the witch and other stories(女巫)-第33章
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！
morsel for these three days。〃
〃Three days！〃 said Crutch； amazed。
〃Here he sits and does not say a word。 He has grown feeble。 And why
be silent？ He ought to prosecute her； they wouldn't flatter her in the police
court。〃
〃Wouldn't flatter whom？〃 asked Crutch； not hearing。
〃What？〃
〃The woman's all right； she does her best。 In their line of business they
can't get on without that 。 。 。 without sin； I mean。 。 。 。〃
〃From his own house；〃 Yakov went on with irritation。 〃Save up and
buy your own house； then turn people out of it！ She is a nice one； to be
sure！ A pla…ague！〃
Tsybukin listened and did not stir。
〃Whether it is your own house or others' it makes no difference so long
as it is warm and the women don't scold 。 。 。〃 said Crutch； and he laughed。
〃When I was young I was very fond of my Nastasya。 She was a quiet
woman。 And she used to be always at it： 'Buy a house； Makaritch！ Buy a
house； Makaritch！ Buy a house； Makaritch！' She was dying and yet she
kept on saying； 'Buy yourself a racing droshky； Makaritch； that you may
not have to walk。' And I bought her nothing but gingerbread。〃
〃Her husband's deaf and stupid；〃 Yakov went on； not hearing Crutch；
〃a regular fool； just like a goose。 He can't understand anything。 Hit a goose
on the head with a stick and even then it does not understand。〃
Crutch got up to go home to the factory。 Yakov also got up； and both
of them went off together； still talking。 When they had gone fifty paces old
Tsybukin got up； too； and walked after them； stepping uncertainly as
though on slippery ice。
The village was already plunged in the dusk of evening and the sun
only gleamed on the upper part of the road which ran wriggling like a
snake up the slope。 Old women were coming back from the woods and
children with them； they were bringing baskets of mushrooms。 Peasant
women and girls came in a crowd from the station where they had been
loading the trucks with bricks； and their noses and their cheeks under their
143
… Page 144…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
eyes were covered with red brick…dust。 They were singing。 Ahead of them
all was Lipa singing in a high voice； with her eyes turned upwards to the
sky； breaking into trills as though triumphant and ecstatic that at last the
day was over and she could rest。 In the crowd was her mother Praskovya；
who was walking with a bundle in her arms and breathless as usual。
〃Good…evening； Makaritch！ 〃 cried Lipa； seeing Crutch。 〃Good…
evening； darling！〃
〃Good…evening； Lipinka；〃 cried Crutch delighted。 〃Dear girls and
women； love the rich carpenter！ Ho…ho！ My little children； my little
children。 （Crutch gave a gulp。） My dear little axes！〃
Crutch and Yakov went on further and could still be heard talking。
Then after them the crowd was met by old Tsybukin and there was a
sudden hush。 Lipa and Praskovya had dropped a little behind； and when
the old man was on a level with them Lipa bowed down low and said：
〃Good…evening； Grigory Petrovitch。〃
Her mother； too； bowed down。 The old man stopped and； saying
nothing； looked at the two in silence； his lips were quivering and his eyes
full of tears。 Lipa took out of her mother's bundle a piece of savoury
turnover and gave it him。 He took it and began eating。
The sun had by now set： its glow died away on the road above。 It grew
dark and cool。 Lipa and Praskovya walked on and for some time they kept
crossing themselves。
144
… Page 145…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
THE HUNTSMAN
A SULTRY； stifling midday。 Not a cloudlet in the sky。 。 。 。 The sun…
baked grass had a disconsolate； hopeless look： even if there were rain it
could never be green again。 。 。 。 The forest stood silent； motionless； as
though it were looking at something with its tree…tops or expecting
something。
At the edge of the clearing a tall； narrow…shouldered man of forty in a
red shirt； in patched trousers that had been a gentleman's； and in high
boots； was slouching along with a lazy； shambling step。 He was sauntering
along the road。 On the right was the green of the clearing； on the left a
golden sea of ripe rye stretched to the very horizon。 He was red and
perspiring； a white cap with a straight jockey peak； evidently a gift from
some open…handed young gentleman； perched jauntily on his handsome
flaxen head。 Across his shoulder hung a game…bag with a blackcock lying
in it。 The man held a double…barrelled gun cocked in his hand； and
screwed up his eyes in the direction of his lean old dog who was running
on ahead sniffing the bushes。 There was stillness all round； not a sound 。 。 。
everything living was hiding away from the heat。
〃Yegor Vlassitch！〃 the huntsman suddenly heard a soft voice。
He started and； looking round； scowled。 Beside him； as though she had
sprung out of the earth； stood a pale…faced woman of thirty with a sickle in
her hand。 She was trying to look into his face； and was smiling diffidently。
〃Oh； it is you； Pelagea！〃 said the huntsman； stopping and deliberately
uncocking the gun。 〃H'm！ 。 。 。 How have you come here？〃
〃The women from our village are working here； so I have come with
them。 。 。 。 As a labourer； Yegor Vlassitch。〃
〃Oh 。 。 。〃 growled Yegor Vlassitch； and slowly walked on。
Pelagea followed him。 They walked in silence for twenty paces。
〃I have not seen you for a long time； Yegor Vlassitch 。 。 。〃 said Pelagea
looking tenderly at the huntsman's moving shoulders。 〃I have not seen you
since you came into our hut at Easter for a drink of water 。 。 。 you came in
at Easter for a minute and then God knows how 。 。 。 drunk 。 。 。 you scolded
and beat me and went away 。 。 。 I have been waiting and waiting 。 。 。 I've
145
… Page 146…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
tired my eyes out looking for you。 Ah； Yegor Vlassitch； Yegor Vlassitch！
you might look in just once！〃
〃What is there for me to do there？〃
〃Of course there is nothing for you to do 。 。 。 though to be sure 。 。 。
there is the place to look after。 。 。 。 To see how things are going。 。 。 。 You
are the master。 。 。 。 I say； you have shot a blackcock； Yegor Vlassitch！ You
ought to sit down and rest！〃
As she said all this Pelagea laughed like a silly girl and looked up at
Yegor's face。 Her face was simply radiant with happiness。
〃Sit down？ If you like 。 。 。〃 said Yegor in a tone of indifference； and he
chose a spot between two fir…trees。 〃Why are you standing？ You sit down
too。〃
Pelagea sat a little way off in the sun and； ashamed of her joy； put her
hand over her smiling mouth。 Two minutes passed in silence。
〃You might come for once；〃 said Pelagea。
〃What for？〃 sighed Yegor； taking off his cap and wiping his red
forehead with his hand。 〃There is no object in my coming。 To go for an
hour or two is only waste of time； it's simply upsetting you； and to live
continually in the village my soul could not endure。 。 。 。 You know yourself
I am a pampered man。 。 。 。 I want a bed to sleep in； good tea to drink； and
refined conversation。 。 。 。 I want all the niceties； while you live in poverty
and dirt in the village。 。 。 。 I couldn't stand it for a day。 Suppose there were
an edict that I must live with you； I should either set fire to the hut or lay
hands on myself。 From a boy I've had this love for ease； there is no help
for it。〃
〃Where are you living now？〃
〃With the gentleman here； Dmitry Ivanitch； as a huntsman。 I furnish
his table with game； but he keeps me 。 。 。 more for his pleasure than
anything。〃
〃That's not proper work you're doing； Yegor Vlassitch。 。 。 。 For other
people it's a pastime； but with you it's like a trade 。 。 。 like real work。〃
〃You don't understand； you silly；〃 said Yegor； gazing gloomily at the
sky。 〃You have never understood； and as long as you live you will never
understand what sort of man I am。 。 。 。 You think of me as a foolish man；
146
… Page 147…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
gone to the bad； but to anyone who understands I am the best shot there is
in the whole district。 The gentry feel that； and they have even printed
things about me in a magazine。 There isn't a man to be compared with me
as a sportsman。 。 。 。 And it is not because I am pampered and proud that I
look down upon your village work。 From my childhood； you know； I have
never had any calling apart from guns and dogs。 If they took away my gun；
I used to go out with the fishing…hook； if they took the hook I caught
things with my hands。 And I went in for horse…dealing too； I used to go to
the fairs when I had the money； and you know that if a peasant goes in for
being a sportsman； or a horse…dealer； it's good…bye to the plough。 Once the
spirit of freedom has taken a man you will never root it out of him。 In the
same way； if a gentleman goes in for being an actor or for any other art； he
will never make an official or a landowner。 You are a woman； and you do
not understand； but one must understand that。〃
〃I understand； Yegor Vlassitch。〃
〃You don't understand if you are going to cry。 。 。 。〃
〃I 。 。 。 I'm not crying；〃 said Pelagea； turning away。 〃It's a sin； Yegor
Vlassitch！ You might stay a day with luckless me； anyway。 It's twelve
years since I was married to you； and 。 。 。 and 。 。 。 there has never once
been love between us！ 。 。 。 I 。 。 。 I am not crying。〃
〃Love 。 。 。〃 muttered Yegor； scratching his hand。 〃There can't be any
love。 It's only in name we are husband and wife； we aren't really。 In your
eyes I am a wild man； and in mine you are a simple peasant woman with
no understanding。 Are we well matched？ I am a free； pampered； profligate
man； while you are a working woman； going in bark shoes and never
straightening
