andrememberthatitisonlythesoulthatcanovercomeSatan。“
InresponseSilantievrosetohisfeet,shookhisfistattheoldman,andshoutedinarough,angryvoice,avoicethatwasnothisown:
“AllthatIhaveheardbefore,andfromothersbesidesyourself。
ThetruthisthatIholdallyoufather-confessorsinabhorrence。
“Moreover,“thislastwasaddedwithaviolentoath“itisnotSatanthatneedstoberesisted,butsuchdevil’sravens,suchdevil’svampires,asYOU。“
Whichsaid,hekickedastoneawayfromthefire,thrusthishandsintohispockets,andturnedslowlyonhisheel,withhiselbowspressedclosetohissides。Neverthelesstheoldman,stillsmiling,saidtomeinanundertone:
“Heisproud,butthatwillnotlastforlong。“
“Whynot?“
“BecauseIknowinadvancethat——“
Breakingoffshort,heturnedhisheaduponhisshoulder,andsatlisteningtosomeshoutingthatwasgoingonacrosstheriver。
Everyoneinthatquarterwasdrunk,and,inparticular,someonecouldbeheardbawlinginatoneofchallenge:
“Oh?I,yousay?A-a-ah!Thentakethat!“
Silantiev,steppinglightlyfromstonetostone,crossedtheriver。Thenhemingled——aconspicuousfigureowingtohisapparenthandlessness——withthecrowd。Somehow,onhisdeparture,Ifeltillatease。
Twitchinghisfingersasthoughperformingaconjuringtrick,theoldmancontinuedtositwithhishandsstretchedovertheembers。Bythistimehisnosehadswollenoverthebridge,andbruisesrisenunderhiseyeswhichtendedtoobscurehisvision。
Indeed,ashesatthere,satmouthingwithdark,bestreakedlipsunderacoveringofhoarybeardandmoustache,Ifoundthathisbloodstained,disfigured,wrinkled,asitwere“antique“faceremindedmemorethaneverofthoseofgreatsinnersofancienttimeswhoabandonedthisworldfortheforestandthedesert。
“Ihaveseenmanyproudfolk,“hecontinuedwithashakeofhishatlessheadanditssparsehairs。“Afiremayburnupquickly,andcontinuetoburnfiercely,yet,liketheseembers,becometurnedtoashes,and。soliesmoulderingtilldawn。Youngman,thereyouhavesomethingtothinkof。Noraretheymerelymywords。TheyarethewordsoftheHolyGospelitself。“
Everdescending,everweighingmoreheavilyuponus,thenightwasasblackandhotandstiflingasthepreviousonehadbeen,albeitaskindlyasamother。Stillthetwofiresontheoppositebankoftherivuletwereaflame,andsendinghotblastsofvapouracrossaseemingbrookofgold。
Foldinghisarmsuponhisbreast,theoldmantuckedthepalmsofhishandsintohisarmpits,andsettledhimselfmorecomfortably。
Nevertheless,whenImadeasthoughtoaddmoretwigsandshavingstotheembersheexclaimedimperiously:
“Thereisnoneedforthat。“
“Whyistherenot?“
“Becausethatwouldcausethefiretobeseen,andbringsomeofthosemenoverhere。“
Again,ashekickedawaysomeboughswhichIhadjustbrokenup,herepeated:
“Thereisnoneedforthat,Itellyou。“
Presently,thereapproachedusthroughtheshimmeringfirelightontheoppositebanktwocarpenterswithboxesontheirbacks,andaxesintheirhands。
“Arealltherestofourmengone?“inquiredtheforemanofthenewcomers。
“Yes,“repliedoneofthem,atallmanwithadroopingmoustacheandnobeard。
“Well,’shunevil,andgoodwillresult。’“
“Aye,andwelikewisewishtodepart。“
“Butataskoughtnottobeleftunfinished。Atdinner-timeI
sentOleshatosaythatnoneofthosefellowshadbetterbereleasedfromwork;butreleasedtheyhavebeen,andnowtheresultisapparent!Presently,whentheyhavedrunkalittlemoreoftheirpoison,theywillfirethebarraque。“
Everytimethatthefirstofthetwocarpentersinhaledthesmokeofmycigarettehespatintotheembers,whiletheotherman,ayoungfellowasplumpasafemalebaker,sankhistowsledheaduponhisbreastassoonashesatdown,andfellasleep。
Next,theclamouracrosstherivuletsubsidedforawhile。ButsuddenlyIheardtheex-soldierexclaimindrunken,singsongaccentswhichcamefromtheverycentreofthetumult:
“Hi,doyouanswerme!HowcomesitthatyouhavenorespectforRussia?IsnotRiazanapartofRussia?WhatisRussia,then,I
shouldliketoknow?“
“Atavern,“theforemancommentedquietly;whereafter,turningtome,headdedmoreloudly:
“Isaythisofsuchfellows——thatatavern……Butwhatanoisethoseroisterersaremaking,tobesure!“
Theyoungfellowintheredshirthadjustshouted:
“Hi,there,soldier!Seizehimbythethroat!Seizehim,seizehim!“
WhilefromSilantievhadcomethegruffretort:
“What?Doyousupposethatyouarehuntingapackofhounds?“
“Here,answerme!“wasthenextshoutedutterance——itcamefromtheex-soldier——whereupontheoldmanremarkedtomeinanundertone:
“Itwouldseemthatafightisbrewing。“
Rising,Imovedinthedirectionoftheuproar。AsIdidso,I
heardtheoldmansaysoftlytohiscompanions:
“Hetooisgone,thankGod!“
Suddenlytheresurgedtowardsmefromtheoppositebankacrowdofmen。Belching,hiccuping,andgrunting,theyseemedtobecarryingordraggingintheirmidstsomeheavyweight。Presentlyawoman’svoicescreamed,“Ya-av-sha!“andothervoicesraisedmingledshoutsof“Throwhimin!Givehimathrashing!“and“Draghimalong!“
ThenextmomentwesawSilantievbreakoutofthecrowd,straightenhimself,swinghisrightfistintheair,andhurlhimselfatthecrowdagain。Ashedidsotheyoungfellowintheredshirtraisedagiganticarm,andtherefollowedthesoundofamuffled,grislyblow。Staggeringbackwards,Silantievslidsilentlyintothewater,andlaythereatmyfeet。
“That’sright!“wasthecommentofsomeone。
Foramomentortwotheclamoursubsidedalittle,andduringthatmomentortwoone’searsoncemorebecamelavedwiththesweetsingsongoftheriver。Shortlyafterwardssomeonethrewintothewaterahugestone,andsomeoneelselaughedinadullway。
AsIwasbendingtolookatSilantievsomeofthemenjostledme。
Nevertheless,Icontinuedtostruggletoraisehimfromthespotwhere,halfinandhalfoutofthewater,helaywithhisheadandbreastrestingagainstthestepping-stones。
“Youhavekilledhim!“nextIshouted——notbecauseIbelievedthestatementtobetrue,butbecauseIhadamindtofrightenintosobrietythemenwhowereimpedingme。
Uponthissomeoneexclaimedinafaltering,soberedtone:
“Surelynot?“
Asfortheyoungfellowintheredshirt,hepassedmebywithabraggart,resentfulshoutof:
“Well?Hehadnorighttoinsultme。WhyshouldhehavesaidthatIwasanuisancetothewholecountry?“
Andsomeoneelseshouted:
“Whereistheex-soldier?Whoisthewatchmanhere?“
“Bringalight,“wasthecryofathird。
Yetallthesevoicesweremoresober,moresubdued,morerestrainedthantheyhadbeen,andpresentlyalittlemuzhikwhosepollwasswathedinaredhandkerchiefstoopedandraisedSilantiev’shead。Butalmostasinstantlyheletitfallagain,and,dippinghishandsintothewater,saidgravely:
“Youhavekilledhim。Heisdead。“
AtthemomentIdidnotbelievethewords;butpresently,asI
stoodwatchinghowthewatercoursedbetweenSilantiev’slegs,andturnedthemthiswayandthat,andmadethemstirasthoughtheywerestrivingtodivestthemselvesoftheshabbyoldboots,Irealisedwithallmybeingthatthehandswhichwererestinginminewerethehandsofacorpse。And,trueenough,whenI
releasedthemtheyslappeddownuponthesurfacelikewetdish-
cloths。
第50章