第2章
“Isticktoitbecauseifanything——Godforbid——happensto-nightdoyouhear？ifanythinghappensto-night，I’llgostraightoffto-morrowmorningtoFatherNikodimandtellhimallaboutit。’FatherNikodim，’Ishallsay，’graciouslyexcuseme，butsheisawitch。’’Whyso？’’H’m！doyouwanttoknowwhy？’’Certainly。’AndIshalltellhim。Andwoetoyou，woman！NotonlyatthedreadSeatofJudgment，butinyourearthlylifeyou’llbepunished，too！It’snotfornothingthereareprayersinthebreviaryagainstyourkind！“
Suddenlytherewasaknockatthewindow，soloudandunusualthatSavelyturnedpaleandalmostdroppedbackwardswithfright。
Hiswifejumpedup，andshe，too，turnedpale。
“ForGod’ssake，letuscomeinandgetwarm！“theyheardinatremblingdeepbass。“Wholiveshere？Formercy’ssake！We’velostourway。“
“Whoareyou？“askedRaissa，afraidtolookatthewindow。
“Thepost，“answeredasecondvoice。
“You’vesucceededwithyourdevil’stricks，“saidSavelywithawaveofhishand。“Nomistake；Iamright！Well，you’dbetterlookout！“
Thesextonjumpedontothebedintwoskips，stretchedhimselfonthefeathermattress，andsniffingangrily，turnedwithhisfacetothewall。Soonhefeltadraughtofcoldaironhisback。
Thedoorcreakedandthetallfigureofaman，plasteredoverwithsnowfromheadtofoot，appearedinthedoorway。Behindhimcouldbeseenasecondfigureaswhite。
“AmItobringinthebags？“askedthesecondinahoarsebassvoice。
“Youcan’tleavethemthere。“Sayingthis，thefirstfigurebeganuntyinghishood，butgaveitup，andpullingitoffimpatientlywithhiscap，angrilyflungitnearthestove。Thentakingoffhisgreatcoat，hethrewthatdownbesideit，and，withoutsayinggood-evening，beganpacingupanddownthehut。
Hewasafair-haired，youngpostmanwearingashabbyuniformandblackrusty-lookinghighboots。Afterwarminghimselfbywalkingtoandfro，hesatdownatthetable，stretchedouthismuddyfeettowardsthesacksandleanedhischinonhisfist。Hispaleface，reddenedinplacesbythecold，stillborevividtracesofthepainandterrorhehadjustbeenthrough。Thoughdistortedbyangerandbearingtracesofrecentsuffering，physicalandmoral，itwashandsomeinspiteofthemeltingsnowontheeyebrows，moustaches，andshortbeard。
“It’sadog’slife！“mutteredthepostman，lookingroundthewallsandseeminghardlyabletobelievethathewasinthewarmth。“Wewerenearlylost！Ifithadnotbeenforyourlight，Idon’tknowwhatwouldhavehappened。Goodnessonlyknowswhenitwillallbeover！There’snoendtothisdog’slife！Wherehavewecome？“heasked，droppinghisvoiceandraisinghiseyestothesexton’swife。
“TotheGulyaevskyHillonGeneralKalinovsky’sestate，“sheanswered，startledandblushing。
“Doyouhear，Stepan？“Thepostmanturnedtothedriver，whowaswedgedinthedoorwaywithahugemail-bagonhisshoulders。
“We’vegottoGulyaevskyHill。“
“Yeswe’realongwayout。“Jerkingoutthesewordslikeahoarsesigh，thedriverwentoutandsoonafterreturnedwithanotherbag，thenwentoutoncemoreandthistimebroughtthepostman’sswordonabigbelt，ofthepatternofthatlongflatbladewithwhichJudithisportrayedbythebedsideofHolofernesincheapwoodcuts。Layingthebagsalongthewall，hewentoutintotheouterroom，satdownthereandlightedhispipe。
“Perhapsyou’dlikesometeaafteryourjourney？“Raissainquired。
“Howcanwesitdrinkingtea？“saidthepostman，frowning。“Wemustmakehasteandgetwarm，andthensetoff，orweshallbelateforthemailtrain。We’llstaytenminutesandthengetonourway。Onlybesogoodastoshowustheway。“
“Whataninflictionitis，thisweather！“sighedRaissa。
“H’m，yes。Whomayyoube？“
“We？Welivehere，bythechurch。Webelongtotheclergy。
Thereliesmyhusband。Savely，getupandsaygood-evening！
Thisusedtobeaseparateparishtilleighteenmonthsago。Ofcourse，whenthegentrylivedherethereweremorepeople，anditwasworthwhiletohavetheservices。Butnowthegentryhavegone，andIneednottellyouthere’snothingfortheclergytoliveon。ThenearestvillageisMarkovka，andthat’soverthreemilesaway。Savelyisontheretiredlistnow，andhasgotthewatchman’sjob；hehastolookafterthechurch。“
AndthepostmanwasimmediatelyinformedthatifSavelyweretogototheGeneral’sladyandaskherforalettertothebishop，hewouldbegivenagoodberth。“Buthedoesn’tgototheGeneral’sladybecauseheislazyandafraidofpeople。Webelongtotheclergyallthesame“addedRaissa。
“Whatdoyouliveon？“askedthepostman。
“There’sakitchengardenandameadowbelongingtothechurch。
Onlywedon’tgetmuchfromthat，“sighedRaissa。“Theoldskinflint，FatherNikodim，fromthenextvillagecelebrateshereonSt。Nicolas’DayinthewinterandonSt。Nicolas’Dayinthesummer，andforthathetakesalmostallthecropsforhimself。
There’snoonetostickupforus！“
“Youarelying，“Savelygrowledhoarsely。“FatherNikodimisasaintlysoul，aluminaryoftheChurch；andifhedoestakeit，it’stheregulation！“
“You’veacrossone！“saidthepostman，withagrin。“Haveyoubeenmarriedlong？“
“ItwasthreeyearsagothelastSundaybeforeLent。Myfatherwassextonhereintheolddays，andwhenthetimecameforhimtodie，hewenttotheConsistoryandaskedthemtosendsomeunmarriedmantomarrymethatImightkeeptheplace。SoI
marriedhim。“
“Aha，soyoukilledtwobirdswithonestone！“saidthepostman，lookingatSavely’sback。“Gotwifeandjobtogether。“
Savelywriggledhislegimpatientlyandmovedclosertothewall。
Thepostmanmovedawayfromthetable，stretched，andsatdownonthemail-bag。Afteramoment’sthoughthesqueezedthebagswithhishands，shiftedhisswordtotheotherside，andlaydownwithonefoottouchingthefloor。
“It’sadog’slife，“hemuttered，puttinghishandsbehindhisheadandclosinghiseyes。“Iwouldn’twishawildTatarsuchalife。“
Sooneverythingwasstill。NothingwasaudibleexceptthesniffingofSavelyandtheslow，evenbreathingofthesleepingpostman，whoutteredadeepprolonged“h-h-h“ateverybreath。
Fromtimetotimetherewasasoundlikeacreakingwheelinhisthroat，andhistwitchingfootrustledagainstthebag。
Savelyfidgetedunderthequiltandlookedroundslowly。Hiswifewassittingonthestool，andwithherhandspressedagainsthercheekswasgazingatthepostman’sface。Herfacewasimmovable，likethefaceofsomeonefrightenedandastonished。
“Well，whatareyougapingat？“Savelywhisperedangrily。
“Whatisittoyou？Liedown！“answeredhiswifewithouttakinghereyesofftheflaxenhead。
Savelyangrilypuffedalltheairoutofhischestandturnedabruptlytothewall。Threeminuteslaterheturnedoverrestlesslyagain，kneltuponthebed，andwithhishandsonthepillowlookedaskanceathiswife。Shewasstillsittingmotionless，staringatthevisitor。Hercheekswerepaleandhereyeswereglowingwithastrangefire。Thesextonclearedhisthroat，crawledonhisstomachoffthebed，andgoinguptothepostman，putahandkerchiefoverhisface。
“What’sthatfor？“askedhiswife。
“Tokeepthelightoutofhiseyes。“
“Thenputoutthelight！“
Savelylookeddistrustfullyathiswife，putouthislipstowardsthelamp，butatoncethoughtbetterofitandclaspedhishands。
“Isn’tthatdevilishcunning？“heexclaimed。“Ah！Isthereanycreatureslyerthanwomenkind？“
“Ah，youlong-skirteddevil！“hissedhiswife，frowningwithvexation。“Youwaitabit！“
Andsettlingherselfmorecomfortably，shestaredatthepostmanagain。
Itdidnotmattertoherthathisfacewascovered。Shewasnotsomuchinterestedinhisfaceasinhiswholeappearance，inthenoveltyofthisman。Hischestwasbroadandpowerful，hishandswereslenderandwellformed，andhisgraceful，muscularlegsweremuchcomelierthanSavely’sstumps。Therecouldbenocomparison，infact。
“ThoughIamalong-skirteddevil，“Savelysaidafterabriefinterval，“they’venobusinesstosleephere。It’sgovernmentwork；weshallhavetoanswerforkeepingthem。Ifyoucarrytheletters，carrythem，youcan’tgotosleep。Hey！
you！“Savelyshoutedintotheouterroom。“You，driver。What’syourname？ShallIshowyoutheway？Getup；postmenmustn’tsleep！“
AndSavely，thoroughlyroused，ranuptothepostmanandtuggedhimbythesleeve。
“Hey，yourhonour，ifyoumustgo，go；andifyoudon’t，it’snotthething。Sleepingwon’tdo。“
Thepostmanjumpedup，satdown，lookedwithblankeyesroundthehut，andlaydownagain。