01-the forged coupon-第5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！


der　to　get　the　information　he　wanted。　　He　took
precautions　to　make　sure　that　the　watchman　was
absent；　and　that　the　horses　were　standing　in　their
boxes　in　the　stable。　　He　brought　the　thieves　to
the　place；　and　helped　them　to　carry　off　the　three
horses。

They　divided　their　gains；　and　Ivan　Mironov
returned　to　his　wife　with　five　roubles　in　his　pocket。　
He　had　nothing　to　do　at　home；　having　no　horse
to　work　in　the　field；　and　therefore　continued　to
steal　horses　in　company　with　professional　horse…
thieves　and　gipsies。



XI

PETER　NIKOLAEVICH　SVENTIZKY　did　his　best　to
discover　who　had　stolen　his　horses。　　He　knew
somebody　on　the　estate　must　have　helped　the
thieves；　and　began　to　suspect　all　his　staff。　　He
inquired　who　had　slept　out　that　night；　and　the
gang　of　the　working　men　told　him　Proshka　had
not　been　in　the　whole　night。　　Proshka；　or　Prokofy
Nikolaevich；　was　a　young　fellow　who　had　just　fin…
ished　his　military　service；　handsome；　and　skilful
in　all　he　did；　Peter　Nikolaevich　employed　him　at
times　as　coachman。　　The　district　constable　was　a
friend　of　Peter　Nikolaevich；　as　were　the　provin…
cial　head　of　the　police；　the　marshal　of　the　nobility；
and　also　the　rural　councillor　and　the　examining
magistrate。　　They　all　came　to　his　house　on　his
saint's　day；　drinking　the　cherry　brandy　he　offered
them　with　pleasure；　and　eating　the　nice　preserved
mushrooms　of　all　kinds　to　accompany　the　liqueurs。　
They　all　sympathised　with　him　in　his　trouble　and
tried　to　help　him。

〃You　always　used　to　take　the　side　of　the　peas…
ants；〃　said　the　district　constable；　〃and　there　you
are！　　I　was　right　in　saying　they　are　worse　than
wild　beasts。　　Flogging　is　the　only　way　to　keep
them　in　order。　　Well；　you　say　it　is　all　Proshka's
doings。　　Is　it　not　he　who　was　your　coachman
sometimes？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　he。〃

〃Will　you　kindly　call　him？〃

Proshka　was　summoned　before　the　constable；
who　began　to　examine　him。

〃Where　were　you　that　night？〃

Proshka　pushed　back　his　hair；　and　his　eyes
sparkled。

〃At　home。〃

〃How　so？　All　the　men　say　you　were　not　in。〃

〃Just　as　you　please；　your　honour。〃

〃My　pleasure　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　mat…
ter。　　Tell　me　where　you　were　that　night。〃

〃At　home。〃

〃Very　well。　　Policeman；　bring　him　to　the　po…
lice…station。〃

The　reason　why　Proshka　did　not　say　where　he
had　been　that　night　was　that　he　had　spent　it　with
his　sweetheart；　Parasha；　and　had　promised　not　to
give　her　away。　　He　kept　his　word。　　No　proofs
were　discovered　against　him；　and　he　was　soon　dis…
charged。　　But　Peter　Nikolaevich　was　convinced
that　Prokofy　had　been　at　the　bottom　of　the　whole
affair；　and　began　to　hate　him。　　One　day　Proshka
bought　as　usual　at　the　merchant's　two　measures　of
oats。　　One　and　a　half　he　gave　to　the　horses；　and
half　a　measure　he　gave　back　to　the　merchant；　the
money　for　it　he　spent　in　drink。　　Peter　Nikolae…
vich　found　it　out；　and　charged　Prokofy　with　cheat…
ing。　　The　judge　sentenced　the　man　to　three
months'　imprisonment。

Prokofy　had　a　rather　proud　nature；　and　thought
himself　superior　to　others。　　Prison　was　a　great
humiliation　for　him。　　He　came　out　of　it　very
depressed；　there　was　nothing　more　to　be　proud
of　in　life。　　And　more　than　that；　he　felt　extremely
bitter；　not　only　against　Peter　Nikolaevich；　but
against　the　whole　world。

On　the　whole；　as　all　the　people　around　him　no…
ticed；　Prokofy　became　another　man　after　his　im…
prisonment；　both　careless　and　lazy；　he　took　to
drink；　and　he　was　soon　caught　stealing　clothes　at
some　woman's　house；　and　found　himself　again　in
prison。

All　that　Peter　Nikolaevich　discovered　about　his
grey　horses　was　the　hide　of　one　of　them；　Beauty；
which　had　been　found　somewhere　on　the　estate。　
The　fact　that　the　thieves　had　got　off　scot…free
irritated　Peter　Nikolaevich　still　more。　　He　was
unable　now　to　speak　of　the　peasants　or　to　look　at
them　without　anger。　　And　whenever　he　could　he
tried　to　oppress　them。



XII

AFTER　having　got　rid　of　the　coupon；　Eugene
Mihailovich　forgot　all　about　it；　but　his　wife；　Ma…
ria　Vassilievna；　could　not　forgive　herself　for　hav…
ing　been　taken　in；　nor　yet　her　husband　for　his　cruel
words。　　And　most　of　all　she　was　furious　against
the　two　boys　who　had　so　skilfully　cheated　her。
From　the　day　she　had　accepted　the　forged　coupon
as　payment；　she　looked　closely　at　all　the　school…
boys　who　came　in　her　way　in　the　streets。　　One
day　she　met　Mahin；　but　did　not　recognise　him；
for　on　seeing　her　he　made　a　face　which　quite
changed　his　features。　　But　when；　a　fortnight　after
the　incident　with　the　coupon；　she　met　Mitia
Smokovnikov　face　to　face；　she　knew　him　at　once。

She　let　him　pass　her；　then　turned　back　and
followed　him；　and　arriving　at　his　house　she　made
inquiries　as　to　whose　son　he　was。　　The　next　day
she　went　to　the　school　and　met　the　divinity
instructor；　the　priest　Michael　Vedensky；　in　the
hall。　　He　asked　her　what　she　wanted。　　She　an…
swered　that　she　wished　to　see　the　head　of　the
school。　　〃He　is　not　quite　well；〃　said　the　priest。　
〃Can　I　be　of　any　use　to　you；　or　give　him　your
message？〃

Maria　Vassilievna　thought　that　she　might　as
well　tell　the　priest　what　was　the　matter。　　Michael
Vedensky　was　a　widower；　and　a　very　ambitious
man。　　A　year　ago　he　had　met　Mitia　Smokovni…
kov's　father　in　society；　and　had　had　a　discussion
with　him　on　religion。　　Smokovnikov　had　beaten
him　decisively　on　all　points；　indeed；　he　had　made
him　appear　quite　ridiculous。　　Since　that　time　the
priest　had　decided　to　pay　special　attention　to
Smokovnikov's　son；　and；　finding　him　as　indifferent
to　religious　matters　as　his　father　was；　he　began
to　persecute　him；　and　even　brought　about　his　fail…
ure　in　examinations。

When　Maria　Vassilievna　told　him　what　young
Smokovnikov　had　done　to　her；　Vedensky　could
not　help　feeling　an　inner　satisfaction。　　He　saw　in
the　boy's　conduct　a　proof　of　the　utter　wickedness
of　those　who　are　not　guided　by　the　rules　of　the
Church。　　He　decided　to　take　advantage　of　this
great　opportunity　of　warning　unbelievers　of　the
perils　that　threatened　them。　　At　all　events；　he
wanted　to　persuade　himself　that　this　was　the　only
motive　that　guided　him　in　the　course　he　had　re…
solved　to　take。　　But　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart　he
was　only　anxious　to　get　his　revenge　on　the　proud
atheist。

〃Yes；　it　is　very　sad　indeed；〃　said　Father　Mi…
chael；　toying　with　the　cross　he　was　wearing　over
his　priestly　robes；　and　passing　his　hands　over　its
polished　sides。　　〃I　am　very　glad　you　have　given
me　your　confidence。　　As　a　servant　of　the　Church
I　shall　admonish　the　young　manof　course　with
the　utmost　kindness。　　I　shall　certainly　do　it　in
the　way　that　befits　my　holy　office；〃　said　Father
Michael　to　himself；　really　thinking　that　he　had
forgotten　the　ill…feeling　the　boy's　father　had　to…
wards　him。　　He　firmly　believed　the　boy's　soul
to　be　the　only　object　of　his　pious　care。

The　next　day；　during　the　divinity　lesson　which
Father　Michael　was　giving　to　Mitia　Smokovni…
kov's　class；　he　narrated　the　incident　of　the　forged
coupon；　adding　that　the　culprit　had　been　one　of
the　pupils　of　the　school。　　〃It　was　a　very　wicked
thing　to　do；〃　he　said；　〃but　to　deny　the　crime　is
still　worse。　　If　it　is　true　that　the　sin　has　been　com…
mitted　by　one　of　you；　let　the　guilty　one　confess。〃
In　saying　this；　Father　Michael　looked　sharply　at
Mitia　Smokovnikov。　　All　the　boys；　following　his
glance；　turned　also　to　Mitia；　who　blushed；　and
felt　extremely　ill　at　ease；　with　large　beads　of
perspiration　on　his　face。　　Finally；　he　burst　into
tears；　and　ran　out　of　the　classroom。　　His　mother；
noticing　his　trouble；　found　out　the　truth；　ran　at
once　to　the　photographer's　shop；　paid　over　the
twelve　roubles　and　fifty　kopeks　to　Maria　Vas…
silievna；　and　made　her　promise　to　deny　the　boy's
guilt。　　She　further　implored　Mitia　to　hide　the
truth　from　everybody；　and　in　any　case　to　withhold
it　from　his　father。

Accordingly；　when　Fedor　Mihailovich　had
heard　of　the　incident　in　the　divinity　class；　and　his
son；　questioned　by　him；　had　denied　all　accusations；
he　called　at　once　on　the　head　of　the　school；　told
him　what　had　happened；　expressed　his　indignation
at　Father　Michael's　conduct；　and　said　he　would
not　let　matters　remain　as　they　were。

Father　Michael　was　sent　for；　and　immediately
fell　into　a　hot　dispute　with　Smokovnikov。

〃A　stupid　woman　first　falsely　accused　my　son；
then　retracts　her　accusation；　and　you　of　course
could　not　hit　on　anything　more　sensible　to　do　than
to　slander　an　honest　and　truthful　boy！〃

〃I　did　not　slander　him；　and　I　must　beg　you　not
to　address　me　in　such　a　way。　　You　forget　what
is　due　to　my　cloth。〃

〃Your　cloth　is　of　no　consequence　to　me。〃

〃Your　perversity　in　matters　of　religion　is
known　to　everybody　in　the　town！〃　replied　Father
Michael；　and　he　was　so　transported　with　anger
that　his　long　thin　head　quivered。

〃Gentlemen！　Father　Michael！〃　exclaimed
the　director　of　the　school；　trying　to　appease　their
wrath。　　But　they　did　not　listen　to　him。

〃It　is　my　duty　as　a　priest　to　look　after　the
religious　and　moral　education　of　our　pupils。〃

〃Oh；　cease　your　pretence　to　be　religious！
Oh；　stop　all　this　humbug　of　religion！　As　if　I
did　not　know　that　you　believe　neither　in　God　nor
Devil。〃

〃I　consider　it　beneath　my　dignity　to　talk　to　a
man　like　you；〃　said　F