第18章

Somuchisthisthecasethatinspringeventhecatsforbeartosquallsaveincrushedandsubduedaccents。TheonlylocalpersontosingisFelitzata；andevenshedoessoonlywhensheisdrunk。ItmaybesaidthatFelitzataisasaucy，cunningprocuress，anddoeshersinginginapeculiarlythickandraspingvoicewhich，withmanycroaksandhiatuses，necessitatesmuchclosingoftheeyes，andagreatprotrudingoftheappleofthethroat。Indeed，itisonlythewomenoftheplacewho，turbulentlyquarrelsomeandhystericallynoisy，spendmostofthedayinscouringthestreetswithskirtstuckedup，andneverceasebeggingforpinchesofsaltorflourorspoonfulsofoilastheyrailandscreechatandbeattheirchildren，andthrustwitheredbreastsintotheirbabies’mouths，andrushandflingthemselvesabout，andbawlinaconstantendeavourtorighttheirwoebegonecondition。Yes，allaredishevelledanddirty，andhavewizened，bonyfaces，andtherestlesseyesofthieves。 Never，indeed，isawomanplumpoffigure，saveattheperiodwhensheisill，andhereyesaredim，andhergaitislaboured。 Yetuntiltheyareforty，themajorityofthewomenbecomepregnantwitheverywinter，andonthearrivalofspringmaybeseenwalkingabroadwithlargestomachsandbluehollowsundertheeyes。Andeventhisdoesnotpreventthemfromworkingwiththesamedesperateenergyaswhentheyarenotwithchild。Inshort，theinhabitantsoftheplaceresembleneedlesandthreadswithwhichsomerough，clumsy，andimpatienthandisforevertryingtodarnaraggedclothwhichasconstantlypartsandrends。 Thechiefpersonofreputeinthesuburbismylandlord，oneAntipaVologonov——alittleoldmanwhokeepsashopof“oddwares，“andalsolendsmoneyonpledge。 Unfortunately，Antipaisasuffererfromalong-standingtendencytorheumatism，whichhaslefthimbow-legged，andhastwistedandswollenhisfingerstotheextentthattheywillnotbend。Hence，healwayskeepshishandstuckedintohissleeves，thoughseeminglyhehasthelessusefortheminthat，evenwhenhewithdrawsthemfromtheirshelter，hedoessoascautiouslyasthoughhewereafraidoftheirbecomingdislocated。 Ontheotherhand，heneverloseshistemper，andhenevergrowsexcited。 “Neitherofthosethingssuitsme，“hewillsay，“formyheartisdilated，andmightatanymomentfail。“ Asforhisface，ithashighcheekboneswhichinplacesblossomintodarkredblotches；anexpressionascalmasthatofthefaceofaKhirghiz；achinwhencedanglewispsofmingledgrey，red，andflaxenhairofaperpetuallymoistappearance；obliqueandever-changingeyeswhicharepermanentlycontracted；apairofthick，parti-colouredeyebrowswhichcastdeepshadowsovertheeyes；andtempleswhereonanumberofblueveinsstrugglewithanirregular，sparsecoatingofbristles。Finally，abouthiswholepersonalitythereissomethingevervariableandintangible。 Also，hisgaitisirritatinglyslow；andthemoresoowingtohiscoat，which，ofacutdevisedbyhimself，consists，asitwere，ofcassock，sarafan[jacket]，andwaistcoatinone。Asoftenasnothefindstheskirtsofthegarmentcumberinghislegs；whereuponhehastostopandgivethemakick。Andthusitcomesaboutthatpermanentlytheskirtsareraggedandtorn。 “Noneedforhurry，“ishiscustomaryremark。“Always，intime，doesonewintoone’spitchinthemarketplace。“ Hisspeechiscastinroundedperiods，anddisplaysagreatloveforecclesiasticalterms。Ontheoccurrenceofonesuchterm，hepausesthereafterasthoughmentallyhewereaddingtothetermaverythick，averyblack，fullstop。Yetalwayshewillconversewithanyone，andatgreatlength——hisprobablemotivebeingadesiretoleavebehindhimthereputationofawiseoldman。 Inhisshantyarethreewindowsfacingontothestreet，andapartition-wallwhichdividesitintotworoomsofunequalsize。 Inthelargerroom，whichcontainsaRussianstove，hehimselflives；inthesmallerroomIhavemyabode。Byapassagethetwoareseparatedfromastoreroomwhere，closetedbehindadoortowhichthereareaheavy，old-fashionedboltandmanyironandbrassscrews，Antipapreservespledgesleftbyhisneighbours，suchassamovars，ikons，winterclothingandthelike。Ofthisstoreroomhealwayscarriesthegreatindentatedkeyatthebackofthestrapwhichupholdshisclothbreeches；and，wheneverthepolicecalltoascertainwhetherheisharbouringanystolengoods，alongtimeensueswhilstheisshiftingthekeyroundtohisstomach，andagainalongtimewhilstheisunfasteningitfromthebelt。Meanwhile，hesayspompouslytotheSuperintendentortheDeputySuperintendent: “NeverdoItakeingoodsofthatkind。OfthetruthofwhatI say，yourhonour，youhavemorethanonceassuredyourselfinperson。“ Also，wheneverAntipasitsdownthekeyrattlesagainstthebackortheseatofhischair；whereuponhebendshisarmwithdifficulty，andfeelstoseewhetherornotthekeyhascomeunslung。ThisIknowforthereasonthatthepartition-wallisnotsothickbutthatIcanhearhiseverybreathdrawn，anddivinehiseverymovement。 Ofanevening，whenthemistysunisslantingacrosstherivertowardstheauburnbeltofpines，anddistillingpinkvapoursfromthesombrevistatobeseenthroughtheshaggymouthoftheravine，AntipaVologonovsetsoutasquatsamovarthatisdintedofside，andplatedwithgreenoxideonhandle，turncock，andspout。Thenheseatshimselfathistablebythewindow。 AtintervalsIheartheeveningstillnessbrokenbyquestionsputinatonewhichimpliesalwaysanexpectationofapreciseanswer。 “WhereisDarika？“ “Hehasgonetothespringforwater。“Theanswerisgivenwhiningly，andinathinvoice。 “Andhowisyoursister？ “Stillinpain。“ “Yes？Well，youcangonow。“ Givingaslightcoughtoclearhisthroat，theoldmanbeginstosinginaquaveringfalsetto: Onceabulletsmotemybreast，AndscarcethepangIfelt。 Butne’erthepangcouldbeexpress’dWhichlove’sflamesincehathdealt！ Asthesamovarhissesandbubbles，heavyfootstepsresoundinthestreet，andanindistinctvoicesays: “HethinksthatbecauseheisaTownCouncillorheisalsoclever。“ “Yes；suchfolkareapttogrowveryproud。“ “Why，allhisbrainsputtogetherwouldn’tgreaseoneofmyboots！“ Andasthevoicesdieawaytheoldman’sfalsettotricklesforthanew，humming: “Thepoorman’sanger……Minika！Hi，you！Comeinhere，andI willgiveyouabitofsugar。Howisyourfathergettingon？Ishedrunkatpresent？“ “No，sober，forheistakingnothingbutkvasandcabbagesoup。“ “Andwhatishedoingforaliving？“ “Sittingatthetable，andthinking。“ “Andhasyourmotherbeenbeatinghimagain？“ “No——notagain。“ “Andshe——howisshe？“ “Obligedtokeepindoors。“ “Well，runalongwithyou。“ SoftlytherenextpresentsherselfbeforethewindowFelitzata，awomanofaboutfortywithahawk-likegleaminhercoldlycivileyes，andapairofhandsomelipscompressedintoacovertsmile。Sheiswellknownthroughoutthesuburb，andoncehadason，Nilushka，whowasthelocal“God’sfool。“Alsoshehasthereputationofknowingwhatiscorrectprocedureonallandsundryoccasions，aswellasofbeingskilledinlamentations，funeralrites，andfestivitiesinconnectionwiththemusteringsofrecruits。Lastlyshehashadahipbroken，sothatshewalkswithaninclinationtowardstheleft。 Herfellowwomensayofherthatherveinscontain“adropofgentleblood“；butprobablythestatementisinspiredbynomorethanthefactthatshetreatseveryonewiththesamecoldcivility。Nevertheless，thereissomethingpeculiarabouther，forherhandsareslenderandhavelongfingers，andherheadishaughtilypoised，andhervoicehasametallicring，eventhoughthemetalhas，asitwere，growndullandrusty。Also，shespeaksofeveryone，herselfincluded，inthemostroughanddownrightterms，yettermswhicharesosimplethat，thoughhertalkmaybedisconcertingtolistento，itcouldneverbecalledobscene。 Forinstance，onceIoverheardVologonovreproachherfornotleadingamorebecominglife: “Yououghttohavemoreself-restraint，“saidhe，“seeingthatyouarealady，andalsoyourownmistress。“ “Thatisplayedout，myfriend，“shereplied。“Yousee，Ihavehadverymuchtobear，fortherewasatimewhensuchhungerusedtognawatmybellyasyouwouldneverbelieve。Itwasthenthatmyeyesbecamedazzledwiththetokensofshame。SoItookmyfilloflove，asdoeseverywoman。Andonceawomanhasbecomealight-o’-loveshemayaswelldoffhershiftaltogether，andusethebodywhichGodhasgivenher。And，afterall，anindependentlifeisthebestlife；soIhawkmyselfaboutlikeapotofbeer，andsay，’Drinkofthis，anyonewholikes，whileitstillcontainsliquor。’“