第3章

“Butwhenareyougoing？“Savelypatteredaway。“That’swhatthepostisfor——togetthereingoodtime，doyouhear？I’lltakeyou。“

Thepostmanopenedhiseyes。Warmedandrelaxedbyhisfirstsweetsleep，andnotyetquiteawake，hesawasthroughamistthewhiteneckandtheimmovable，alluringeyesofthesexton’swife。Heclosedhiseyesandsmiledasthoughhehadbeendreamingitall。

“Come，howcanyougoinsuchweather！“heheardasoftfemininevoice；“yououghttohaveasoundsleepanditwoulddoyougood！“

“Andwhataboutthepost？“saidSavelyanxiously。“Who’sgoingtotakethepost？Areyougoingtotakeit，pray，you？

Thepostmanopenedhiseyesagain，lookedattheplayofthedimplesonRaissa’sface，rememberedwherehewas，andunderstoodSavely。Thethoughtthathehadtogooutintothecolddarknesssentachillshudderalldownhim，andhewinced。

“Imightsleepanotherfiveminutes，“hesaid，yawning。“Ishallbelate，anyway。“

“Wemightbejustintime，“cameavoicefromtheouterroom。

“Alldaysarenotalike；thetrainmaybelateforabitofluck。“

Thepostmangotup，andstretchinglazilybeganputtingonhiscoat。

Savelypositivelyneighedwithdelightwhenhesawhisvisitorsweregettingreadytogo。

“Giveusahand，“thedrivershoutedtohimasheliftedupamail-bag。

Thesextonranoutandhelpedhimdragthepost-bagsintotheyard。Thepostmanbeganundoingtheknotinhishood。Thesexton’swifegazedintohiseyes，andseemedtryingtolookrightintohissoul。

“Yououghttohaveacupoftea“shesaid。

“Iwouldn’tsaynobut，yousee，they’regettingready，“heassented。“Wearelate，anyway。“

“Dostay，“shewhispered，droppinghereyesandtouchinghimbythesleeve。

Thepostmangottheknotundoneatlastandflungthehoodoverhiselbow，hesitating。HefeltitcomfortablestandingbyRaissa。

“Whataneckyou’vegot！“Andhetouchedherneckwithtwofingers。Seeingthatshedidnotresist，hestrokedherneckandshoulders。

“Isay，youare“

“You’dbetterstayhavesometea。“

“Whereareyouputtingit？“Thedriver’svoicecouldbeheardoutside。“Layitcrossways。“

“You’dbetterstay。Harkhowthewindhowls。“

Andthepostman，notyetquiteawake，notyetquiteabletoshakeofftheintoxicatingsleepofyouthandfatigue，wassuddenlyoverwhelmedbyadesireforthesakeofwhichmail-bags，postaltrainsandallthingsintheworld，areforgotten。Heglancedatthedoorinafrightenedway，asthoughhewantedtoescapeorhidehimself，seizedRaissaroundthewaist，andwasjustbendingoverthelamptoputoutthelight，whenheheardthetrampofbootsintheouterroom，andthedriverappearedinthedoorway。Savelypeepedinoverhisshoulder。Thepostmandroppedhishandsquicklyandstoodstillasthoughirresolute。

“It’sallready，“saidthedriver。Thepostmanstoodstillforamoment，resolutelythrewuphisheadasthoughwakingupcompletely，andfollowedthedriverout。Raissawasleftalone。

“Come，getinandshowustheway！“sheheard。

Onebellsoundedlanguidly，thenanother，andthejinglingnotesinalongdelicatechainfloatedawayfromthehut。

Whenlittlebylittletheyhaddiedaway，Raissagotupandnervouslypacedtoandfro。Atfirstshewaspale，thensheflushedallover。Herfacewascontortedwithhate，herbreathingwastremulous，hereyesgleamedwithwild，savageanger，and，pacingupanddownasinacage，shelookedlikeatigressmenacedwithred-hotiron。Foramomentshestoodstillandlookedatherabode。Almosthalfoftheroomwasfilledupbythebed，whichstretchedthelengthofthewholewallandconsistedofadirtyfeather-bed，coarsegreypillows，aquilt，andnamelessragsofvarioussorts。ThebedwasashapelessuglymasswhichsuggestedtheshockofhairthatalwaysstooduponSavely’sheadwheneveritoccurredtohimtooilit。Fromthebedtothedoorthatledintothecoldouterroomstretchedthedarkstovesurroundedbypotsandhangingclouts。Everything，includingtheabsentSavelyhimself，wasdirty，greasy，andsmuttytothelastdegree，sothatitwasstrangetoseeawoman’swhiteneckanddelicateskininsuchsurroundings。

Raissaranuptothebed，stretchedoutherhandsasthoughshewantedtoflingitallabout，stampitunderfoot，andtearittoshreds。Butthen，asthoughfrightenedbycontactwiththedirt，sheleaptbackandbeganpacingupanddownagain。

WhenSavelyreturnedtwohourslater，wornoutandcoveredwithsnow，shewasundressedandinbed。Hereyeswereclosed，butfromtheslighttremorthatranoverherfaceheguessedthatshewasnotasleep。Onhiswayhomehehadvowedinwardlytowaittillnextdayandnottotouchher，buthecouldnotresistabitingtauntather。

“Yourwitcherywasallinvain:he’sgoneoff，“hesaid，grinningwithmalignantjoy。

Hiswiferemainedmute，butherchinquivered。Savelyundressedslowly，clamberedoverhiswife，andlaydownnexttothewall。

“To-morrowI’llletFatherNikodimknowwhatsortofwifeyouare！“hemuttered，curlinghimselfup。

Raissaturnedherfacetohimandhereyesgleamed。

“Thejob’senoughforyou，andyoucanlookforawifeintheforest，blastyou！“shesaid。“Iamnowifeforyou，aclumsylout，aslug-a-bed，Godforgiveme！“

“Come，comegotosleep！“

“HowmiserableIam！“sobbedhiswife。“Ifitweren’tforyou，I

mighthavemarriedamerchantorsomegentleman！Ifitweren’tforyou，Ishouldlovemyhusbandnow！Andyouhaven’tbeenburiedinthesnow，youhaven’tbeenfrozenonthehighroad，youHerod！“

Raissacriedforalongtime。Atlastshedrewadeepsighandwasstill。Thestormstillragedwithout。Somethingwailedinthestove，inthechimney，outsidethewalls，anditseemedtoSavelythatthewailingwaswithinhim，inhisears。Thiseveninghadcompletelyconfirmedhiminhissuspicionsabouthiswife。Henolongerdoubtedthathiswife，withtheaidoftheEvilOne，controlledthewindsandthepostsledges。Buttoaddtohisgrief，thismysteriousness，thissupernatural，weirdpowergavethewomanbesidehimapeculiar，incomprehensiblecharmofwhichhehadnotbeenconsciousbefore。Thefactthatinhisstupidityheunconsciouslythrewapoeticglamouroverhermadeherseem，asitwere，whiter，sleeker，moreunapproachable。

“Witch！“hemutteredindignantly。“Tfoo，horridcreature！“

Yet，waitingtillshewasquietandbeganbreathingevenly，hetouchedherheadwithhisfingerheldherthickplaitinhishandforaminute。Shedidnotfeelit。Thenhegrewbolderandstrokedherneck。

“Leaveoff！“sheshouted，andproddedhimonthenosewithherelbowwithsuchviolencethathesawstarsbeforehiseyes。

Thepaininhisnosewassoonover，butthetortureinhisheartremained。

INthevillageofReybuzh，justfacingthechurch，standsatwo-storeyedhousewithastonefoundationandanironroof。Inthelowerstoreytheownerhimself，FilipIvanovKashin，nicknamedDyudya，liveswithhisfamily，andontheupperfloor，whereitisapttobeveryhotinsummerandverycoldinwinter，theyputupgovernmentofficials，merchants，orlandowners，whochancetobetravellingthatway。Dyudyarentssomebitsofland，keepsatavernonthehighroad，doesatradeintar，honey，cattle，andjackdaws，andhasalreadysomethinglikeeightthousandroublesputbyinthebankinthetown。

Hiselderson，Fyodor，isheadengineerinthefactory，and，asthepeasantssayofhim，hehasrisensohighintheworldthatheisquiteoutofreachnow。Fyodor’swife，Sofya，aplain，ailingwoman，livesathomeatherfather-in-law’s。Sheisforevercrying，andeverySundayshegoesovertothehospitalformedicine。Dyudya’ssecondson，thehunchbackAlyoshka，islivingathomeathisfather’s。HehasonlylatelybeenmarriedtoVarvara，whomtheysingledoutforhimfromapoorfamily。Sheisahandsomeyoungwoman，smartandbuxom。Whenofficialsormerchantsputupatthehouse，theyalwaysinsistonhavingVarvaratobringinthesamovarandmaketheirbeds。

OneJuneeveningwhenthesunwassettingandtheairwasfullofthesmellofhay，ofsteamingdung-heapsandnewmilk，aplain-lookingcartdroveintoDyudya’syardwiththreepeopleinit:amanofaboutthirtyinacanvassuit，besidehimalittleboyofsevenoreightinalongblackcoatwithbigbonebuttons，andonthedriver’sseatayoungfellowinaredshirt。

Theyoungfellowtookoutthehorsesandledthemoutintothestreettowalkthemupanddownabit，whilethetravellerwashed，saidaprayer，turningtowardsthechurch，thenspreadarugnearthecartandsatdownwiththeboytosupper。Heatewithouthaste，sedately，andDyudya，whohadseenagoodmanytravellersinhistime，knewhimfromhismannersforabusinesslikeman，seriousandawareofhisownvalue。

Dyudyawassittingonthestepinhiswaistcoatwithoutacapon，waitingforthevisitortospeakfirst。Hewasusedtohearingallkindsofstoriesfromthetravellersintheevening，andhelikedlisteningtothembeforegoingtobed。Hisoldwife，Afanasyevna，andhisdaughter-in-lawSofya，weremilkinginthecowshed。Theotherdaughter-in-law，Varvara，wassittingattheopenwindowoftheupperstorey，eatingsunflowerseeds。

“Thelittlechapwillbeyourson，I’mthinking？“Dyudyaaskedthetraveller。

“No；adopted。Anorphan。Itookhimformysoul’ssalvation。“