the wife and other stories-第52部分

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r　an　hour　or　two；　enjoying　complete　freedom。　Ah；　freedom；　freedom！　The　merest　hint；　the　faintest　hope　of　its　possibility　gives　wings　to　the　soul；　does　it　not？

〃We　returned　from　the　cemetery　in　a　good　humour。　But　not　more　than　a　week　had　passed　before　life　went　on　as　in　the　past；　as　gloomy；　oppressive；　and　senseless　　a　life　not　forbidden　by　government　prohibition；　but　not　fully　permitted；　either：　it　was　no　better。　And；　indeed；　though　we　had　buried　Byelikov；　how　many　such　men　in　cases　were　left；　how　many　more　of　them　there　will　be！〃

〃That's　just　how　it　is；〃　said　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　he　lighted　his　pipe。

〃How　many　more　of　them　there　will　be！〃　repeated　Burkin。

The　schoolmaster　came　out　of　the　barn。　He　was　a　short；　stout　man；　completely　bald；　with　a　black　beard　down　to　his　waist。　The　two　dogs　came　out　with　him。

〃What　a　moon！〃　he　said；　looking　upwards。

It　was　midnight。　On　the　right　could　be　seen　the　whole　village；　a　long　street　stretching　far　away　for　four　miles。　All　was　buried　in　deep　silent　slumber；　not　a　movement；　not　a　sound；　one　could　hardly　believe　that　nature　could　be　so　still。　When　on　a　moonlight　night　you　see　a　broad　village　street；　with　its　cottages；　haystacks；　and　slumbering　willows；　a　feeling　of　calm　comes　over　the　soul；　in　this　peace；　wrapped　away　from　care；　toil；　and　sorrow　in　the　darkness　of　night；　it　is　mild；　melancholy；　beautiful；　and　it　seems　as　though　the　stars　look　down　upon　it　kindly　and　with　tenderness；　and　as　though　there　were　no　evil　on　earth　and　all　were　well。　On　the　left　the　open　country　began　from　the　end　of　the　village；　it　could　be　seen　stretching　far　away　to　the　horizon；　and　there　was　no　movement；　no　sound　in　that　whole　expanse　bathed　in　moonlight。

〃Yes；　that　is　just　how　it　is；〃　repeated　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　〃and　isn't　our　living　in　town；　airless　and　crowded；　our　writing　useless　papers；　our　playing　_vint_　　isn't　that　all　a　sort　of　case　for　us？　And　our　spending　our　whole　lives　among　trivial；　fussy　men　and　silly；　idle　women；　our　talking　and　our　listening　to　all　sorts　of　nonsense　　isn't　that　a　case　for　us；　too？　If　you　like；　I　will　tell　you　a　very　edifying　story。〃

〃No；　it's　time　we　were　asleep；〃　said　Burkin。　〃Tell　it　tomorrow。〃

They　went　into　the　barn　and　lay　down　on　the　hay。　And　they　were　both　covered　up　and　beginning　to　doze　when　they　suddenly　heard　light　footsteps　　patter；　patter。　。　。　。　Some　one　was　walking　not　far　from　the　barn；　walking　a　little　and　stopping；　and　a　minute　later；　patter；　patter　again。　。　。　。　The　dogs　began　growling。

〃That's　Mavra；〃　said　Burkin。

The　footsteps　died　away。

〃You　see　and　hear　that　they　lie；〃　said　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　turning　over　on　the　other　side；　〃and　they　call　you　a　fool　for　putting　up　with　their　lying。　You　endure　insult　and　humiliation；　and　dare　not　openly　say　that　you　are　on　the　side　of　the　honest　and　the　free；　and　you　lie　and　smile　yourself；　and　all　that　for　the　sake　of　a　crust　of　bread；　for　the　sake　of　a　warm　corner；　for　the　sake　of　a　wretched　little　worthless　rank　in　the　service。　No；　one　can't　go　on　living　like　this。〃

〃Well；　you　are　off　on　another　tack　now；　Ivan　Ivanovitch；〃　said　the　schoolmaster。　〃Let　us　go　to　sleep！

And　ten　minutes　later　Burkin　was　asleep。　But　Ivan　Ivanovitch　kept　sighing　and　turning　over　from　side　to　side；　then　he　got　up；　went　outside　again；　and；　sitting　in　the　doorway；　lighted　his　pipe。


GOOSEBERRIES

THE　whole　sky　had　been　overcast　with　rain…clouds　from　early　morning；　it　was　a　still　day；　not　hot；　but　heavy；　as　it　is　in　grey　dull　weather　when　the　clouds　have　been　hanging　over　the　country　for　a　long　while；　when　one　expects　rain　and　it　does　not　come。　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　the　veterinary　surgeon；　and　Burkin；　the　high…school　teacher；　were　already　tired　from　walking；　and　the　fields　seemed　to　them　endless。　Far　ahead　of　them　they　could　just　see　the　windmills　of　the　village　of　Mironositskoe；　on　the　right　stretched　a　row　of　hillocks　which　disappeared　in　the　distance　behind　the　village；　and　they　both　knew　that　this　was　the　bank　of　the　river；　that　there　were　meadows；　green　willows；　homesteads　there；　and　that　if　one　stood　on　one　of　the　hillocks　one　could　see　from　it　the　same　vast　plain；　telegraph…wires；　and　a　train　which　in　the　distance　looked　like　a　crawling　caterpillar；　and　that　in　clear　weather　one　could　even　see　the　town。　Now；　in　still　weather；　when　all　nature　seemed　mild　and　dreamy；　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　Burkin　were　filled　with　love　of　that　countryside；　and　both　thought　how　great；　how　beautiful　a　land　it　was。

〃Last　time　we　were　in　Prokofy's　barn；〃　said　Burkin；　〃you　were　about　to　tell　me　a　story。〃

〃Yes；　I　meant　to　tell　you　about　my　brother。〃

Ivan　Ivanovitch　heaved　a　deep　sigh　and　lighted　a　pipe　to　begin　to　tell　his　story；　but　just　at　that　moment　the　rain　began。　And　five　minutes　later　heavy　rain　came　down；　covering　the　sky；　and　it　was　hard　to　tell　when　it　would　be　over。　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　Burkin　stopped　in　hesitation；　the　dogs；　already　drenched；　stood　with　their　tails　between　their　legs　gazing　at　them　feelingly。

〃We　must　take　shelter　somewhere；〃　said　Burkin。　〃Let　us　go　to　Alehin's；　it's　close　by。〃

〃Come　along。〃

They　turned　aside　a　nd　walked　through　mown　fields；　sometimes　going　straight　forward；　sometimes　turning　to　the　right；　till　they　came　out　on　the　road。　Soon　they　saw　poplars；　a　garden；　then　the　red　roofs　of　barns；　there　was　a　gleam　of　the　river；　and　the　view　opened　on　to　a　broad　expanse　of　water　with　a　windmill　and　a　white　bath…house：　this　was　Sofino；　where　Alehin　lived。

The　watermill　was　at　work；　drowning　the　sound　of　the　rain；　the　dam　was　shaking。　Here　wet　horses　with　drooping　heads　were　standing　near　their　carts；　and　men　were　walking　about　covered　with　sacks。　It　was　damp；　muddy；　and　desolate；　the　water　looked　cold　and　malignant。　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　Burkin　were　already　conscious　of　a　feeling　of　wetness；　messiness；　and　discomfort　all　over；　their　feet　were　heavy　with　mud；　and　when；　crossing　the　dam；　they　went　up　to　the　barns；　they　were　silent；　as　though　they　were　angry　with　one　another。

In　one　of　the　barns　there　was　the　sound　of　a　winnowing　machine；　the　door　was　open；　and　clouds　of　dust　were　coming　from　it。　In　the　doorway　was　standing　Alehin　himself；　a　man　of　forty；　tall　and　stout；　with　long　hair；　more　like　a　professor　or　an　artist　than　a　landowner。　He　had　on　a　white　shirt　that　badly　needed　washing；　a　rope　for　a　belt；　drawers　instead　of　trousers；　and　his　boots；　too；　were　plastered　up　with　mud　and　straw。　His　eyes　and　nose　were　black　with　dust。　He　recognized　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　Burkin；　and　was　apparently　much　delighted　to　see　them。

〃Go　into　the　house；　gentlemen；〃　he　said；　smiling；　〃I'll　come　directly；　this　minute。〃

It　was　a　big　two…storeyed　house。　Alehin　lived　in　the　lower　storey；　with　arched　ceilings　and　little　windows；　where　the　bailiffs　had　once　lived；　here　everything　was　plain；　and　there　was　a　smell　of　rye　bread；　cheap　vodka；　and　harness。　He　went　upstairs　into　the　best　rooms　only　on　rare　occasions；　when　visitors　came。　Ivan　Ivanovitch　and　Burkin　were　met　in　the　house　by　a　maid…servant；　a　young　woman　so　beautiful　that　they　both　stood　still　and　looked　at　one　another。

〃You　can't　imagine　how　delighted　I　am　to　see　you；　my　friends；〃　said　Alehin；　going　into　the　hall　with　them。　〃It　is　a　surprise！　Pela