第18章
“That’sallright；itissmooth“hesaid。“Godgiveyouhealth。That’sallright。“
Theylaidonthetablethreefive-kopeckpiecesandwentoutofthetavern；theoldmanlookedimmovablystraightbeforehimasthoughhewereblind，andperfecttrustfulnesswaswrittenonhisface；butasVasilisacameoutofthetavernshewavedangrilyatthedog，andsaidangrily:
“Ugh，theplague。“
Theoldwomandidnotsleepallnight；shewasdisturbedbythoughts，andatdaybreakshegotup，saidherprayers，andwenttothestationtosendofftheletter。
Itwasbetweeneightandninemilestothestation。
II
Dr。B。O。Mozelweiser’shydropathicestablishmentworkedonNewYear’sDayexactlyasonordinarydays；theonlydifferencewasthattheporter，AndreyHrisanfitch，hadonauniformwithnewbraiding，hisbootshadanextrapolish，andhegreetedeveryvisitorwith“AHappyNewYeartoyou！“
Itwasthemorning；AndreyHrisanfitchwasstandingatthedoor，readingthenewspaper。Justatteno’clocktherearrivedageneral，oneofthehabitualvisitors，anddirectlyafterhimthepostman；AndreyHrisanfitchhelpedthegeneraloffwithhisgreat-coat，andsaid:
“AHappyNewYeartoyourExcellency！“
“Thankyou，mygoodfellow；thesametoyou。“
Andatthetopofthestairsthegeneralasked，noddingtowardsthedoor(heaskedthesamequestioneverydayandalwaysforgottheanswer):
“Andwhatisthereinthatroom？“
“Themassageroom，yourExcellency。“
Whenthegeneral’sstepshaddiedawayAndreyHrisanfitchlookedatthepostthathadcome，andfoundoneaddressedtohimself。Hetoreitopen，readseverallines，then，lookingatthenewspaper，hewalkedwithouthastetohisownroom，whichwasdownstairsclosebyattheendofthepassage。HiswifeYefimyawassittingonthebed，feedingherbaby；anotherchild，theeldest，wasstandingby，layingitscurlyheadonherknee；athirdwasasleeponthebed。
Goingintotheroom，Andreygavehiswifetheletterandsaid:
“Fromthecountry，Isuppose。“
Thenhewalkedoutagainwithouttakinghiseyesfromthepaper。
HecouldhearYefimyawithashakingvoicereadingthefirstlines。Shereadthemandcouldreadnomore；theselineswereenoughforher。Sheburstintotears，andhugginghereldestchild，kissinghim，shebegansaying——anditwashardtosaywhethershewerelaughingorcrying:
“It’sfromgranny，fromgrandfather，“shesaid。“Fromthecountry。TheHeavenlyMother，SaintsandMartyrs！Thesnowliesheapedupundertheroofsnowthetreesareaswhiteaswhite。Theboysslideonlittlesledgesanddearoldbaldgrandfatherisonthestoveandthereisalittleyellowdog。Myowndarlings！“
AndreyHrisanfitch，hearingthis，recalledthathiswifehadonthreeorfouroccasionsgivenhimlettersandaskedhimtosendthemtothecountry，butsomeimportantbusinesshadalwayspreventedhim；hehadnotsentthem，andtheletterssomehowgotlost。
“Andlittleharesrunaboutinthefields，“Yefimyawentonchanting，kissingherboyandsheddingtears。“Grandfatheriskindandgentle；grannyisgood，too——kind-hearted。Theyarewarm-heartedinthecountry，theyareGod-fearingandthereisalittlechurchinthevillage；thepeasantssinginthechoir。QueenofHeaven，HolyMotherandDefender，takeusawayfromhere！“
AndreyHrisanfitchreturnedtohisroomtosmokealittletilltherewasanotherringatthedoor，andYefimyaceasedspeaking，subsided，andwipedhereyes，thoughherlipswerestillquivering。Shewasverymuchfrightenedofhim——oh，howfrightenedofhim！Shetrembledandwasreducedtoterrorbythesoundofhissteps，bythelookinhiseyes，anddarednotutterawordinhispresence。
AndreyHrisanfitchlightedacigarette，butatthatverymomenttherewasaringfromupstairs。Heputouthiscigarette，and，assumingaverygraveface，hastenedtohisfrontdoor。
Thegeneralwascomingdownstairs，freshandrosyfromhisbath。
“Andwhatisthereinthatroom？“heasked，pointingtoadoor。
AndreyHrisanfitchputhishandsdownswiftlytotheseamsofhistrousers，andpronouncedloudly:
“Charcotdouche，yourExcellency！“
ITwasgettingdark；itwouldsoonbenight。
Gusev，adischargedsoldier，satupinhishammockandsaidinanundertone:
“Isay，PavelIvanitch。AsoldieratSutchantoldme:whiletheyweresailingabigfishcameintocollisionwiththeirshipandstoveaholeinit。“
Thenondescriptindividualwhomhewasaddressing，andwhomeveryoneintheship’shospitalcalledPavelIvanitch，wassilent，asthoughhehadnotheard。
AndagainastillnessfollowedThewindfrolickedwiththerigging，thescrewthrobbed，thewaveslashed，thehammockscreaked，buttheearhadlongagobecomeaccustomedtothesesounds，anditseemedthateverythingaroundwasasleepandsilent。Itwasdreary。Thethreeinvalids——twosoldiersandasailor——whohadbeenplayingcardsallthedaywereasleepandtalkingintheirdreams。
Itseemedasthoughtheshipwerebeginningtorock。ThehammockslowlyroseandfellunderGusev，asthoughitwereheavingasigh，andthiswasrepeatedonce，twice，threetimes。
Somethingcrashedontothefloorwithaclang:itmusthavebeenajugfallingdown。
“Thewindhasbrokenloosefromitschain。“saidGusev，listening。
ThistimePavelIvanitchclearedhisthroatandansweredirritably:
“Oneminuteavessel’srunningintoafish，thenext，thewind’sbreakingloosefromitschain。Isthewindabeastthatitcanbreakloosefromitschain？“
“That’showchristenedfolktalk。“
“Theyareasignorantasyouarethen。Theysayallsortsofthings。Onemustkeepaheadonone’sshouldersanduseone’sreason。Youareasenselesscreature。“
PavelIvanitchwassubjecttosea-sickness。Whentheseawasroughhewasusuallyill-humoured，andthemeresttriflewouldmakehimirritable。AndinGusev’sopiniontherewasabsolutelynothingtobevexedabout。Whatwastherestrangeorwonderful，forinstance，inthefishorinthewind’sbreakingloosefromitschain？Supposethefishwereasbigasamountainanditsbackwereashardasasturgeon:andinthesameway，supposingthatawayyonderattheendoftheworldtherestoodgreatstonewallsandthefiercewindswerechaineduptothewallsiftheyhadnotbrokenloose，whydidtheytearaboutalloverthesealikemaniacs，andstruggletoescapelikedogs？Iftheywerenotchainedup，whatdidbecomeofthemwhenitwascalm？
Gusevponderedforalongtimeaboutfishesasbigasamountainandstout，rustychains，thenhebegantofeeldullandthoughtofhisnativeplacetowhichhewasreturningafterfiveyears’
serviceintheEast。Hepicturedanimmensepondcoveredwithsnow。Ononesideofthepondthered-brickbuildingofthepotterieswithatallchimneyandcloudsofblacksmoke；ontheotherside——avillage。HisbrotherAlexeycomesoutinasledgefromthefifthyardfromtheend；behindhimsitshislittlesonVankainbigfeltover-boots，andhislittlegirlAkulka，alsoinbigfeltboots。Alexeyhasbeendrinking，Vankaislaughing，Akulka’sfacehecouldnotsee，shehadmuffledherselfup。
“Youneverknow，he’llgetthechildrenfrozen“thoughtGusev。“Lordsendthemsenseandjudgmentthattheymayhonourtheirfatherandmotherandnotbewiserthantheirparents。“
“Theywantre-soleing，“adelirioussailorsaysinabassvoice。
“Yes，yes！“
Gusev’sthoughtsbreakoff，andinsteadofapondtheresuddenlyappearsaproposofnothingahugebull’sheadwithouteyes，andthehorseandsledgearenotdrivingalong，butarewhirlingroundandroundinacloudofsmoke。Butstillhewasgladhehadseenhisownfolks。Heheldhisbreathfromdelight，shuddersranalloverhim，andhisfingerstwitched。
“TheLordletusmeetagain，“hemutteredfeverishly，butheatonceopenedhiseyesandsoughtinthedarknessforwater。
Hedrankandlayback，andagainthesledgewasmoving，thenagainthebull’sheadwithouteyes，smoke，clouds。Andsoontilldaybreak。