the man who was afraid-第11节

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ot　teach　you　how　to　make　use　of　them。　Understand？　Let　us　see：　Suppose　an　adze　were　handed　to　a　carpenter　for　him　to　square　a　beam　with　it。　It's　not　enough　to　have　hands　and　an　adze；　it　is　also　necessary　for　him　to　know　how　to　strike　the　wood　so　as　not　to　hit　his　foot　instead。　To　you　the　knowledge　of　reading　and　writing　is　given；　and　you　must　regulate　your　life　with　it。　Thus　it　follows　that　books　alone　are　but　a　trifle　in　this　matter；　it　is　necessary　to　be　able　to　take　advantage　of　them。　And　it　is　this　ability　that　is　more　cunning　than　any　books；　and　yet　nothing　about　it　is　written　in　the　books。　This；　Foma；　you　must　learn　from　Life　itself。　A　book　is　a　dead　thing；　you　may　take　it　as　you　please；　you　may　tear　it；　break　itit　will　not　cry　out。　While　should　you　but　make　a　single　wrong　step　in　life；　or　wrongly　occupy　a　place　in　it；　Life　will　start　to　bawl　at　you　in　a　thousand　voices；　it　will　deal　you　a　blow；　felling　you　to　the　ground。〃

Foma；　his　elbows　leaning　on　the　table；　attentively　listened　to　his　father；　and　under　the　sound　of　his　powerful　voice　he　pictured　to　himself　now　the　carpenter　squaring　a　beam；　now　himself；　his　hands　outstretched；　carefully　and　stealthily　approaching　some　colossal　and　living　thing；　and　desiring　to　grasp　that　terrible　something。

〃A　man　must　preserve　himself　for　his　work　and　must　be　thoroughly　acquainted　with　the　road　to　it。　A　man；　dear；　is　like　the　pilot　on　a　ship。　In　youth；　as　at　high　tide；　go　straight！　A　way　is　open　to　you　everywhere。　But　you　must　know　when　it　is　time　to　steer。　The　waters　recedehere　you　see　a　sandbank；　there；　a　rock；　it　is　necessary　to　know　all　this　and　to　slip　off　in　time；　in　order　to　reach　the　harbour　safe　and　sound。〃

〃I　will　reach　it！〃　said　the　boy；　looking　at　his　father　proudly　and　with　confidence。

〃Eh？　You　speak　courageously！〃　Ignat　burst　into　laughter。　And　the　aunt　also　began　to　laugh　kindly。

Since　his　trip　with　his　father　on　the　Volga；　Foma　became　more　lively　and　talkative　at　home；　with　his　father；　with　his　aunt　and　with　Mayakin。　But　on　the　street；　in　a　new　place；　or　in　the　presence　of　strangers；　he　was　always　gloomy；　always　looking　about　him　with　suspicion；　as　though　he　felt　something　hostile　to　him　everywhere；　something　hidden　from　him　spying　on　him。

At　nights　he　sometimes　awoke　of　a　sudden　and　listened　for　a　long　time　to　the　silence　about　him；　fixedly　staring　into　the　dark　with　wide…open　eyes。　And　then　his　father's　stories　were　transformed　before　him　into　images　and　pictures。　Without　being　aware　of　it；　he　mixed　up　those　stories　with　his　aunt's　fairy…tales；　thus　creating　for　himself　a　chaos　of　adventures　wherein　the　bright　colours　of　fantasy　were　whimsically　intertwined　with　the　stern　shades　of　reality。　This　resulted　in　something　colossal；　incomprehensible；　the　boy　closed　his　eyes　and　drove　it　all　away　from　him　and　tried　to　check　the　play　of　his　imagination；　which　frightened　him。　In　vain　he　attempted　to　fall　asleep；　and　the　chamber　became　more　and　more　crowded　with　dark　images。　Then　he　quietly　roused　his　aunt。

〃Auntie！　Auntie！〃

〃What？　Christ　be　with　you。〃

〃I'll　come　to　you；〃　whispered　Foma。

〃Why？　Sleep；　darling；　sleep。〃

〃I　am　afraid；〃　confessed　the　boy。

〃You　better　say　to　yourself；　'And　the　Lord　will　rise　again；'　then　you　won't　be　afraid。〃

Foma　lies　with　his　eyes　open　and　says　the　prayer。　The　silence　of　the　night　pictures　itself　before　him　in　the　form　of　an　endless　expanse　of　perfectly　calm；　dark　water；　which　has　overflowed　everything　and　congealed；　there　is　not　a　ripple　on　it；　not　a　shadow　of　a　motion；　and　neither　is　there　anything　within　it；　although　it　is　bottomlessly　deep。　It　is　very　terrible　for　one　to　look　down　from　the　dark　at　this　dead　water。　But　now　the　sound　of　the　night　watchman's　mallet　is　heard；　and　the　boy　sees　that　the　surface　of　the　water　is　beginning　to　tremble；　and；　covering　the　surface　with　ripples；　light　little　balls　are　dancing　upon　it。　The　sound　of　the　bell　on　the　steeple；　with　one　mighty　swing；　brings　all　the　water　in　agitation　and　it　is　slightly　trembling　from　that　sound；　a　big　spot　of　light　is　also　trembling；　spreading　light　upon　the　water；　radiating　from　its　centre　into　the　dark　distance；　there　growing　paler　and　dying　out。　Again　there　is　weary　and　deathlike　repose　in　this　dark　desert。

〃Auntie；〃　whispers　Foma；　beseechingly。

〃Dearest？〃

〃I　am　coming　to　you。〃

〃Come；　then；　come；　my　darling。〃

Going　over　into　auntie's　bed；　he　presses　close　to　her；　begging：

〃Tell　me　something。〃

〃At　night？〃　protests　auntie；　sleepily。

〃Please。〃

He　does　not　have　to　ask　her　long。　Yawning；　her　eyes　closed；　the　old　woman　begins　slowly　in　a　voice　grown　heavy　with　sleep：

〃Well；　my　dear　sir；　in　a　certain　kingdom；　in　a　certain　empire；　there　lived　a　man　and　his　wife；　and　they　were　very　poor。　They　were　so　unfortunate　that　they　had　nothing　to　eat。　They　would　go　around　begging；　somebody　would　give　them　a　crust　of　stale　bread　and　that　would　keep　them　for　awhile。　And　it　came　to　pass　that　the　wife　begot　a　childa　child　was　bornit　was　necessary　to　christen　it；　but；　being　poor；　they　could　not　entertain　the　godparents　and　the　guests；　so　nobody　came　to　christen　the　child。　They　tried　this　and　they　tried　thatyet　nobody　came。　And　they　began　to　pray　to　the　Lord；　'0h　Lord！　0h　Lord！'〃

Foma　knew　this　awful　story　about　God's　godchild。　He　had　heard　it　more　than　once　and　was　already　picturing　to　himself　this　godchild　riding　on　a　white　horse　to　his　godfather　and　godmother；　he　was　riding　in　the　darkness；　over　the　desert；　and　he　saw　there　all　the　unbearable　miseries　to　which　sinners　are　condemned。　And　he　heard　their　faint　moans　and　requests：

〃Oh！　Man！　Ask　the　Lord　yet　how　long　are　we　to　suffer　here！〃

Then　it　appeared　to　Foma　that　it　was　he　who　was　riding　at　night　on　the　white　horse；　and　that　the　moans　and　the　implorings　were　addressed　to　him。　His　heart　contracts　with　some　incomprehensible　desire；　sorrow　compressed　his　breast　and　tears　gathered　in　his　eyes；　which　he　had　firmly　closed　and　now　feared　to　open。

He　is　tossing　about　in　his　bed　restlessly；

〃Sleep；　my　child。　Christ　be　with　you！〃　says　the　old　woman；　interrupting　her　tale　of　men　suffering　for　their　sins。

But　in　the　morning　after　such　a　night　Foma　rose　sound　and　cheerful；　washed　himself　hastily；　drank　his　tea　in　haste　and　ran　off　to　school；　provided　with　sweet　cakes；　which　were　awaited　by　the　always　hungry　little　Yozhov；　who　greedily　subsisted　on　his　rich　friend's　generosity。

〃Got　anything　to　eat？〃　he　accosted　Foma；　turning　up　his　sharp…pointed　nose。　〃Let　me　have　it；　for　I　left　the　house　without　eating　anything。　I　slept　too　long；　devil　take　it！　I　studied　up　to　two　o'clock　last　night。　Have　you　solved　your　problems？〃

〃No；　I　haven't。〃

〃Eh；　you　lazy　bones！　Well；　I'll　dash　them　off　for　you　directly！〃

Driving　his　small；　thin　teeth　into　the　cakes；　he　purred　something　like　a　kitten；　stamped　his　left　foot；　beating　time；　and　at　the　same　time　solved　the　problem；　rattling　off　short　phrases　to　Foma：

〃See？　Eight　bucketfuls　leaked　out　in　one　hour。　And　how　many　hours　did　it　leaksix？　Eh；　what　good　things　they　eat　in　your　house！　Consequently；　we　must　multiply　six　by　eight。　Do　you　like　cake　with　green　onions？　Oh；　how　I　like　it！　So　that　in　six　hours　forty…　eight　bucketfuls　leaked　out　of　the　first　gauge…cock。　And　altogether　the　tub　contained　ninety。　Do　you　understand　the　rest？〃

Foma　liked　Yozhov　better　than　Smolin；　but　he　was　more　friendly　with　Smolin。　He　wondered　at　the　ability　and　the　sprightliness　of　the　little　fellow。　He　saw　that　Yozhov　was　more　clever　and　better　than　himself；　he　envied　him；　and　felt　offended　on　that　account；　and　at　the　same　time　he　pitied　him　with　the　condescending　compassion　of　a　satisfied　man　for　a　hungry　one。　Perhaps　it　was　this　very　compassion　that　prevented　him　from　preferring　this　bright　boy　to　the　boring　red…headed　Smolin。　Yozhov；　fond　of　having　a　laugh　at　the　expense　of　his　well…fed　friends；　told　them　quite　often：　〃Eh；　you　are　little　trunks　full　of　cakes！〃

Foma　was　angry　with　him　for　his　sneers；　and　one　day；　touched　to　the　quick；　said　wickedly　and　with　contempt：

〃And　you　are　a　beggara　pauper！〃

Yozhov's　yellow　face　became　overcast；　and　he　replied　slowly：

〃Very　well；　so　be　it！　I　shall　never　prompt　you　againand　you'll　be　like　a　log　of　wood！〃

And　they　did　not　speak　to　each　other　for　about　three　days；　very　much　to　the　regret　of　the　teacher；　who　during　these　days　had　to　give　the　lowest　markings　to　the　son　of　the　esteemed　Ignat　Matveyich。

Yozhov　knew　everything：　he　related　at　school　how　the　procurator's　chambermaid　gave　birth　to　a　child；　and　that　for　this　the　procurator's　wife　poured　hot　coffee　over　her　husband；　he　could　tell　where　and　when　it　was　best　to　catch　perch；　he　knew　how　to　make　traps　and　cages　for　birds；　he　could　give　a　detailed　account　of　how　the　soldier　had　hanged　himself　in　the　garret　of　the　armoury；　and　knew　from　which　of　the　pupils'　parents　the　teacher　had　received　a　present　that　day　and　precisely　what　sort　of　a　present　it　was。

The　sphere　of　Smolin's　knowledge　and　interests　was　confined　to　the　merchant's　mode　of　life；　and；　above　all；　the　red…headed　boy　was　fond　of　judging　whether　this　man　was　richer　than　that；　valuing　and　pricing　their　houses；　their　vessels　and　their　horses。　All　this　he　knew　to　perfection；　and　spoke　of　it　with　e