the witch and other stories-第29节

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Ha…ha…ha！　The　next　day　he　was　softer。　'Don't　you　bear　malice
against　me　for　my　words；　Makaritch；'　he　said。　'If　I　said　too
much；'　says　he；　'what　of　it？　I　am　a　merchant　of　the　first　guild；
your　superior　　you　ought　to　hold　your　tongue。'　'You；'　said　I；
'are　a　merchant　of　the　first　guild　and　I　am　a　carpenter；　that's
correct。　And　Saint　Joseph　was　a　carpenter；　too。　Ours　is　a
righteous　calling　and　pleasing　to　God；　and　if　you　are　pleased　to
be　my　superior　you　are　very　welcome　to　it；　Vassily　Danilitch。'
And　later　on；　after　that　conversation　I　mean；　I　thought：　'Which
was　the　superior？　A　merchant　of　the　first　guild　or　a　carpenter？'
The　carpenter　must　be；　my　child！〃

Crutch　thought　a　minute　and　added：

〃Yes；　that's　how　it　is；　child。　He　who　works；　he　who　is　patient　is
the　superior。〃

By　now　the　sun　had　set　and　a　thick　mist　as　white　as　milk　was
rising　over　the　river；　in　the　church　enclosure；　and　in　the　open
spaces　round　the　factories。　Now　when　the　darkness　was　coming　on
rapidly；　when　lights　were　twinkling　belo　w；　and　when　it　seemed　as
though　the　mists　were　hiding　a　fathomless　abyss；　Lipa　and　her
mother　who　were　born　in　poverty　and　prepared　to　live　so　till　the
end；　giving　up　to　others　everything　except　their　frightened；
gentle　souls；　may　have　fancied　for　a　minute　perhaps　that　in　the
vast；　mysterious　world；　among　the　endless　series　of　lives；　they；
too；　counted　for　something；　and　they；　too；　were　superior　to
someone；　they　liked　sitting　here　at　the　top；　they　smiled　happily
and　forgot　that　they　must　go　down　below　again　all　the　same。

At　last　they　went　home　again。　The　mowers　were　sitting　on　the
ground　at　the　gates　near　the　shop。　As　a　rule　the　Ukleevo　peasants
did　not　go　to　Tsybukin's　to　work；　and　they　had　to　hire　strangers；
and　now　in　the　darkness　it　seemed　as　though　there　were　men
sitting　there　with　long　black　beards。　The　shop　was　open；　and
through　the　doorway　they　could　see　the　deaf　man　playing　draughts
with　a　boy。　The　mowers　were　singing　softly；　scarcely　audibly；　or
loudly　demanding　their　wages　for　the　previous　day；　but　they　were
not　paid　for　fear　they　should　go　away　before　to…morrow。　Old
Tsybukin；　with　his　coat　off；　was　sitting　in　his　waistcoat　with
Aksinya　under　the　birch…tree；　drinking　tea；　a　lamp　was　burning　on
the　table。

〃I　say；　grandfather；〃　a　mower　called　from　outside　the　gates；　as
though　taunting　him；　〃pay　us　half　anyway！　Hey；　grandfather。〃

And　at　once　there　was　the　sound　of　laughter；　and　then　again　they
sang　hardly　audibly。　。　。　。　Crutch；　too；　sat　down　to　have　some
tea。

〃We　have　been　at　the　fair；　you　know；〃　he　began　telling　them。　〃We
have　had　a　walk；　a　very　nice　walk；　my　children；　praise　the　Lord。
But　an　unfortunate　thing　happened：　Sashka　the　blacksmith　bought
some　tobacco　and　gave　the　shopman　half　a　rouble　to　be　sure。　And
the　half　rouble　was　a　false　one〃　Crutch　went　on；　and　he　meant
to　speak　in　a　whisper；　but　he　spoke　in　a　smothered　husky　voice
which　was　audible　to　everyone。　〃The　half…rouble　turned　out　to　be
a　bad　one。　He　was　asked　where　he　got　it。　'Anisim　Tsybukin　gave　it
me；'　he　said。　'When　I　went　to　his　wedding；'　he　said。　They　called
the　police　inspector；　took　the　man　away。　。　。　。　Look　out；　Grigory
Petrovitch；　that　nothing　comes　of　it；　no　talk。　。　。　。〃

〃Gra…ndfather！〃　the　same　voice　called　tauntingly　outside　the
gates。　〃Gra…andfather！〃

A　silence　followed。

〃Ah；　little　children；　little　children；　little　children　。　。　。〃
Crutch　muttered　rapidly；　and　he　got　up。　He　was　overcome　with
drowsiness。　〃Well；　thank　you　for　the　tea；　for　the　sugar；　little
children。　It　is　time　to　sleep。　I　am　like　a　bit　of　rotten　timber
nowadays；　my　beams　are　crumbling　under　me。　Ho…ho…ho！　I　suppose
it's　time　I　was　dead。〃

And　he　gave　a　gulp。　Old　Tsybukin　did　not　finish　his　tea　but　sat
on　a　little；　pondering；　and　his　face　looked　as　though　he　were
listening　to　the　footsteps　of　Crutch；　who　was　far　away　down　the
street。

〃Sashka　the　blacksmith　told　a　lie；　I　expect；〃　said　Aksinya；
guessing　his　thoughts。

He　went　into　the　house　and　came　back　a　little　later　with　a
parcel；　he　opened　it；　and　there　was　the　gleam　of　roubles　
perfectly　new　coins。　He　took　one；　tried　it　with　his　teeth；　flung
it　on　the　tray；　then　flung　down　another。

〃The　roubles　really　are　false　。　。　。〃　he　said；　looking　at　Aksinya
and　seeming　perplexed。　〃These　are　those　Anisim　brought；　his
present。　Take　them；　daughter；〃　he　whispered；　and　thrust　the
parcel　into　her　hands。　〃Take　them　and　throw　them　into　the　well　。
。　。　confound　them！　And　mind　there　is　no　talk　about　it。　Harm　might
come　of　it。　。　。　。　Take　away　the　samovar；　put　out　the　light。〃

Lipa　and　her　mother　sitting　in　the　barn　saw　the　lights　go　out　one
after　the　other；　only　overhead　in　Varvara's　room　there　were　blue
and　red　lamps　gleaming；　and　a　feeling　of　peace；　content；　and
happy　ignorance　seemed　to　float　down　from　there。　Praskovya　could
never　get　used　to　her　daughter's　being　married　to　a　rich　man；　and
when　she　came　she　huddled　timidly　in　the　outer　room　with　a
deprecating　smile　on　her　face；　and　tea　and　sugar　were　sent　out　to
her。　And　Lipa；　too；　could　not　get　used　to　it　either；　and　after
her　husband　had　gone　away　she　did　not　sleep　in　her　bed；　but　lay
down　anywhere　to　sleep；　in　the　kitchen　or　the　barn；　and　every　day
she　scrubbed　the　floor　or　washed　the　clothes；　and　felt　as　though
she　were　hired　by　the　day。　And　now；　on　coming　back　from　the
service；　they　drank　tea　in　the　kitchen　with　the　cook；　then　they
went　into　the　barn　and　lay　down　on　the　ground　between　the　sledge
and　the　wall。　It　was　dark　here　and　smelt　of　harness。　The　lights
went　out　about　the　house；　then　they　could　hear　the　deaf　man
shutting　up　the　shop；　the　mowers　settling　themselves　about　the
yard　to　sleep。　In　the　distance　at　the　Hrymin　Juniors'　they　were
playing　on　the　expensive　concertina。　。　。　。　Praskovya　and　Lipa
began　to　go　to　sleep。

And　when　they　were　awakened　by　somebody's　steps　it　was　bright
moonlight；　at　the　entrance　of　the　barn　stood　Aksinya　with　her
bedding　in　her　arms。

〃Maybe　it's　a　bit　cooler　here；〃　she　said；　then　she　came　in　and
lay　down　almost　in　the　doorway　so　that　the　moonlight　fell　full
upon　her。

She　did　not　sleep；　but　breathed　heavily；　tossing　from　side　to
side　with　the　heat；　throwing　off　almost　all　the　bedclothes。　And
in　the　magic　moonlight　what　a　beautiful；　what　a　proud　animal　she
was！　A　little　time　passed；　and　then　steps　were　heard　again：　the
old　father；　white　all　over；　appeared　in　the　doorway。

〃Aksinya；〃　he　called；　〃　are　you　here？〃

〃Well？〃　she　responded　angrily。

〃I　told　you　just　now　to　throw　the　money　into　the　well；　have　you
done　so？〃

〃What　next；　throwing　property　into　the　water！　I　gave　them　to　the
mowers。　。　。　。〃

〃Oh　my　God！〃　cried　the　old　man；　dumbfounded　and　alarmed。　〃Oh　my
God！　you　wicked　woman。　。　。　。〃

He　flung　up　his　hands　and　went　out；　and　he　kept　saying　something
as　he　went　away。　And　a　little　later　Aksinya　sat　up　and　sighed
heavily　with　annoyance；　then　got　up　and；　gathering　up　her
bedclothes　in　her　arms；　went　out。

〃Why　did　you　marry　me　into　this　family；　mother？〃　said　Lipa。

〃One　has　to　be　married；　daughter。　It　was　not　us　who　ordained　it。〃

And　a　feeling　of　inconsolable　woe　was　ready　to　take　possession　of
them。　But　it　seemed　to　them　that　someone　was　looking　down　from
the　height　of　the　heavens；　out　of　the　blue　from　where　the　stars
were　seeing　everything　that　was　going　on　in　Ukleevo；　watching
over　them。　And　however　great　was　wickedness；　still　the　night　was
calm　and　beautiful；　and　still　in　God's　world　there　is　and　will　be
truth　and　justice　as　calm　and　beautiful；　and　everything　on　earth
is　only　waiting　to　be　made　one　with　truth　and　justice；　even　as
the　moonlight　is　blended　with　the　night。

And　both；　huddling　close　to　one　another；　fell　asleep　comforted。

VI

News　had　come　long　before　that　Anisim　had　been　put　in　prison　for
coining　and　passing　bad　money。　Months　passed；　more　than　half　a
year　passed；　the　long　winter　was　over；　spring　had　begun；　and
everyone　in　the　house　and　the　village　had　grown　used　to　the　fact
that　Anisim　was　in　prison。　And　when　anyone　passed　by　the　house　or
the　shop　at　night　he　would　remember　that　Anisim　was　in　prison；
and　when　they　rang　at　the　churchyard　for　some　reason；　that；　too；
reminded　them　that　he　was　in　prison　awaiting　trial。

It　seemed　as　though　a　shadow　had　fallen　upon　the　house。　The　house
looked　darker；　the　roof　was　rustier；　the　heavy；　iron…bound　door
into　the　shop；　which　was　painted　green；　was　covered　with　cracks；
or；　as　the　deaf　man　expressed　it；　〃blisters〃；　and　old　Tsybukin
seemed　to　have　grown　dingy；　too。　He　had　given　up　cutting　his　hair
and　beard；　and　looked　shaggy。　He　no　longer　sprang　jauntily　into
his　chaise；　nor　shouted　to　beggars：　〃God　will　provide！〃　His
strength　was　on　the　wane；　and　that　was　evident　in　everything。
People　were　less　afraid　of　him　now；　and　the　police　officer　drew
up　a　formal　charge　against　him　in　the　shop　though　he　received　his
regular　bribe　as　before；　and　three　times　the　old　man　was　called
up　to　the　town　to　be　tried　for　illicit　dealing　in　spirits；　and
the　case　was　continually　adjourned　owing　to　the　non…appearance　of
witnesses；　and　old　Tsybukin　was　worn　out　with　worry。

He　often　went　to　see　his　son；　hired　somebody；　handed　in　a
petition　to　somebody　else