01-the forged coupon-第6节

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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　Father　Michael；　very　much
hurt　by　Smokovnikov's　last　words；　the　more　so
because　he　knew　they　were　true。

Michael　Vedensky　carried　on　his　studies　in　the
academy　for　priests；　and　that　is　why；　for　a　long
time　past；　he　ceased　to　believe　in　what　he　con…
fessed　to　be　his　creed　and　in　what　he　preached
from　the　pulpit；　he　only　knew　that　men　ought　to
force　themselves　to　believe　in　what　he　tried　to
make　himself　believe。

Smokovnikov　was　not　shocked　by　Father　Mi…
chael's　conduct；　he　only　thought　it　illustrative　of
the　influence　the　Church　was　beginning　to　exercise
on　society；　and　he　told　all　his　friends　how　his　son
had　been　insulted　by　the　priest。

Seeing　not　only　young　minds；　but　also　the　elder
generation；　contaminated　by　atheistic　tendencies；
Father　Michael　became　more　and　more　convinced
of　the　necessity　of　fighting　those　tendencies。　　The
more　he　condemned　the　unbelief　of　Smokovnikov；
and　those　like　him；　the　more　confident　he　grew
in　the　firmness　of　his　own　faith；　and　the　less　he
felt　the　need　of　making　sure　of　it；　or　of　bringing
his　life　into　harmony　with　it。　　His　faith；　acknowl…
edged　as　such　by　all　the　world　around　him；　be…
came　Father　Michael's　very　best　weapon　with
which　to　fight　those　who　denied　it。

The　thoughts　aroused　in　him　by　his　conflict
with　Smokovnikov；　together　with　the　annoyance
of　being　blamed　by　his　chiefs　in　the　school；　made
him　carry　out　the　purpose　he　had　entertained　ever
since　his　wife's　deathof　taking　monastic　orders；
and　of　following　the　course　carried　out　by　some
of　his　fellow…pupils　in　the　academy。　　One　of　them
was　already　a　bishop；　another　an　archimandrite
and　on　the　way　to　become　a　bishop。

At　the　end　of　the　term　Michael　Vedensky　gave
up　his　post　in　the　school；　took　orders　under　the
name　of　Missael；　and　very　soon　got　a　post　as
rector　in　a　seminary　in　a　town　on　the　river　Volga。



XIII

MEANWHILE　the　yard…porter　Vassily　was　march…
ing　on　the　open　road　down　to　the　south。

He　walked　in　daytime；　and　when　night　came
some　policeman　would　get　him　shelter　in　a　peas…
ant's　cottage。　　He　was　given　bread　everywhere；
and　sometimes　he　was　asked　to　sit　down　to　the
evening　meal。　　In　a　village　in　the　Orel　district；
where　he　had　stayed　for　the　night；　he　heard　that
a　merchant　who　had　hired　the　landowner's　or…
chard　for　the　season；　was　looking　out　for　strong
and　able　men　to　serve　as　watchmen　for　the　fruit…
crops。　　Vassily　was　tired　of　tramping；　and　as　he
had　also　no　desire　whatever　to　go　back　to　his
native　village；　he　went　to　the　man　who　owned　the
orchard；　and　got　engaged　as　watchman　for　five
roubles　a　month。

Vassily　found　it　very　agreeable　to　live　in　his
orchard　shed；　and　all　the　more　so　when　the　apples
and　pears　began　to　grow　ripe；　and　when　the　men
from　the　barn　supplied　him　every　day　with　large
bundles　of　fresh　straw　from　the　threshing　ma…
chine。　　He　used　to　lie　the　whole　day　long　on
the　fragrant　straw；　with　fresh；　delicately　smell…
ing　apples　in　heaps　at　his　side；　looking　out　in
every　direction　to　prevent　the　village　boys　from
stealing　fruit；　and　he　used　to　whistle　and　sing
meanwhile；　to　amuse　himself。　　He　knew　no　end
of　songs；　and　had　a　fine　voice。　　When　peasant
women　and　young　girls　came　to　ask　for　apples；
and　to　have　a　chat　with　him；　Vassily　gave　them
larger　or　smaller　apples　according　as　he　liked
their　looks；　and　received　eggs　or　money　in　re…
turn。　　The　rest　of　the　time　he　had　nothing　to　do；
but　to　lie　on　his　back　and　get　up　for　his　meals　in
the　kitchen。　　He　had　only　one　shirt　left；　one　of
pink　cotton；　and　that　was　in　holes。　　But　he　was
strongly　built　and　enjoyed　excellent　health。　
When　the　kettle　with　black　gruel　was　taken　from
the　stove　and　served　to　the　working　men；　Vassily
used　to　eat　enough　for　three；　and　filled　the　old
watchman　on　the　estate　with　unceasing　wonder。　
At　nights　Vassily　never　slept。　　He　whistled　or
shouted　from　time　to　time　to　keep　off　thieves；　and
his　piercing；　cat…like　eyes　saw　clearly　in　the　dark…
ness。

One　night　a　company　of　young　lads　from　the
village　made　their　way　stealthily　to　the　orchard
to　shake　down　apples　from　the　trees。　　Vassily；
coming　noiselessly　from　behind；　attacked　them；
they　tried　to　escape；　but　he　took　one　of　them
prisoner　to　his　master。

Vassily's　first　shed　stood　at　the　farthest　end　of
the　orchard；　but　after　the　pears　had　been　picked
he　had　to　remove　to　another　shed　only　forty　paces
away　from　the　house　of　his　master。　　He　liked
this　new　place　very　much。　　The　whole　day　long
he　could　see　the　young　ladies　and　gentlemen　en…
joying　themselves；　going　out　for　drives　in　the
evenings　and　quite　late　at　nights；　playing　the　piano
or　the　violin；　and　singing　and　dancing。　　He　saw
the　ladies　sitting　with　the　young　students　on　the
window　sills；　engaged　in　animated　conversation；
and　then　going　in　pairs　to　walk　the　dark　avenue
of　lime　trees；　lit　up　only　by　streaks　of　moon…
light。　　He　saw　the　servants　running　about　with
food　and　drink；　he　saw　the　cooks；　the　stewards；
the　laundresses；　the　gardeners；　the　coachmen；　hard
at　work　to　supply　their　masters　with　food　and
drink　and　constant　amusement。　　Sometimes　the
young　people　from　the　master's　house　came　to
the　shed；　and　Vassily　offered　them　the　choicest
apples；　juicy　and　red。　　The　young　ladies　used　to
take　large　bites　out　of　the　apples　on　the　spot；
praising　their　taste；　and　spoke　French　to　one　an…
otherVassily　quite　understood　it　was　all　about
himand　asked　Vassily　to　sing　for　them。

Vassily　felt　the　greatest　admiration　for　his
master's　mode　of　living；　which　reminded　him　of
what　he　had　seen　in　Moscow；　and　he　became　more
and　more　convinced　that　the　only　thing　that　mat…
tered　in　life　was　money。　　He　thought　and　thought
how　to　get　hold　of　a　large　sum　of　money。　　He
remembered　his　former　ways　of　making　small
profits　whenever　he　could；　and　came　to　the　con…
clusion　that　that　was　altogether　wrong。　　Occa…
sional　stealing　is　of　no　use；　he　thought。　　He　must
arrange　a　well…prepared　plan；　and　after　getting
all　the　information　he　wanted；　carry　out　his　pur…
pose　so　as　to　avoid　detection。

After　the　feast　of　Nativity　of　the　Blessed　Vir…
gin　Mary；　the　last　crop　of　autumn　apples　was
gathered；　the　master　was　content　with　the　results；
paid　off　Vassily；　and　gave　him　an　extra　sum　as
reward　for　his　faithful　service。

Vassily　put　on　his　new　jacket；　and　a　new　hat
both　were　presents　from　his　master's　son
but　did　not　make　his　way　homewards。　　He　hated
the　very　thought　of　the　vulgar　peasants'　life。　　He
went　back　to　Moscow　in　company　of　some　drunken
soldiers；　who　had　been　watchmen　in　the　orchard
together　with　him。　　On　his　arrival　there　he　at
once　resolved；　under　cover　of　night；　to　break　into
the　shop　where　he　had　been　employed；　and　beaten；
and　then　turned　out　by　the　proprietor　without　be…
ing　paid。　　He　knew　the　place　well；　and　knew
where　the　money　was　locked　up。　　So　he　bade　the
soldiers；　who　helped　him；　keep　watch　outside；　　and
forcing　the　courtyard　door　entered　the　shop　　and
took　all　the　money　he　could　lay　his　hands　on。　
All　this　was　done　very　cleverly；　and　no　trace　was
left　of　the　burglary。　　The　money　Vassily　had
found　in　the　shop　amounted　to　370　roubles。　　He
gave　a　hundred　roubles　to　his　assistants；　and　with
the　rest　left　for　another　town　where　he　gave　way
to　dissipation　in　company　of　friends　of　both　sexes。　
The　police　traced　his　movements；　and　when　at
last　he　was　arrested　and　put　into　prison　he　had
hardly　anything　left　out　of　the　money　which　he
had　stolen。



XIV

IVAN　MIRONOV　had　become　a　very　clever；　fear…
less　and　successful　horse…thief。　　Afimia；　his　wife；
who　at　first　used　to　abuse　him　for　his　evil　ways；
as　she　called　it；　was　now　quite　content　and　felt
proud　of　her　husband；　who　possessed　a　new　sheep…
skin　coat；　while　she　also　had　a　warm　jacket　and
a　new　fur　cloak。

In　the　village　and　throughout　the　whole　dis…
trict　every　one　knew　quite　well　that　Ivan　Mironov
was　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　horse…stealing；　but
nobody　would　give　him　away；　being　afraid　of　the
consequences。　　Whenever　suspicion　fell　on　him；
he　managed　to　clear　his　character。　　Once　during
the　night　he　stole　horses　from　the　pasture　ground
in　the　village　Kolotovka。　　He　generally　preferred
to　steal　horses　from　landowners　or　tradespeople。　
But　this　was　a　harder　job；　and　when　he　had　no
chance　of　success　he　did　not　mind　robbing　peasants
too。　　In　Kolotovka　he　drove　off　the　horses　with…
out　making　sure　whose　they　were。　　He　did　not
go　himself　to　the　spot；　but　sent　a　young　and　clever
fellow；　Gerassim；　to　do　the　stealing　for　him。　　The
peasants　only　got　to　know　of　the　theft　at　dawn；
they　rushed　in　all　directions　to　hunt　for　the　rob…
bers。　　The　horses；　meanwhile；　were　hidden　in　a
ravine　in　the　forest　lands　belonging　to　the　state。

Ivan　Mironov　intended　to　leave　them　there　till
the　following　night；　and　then　to　transport　them
with　the　utmost　haste　a　hundred　miles　away　to　a
man　he　knew。　　He　visited　Gerassim　in　the　forest；
to　see　how　he　was　getting　on；　brought　him　a　pie
and　some　vodka；　and　was　returning　home　by　a
side　track　in　the　forest　where　he　hoped　to　meet
nobody。　　But　by　ill…luck；　he　chanced　on　the　keeper