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！
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 your back。 The way I think of myself is that I am the
foremost man in every kind of sport； and you look at me with pity。 。 。 。 Is
that being well matched？〃
〃But we are married； you know； Yegor Vlassitch；〃 sobbed Pelagea。
〃Not married of our free will。 。 。 。 Have you forgotten？ You have to
thank Count Sergey Paylovitch and yourself。 Out of envy； because I shot
better than he did； the Count kept giving me wine for a whole month； and
when a man's drunk you could make him change his religion； let alone
getting married。 To pay me out he married me to you when I was
147
… Page 148…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
drunk。 。 。 。 A huntsman to a herd…girl！ You saw I was drunk； why did you
marry me？ You were not a serf； you know； you could have resisted。 Of
course it was a bit of luck for a herd…girl to marry a huntsman； but you
ought to have thought about it。 Well； now be miserable； cry。 It's a joke for
the Count； but a crying matter for you。 。 。 。 Beat yourself against the wall。〃
A silence followed。 Three wild ducks flew over the clearing。 Yegor
followed them with his eyes till； transformed into three scarcely visible
dots； they sank down far beyond the forest。
〃How do you live？〃 he asked； moving his eyes from the ducks to
Pelagea。
〃Now I am going out to work； and in the winter I take a child from the
Foundling Hospital and bring it up on the bottle。 They give me a rouble
and a half a month。〃
〃Oh。 。 。 。〃
Again a silence。 From the strip that had been reaped floated a soft song
which broke off at the very beginning。 It was too hot to sing。
〃They say you have put up a new hut for Akulina；〃 said Pelagea。
Yegor did not speak。
〃So she is dear to you。 。 。 。〃
〃It's your luck； it's fate！〃 said the huntsman； stretching。 〃You must put
up with it； poor thing。 But good…bye； I've been chattering long enough。 。 。 。
I must be at Boltovo by the evening。〃
Yegor rose； stretched himself； and slung his gun over his shoulder；
Pelagea got up。
〃And when are you coming to the village？〃 she asked softly。
〃I have no reason to； I shall never come sober； and you have little to
gain from me drunk； I am spiteful when I am drunk。 Good…bye！〃
〃Good…bye； Yegor Vlassitch。〃
Yegor put his cap on t he back of his head and； clicking to his dog；
went on his way。 Pelagea stood still looking after him。 。 。 。 She saw his
moving shoulder…blades； his jaunty cap； his lazy； careless step； and her
eyes were full of sadness and tender affection。 。 。 。 Her gaze flitted over her
husband's tall； lean figure and caressed and fondled it。 。 。 。 He； as though
he felt that gaze； stopped and looked round。 。 。 。 He did not speak； but from
148
… Page 149…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
his face； from his shrugged shoulders； Pelagea could see that he wanted to
say something to her。 She went up to him timidly and looked at him with
imploring eyes。
〃Take it；〃 he said； turning round。
He gave her a crumpled rouble note and walked quickly away。
〃Good…bye； Yegor Vlassitch；〃 she said； mechanically taking the rouble。
He walked by a long road； straight as a taut strap。 She； pale and
motionless as a statue； stood； her eyes seizing every step he took。 But the
red of his shirt melted into the dark colour of his trousers； his step could
not be seen； and the dog could not be distinguished from the boots。
Nothing could be seen but the cap； and 。 。 。 suddenly Yegor turned off
sharply into the clearing and the cap vanished in the greenness。
〃Good…bye； Yegor Vlassitch；〃 whispered Pelagea； and she stood on
tiptoe to see the white cap once more。
149
… Page 150…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
HAPPINESS
A FLOCK of sheep was spending the night on the broad steppe road
that is called the great highway。 Two shepherds were guarding it。 One； a
toothless old man of eighty； with a tremulous face； was lying on his
stomach at the very edge of the road； leaning his elbows on the dusty
leaves of a plantain； the other； a young fellow with thick black eyebrows
and no moustache； dressed in the coarse canvas of which cheap sacks are
made； was lying on his back； with his arms under his head； looking
upwards at the sky； where the stars were slumbering and the Milky Way
lay stretched exactly above his face。
The shepherds were not alone。 A couple of yards from them in the
dusk that shrouded the road a horse made a patch of darkness； and； beside
it； leaning against the saddle； stood a man in high boots and a short full…
skirted jacket who looked like an overseer on some big estate。 Judging
from his upright and motionless figure； from his manners； and his
behaviour to the shepherds and to his horse； he was a serious； reasonable
man who knew his own value； even in the darkness signs could be
detected in him of military carriage and of the majestically condescending
expression gained by frequent intercourse with the gentry and their
stewards。