the wife and other stories-第48部分

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ng；　but　there　must　be　limits　to　it。　。　。　。　Upon　my　soul！　And　then　that　dinner！　How　can　one　give　people　such　things？　What　was　that　mess；　for　instance；　that　they　served　for　the　fourth　course？〃

〃That　was　duck　with　sweet　sauce　。　。　。〃　mother　answered　softly。

〃Duck！　Forgive　me；　sister；　but　。　。　。　but　here　I've　got　heartburn！　I　am　ill！〃

My　uncle　made　a　sour；　tearful　face；　and　went　on：

〃It　was　the　devil　sent　that　governor！　As　though　I　wanted　his　visit！　Pff！　。　。　。　heartburn！　I　can't　work　or　sleep　。　。　。　I　am　completely　out　of　sorts。　。　。　。　And　I　can't　understand　how　you　can　live　here　without　anything　to　do　。　。　。　in　this　boredom！　Here　I've　got　a　pain　coming　under　my　shoulder…blade！　。　。　。〃

My　uncle　frowned；　and　walked　about　more　rapidly　than　ever。

〃Brother；〃　my　mother　inquired　softly；　〃what　would　it　cost　to　go　abroad？〃

〃At　least　three　thousand　。　。　。〃　my　　uncle　answered　in　a　te　arful　voice。　〃I　would　go；　but　where　am　I　to　get　it？　I　haven't　a　farthing。　Pff！　。　。　。　heartburn！〃

My　uncle　stopped　to　look　dejectedly　at　the　grey；　overcast　prospect　from　the　window；　and　began　pacing　to　and　fro　again。

A　silence　followed。　。　。　。　Mother　looked　a　long　while　at　the　ikon；　pondering　something；　then　she　began　crying；　and　said：

〃I'll　give　you　the　three　thousand；　brother。　。　。　。〃


Three　days　later　the　majestic　boxes　went　off　to　the　station；　and　the　privy　councillor　drove　off　after　them。　As　he　said　good…bye　to　mother　he　shed　tears；　and　it　was　a　long　time　before　he　took　his　lips　from　her　hands；　but　when　he　got　into　his　carriage　his　face　beamed　with　childlike　pleasure。　。　。　。　Radiant　and　happy；　he　settled　himself　comfortably；　kissed　his　hand　to　my　mother；　who　was　crying；　and　all　at　once　his　eye　was　caught　by　me。　A　look　of　the　utmost　astonishment　came　into　his　face。

〃What　boy　is　this？〃　he　asked。

My　mother；　who　had　declared　my　uncle's　coming　was　a　piece　of　luck　for　which　I　must　thank　God；　was　bitterly　mortified　at　this　question。　I　was　in　no　mood　for　questions。　I　looked　at　my　uncle's　happy　face；　and　for　some　reason　I　felt　fearfully　sorry　for　him。　I　could　not　resist　jumping　up　to　the　carriage　and　hugging　that　frivolous　man；　weak　as　all　men　are。　Looking　into　his　face　and　wanting　to　say　something　pleasant；　I　asked：

〃Uncle；　have　you　ever　been　in　a　battle？〃

〃Ah；　the　dear　boy　。　。　。〃　laughed　my　uncle；　kissing　me。　〃A　charming　boy；　upon　my　soul！　How　natural；　how　living　it　all　is；　upon　my　soul！　。　。　。〃

The　carriage　set　off。　。　。　。　I　looked　after　him；　and　long　afterwards　that　farewell　〃upon　my　soul〃　was　ringing　in　my　ears。


THE　MAN　IN　A　CASE

AT　the　furthest　end　of　the　village　of　Mironositskoe　some　belated　sportsmen　lodged　for　the　night　in　the　elder　Prokofy's　barn。　There　were　two　of　them；　the　veterinary　surgeon　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　the　schoolmaster　Burkin。　Ivan　Ivanovitch　had　a　rather　strange　double…barrelled　surname　　Tchimsha…Himalaisky　　which　did　not　suit　him　at　all；　and　he　was　called　simply　Ivan　Ivanovitch　all　over　the　province。　He　lived　at　a　stud…farm　near　the　town；　and　had　come　out　shooting　now　to　get　a　breath　of　fresh　air。　Burkin；　the　high…school　teacher；　stayed　every　summer　at　Count　P…'s；　and　had　been　thoroughly　at　home　in　this　district　for　years。

They　did　not　sleep。　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　a　tall；　lean　old　fellow　with　long　moustaches；　was　sitting　outside　the　door；　smoking　a　pipe　in　the　moonlight。　Burkin　was　lying　within　on　the　hay；　and　could　not　be　seen　in　the　darkness。

They　were　telling　each　other　all　sorts　of　stories。　Among　other　things；　they　spoke　of　the　fact　that　the　elder's　wife；　Mavra；　a　healthy　and　by　no　means　stupid　woman；　had　never　been　beyond　her　native　village；　had　never　seen　a　town　nor　a　railway　in　her　life；　and　had　spent　the　last　ten　years　sitting　behind　the　stove；　and　only　at　night　going　out　into　the　street。

〃What　is　there　wonderful　in　that！〃　said　Burkin。　〃There　are　plenty　of　people　in　the　world；　solitary　by　temperament；　who　try　to　retreat　into　their　shell　like　a　hermit　crab　or　a　snail。　Perhaps　it　is　an　instance　of　atavism；　a　return　to　the　period　when　the　ancestor　of　man　was　not　yet　a　social　animal　and　lived　alone　in　his　den；　or　perhaps　it　is　only　one　of　the　diversities　of　human　character　　who　knows？　I　am　not　a　natural　science　man；　and　it　is　not　my　business　to　settle　such　questions；　I　only　mean　to　say　that　people　like　Mavra　are　not　uncommon。　There　is　no　need　to　look　far；　two　months　ago　a　man　called　Byelikov；　a　colleague　of　mine；　the　Greek　master；　died　in　our　town。　You　have　heard　of　him；　no　doubt。　He　was　remarkable　for　always　wearing　goloshes　and　a　warm　wadded　coat；　and　carrying　an　umbrella　even　in　the　very　finest　weather。　And　his　umbrella　was　in　a　case；　and　his　watch　was　in　a　case　made　of　grey　chamois　leather；　and　when　he　took　out　his　penknife　to　sharpen　his　pencil；　his　penknife；　too；　was　in　a　little　case；　and　his　face　seemed　to　be　in　a　case　too；　because　he　always　hid　it　in　his　turned…up　collar。　He　wore　dark　spectacles　and　flannel　vests；　stuffed　up　his　ears　with　cotton…wool；　and　when　he　got　into　a　cab　always　told　the　driver　to　put　up　the　hood。　In　short；　the　man　displayed　a　constant　and　insurmountable　impulse　to　wrap　himself　in　a　covering；　to　make　himself；　so　to　speak；　a　case　which　would　isolate　him　and　protect　him　from　external　influences。　Reality　irritated　him；　frightened　him；　kept　him　in　continual　agitation；　and；　perhaps　to　justify　his　timidity；　his　aversion　for　the　actual；　he　always　praised　the　past　and　what　had　never　existed；　and　even　the　classical　languages　which　he　taught　were　in　reality　for　him　goloshes　and　umbrellas　in　which　he　sheltered　himself　from　real　life。

〃　'Oh；　how　sonorous；　how　beautiful　is　the　Greek　language！'　he　would　say；　with　a　sugary　expression；　and　as　though　to　prove　his　words　he　would　screw　up　his　eyes　and；　raising　his　finger；　would　pronounce　'Anthropos！'

〃And　Byelikov　tried　to　hide　his　thoughts　also　in　a　case。　The　only　things　that　were　clear　to　his　mind　were　government　circulars　and　newspaper　articles　in　which　something　was　forbidden。　When　some　proclamation　prohibited　the　boys　from　going　out　in　the　streets　after　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　or　some　article　declared　carnal　love　unlawful；　it　was　to　his　mind　clear　and　definite；　it　was　forbidden；　and　that　was　enough。　For　him　there　was　always　a　doubtful　element；　something　vague　and　not　fully　expressed；　in　any　sanction　or　permission。　When　a　dramatic　club　or　a　reading…room　or　a　tea…shop　was　licensed　in　the　town；　he　would　shake　his　head　and　say　softly：

〃It　is　all　right；　of　course；　it　is　all　very　nice；　but　I　hope　it　won't　lead　to　anything！〃

〃Every　sort　of　breach　of　order；　deviation　or　departure　from　rule；　depressed　him；　though　one　would　have　thought　it　was　no　business　of　his。　If　one　of　his　colleagues　was　late　for　church　or　if　rumours　reached　him　of　some　prank　of　the　high…school　boys；　or　one　of　the　mistresses　was　seen　late　in　the　evening　in　the　company　of　an　officer；　he　was　much　disturbed；　and　said　he　hoped　that　nothing　would　come　of　it。　At　the　teachers'　meetings　he　simply　oppressed　us　with　his　caution；　his　circumspection；　and　his　characteristic　reflection　on　the　ill…behaviour　of　the　young　people　in　both　male　and　female　high…schools；　the　uproar　in　the　classes。

〃Oh；　he　hoped　it　would　not　reach　the　ears　of　the　authorities；　oh；　he　hoped