第17章

Itwasthehusband，whohadreturnedhome，andinalarmwaslookingforhiswifeinthevillage。Atthatmomenttherecamethesoundofunrestrainedlaughter:thewife，forgetfulofeverything，soughtinherintoxicationtomakeupbyafewhoursofhappinessforthemiseryawaitinghernextday。

Idroppedasleep。

WhenIwokeupSavkawassittingbesidemeandlightlyshakingmyshoulder。Theriver，thecopse，bothbanks，greenandwashed，treesandfields——allwerebathedinbrightmorninglight。

Throughtheslimtrunksofthetreestheraysofthenewlyrisensunbeatuponmyback。

“Sothat’showyoucatchfish？“laughedSavka。“Getup！“

Igotup，gavealuxuriousstretch，andbegangreedilydrinkinginthedampandfragrantair。

“HasAgashagone？“Iasked。

“Theresheis，“saidSavka，pointinginthedirectionoftheford。

IglancedandsawAgafya。Dishevelled，withherkerchiefdroppingoffherhead，shewascrossingtheriver，holdingupherskirt。

Herlegswerescarcelymoving。

“Thecatknowswhosemeatithaseaten，“mutteredSavka，screwinguphiseyesashelookedather。“Shegoeswithhertailhangingdown。Theyareslyascats，thesewomen，andtimidashares。Shedidn’tgo，sillything，intheeveningwhenwetoldherto！Nowshewillcatchit，andthey’llflogmeagainatthepeasantcourtallonaccountofthewomen。“

Agafyasteppeduponthebankandwentacrossthefieldstothevillage。Atfirstshewalkedfairlyboldly，butsoonterrorandexcitementgottheupperhand；sheturnedroundfearfully，stoppedandtookbreath。

“Yes，youarefrightened！“Savkalaughedmournfully，lookingatthebrightgreenstreakleftbyAgafyainthedewygrass。“Shedoesn’twanttogo！Herhusband’sbeenstandingwaitingforherforagoodhour。Didyouseehim？“

Savkasaidthelastwordswithasmile，buttheysentachilltomyheart。Inthevillage，nearthefurthesthut，Yakovwasstandingintheroad，gazingfixedlyathisreturningwife。Hestoodwithoutstirring，andwasasmotionlessasapost。Whatwashethinkingashelookedather？Whatwordswashepreparingtogreetherwith？Agafyastoodstillalittlewhile，lookedroundoncemoreasthoughexpectinghelpfromus，andwenton。Ihaveneverseenanyone，drunkorsober，moveasshedid。Agafyaseemedtobeshrivelledupbyherhusband’seyes。Atonetimeshemovedinzigzags，thenshemovedherfeetupanddownwithoutgoingforward，bendingherkneesandstretchingoutherhands，thenshestaggeredback。Whenshehadgoneanotherhundredpacesshelookedroundoncemoreandsatdown。

“Yououghtatleasttohidebehindabush“IsaidtoSavka。

“Ifthehusbandseesyou“

“Heknows，anyway，whoitisAgafyahascomefrom。Thewomendon’tgotothekitchengardenatnightforcabbages——weallknowthat。“

IglancedatSavka’sface。Itwaspaleandpuckeredupwithalookoffastidiouspitysuchasoneseesinthefacesofpeoplewatchingtorturedanimals。

“What’sfunforthecatistearsforthemouse。“hemuttered。

Agafyasuddenlyjumpedup，shookherhead，andwithaboldstepwenttowardsherhusband。Shehadevidentlypluckeduphercourageandmadeuphermind。

“WHATshallIwrite？“saidYegor，andhedippedhispenintheink。

Vasilisahadnotseenherdaughterforfouryears。HerdaughterYefimyahadgoneafterherweddingtoPetersburg，hadsentthemtwoletters，andsincethenseemedtovanishoutoftheirlives；

therehadbeennosightnorsoundofher。Andwhethertheoldwomanweremilkinghercowatdawn，orheatingherstove，ordozingatnight，shewasalwaysthinkingofoneandthesamething——whatwashappeningtoYefimya，whethershewerealiveoutyonder。Sheoughttohavesentaletter，buttheoldfathercouldnotwrite，andtherewasnoonetowrite。

ButnowChristmashadcome，andVasilisacouldnotbearitanylonger，andwenttothetaverntoYegor，thebrotheroftheinnkeeper’swife，whohadsatinthetaverndoingnothingeversincehecamebackfromthearmy；peoplesaidthathecouldwritelettersverywellifhewereproperlypaid。Vasilisatalkedtothecookatthetavern，thentothemistressofthehouse，thentoYegorhimself。Theyagreeduponfifteenkopecks。

Andnow——ithappenedontheseconddayoftheholidays，inthetavernkitchen——Yegorwassittingatthetable，holdingthepeninhishand。Vasilisawasstandingbeforehim，ponderingwithanexpressionofanxietyandwoeonherface。Pyotr，herhusband，averythinoldmanwithabrownishbaldpatch，hadcomewithher；

hestoodlookingstraightbeforehimlikeablindman。Onthestoveapieceofporkwasbeingbraisedinasaucepan；itwasspurtingandhissing，andseemedtobeactuallysaying:

“Flu-flu-flu。“Itwasstifling。

“WhatamItowrite？“Yegoraskedagain。

“What？“askedVasilisa，lookingathimangrilyandsuspiciously。

“Don’tworryme！Youarenotwritingfornothing；nofear，you’llbepaidforit。Come，write:’Toourdearson-in-law，AndreyHrisanfitch，andtoouronlybeloveddaughter，YefimyaPetrovna，withourlovewesendalowbowandourparentalblessingabidingforever。’“

“Written；fireaway。“

“’AndwewishthemahappyChristmas；wearealiveandwell，andIwishyouthesame，pleasetheLordtheHeavenlyKing。’“

Vasilisaponderedandexchangedglanceswiththeoldman。

“’AndIwishyouthesame，pleasetheLordtheHeavenlyKing，’“

sherepeated，beginningtocry。

Shecouldsaynothingmore。Andyetbefore，whenshelayawakethinkingatnight，ithadseemedtoherthatshecouldnotgetallshehadtosayintoadozenletters。Sincethetimewhenherdaughterhadgoneawaywithherhusbandmuchwaterhadflowedintothesea，theoldpeoplehadlivedfeelingbereaved，andsighedheavilyatnightasthoughtheyhadburiedtheirdaughter。

Andhowmanyeventshadoccurredinthevillagesincethen，howmanymarriagesanddeaths！Howlongthewintershadbeen！Howlongthenights！

“It’shot，“saidYegor，unbuttoninghiswaistcoat。“Itmustbeseventydegrees。Whatmore？“heasked。

Theoldpeopleweresilent。

“Whatdoesyourson-in-lawdoinPetersburg？“askedYegor。

“Hewasasoldier，mygoodfriend，“theoldmanansweredinaweakvoice。“Helefttheserviceatthesametimeasyoudid。Hewasasoldier，andnow，tobesure，heisatPetersburgatahydropathicestablishment。Thedoctortreatsthesickwithwater。

Sohe，tobesure，ishouse-porteratthedoctor’s。“

“Hereitiswrittendown，“saidtheoldwoman，takingaletteroutofherpocket。“WegotitfromYefimya，goodnessknowswhen。

Maybetheyarenolongerinthisworld。“

Yegorthoughtalittleandbeganwritingrapidly:

“Atthepresenttime“——hewrote——“sinceyourdestinythroughyourowndoingallottedyoutotheMilitaryCareer，wecounselyoutolookintotheCodeofDisciplinaryOffencesandFundamentalLawsoftheWarOffice，andyouwillseeinthatlawtheCivilizationoftheOfficialsoftheWarOffice。“

Hewroteandkeptreadingaloudwhatwaswritten，whileVasilisaconsideredwhatsheoughttowrite:howgreathadbeentheirwanttheyearbefore，howtheircornhadnotlastedeventillChristmas，howtheyhadtoselltheircow。Sheoughttoaskformoney，oughttowritethattheoldfatherwasoftenailingandwouldsoonnodoubtgiveuphissoultoGodbuthowtoexpressthisinwords？Whatmustbesaidfirstandwhatafterwards？

“Takenote，“Yegorwentonwriting，“involumefiveoftheArmyRegulationssoldierisacommonnounandaproperone，asoldierofthefirstrankiscalledageneral，andofthelastaprivate。“

Theoldmanstirredhislipsandsaidsoftly:

“Itwouldbeallrighttohavealookatthegrandchildren。“

“Whatgrandchildren？“askedtheoldwoman，andshelookedangrilyathim；“perhapstherearenone。“

“Well，butperhapsthereare。Whoknows？“

“Andtherebyyoucanjudge，“Yegorhurriedon，“whatistheenemywithoutandwhatistheenemywithin。TheforemostofourenemieswithinisBacchus。“Thepensqueaked，executinguponthepaperflourisheslikefish-hooks。Yegorhastenedandreadovereverylineseveraltimes。Hesatonastoolsprawlinghisbroadfeetunderthetable，well-fed，burstingwithhealth，withacoarseanimalfaceandaredbullneck。Hewasvulgarityitself:coarse，conceited，invincible，proudofhavingbeenbornandbredinapot-house；andVasilisaquiteunderstoodthevulgarity，butcouldnotexpressitinwords，andcouldonlylookangrilyandsuspiciouslyatYegor。Herheadwasbeginningtoache，andherthoughtswereinconfusionfromthesoundofhisvoiceandhisunintelligiblewords，fromtheheatandthestuffiness，andshesaidnothingandthoughtnothing，butsimplywaitedforhimtofinishscribbling。Buttheoldmanlookedwithfullconfidence。

Hebelievedinhisoldwomanwhohadbroughthimthere，andinYegor；andwhenhehadmentionedthehydropathicestablishmentitcouldbeseenthathebelievedintheestablishmentandthehealingefficacyofwater。

Havingfinishedtheletter，Yegorgotupandreadthewholeofitthroughfromthebeginning。Theoldmandidnotunderstand，buthenoddedhisheadtrustfully。