him。　Varvara
Nikolaevna　had　a　pleasant；　friendly　smile；　and　it　seemed　as
though　the　whole　house　were　smiling；　too。　Beggars　and　pilgrims；
male　and　female；　began　to　come　into　the　yard；　a　thing　which　had
never　happened　in　the　past；　the　plaintive　sing…song　voices　of　the
Ukleevo　peasant　women　and　the　apologetic　coughs　of　weak；
seedy…looking　men；　who　had　been　dismissed　from　the　factory　for
drunkenness　were　heard　under　the　windows。　Varvara　helped　them
with　money；　with　bread；　with　old　clothes；　and　afterwards；　when
she　felt　more　at　home；　began　taking　things　out　of　the　shop。　One
day　the　deaf　man　saw　her　take　four　ounces　of　tea　and　that
disturbed　him。

〃Here；　mother's　taken　four　ounces　of　tea；〃　he　informed　his　father
afterwards；　〃where　is　that　to　be　entered？〃

The　old　man　made　no　reply　but　stood　still　and　thought　a　moment；
moving　his　eyebrows；　and　then　went　upstairs　to　his　wife。

〃Varvarushka；　if　you　want　anything　out　of　the　shop；〃　he　said
affectionately；　〃take　it；　my　dea　r。　Take　it　and　welcome；　don't
hesitate。〃

And　the　next　day　the　deaf　man；　running　across　the　yard；　called　to
her：

〃If　there　is　anything　you　want；　mother；　take　it。〃

There　was　something　new；　something　gay　and　light…hearted　in　her
giving　of　alms；　just　as　there　was　in　the　lamps　before　the　ikons
and　in　the　red　flowers。　When　at　Carnival　or　at　the　church
festival；　which　lasted　for　three　days；　they　sold　the　peasants
tainted　salt　meat；　smelling　so　strong　it　was　hard　to　stand　near
the　tub　of　it；　and　took　scythes；　caps；　and　their　wives'　kerchiefs
in　pledge　from　the　drunken　men；　when　the　factory　hands　stupefied
with　bad　vodka　lay　rolling　in　the　mud；　and　sin　seemed　to　hover
thick　like　a　fog　in　the　air；　then　it　was　a　relief　to　think　that
up　there　in　the　house　there　was　a　gentle；　neatly　dressed　woman
who　had　nothing　to　do　with　salt　meat　or　vodka；　her　charity　had　in
those　burdensome；　murky　days　the　effect　of　a　safety　valve　in　a
machine。

The　days　in　Tsybukin's　house　were　spent　in　business　cares。　Before
the　sun　had　risen　in　the　morning　Aksinya　was　panting　and　puffing
as　she　washed　in　the　outer　room；　and　the　samovar　was　boiling　in
the　kitchen　with　a　hum　that　boded　no　good。　Old　Grigory
Petrovitch；　dressed　in　a　long　black　coat；　cotton　breeches　and
shiny　top　boots；　looking　a　dapper　little　figure；　walked　about　the
rooms；　tapping　with　his　little　heels　like　the　father…in…law　in　a
well…known　song。　The　shop　was　opened。　When　it　was　daylight　a
racing　droshky　was　brought　up　to　the　front　door　and　the　old　man
got　jauntily　on　to　it；　pulling　his　big　cap　down　to　his　ears；　and；
looking　at　him；　no　one　would　have　said　he　was　fifty…six。　His　wife
and　daughter…in…law　saw　him　off；　and　at　such　times　when　he　had　on
a　good；　clean　coat；　and　had　in　the　droshky　a　huge　black　horse
that　had　cost　three　hundred　roubles；　the　old　man　did　not　like　the
peasants　to　come　up　to　him　with　their　complaints　and　petitions；
he　hated　the　peasants　and　disdained　them；　and　if　he　saw　some
peasants　waiting　at　the　gate；　he　would　shout　angrily：

〃Why　are　you　standing　there？　Go　further　off。〃

Or　if　it　were　a　beggar；　he　would　say：

〃God　will　provide！〃

He　used　to　drive　off　on　business；　his　wife；　in　a　dark　dress　and　a
black　apron；　tidied　the　rooms　or　helped　in　the　kitchen。　Aksinya
attended　to　the　shop；　and　from　the　yard　could　be　heard　the　clink
of　bottles　and　of　money；　her　laughter　and　loud　talk；　and　the
anger　of　customers　whom　she　had　offended；　and　at　the　same　time　it
could　be　seen　that　the　secret　sale　of　vodka　was　already　going　on
in　the　shop。　The　deaf　man　sat　in　the　shop；　too；　or　walked　about
the　street　bare…headed；　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　looking
absent…mindedly　now　at　the　huts；　now　at　the　sky　overhead。　Six
times　a　day　they　had　tea；　four　times　a　day　they　sat　down　to
meals；　and　in　the　evening　they　counted　over　their　takings；　put
them　down；　went　to　bed；　and　slept　soundly。

All　the　three　cotton　factories　in　Ukleevo　and　the　houses　of　the
factory　owners　　Hrymin　Seniors；　Hrymin　Juniors；　and　Kostukov　
were　on　a　telephone。　The　telephone　was　laid　on　in　the　local
court；　too；　but　it　soon　ceased　to　work　as　bugs　and　beetles　bred
there。　The　elder　of　the　rural　district　had　had　little　education
and　wrote　every　word　in　the　official　documents　in　capitals。　But
when　the　telephone　was　spoiled　he　said：

〃Yes；　now　we　shall　be　badly　off　without　a　telephone。〃

The　Hrymin　Seniors　were　continually　at　law　with　the　Juniors；　and
sometimes　the　Juniors　quarrelled　among　themselves　and　began　going
to　law；　and　their　factory　did　not　work　for　a　month　or　two　till
they　were　reconciled　again；　and　this　was　an　entertainment　for　the
people　of　Ukleevo；　as　there　was　a　great　deal　of　talk　and　gossip
on　the　occasion　of　each　quarrel。　On　holidays　Kostukov　and　the
Juniors　used　to　get　up　races；　used　to　dash　about　Ukleevo　and　run
over　calves。　Aksinya；　rustling　her　starched　petticoats；　used　to
promenade　in　a　low…necked　dress　up　and　down　the