“Varvarushka,ifyouwantanythingoutoftheshop,“hesaidaffectionately,“takeit,mydear。Takeitandwelcome;don’thesitate。“
Andthenextdaythedeafman,runningacrosstheyard,calledtoher:
“Ifthereisanythingyouwant,mother,takeit。“
Therewassomethingnew,somethinggayandlight-heartedinhergivingofalms,justastherewasinthelampsbeforetheikonsandintheredflowers。WhenatCarnivaloratthechurchfestival,whichlastedforthreedays,theysoldthepeasantstaintedsaltmeat,smellingsostrongitwashardtostandnearthetubofit,andtookscythes,caps,andtheirwives’kerchiefsinpledgefromthedrunkenmen;whenthefactoryhandsstupefiedwithbadvodkalayrollinginthemud,andsinseemedtohoverthicklikeafogintheair,thenitwasarelieftothinkthatupthereinthehousetherewasagentle,neatlydressedwomanwhohadnothingtodowithsaltmeatorvodka;hercharityhadinthoseburdensome,murkydaystheeffectofasafetyvalveinamachine。
ThedaysinTsybukin’shousewerespentinbusinesscares。BeforethesunhadriseninthemorningAksinyawaspantingandpuffingasshewashedintheouterroom,andthesamovarwasboilinginthekitchenwithahumthatbodednogood。OldGrigoryPetrovitch,dressedinalongblackcoat,cottonbreechesandshinytopboots,lookingadapperlittlefigure,walkedabouttherooms,tappingwithhislittleheelslikethefather-in-lawinawell-knownsong。Theshopwasopened。Whenitwasdaylightaracingdroshkywasbroughtuptothefrontdoorandtheoldmangotjauntilyontoit,pullinghisbigcapdowntohisears;and,lookingathim,noonewouldhavesaidhewasfifty-six。Hiswifeanddaughter-in-lawsawhimoff,andatsuchtimeswhenhehadonagood,cleancoat,andhadinthedroshkyahugeblackhorsethathadcostthreehundredroubles,theoldmandidnotlikethepeasantstocomeuptohimwiththeircomplaintsandpetitions;
hehatedthepeasantsanddisdainedthem,andifhesawsomepeasantswaitingatthegate,hewouldshoutangrily:
“Whyareyoustandingthere?Gofurtheroff。“
Orifitwereabeggar,hewouldsay:
“Godwillprovide!“
Heusedtodriveoffonbusiness;hiswife,inadarkdressandablackapron,tidiedtheroomsorhelpedinthekitchen。Aksinyaattendedtotheshop,andfromtheyardcouldbeheardtheclinkofbottlesandofmoney,herlaughterandloudtalk,andtheangerofcustomerswhomshehadoffended;andatthesametimeitcouldbeseenthatthesecretsaleofvodkawasalreadygoingonintheshop。Thedeafmansatintheshop,too,orwalkedaboutthestreetbare-headed,withhishandsinhispocketslookingabsent-mindedlynowatthehuts,nowattheskyoverhead。Sixtimesadaytheyhadtea;fourtimesadaytheysatdowntomeals;andintheeveningtheycountedovertheirtakings,putthemdown,wenttobed,andsleptsoundly。
AllthethreecottonfactoriesinUkleevoandthehousesofthefactoryowners——HryminSeniors,HryminJuniors,andKostukov——
wereonatelephone。Thetelephonewaslaidoninthelocalcourt,too,butitsoonceasedtoworkasbugsandbeetlesbredthere。Theelderoftheruraldistricthadhadlittleeducationandwroteeverywordintheofficialdocumentsincapitals。Butwhenthetelephonewasspoiledhesaid:
“Yes,nowweshallbebadlyoffwithoutatelephone。“
TheHryminSeniorswerecontinuallyatlawwiththeJuniors,andsometimestheJuniorsquarrelledamongthemselvesandbegangoingtolaw,andtheirfactorydidnotworkforamonthortwotilltheywerereconciledagain,andthiswasanentertainmentforthepeopleofUkleevo,astherewasagreatdealoftalkandgossipontheoccasionofeachquarrel。OnholidaysKostukovandtheJuniorsusedtogetupraces,usedtodashaboutUkleevoandrunovercalves。Aksinya,rustlingherstarchedpetticoats,usedtopromenadeinalow-neckeddressupanddownthestreetnearhershop;theJuniorsusedtosnatchherupandcarryheroffasthoughbyforce。ThenoldTsybukinwoulddriveouttoshowhisnewhorseandtakeVarvarawithhim。
Intheevening,aftertheraces,whenpeopleweregoingtobed,anexpensiveconcertinawasplayedintheJuniors’yardand,ifitwereamoonlightnight,thosesoundssentathrillofdelighttotheheart,andUkleevonolongerseemedawretchedhole。
TheeldersonAnisimcamehomeveryrarely,onlyongreatholidays,butheoftensentbyareturningvillagerpresentsandletterswritteninverygoodwritingbysomeotherhand,alwaysonasheetoffoolscapintheformofapetition。TheletterswerefullofexpressionsthatAnisimnevermadeuseofinconversation:“Dearpapaandmamma,Isendyouapoundofflowerteaforthesatisfactionofyourphysicalneeds。“
Atthebottomofeveryletterwasscratched,asthoughwithabrokenpen:“AnisimTsybukin,“andagaininthesameexcellenthand:“Agent。“
Theletterswerereadaloudseveraltimes,andtheoldfather,touched,redwithemotion,wouldsay:
“Herehedidnotcaretostayathome,hehasgoneinforanintellectualline。Well,lethim!Everymantohisownjob!
IthappenedjustbeforeCarnivaltherewasaheavystormofrainmixedwithhail;theoldmanandVarvarawenttothewindowtolookatit,andloandbehold!Anisimdroveupinasledgefromthestation。Hewasquiteunexpected。Hecameindoors,lookinganxiousandtroubledaboutsomething,andheremainedthesameallthetime;therewassomethingfreeandeasyinhismanner。Hewasinnohastetogoaway,itseemed,asthoughhehadbeendismissedfromtheservice。Varvarawaspleasedathisarrival;
shelookedathimwithaslyexpression,sighed,andshookherhead。
“Howisthis,myfriends?“shesaid。“Tut,tut,thelad’sinhistwenty-eighthyear,andheisstillleadingagaybachelorlife;
Fromtheotherroomhersoft,evenspeechsoundedliketut,tut,tut。ShebeganwhisperingwithherhusbandandAksinya,andtheirfacesworethesameslyandmysteriousexpressionasthoughtheywereconspirators。
ItwasdecidedtomarryAnisim。
“Oh,tut,tuttheyoungerbrotherhasbeenmarriedlongago,“saidVarvara,“andyouarestillwithoutahelpmatelikeacockatafair。Whatisthemeaningofit?Tut,tut,youwillbemarried,pleaseGod,thenasyouchoose——youwillgointotheserviceandyourwifewillremainhereathometohelpus。Thereisnoorderinyourlife,youngman,andIseeyouhaveforgottenhowtoliveproperly。Tut,tut,it’sthesametroublewithallyoutownspeople。“
WhentheTsybukinsmarried,themosthandsomegirlswerechosenasbridesforthemasrichmen。ForAnisim,too,theyfoundahandsomeone。Hewashimselfofanuninterestingandinconspicuousappearance;ofafeeble,sicklybuildandshortstature;hehadfull,puffycheekswhichlookedasthoughhewereblowingthemout;hiseyeslookedwithakeen,unblinkingstare;
hisbeardwasredandscanty,andwhenhewasthinkinghealwaysputitintohismouthandbitit;moreoverheoftendranktoomuch,andthatwasnoticeablefromhisfaceandhiswalk。Butwhenhewasinformedthattheyhadfoundaverybeautifulbrideforhim,hesaid:
“Ohwell,Iamnotafrightmyself。AllofusTsybukinsarehandsome,Imaysay。“
ThevillageofTorguevowasnearthetown。Halfofithadlatelybeenincorporatedintothetown,theotherhalfremainedavillage。Inthefirst——thetownhalf——therewasawidowlivinginherownlittlehouse;shehadasisterlivingwithherwhowasquitepoorandwentouttoworkbytheday,andthissisterhadadaughtercalledLipa,agirlwhowentouttowork,too。PeopleinTorguevowerealreadytalkingaboutLipa’sgoodlooks,butherterriblepovertyputeveryoneoff;peopleopinedthatsomewidowerorelderlymanwouldmarryherregardlessofherpoverty,orwouldperhapstakehertohimselfwithoutmarriage,andthathermotherwouldgetenoughtoeatlivingwithher。VarvaraheardaboutLipafromthematchmakers,andshedroveovertoTorguevo。
Thenavisitofinspectionwasarrangedattheaunt’s,withlunchandwineallindueorder,andLipaworeanewpinkdressmadeonpurposeforthisoccasion,andacrimsonribbonlikeaflamegleamedinherhair。Shewaspale-faced,thin,andfrail,withsoft,delicatefeaturessunburntfromworkingintheopenair;ashy,mournfulsmilealwayshoveredaboutherface,andtherewasachildlikelookinhereyes,trustfulandcurious。
Shewasyoung,quitealittlegirl,herbosomstillscarcelyperceptible,butshecouldbemarriedbecauseshehadreachedthelegalage。Shereallywasbeautiful,andtheonlythingthatmightbethoughtunattractivewasherbigmasculinehandswhichhungidlenowliketwobigclaws。
“Thereisnodowry——andwedon’tthinkmuchofthat,“saidTsybukintotheaunt。“WetookawifefromapoorfamilyforoursonStepan,too,andnowwecan’tsaytoomuchforher。Inhouseandinbusinessalikeshehashandsofgold。“
Lipastoodinthedoorwayandlookedasthoughshewouldsay:“Dowithmeasyouwill,Itrustyou,“whilehermotherPraskovyathework-womanhidherselfinthekitchennumbwithshyness。Atonetimeinheryouthamerchantwhosefloorsshewasscrubbingstampedatherinarage;shewentchillwithterrorandtherealwayswasafeelingoffearatthebottomofherheart。Whenshewasfrightenedherarmsandlegstrembledandhercheekstwitched。Sittinginthekitchenshetriedtohearwhatthevisitorsweresaying,andshekeptcrossingherself,pressingherfingerstoherforehead,andgazingattheikons。Anisim,slightlydrunk,openedthedoorintothekitchenandsaidinafree-and-easyway:
“Whyareyousittinginhere,preciousmamma?Wearedullwithoutyou。“
AndPraskovya,overcomewithtimidity,pressingherhandstoherlean,wastedbosom,said:
“Oh,notatall。It’sverykindofyou。“
Afterthevisitofinspectiontheweddingdaywasfixed。ThenAnisimwalkedabouttheroomsathomewhistling,orsuddenlythinkingofsomething,wouldfalltobroodingandwouldlookatthefloorfixedly,silently,asthoughhewouldprobetothedepthsoftheearth。Heexpressedneitherpleasurethathewastobemarried,marriedsosoon,onLowSunday,noradesiretoseehisbride,butsimplywentonwhistling。Anditwasevidenthewasonlygettingmarriedbecausehisfatherandstepmotherwishedhimto,andbecauseitwasthecustominthevillagetomarrythesoninordertohaveawomantohelpinthehouse。Whenhewentawayheseemedinnohaste,andbehavedaltogethernotashehaddoneonpreviousvisits——wasparticularlyfreeandeasy,andtalkedinappropriately。