第1章

Theyearwastheyear’92——theyearofleanness——thesceneaspotbetweenSukhumandOtchenchiri，ontheriverKodor，aspotsoneartotheseathatamidthejoyousbabbleofasparklingrivulettheocean’sdeep-voicedthunderwasplainlydistinguishable。 Also，theseasonbeingautumn，leavesofwildlaurelwereglisteningandgyratingonthewhitefoamoftheKodorlikeaquantityofmercurialsalmonfry。AndasIsatonsomerocksoverlookingtheriverthereoccurredtomethethoughtthat，aslikelyasnot，thecauseofthegulls’andcormorants’fretfulcrieswherethesurflaymoaningbehindabeltoftreestotherightwasthat，likemyself，theykeptmistakingtheleavesforfish，andasoftenfindingthemselvesdisappointed。 Overmyheadhungchestnuttreesdeckedwithgold；atmyfeetlayamassofchestnutleaveswhichresembledtheamputatedpalmsofhumanhands；ontheoppositebank，wheretherewaved，tanglewise，thestrippedbranchesofahornbeam，anorange-tintedwoodpeckerwasdartingtoandfro，asthoughcaughtinthemeshoffoliage，and，incompanywithatroupeofnimbletitmiceandbluetree-creepers(visitorsfromthefar-distantNorth)，tappingthebarkofthestemwithablackbeak，andhuntingforinsects。 Totheleft，thetopsofthemountainshungfringedwithdense，fleecycloudsofthekindwhichpresagesrain；andthesecloudsweresendingtheirshadowsglidingoverslopesgreenandovergrownwithboxwoodandthatpeculiarspeciesofhollowbeech-stumpwhichoncecameneartoeffectingthedownfallofPompey’shost，throughdeprivinghisiron-builtlegionsoftheuseoftheirlegsastheyrevelledintheintoxicatingsweetnessofthe“mead“orhoneywhichwildbeesmakefromtheblossomsofthelaurelandtheazalea，andtravellersstillgatherfromthosehollowstemstokneadintolavashiorthincakesofmilletflour。 OnthepresentoccasionItoo(aftersufferingsundrystingsfrominfuriatedbees)wasthusengagedasIsatontherocksbeneaththechestnuts。Dippingmorselsofbreadintoapotfulofhoney，Iwasmunchingthemforbreakfast，andenjoying，atthesametime，theindolentbeamsofthemoribundautumnsun。 InthefalloftheyeartheCaucasusresemblesagorgeouscathedralbuiltbygreatcraftsmen(alwaysgreatcraftsmenaregreatsinners)toconcealtheirpastfromthepryingeyesofconscience。Whichcathedralisasortofintangibleedificeofgoldandturquoiseandemerald，andhasthrownoveritshillsrarecarpetssilk-embroideredbyTurcomanweaversofShemiandSamarkand，andcontains，heapedeverywhere，plunderbroughtfromallthequartersoftheworldforthedelectationofthesun。 Yes，itisasthoughmensoughttosaytotheSunGod:“Allthingsherearethine。Theyhavebeenbroughthitherfortheebythypeople。“ Yes，mentallyIseelong-bearded，grey-headedsupermen，beingspossessedoftheroundedeyesofhappychildren，descendingfromthehills，anddeckingtheearth，andsowingitwithsheerlykaleidoscopictreasures，andcoatingthetopsofthemountainswithmassivelayersofsilver，andtheloweredgeswithalivingweboftrees。Yes，Iseethosebeingsdecoratingandfashioningthesceneuntil，thankstotheirlabours，thisgraciousmorseloftheearthhasbecomefairbeyondallconception。 Andwhataprivilegeitistobehuman！Howmuchthatiswonderfulleapstotheeye-howthepresenceofbeautycauses。 thehearttothrobwithavoluptuousrapturethatisalmostpain！ Andthoughthereareoccasionswhenlifeseemshard，andthebreastfeelsfilledwithfieryrancour，andmelancholydriesandrendersathirsttheheart’sblood，thisisnotamoodsentusinperpetuity。Forattimeseventhesunmayfeelsadashecontemplatesmen，andseesthat，despiteallthathehasdoneforthem，theyhavedonesolittleinreturn…… No，itisnotthatgoodfolkarelacking。Itisthattheyneedtoberoundedoff——betterstill，tobemadeanew。 Suddenlytherecameintoviewoverthebushestomyleftafileofdarkheads，whilethroughthesurgingofthewavesandthebabbleofthestreamIcaughtthesoundofhumanvoices，asoundemanatingfromapartyof“faminepeople“orfolkwhowerejourneyingfromSukhumtoOtchenchiritoobtainworkonalocalroadtheninprocessofconstruction。 TheownersofthevoicesIknewtobeimmigrantsfromtheprovinceofOrlov。IknewthemtobesoforthereasonthatI myselfhadlatelybeenworkingincompanywiththemalemembersoftheparty，andhadtakenleaveofthemonlyyesterdayinorderthatImightsetoutearlierthanthey，and，afterwalkingthroughthenight，greetthesunwhenheshouldariseabovethesea。 Themembersofthepartycomprisedfourmenandawoman——thelatterayoungfemalewithhighcheek-bones，afigureswollenwithmanifestpregnancy，andapairofgreyish-blueeyesthathadfixedinthemastareofapprehension。Atthepresentmomentherheadandyellowscarfwerejustshowingoverthetopsofthebushes；andwhileInotedthatnowitwasswayingfromsidetosidelikeasunflowershakenbythewind，IrecalledthefactthatshewasawomanwhosehusbandhadbeencarriedoffatSukhumbyasurfeitoffruit——thisfactbeingknowntomethroughthecircumstancethatintheworkmen’sbarraquewherewehadsharedquartersthesefolkhadobservedthegoodoldRussiancustomofconfidingtoastrangerthewholeoftheirtroubles，andhaddonesointonesofsuchamplitudeandpenetrationthatthequerulouswordsmusthavebeenaudibleforfiveverstsaround。 AndasIhadtalkedtotheseforlornpeople，thesehumanbeingswholaycrushedbeneaththemisfortunewhichhaduprootedthemfromtheirbarrenandexhaustedlands，andblownthem，likeautumnleaves，towardstheCaucasuswherenature’sluxuriant，butunfamiliar，aspecthadblindedandbewilderedthem，andwithitsonerousconditionsoflabourquenchedtheirlastsparkofcourage；asIhadtalkedtothesepoorpeopleIhadseenthemglancingaboutwithdull，troubled，despondenteyes，andheardthemsaytooneanothersoftly，andwithpitifulsmiles: “Whatacountry！“ “Aye，——thatitis！——acountrytomakeonesweat！“ “Ashardasastoneitis！“ “Aye，anevilcountry！“ Afterwhichtheyhadgoneontospeakoftheirnativehaunts，whereeveryhandfulofsoilhadrepresentedtothemthedustoftheirancestors，andeverygrainofthatsoilhadbeenwateredwiththesweatoftheirbrows，andbecomechargedwithdearandintimaterecollections。 Previouslytherehadjoinedthepartyawomanwho，tallandstraight，hadhadbreastsasflatasaboard，andjawboneslikethejawbonesofahorse，andaglanceinherdull，sidelongblackeyeslikeagleaming，smoulderingfire。 Andeveryeveningthiswomanhadbeenwonttostepoutsidethebarraquewiththewomanintheyellowscarfandtoseatherselfonarubbishheap，and，restinghercheeksonthepalmsofherhands，andincliningherheadsideways，tosinginahighandshrewishvoice: Behindthegraveyardwall，Wherefairgreenbushesstand。 I’llspreadmeonthesandAshroudaswhiteassnow。 AndnotlongwillitbeBeforemyheart’sadored，Mymasterandmylord，Shallanswermycurtseylow。 Usuallyhercompanion，thewomanintheyellowscarf，had，withheadbentforwardandeyesfixeduponherstomach，remainedsilent；butonrare，unexpectedoccasionsshehad，inthehoarse，sluggishvoiceofapeasant，sungasongwiththesobbingrefrain: Ah，mybeloved，sweetheartofmine，Neveragainwilltheseeyesseekthine！ NoramidthestiflingblacknessofthesouthernnighthadthesevoiceseverfailedtobringbacktomymemorythesnowywastesoftheNorth，andtheicy，wailingstorm-wind，andthedistanthowlingofunseenwolves。 Intime，thesquint-eyedwomanhadbeentakenillofafever，andremovedtothetowninatiltedambulance；andasshehadlainquiveringandmoaningonthestretchershehadseemedstilltobesingingherlittledittyaboutthegraveyardandthesand。 Theheadwiththeyellowscarfrose，dipped，anddisappeared。 AfterIhadfinishedmybreakfastIthatchedthehoney-potwithsomeleaves，fasteneddownthelid，andindolentlyresumedmywayinthewakeoftheparty，myblackthornstafftiptappingagainstthehardtreadofthetrackasIproceeded。 Thetrackloomed——agrey，narrowstrip——beforeme，whileonmyrighttherestless，darkblueseahadtheairofbeingceaselesslyplanedbythousandsofinvisiblecarpenters；soregularlydidthestressofawindasmoistandsweetandwarmasthebreathofahealthywomancauseever-rustlingcurlsoffoamtodrifttowardsthebeach。Also，careeningontoitsportquarterunderafullsetofbellyingsails，aTurkishfeluccawasglidingtowardsSukhum；and，asitheldonitscourse，itputmeinmindofacertainpompousengineerofthetownwhohadbeenwonttoinflatehisfatcheeksandsay:“Bequiet，you，orIwillhaveyoulockedup！“Thismanhad，forsomereasonoranother，anextraordinaryweaknessforcausingarreststobemade；and，exceedinglydoIrejoicetothinkthatbynowthewormsofthegraveyardmusthaveconsumedhimdowntotheverymarrowofhisbones。Wouldthatcertainotheracquaintancesofmineweresimilarlyreceivingbeneficentattention！ Walkingprovedaneasyenoughtask，forIseemedtobeborneonair，whileachorusofpleasantthoughts，ofmany-colouredrecollections，keptsinginggentlyinmybreast——achorusresembling，indeed，thewhite-manedbillowsintheregularitywithwhichnowitrose，andnowitfell，torevealin，asitwere，soft，peacefuldepthsthebright，supplehopesofyouth，likesomanysilverfishcradledinthebosomoftheocean。 Suddenly，asittrendedseawards，theroadexecutedahalf-turn，andskirtedastripofthesandymargintowhichthewaveskeptrollinginsuchhaste。Andinthatspoteventhebushesseemedtohaveamindtolookthewavesintheeyes——sostrenuouslydidtheyleanacrosstheriband-likepath，andnodinthedirectionoftheblue，waterywaste，whilefromthehillsawindwasblowingthatpresagedrain。 Buthark！Fromsomepointamongthebushesalowmoanarose——thesoundwhichneverfailstothrillthesoulandmoveittoresponsivequivers！ Thrustingasidethefoliage，Ibeheldbeforemethewomanintheyellowscarf。Seatedwithherbackrestingagainstthestemofahazel-bush，shehadherheadsunkendeeplybetweenhershoulders，hermouthhideouslyagape，hereyesstaringvaguelybeforeher，herhandspressedtoherswollenstomach，herbreathissuingwithunnaturalvehemence，andherabdomenconvulsively，spasmodicallyrisingandfalling。Meanwhilefromherthroatwereissuingmoanswhichattimescausedheryellowteethtoshowbarelikethoseofawolf。 “Whatisthematter？“IsaidasIbentoverher。“Hasanyoneassaultedyou？“ Theonlyresultwasthat，shufflingbarefeetinthesandlikeafly，sheshookhernervelesshand，andgasped: “Away，villain！Awaywithyou！“