the witch and other stories-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


did　not　want　and　could　not　imagine；　but　the　fantastic；　fairy…tale
character　of　human　happiness。

A　hundred　sheep　started　and；　in　some　inexplicable　panic　as　at　a
signal；　dashed　away　from　the　flock；　and　as　though　the　thoughts　of
the　sheep　　tedious　and　oppressive　　had　for　a　moment　infected
Sanka　also；　he；　too；　dashed　aside　in　the　same　inexplicable　animal
panic；　but　at　once　he　recovered　himself　and　shouted：

〃You　crazy　creatures！　You've　gone　mad；　plague　take　you！〃

When　the　sun；　promising　long　hours　of　overwhelming　heat；　began　to
bake　the　earth；　all　living　things　that　in　the　night　had　moved　and
uttered　sounds　were　sunk　in　drowsiness。　The　old　shepherd　and
Sanka　stood　with　their　crooks　on　opposite　sides　of　the　flock；
stood　without　stirring；　like　fakirs　at　their　prayers；　absorbed　in
thought。　They　did　not　heed　each　other；　each　of　them　was　living　in
his　own　life。　The　sheep　were　pondering；　too。


A　MALEFACTOR

AN　exceedingly　lean　little　peasant；　in　a　striped　hempen　shirt　and
patched　drawers；　stands　facing　the　investigating　magistrate。　His
face　overgrown　with　hair　and　pitted　with　smallpox；　and　his　eyes
scarcely　visible　under　thick；　overhanging　eyebrows　have　an
expression　of　sullen　moroseness。　On　his　head　there　is　a　perfect
mop　of　tangled；　unkempt　hair；　which　gives　him　an　even　more
spider…like　air　of　moroseness。　He　is　barefooted。

〃Denis　Grigoryev！〃　the　magistrate　begins。　〃Come　nearer；　and
answer　my　questions。　On　the　seventh　of　this　July　the　railway
watchman；　Ivan　Semyonovitch　Akinfov；　going　along　the　line　in　the
morning；　found　you　at　the　hundred…and…forty…first　mile　engaged　in
unscrewing　a　nut　by　which　the　rails　are　made　fast　to　the
sleepers。　Here　it　is；　the　nut！　。　。　。　With　the　aforesaid　nut　he
detained　you。　Was　that　so？〃

〃Wha…at？〃

〃Was　this　all　as　Akinfov　states？〃

〃To　be　sure；　it　was。〃

〃Very　good；　well；　what　were　you　unscrewing　the　nut　for？〃

〃Wha…at？〃

〃Drop　that　'wha…at'　and　answer　the　question；　what　were　you
unscrewing　the　nut　for？〃

〃If　I　hadn't　wanted　it　I　shouldn't　have　unscrewed　it；〃　croaks
Denis；　looking　at　the　ceiling。

〃What　did　you　want　that　nut　for？〃

〃The　nut？　We　make　weights　out　of　those　nuts　for　our　lines。〃

〃Who　is　'we'？〃

〃We；　people。　。　。　。　The　Klimovo　peasants；　that　is。〃

〃Listen；　my　man；　don't　play　the　idiot　to　me；　but　speak　sensibly。
It's　no　use　telling　lies　here　about　weights！〃

〃I've　never　been　a　liar　from　a　child；　and　now　I'm　telling　lies　。
。　。〃　mutters　Denis；　blinking。　〃But　can　you　do　without　a　weight；
your　honour？　If　you　put　live　bait　or　maggots　on　a　hook；　would　it
go　to　the　bottom　without　a　w　eight？　。　。　。　I　am　telling　lies；〃
grins　Denis。　。　。　。　〃What　the　devil　is　the　use　of　the　worm　if　it
swims　on　the　surface！　The　perch　and　the　pike　and　the　eel…pout
always　go　to　the　bottom；　and　a　bait　on　the　surface　is　only　taken
by　a　shillisper；　not　very　often　then；　and　there　are　no
shillispers　in　our　river。　。　。　。　That　fish　likes　plenty　of　room。〃

〃Why　are　you　telling　me　about　shillispers？〃

〃Wha…at？　Why；　you　asked　me　yourself！　The　gentry　catch　fish　that
way　too　in　our　parts。　The　silliest　little　boy　would　not　try　to
catch　a　fish　without　a　weight。　Of　course　anyone　who　did　not
understand　might　go　to　fish　without　a　weight。　There　is　no　rule
for　a　fool。〃

〃So　you　say　you　unscrewed　this　nut　to　make　a　weight　for　your
fishing　line　out　of　it？〃

〃What　else　for？　It　wasn't　to　play　knuckle…bones　with！〃

〃But　you　might　have　taken　lead；　a　bullet　。　。　。　a　nail　of　some
sort。　。　。　。〃

〃You　don't　pick　up　lead　in　the　road；　you　have　to　buy　it；　and　a
nail's　no　good。　You　can't　find　anything　better　than　a　nut。　。　。　。
It's　heavy；　and　there's　a　hole　in　it。〃

〃He　keeps　pretending　to　be　a　fool！　as　though　he'd　been　born
yesterday　or　dropped　from　heaven！　Don't　you　understand；　you
blockhead；　what　unscrewing　these　nuts　leads　to？　If　the　watchman
had　not　noticed　it　the　train　might　have　run　off　the　rails；　people
would　have　been　killed　　you　would　have　killed　people。〃

〃God　forbid；　your　honour！　What　should　I　kill　them　for？　Are　we
heathens　or　wicked　people？　Thank　God；　good　gentlemen；　we　have
lived　all　our　lives　without　ever　dreaming　of　such　a　thing。　。　。　。
Save；　and　have　mercy　on　us；　Queen　of　Heaven！　。　。　。　What　are　you
saying？〃

〃And　what　do　you　suppose　railway　accidents　do　come　from？　Unscrew
two　or　three　nuts　and　you　have　an　accident。〃

Denis　grins；　and　screws　up　his　eye　at　the　magistrate
incredulously。

〃Why！　how　many　years　have　we　all　in　the　village　been　unscrewing
nuts；　and　the　Lord　has　been　merciful；　and　you　talk　of　accidents；
killing　people。　If　I　had　carried　away　a　rail　or　put　a　log　across
the　line；　say；　then　maybe　it　might　have　upset　the　train；　but。　。　。
pouf！　a　nut！〃

〃But　you　must　understand　that　the　nut　holds　the　rail　fast　to　the
sleepers！〃

〃We　understand　that。　。　。　。　We　don't　unscrew　them　all　。　。　。　we
leave　some。　。　。　。　We　don't　do　it　thoughtlessly　。　。　。　we
understand。　。　。　。〃

Denis　yawns　and　makes　the　sign　of　the　cross　over　his　mouth。

〃Last　year　the　train　went　off　the　rails　here；〃　says　the
magistrate。　〃Now　I　see　why！〃

〃What　do　you　say；　your　honour？〃

〃I　am　telling　you　that　now　I　see　why　the　train　went　off　the　rails
last　year。　。　。　。　I　understand！〃

〃That's　what　you　are　educated　people　for；　to　understand；　you　kind
gentlemen。　The　Lord　knows　to　whom　to　give　understanding。　。　。　。
Here　you　have　reasoned　how　and　what；　but　the　watchman；　a　peasant
like　ourselves；　with　no　understanding　at　all；　catches　one　by　the
collar　and　hauls　one　along。　。　。　。　You　should　reason　first　and
then　haul　me　off。　It's　a　saying　that　a　peasant　has　a　peasant's
wit。　。　。　。　Write　down；　too；　your　honour；　that　he　hit　me　twice　
in　the　jaw　and　in　the　chest。〃

〃When　your　hut　was　searched　they　found　another　nut。　。　。　。　At　what
spot　did　you　unscrew　that；　and　when？〃

〃You　mean　the　nut　which　lay　under　the　red　box？〃

〃I　don't　know　where　it　was　lying；　only　it　was　found。　When　did　you
unscrew　it？〃

〃I　didn't　unscrew　it；　Ignashka；　the　son　of　one…eyed　Semyon；　gave
it　me。　I　mean　the　one　which　was　under　the　box；　but　the　one　which
was　in　the　sledge　in　the　yard　Mitrofan　and　I　unscrewed　together。〃

〃What　Mitrofan？〃

〃Mitrofan　Petrov。　。　。　。　Haven't　you　heard　of　him？　He　makes　nets
in　our　village　and　sells　them　to　the　gentry。　He　needs　a　lot　of
those　nuts。　Reckon　a　matter　of　ten　for　each　net。〃

〃Listen。　Article　1081　of　the　Penal　Code　lays　down　that　every
wilful　damage　of　the　railway　line　committed　when　it　can　expose
the　traffic　on　that　line　to　danger；　and　the　guilty　party　knows
that　an　accident　must　be　caused　by　it　。　。　。　（Do　you　understand？
Knows！　And　you　could　not　help　knowing　what　this　unscrewing　would
lead　to　。　。　。）　is　liable　to　penal　servitude。〃

〃Of　course；　you　know　best。　。　。　。　We　are　ignorant　people。　。　。　。
What　do　we　understand？〃

〃You　understand　all　about　it！　You　are　lying；　shamming！〃

〃What　should　I　lie　for？　Ask　in　the　village　if　you　don't　believe
me。　Only　a　bleak　is　caught　without　a　weight；　and　there　is　no　fish
worse　than　a　gudgeon；　yet　even　that　won't　bite　without　a　weight。〃

〃You'd　better　tell　me　about　the　shillisper　next；〃　said　the
magistrate；　smiling。

〃There　are　no　shillispers　in　our　parts。　。　。　。　We　cast　our　line
without　a　weight　on　the　top　of　the　water　with　a　butterfly；　a
mullet　may　be　caught　that　way；　though　that　is　not　often。〃

〃Come；　hold　your　tongue。〃

A　silence　follows。　Denis　shifts　from　one　foot　to　the　other；　looks
at　the　table　with　the　green　cloth　on　it；　and　blinks　his　eyes
violently　as　though　what　was　before　him　was　not　the　cloth　but　the
sun。　The　magistrate　writes　rapidly。

〃Can　I　go？〃　asks　Denis　after　a　long　silence。

〃No。　I　must　take　you　under　guard　and　send　you　to　prison。〃

Denis　leaves　off　blinking　and；　raising　his　thick　eyebrows；　looks
inquiringly　at　the　magistrate。

〃How　do　you　mean；　to　prison？　Your　honour！　I　have　no　time　to
spare；　I　must　go　to　the　fair；　I　must　get　three　roubles　from　Yegor
for　some　tallow！　。　。　。〃

〃Hold　your　tongue；　don't　interrupt。〃

〃To　prison。　。　。　。　If　there　was　something　to　go　for；　I'd　go；　but
just　to　go　for　nothing！　What　for？　I　haven't　stolen　anything；　I
believe；　and　I've　not　been　fighting。　。　。　。　If　you　are　in　doubt
about　the　arrears；　your　honour；　don't　believe　the　elder。　。　。　。
You　ask　the　agent　。　。　。　he's　a　regular　heathen；　the　elder；　you
know。〃

〃Hold　your　tongue。〃

I　am　holding　my　tongue；　as　it　is；〃　mutters　Denis；　〃but　that　the
elder　has　lied　over　the　account；　I'll　take　my　oath　for　it。　。　。　。
There　are　three　of　us　brothers：　Kuzma　Grigoryev；　then　Yegor
Grigoryev；　and　me；　Denis　Grigoryev。〃

〃You　are　hindering　me。　。　。　。　Hey；　Semyon；〃　cries　the　magistrate；
〃take　him　away！〃

〃There　are　three　of　us　brothers；〃　mutters　Denis；　as　two　stalwart
soldiers　take　him　and　lead　him　out　of　the　room。　〃A　brother　is　not
responsible　for　a　brother。　Kuzma　does　not　pay；　so　you；　Denis；
must　answer　for　it。　。　。　。　Judges　indeed！　Our　master　the　general
is　dead　　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven　be　his　　or　he　would　have　shown
you　judges。　。　。　。　You　ought　to　judge　sensibly；　not　at　random。　。　。
。　Flog　if　you　like；　but　flog　someone　who　deserves　it；　flog　with
conscience。〃


PEASANTS

I

NIKOLAY　TCHIKILDYEEV；　a　waiter　in　the　Moscow　hotel；　Slavyansky
Bazaar；　was　taken　ill。　His　legs　went　numb　an