the wife and other stories-第38部分

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！


he　family；　（b）　servants'　quarters；　（c）　kitchen…ga　rden；　（d）　gooseberry…bushes。　He　lived　parsimoniously；　was　frugal　in　food　and　drink；　his　clothes　were　beyond　description；　he　looked　like　a　beggar；　but　kept　on　saving　and　putting　money　in　the　bank。　He　grew　fearfully　avaricious。　I　did　not　like　to　look　at　him；　and　I　used　to　give　him　something　and　send　him　presents　for　Christmas　and　Easter；　but　he　used　to　save　that　too。　Once　a　man　is　absorbed　by　an　idea　there　is　no　doing　anything　with　him。

〃Years　passed：　he　was　transferred　to　another　province。　He　was　over　forty；　and　he　was　still　reading　the　advertisements　in　the　papers　and　saving　up。　Then　I　heard　he　was　married。　Still　with　the　same　object　of　buying　a　farm　and　having　gooseberries；　he　married　an　elderly　and　ugly　widow　without　a　trace　of　feeling　for　her；　simply　because　she　had　filthy　lucre。　He　went　on　living　frugally　after　marrying　her；　and　kept　her　short　of　food；　while　he　put　her　money　in　the　bank　in　his　name。

〃Her　first　husband　had　been　a　postmaster；　and　with　him　she　was　accustomed　to　pies　and　home…made　wines；　while　with　her　second　husband　she　did　not　get　enough　black　bread；　she　began　to　pine　away　with　this　sort　of　life；　and　three　years　later　she　gave　up　her　soul　to　God。　And　I　need　hardly　say　that　my　brother　never　for　one　moment　imagined　that　he　was　responsible　for　her　death。　Money；　like　vodka；　makes　a　man　queer。　In　our　town　there　was　a　merchant　who；　before　he　died；　ordered　a　plateful　of　honey　and　ate　up　all　his　money　and　lottery　tickets　with　the　honey；　so　that　no　one　might　get　the　benefit　of　it。　While　I　was　inspecting　cattle　at　a　railway…station；　a　cattle…dealer　fell　under　an　engine　and　had　his　leg　cut　off。　We　carried　him　into　the　waiting…room；　the　blood　was　flowing　　it　was　a　horrible　thing　　and　he　kept　asking　them　to　look　for　his　leg　and　was　very　much　worried　about　it；　there　were　twenty　roubles　in　the　boot　on　the　leg　that　had　been　cut　off；　and　he　was　afraid　they　would　be　lost。〃

〃That's　a　story　from　a　different　opera；〃　said　Burkin。

〃After　his　wife's　death；〃　Ivan　Ivanovitch　went　on；　after　thinking　for　half　a　minute；　〃my　brother　began　looking　out　for　an　estate　for　himself。　Of　course；　you　may　look　about　for　five　years　and　yet　end　by　making　a　mistake；　and　buying　something　quite　different　from　what　you　have　dreamed　of。　My　brother　Nikolay　bought　through　an　agent　a　mortgaged　estate　of　three　hundred　and　thirty　acres；　with　a　house　for　the　family；　with　servants'　quarters；　with　a　park；　but　with　no　orchard；　no　gooseberry…bushes；　and　no　duck…pond；　there　was　a　river；　but　the　water　in　it　was　the　colour　of　coffee；　because　on　one　side　of　the　estate　there　was　a　brickyard　and　on　the　other　a　factory　for　burning　bones。　But　Nikolay　Ivanovitch　did　not　grieve　much；　he　ordered　twenty　gooseberry…bushes；　planted　them；　and　began　living　as　a　country　gentleman。

〃Last　year　I　went　to　pay　him　a　visit。　I　thought　I　would　go　and　see　what　it　was　like。　In　his　letters　my　brother　called　his　estate　'Tchumbaroklov　Waste；　alias　Himalaiskoe。'　I　reached　'alias　Himalaiskoe'　in　the　afternoon。　It　was　hot。　Everywhere　there　were　ditches；　fences；　hedges；　fir…trees　planted　in　rows；　and　there　was　no　knowing　how　to　get　to　the　yard；　where　to　put　one's　horse。　I　went　up　to　the　house；　and　was　met　by　a　fat　red　dog　that　looked　like　a　pig。　It　wanted　to　bark；　but　it　was　too　lazy。　The　cook；　a　fat；　barefooted　woman；　came　out　of　the　kitchen；　and　she；　too；　looked　like　a　pig；　and　said　that　her　master　was　resting　after　dinner。　I　went　in　to　see　my　brother。　He　was　sitting　up　in　bed　with　a　quilt　over　his　legs；　he　had　grown　older；　fatter；　wrinkled；　his　cheeks；　his　nose；　and　his　mouth　all　stuck　out　　he　looked　as　though　he　might　begin　grunting　into　the　quilt　at　any　moment。

〃We　embraced　each　other；　and　shed　tears　of　joy　and　of　sadness　at　the　thought　that　we　had　once　been　young　and　now　were　both　grey…headed　and　near　the　grave。　He　dressed；　and　led　me　out　to　show　me　the　estate。

〃　'Well；　how　are　you　getting　on　here？'　I　asked。

〃　'Oh；　all　right；　thank　God；　I　am　getting　on　very　well。'

〃He　was　no　more　a　poor　timid　clerk；　but　a　real　landowner；　a　gentleman。　He　was　already　accustomed　to　it；　had　grown　used　to　it；　and　liked　it。　He　ate　a　great　deal；　went　to　the　bath…house；　was　growing　stout；　was　already　at　law　with　the　village　commune　and　both　factories；　and　was　very　much　offended　when　the　peasants　did　not　call　him　'Your　Honour。'　And　he　concerned　himself　with　the　salvation　of　his　soul　in　a　substantial；　gentlemanly　manner；　and　performed　deeds　of　charity；　not　simply；　but　with　an　air　of　consequence。　And　what　deeds　of　charity！　He　treated　the　peasants　for　every　sort　of　disease　with　soda　and　castor　oil；　and　on　his　name…day　had　a　thanksgiving　service　in　the　middle　of　the　village；　and　then　treated　the　peasants　to　a　gallon　of　vodka　　he　thought　that　was　the　thing　to　do。　Oh；　those　horrible　gallons　of　vodka！　One　day　the　fat　landowner　hauls　the　peasants　up　before　the　district　captain　for　trespass；　and　next　day；　in　honour　of　a　holiday；　treats　them　to　a　gallon　of　vodka；　and　they　drink　and　shout　'Hurrah！'　and　when　they　are　drunk　bow　down　to　his　feet。　A　change　of　life　for　the　better；　and　being　well…fed　and　idle　develop　in　a　Russian　the　most　insolent　self…conceit。　Nikolay　Ivanovitch；　who　at　one　time　in　the　government　office　was　afraid　to　have　any　views　of　his　own；　now　could　say　nothing　that　was　not　gospel　truth；　and　uttered　such　truths　in　the　tone　of　a　prime　minister。　'Education　is　essential；　but　for　the　peasants　it　is　premature。'　'Corporal　punishment　is　harmful　as　a　rule；　but　in　some　cases　it　is　necessary　and　there　is　nothing　to　take　its　place。'

〃　'I　know　the　peasants　and　understand　how　to　treat　them；'　he　would　say。　'The　peasants　like　me。　I　need　only　to　hold　up　my　little　finger　and　the　peasants　will　do　anything　I　like。'

〃And　all　this；　observe；　was　uttered　with　a　wise；　benevolent　smile。　He　repeated　twenty　times　over　'We　noblemen；'　'I　as　a　noble'；　obviously　he　did　not　remember　that　our　grandfather　was　a　peasant；　and　our　father　a　soldier。　Even　our　surname　Tchimsha…Himalaisky；　in　reality　so　incongruous；　seemed　to　him　now　melodious；　distinguished；　and　very　agreeable。

〃But　the　point　just　now　is　not　he；　but　myself。　I　want　to　tell　you　about　the　change　that　took　place　in　me　during　the　brief　hours　I　spent　at　his　country　place。　In　the　evening；　when　we　were　drinking　tea；　the　cook　put　on　the　table　a　plateful　of　gooseberries。　They　were　not　bought；　but　his　own　gooseberries；　gathered　for　the　first　time　since　the　bushes　were　planted。　Nikolay　Ivanovitch　laughed　and　looked　for　a　minute　in　silence　at　the　gooseberries；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　he　could　not　speak　for　excitement。　Then　he　put　one　gooseberry　in　his　mouth；　looked　at　me　with　the　triumph　of　a　child　who　has　at　last　received　his　favourite　toy；　and　said：

〃　'How　delicious！'

〃And　he　ate　them　greedily；　continually　repeating；　'Ah；　how　delicious！　Do　taste　them！'

〃They　were　sour　and　unripe；　but；　as　Pushkin　says：

　　　　〃　'Dearer　to　us　the　falsehood　that　exalts　　　　　　　　Than　hosts　of　baser　truths。'

〃I　saw　a　happy　man　whose　cherished　dream　was　so　obviously　fulfilled；　who　had　attained　his　object　in　life；　who　had　gained　what　he　wanted；　who　was　satisfied　with　his　fate　and　himself。　There　is　always；　for　some　reason；　an　element　of　sadness　mingled　with　my　thoughts　of　human　happiness；　and；　on　this　occasion；　at　the　sight　of　a　happy　man　I　was　overcome　by　an　oppressive　feeling　that　was　close　upon　despair。　It　was　particularly　oppressive　at　night。　A　bed　was　made　up　for　me　in　the　room　next　to　my　brother's　bedroom；　and　I　could　hear　that　he　was　awake；　and　that　he　kept　getting　up　and　going　to　the　plate　of　gooseberries　and　taking　one。　I　reflected　how　many　satisfied；　happy　people　there　really　are！　'What　a　suffocating　force　it　is！　You　look　at　life：　the　insolence　and　idleness　of　the　strong；　the　ignorance　and　brutishness　of　the　weak；　incredible　poverty　all　about　us；　overcrowding；　degeneration；　drunkenness；　hypocrisy；　lying。　。　。　。　Yet　all　is　calm　and　stillness　in　the　houses　and　in　the　streets；　of　the　fifty　thousand　living　in　a　town；　there　is　not　one　who　would　cry　out；　who　would　give　vent　to　his　indignation　aloud。　We　see　the　people　going　to　market　for　provisions；　eating　by　day；　sleeping　by　night；　talking　their　silly　nonse　nse；　getting　married；　growing　old；　serenely　escorting　their　dead　to　the　cemetery；　but　we　do　not　see　and　we　do　not　hear　those　who　suffer；　and　what　is　terrible　in　life　goes　on　somewhere　behind　the　scenes。　。　。　。　Everything　is　quiet　and　peaceful；　and　nothing　protests　but　mute　statistics：　so　many　people　gone　out　of　their　minds；　so　many　gallons　of　vodka　drunk；　so　many　children　dead　from　malnutrition。　。　。　。　And　this　order　of　things　is　evidently　necessary；　evidently　the　happy　man　only　feels　at　ease　because　the　unhappy　bear　their　burdens　in　silence；　and　without　that　silence　happiness　would　be　impossible。　It's　a　case　of　general　hypnotism。　There　ought　to　be　behind　the　door　of　every　happy；　contented　man　some　one　standing　with　a　hammer　continually　reminding　him　with　a　tap　that　there　are　unhappy　people；　that　however　happy　he　may　be；　life　will　show　him　her　laws　sooner　or　later；　trouble　will　come　for　him　　disease；　poverty；　losses；　and　no　one　will　see　or　hear；　just　as　now　he　neither　sees　nor　hears　others。　But　there　is　no　man　with　a　hammer；　the　happy　man　lives　at　his　ease；　and　trivial　daily　cares　faintly　agitate　him　like　the　wind　in　the　aspen…tree　　and　all　goes　well。

〃That　night　I　realized　that　I；　too；　was　happy　and　contented；〃　Ivan　Ivanovitch　went　on；　getting　up。　〃I；　too；　at　dinner　and　at　the　hunt　liked　to　lay　down　the　law　on　life　and　religion；　and　the　way　to　manage　the　peasantry。　I；　too；　used　to　say　that　science　was　light；　that　culture　was　essential；　but　for　the　simple　people　reading　and　writing　was　enough　for　the　time。　Freedom　is　a　blessing；　I　used　to　say；　we　can　no　more　do　without　it　than　without　air；　but　we　must　wait　a　little。　Yes；　I　used　to　talk　like　that；　and　now　I　ask；　'For　what　reason　are　we　to　wait？'　〃　asked　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　looking　angrily　at　Burkin。　〃Why　wait；　I　ask　you？　What　grounds　have　we　for　waiting？　I　shall　be　told；　it　can't　be　done　all　at　once；　every　idea　takes　shape　in　life　gradually；　in　its　due　time。　But　who　is　it　says　that？　Where　is　the　proof　that　it's　right？　You　will　fall　back　upon　the　natural　order　of　things；　the　uniformity　of