03-a lost opportunity-第4节

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speak　to　the　wrangling　women；　but　immediately　left　the　room；

directing　his　steps　toward　the　barn。　　Before　getting　through　with

his　work　the　sun　had　set　and　the　boys　had　returned　from　their

plowing。　　Ivan　met　them　and　asked　about　their　work；　helping　them

to　put　things　in　order　and　leaving　the　broken　horse…collar　aside

to　be　repaired。　　He　intended　to　perform　some　other　duties；　but　it

became　too　dark　and　he　was　obliged　to　leave　them　till　the　next

day。　　He　fed　the　cattle；　however；　and　opened　the　gate　that

Taraska　might　take　his　horses　to　pasture　for　the　night；　after

which　he　closed　it　again　and　went　into　the　house　for　his　supper。



By　this　time　he　had　forgotten　all　about　Gavryl　and　what　his

father　had　said　to　him。　　Yet；　just　as　he　touched　the　door…knob；

he　heard　sounds　of　quarrelling　proceeding　from　his　neighbor's

house。



〃What　do　I　want　with　that　devil？〃　shouted　Gavryl　to　some　one。　

〃He　deserves　to　be　killed！〃



Ivan　stopped　and　listened　for　a　moment；　when　he　shook　his　head

threateningly　and　entered　the　room。　　When　he　came　in；　the

apartment　was　already　lighted。　　His　daughter…in…law　was　working

with　her　loom；　while　the　old　woman　was　preparing　the　supper。　　The

eldest　son　was　twining　strings　for　his　lapti　（peasant's　shoes

made　of　strips　of　bark　from　the　linden…tree）。　　The　other　son　was

sitting　by　the　table　reading　a　book。　　The　room　presented　a

pleasant　appearance；　everything　being　in　order　and　the　inmates

apparently　gay　and　happythe　only　dark　shadow　being　that　cast

over　the　household　by　Ivan's　trouble　with　his　neighbor。



Ivan　came　in　very　cross；　and；　angrily　throwing　aside　a　cat　which

lay　sleeping　on　the　bench；　cursed　the　women　for　having　misplaced

a　pail。　　He　looked　very　sad　and　serious；　and；　seating　himself　in

a　corner　of　the　room；　proceeded　to　repair　the　horse…collar。　　He

could　not　forget　Gavryl；　howeverthe　threatening　words　he　had

used　in　the　court…room　and　those　which　Ivan　had　just　heard。



Presently　Taraska　came　in；　and　after　having　his　supper；　put　on

his　sheepskin　coat；　and；　taking　some　bread　with　him；　returned　to

watch　over　his　horses　for　the　night。　　His　eldest　brother　wished

to　accompany　him；　but　Ivan　himself　arose　and　went　with　him　as　far

as　the　porch。　　The　night　was　dark　and　cloudy　and　a　strong　wind

was　blowing；　which　produced　a　peculiar　whistling　sound　that　was

most　unpleasant　to　the　ear。　　Ivan　helped　his　son　to　mount　his

horse；　which；　followed　by　a　colt；　started　off　on　a　gallop。



Ivan　stood　for　a　few　moments　looking　around　him　and　listening　to

the　clatter　of　the　horse's　hoofs　as　Taraska　rode　down　the　village

street。　He　heard　him　meet　other　boys　on　horseback；　who　rode　quite

as　well　as　Taraska；　and　soon　all　were　lost　in　the　darkness。



Ivan　remained　standing　by　the　gate　in　a　gloomy　mood；　as　he　was

unable　to　banish　from　his　mind　the　harassing　thoughts　of　Gavryl；

which　the　latter's　menacing　words　had　inspired：　〃Something　will

burn　with　greater　fierceness　in　Ivan's　household　before　long。〃



〃He　is　so　desperate；〃　thought　Ivan；　〃that　he　may　set　fire　to　my

house　regardless　of　the　danger　to　his　own。　　At　present　everything

is　dry；　and　as　the　wind　is　so　high　he　may　sneak　from　the　back　of

his　own　building；　start　a　fire；　and　get　away　unseen　by　any　of　us。



He　may　burn　and　steal　without　being　found　out；　and　thus　go

unpunished。　　I　wish　I　could　catch　him。〃



This　thought　so　worried　Ivan　that　he　decided　not　to　return　to　his

house；　but　went　out　and　stood　on　the　street…corner。



〃I　guess；〃　thought　Ivan　to　himself；　〃I　will　take　a　walk　around

the　premises　and　examine　everything　carefully；　for　who　knows　what

he　may　be　tempted　to　do？〃



Ivan　moved　very　cautiously　round　to　the　back　of　his　buildings；

not　making　the　slightest　noise；　and　scarcely　daring　to　breathe。　

Just　as　he　reached　a　corner　of　the　house　he　looked　toward　the

fence；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　saw　something　moving；　and

that　it　was　slowly　creeping　toward　the　corner　of　the　house

opposite　to　where　he　was　standing。　　He　stepped　back　quickly　and

hid　himself　in　the　shadow　of　the　building。　　Ivan　stood　and

listened；　but　all　was　quiet。　　Not　a　sound　could　be　heard　but　the

moaning　of　the　wind　through　the　branches　of　the　trees；　and　the

rustling　of　the　leaves　as　it　caught　them　up　and　whirled　them　in

all　directions。　　So　dense　was　the　darkness　that　it　was　at　first

impossible　for　Ivan　to　see　more　than　a　few　feet　beyond　where　he

stood。



After　a　time；　however；　his　sight　becoming　accustomed　to　the

gloom；　he　was　enabled　to　see　for　a　considerable　distance。　　The

plow　and　his　other　farming　implements　stood　just　where　he　had

placed　them。　　He　could　see　also　the　opposite　corner　of　the　house。



He　looked　in　every　direction；　but　no　one　was　in　sight；　and　he

thought　to　himself　that　his　imagination　must　have　played　him　some

trick；　leading　him　to　believe　that　some　one　was　moving　when　there

really　was　no　one　there。



Still；　Ivan　was　not　satisfied；　and　decided　to　make　a　further

examination　of　the　premises。　　As　on　the　previous　occasion；　he

moved　so　very　cautiously　that　he　could　not　hear　even　the　sound　of

his　own　footsteps。　　He　had　taken　the　precaution　to　remove　his

shoes；　that　he　might　step　the　more　noiselessly。　　When　he　reached

the　corner　of　the　barn　it　again　seemed　to　him　that　he　saw

something　moving；　this　time　near　the　plow；　but　it　quickly

disappeared。　　By　this　time　Ivan's　heart　was　beating　very　fast；

and　he　was　standing　in　a　listening　attitude　when　a　sudden　flash

of　light　illumined　the　spot；　and　he　could　distinctly　see　the

figure　of　a　man　seated　on　his　haunches　with　his　back　turned

toward　him；　and　in　the　act　of　lighting　a　bunch　of　straw　which　he

held　in　his　hand！　　Ivan's　heart　began　to　beat　yet　faster；　and　he

became　terribly　excited；　walking　up　and　down　with　rapid　strides；

but　without　making　a　noise。



Ivan　said：　〃Well；　now；　he　cannot　get　away；　for　he　will　be　caught

in　the　very　act。〃



Ivan　had　taken　a　few　more　steps　when　suddenly　a　bright　light

flamed　up；　but　not　in　the　same　spot　in　which　he　had　seen　the

figure　of　the　man　sitting。　　Gavryl　had　lighted　the　straw；　and

running　to　the　barn　held　it　under　the　edge　of　the　roof；　which

began　to　burn　fiercely；　and　by　the　light　of　the　fire　he　could

distinctly　see　his　neighbor　standing。



As　an　eagle　springs　at　a　skylark；　so　sprang　Ivan　at　Gavryl；

saying：　〃I　will　tear　you　into　pieces！　　You　shall　not　get　away

from　me　this　time！〃



But　〃Gavryl　the　Lame；〃　hearing　footsteps；　wrenched　himself　free

from　Ivan's　grasp　and　ran　like　a　hare　past　the　buildings。



Ivan；　now　terribly　excited；　shouted；　〃You　shall　not　escape　me！〃

and　started　in　pursuit；　but　just　as　he　reached　him　and　was　about

to　grasp　the　collar　of　his　coat；　Gavryl　succeeded　in　jumping　to

one　side；　and　Ivan's　coat　became　entangled　in　something　and　he

was　thrown　violently　to　the　ground。　　Jumping　quickly　to　his　feet

he　shouted；　〃Karaool！　derji！〃（watch！　catch！）



While　Ivan　was　regaining　his　feet　Gavryl　succeeded　in　reaching

his　house；　but　Ivan　followed　so　quickly　that　he　caught　up　with

him　before　he　could　enter。　　Just　as　he　was　about　to　grasp　him　he

was　struck　on　the　head　with　some　hard　substance。　　He　had　been　hit

on　the　temple　as　with　a　stone。　　The　blow　was　struck　by　Gavryl；

who　had　picked　up　an　oaken　stave；　and　with　it　gave　Ivan　a

terrible　blow　on　the　head。



Ivan　was　stunned；　and　bright　sparks　danced　before　his　eyes；　while

he　swayed　from　side　to　side　like　a　drunken　man；　until　finally　all

became　dark　and　he　sank　to　the　ground　unconscious。



When　he　recovered　his　senses；　Gavryl　was　nowhere　to　be　seen；　but

all　around　him　was　as　light　as　day。　　Strange　sounds　proceeded

from　the　direction　of　his　house；　and　turning　his　face　that　way　he

saw　that　his　barns　were　on　fire。　　The　rear　parts　of　both　were

already　destroyed；　and　the　flames　were　leaping　toward　the　front。

Fire；　smoke；　and　bits　of　burning　straw　were　being　rapidly　whirled

by　the　high　wind　over　to　where　his　house　stood；　and　he　expected

every　moment　to　see　it　burst　into　flames。



〃What　is　this；　brother？〃　Ivan　cried　out；　as　he　beat　his　thighs

with　his　hands。　　〃I　should　have　stopped　to　snatch　the　bunch　of

burning　straw；　and；　throwing　it　on　the　ground；　should　have

extinguished　it　with　my　feet！〃



Ivan　tried　to　cry　out　and　arouse　his　people；　but　his　lips　refused

to　utter　a　word。　　He　next　tried　to　run；　but　he　could　not　move　his

feet；　and　his　legs　seemed　to　twist　themselves　around　each　other。　

After　several　attempts　he　succeeded　in　taking　one　or　two　steps；

when　he　again　began　to　stagger　and　gasp　for　breath。　It　was　some

moments　before　he　made　another　attempt　to　move；　but　after

considerable　exertion　he　finally　reached　the　barn；　the　rear　of

which　was　by　this　time　entirely　consumed；　and　the　corner　of　his

house　had　already　caught　fire。　　Dense　volumes　of　smoke　began　to

pour　out　of　the　room；　which　made　it　difficult　to　approach。



A　crowd　of　peasants　had　by　this　time　gathered；　but　they　found　it

impossible　to　s