第19章

Thefirstoutlinevisibleinthedarknesswasabluecircle——

thelittleroundwindow；thenlittlebylittleGusevcoulddistinguishhisneighbourinthenexthammock，PavelIvanitch。

Themansleptsittingup，ashecouldnotbreathelyingdown。Hisfacewasgrey，hisnosewaslongandsharp，hiseyeslookedhugefromtheterriblethinnessofhisface，histemplesweresunken，hisbeardwasskimpy，hishairwaslong。Lookingathimyoucouldnotmakeoutofwhatclasshewas，whetherhewereagentleman，amerchant，orapeasant。Judgingfromhisexpressionandhislonghairhemighthavebeenahermitoralaybrotherinamonastery——butifonelistenedtowhathesaiditseemedthathecouldnotbeamonk。Hewaswornoutbyhiscoughandhisillnessandbythestiflingheat，andbreathedwithdifficulty，movinghisparchedlips。NoticingthatGusevwaslookingathimheturnedhisfacetowardshimandsaid:

“Ibegintoguess。Yes。Iunderstanditallperfectlynow。“

“Whatdoyouunderstand，PavelIvanitch？“

“I’lltellyou。Ithasalwaysseemedtomestrangethatterriblyillasyouareyoushouldbehereinasteamerwhereitissohotandstiflingandwearealwaysbeingtossedupanddown，where，infact，everythingthreatensyouwithdeath；nowitisallcleartome。Yes。Yourdoctorsputyouonthesteamertogetridofyou。Theygetsickoflookingafterpoorbruteslikeyou。Youdon’tpaythemanything，theyhaveabotherwithyou，andyoudamagetheirrecordswithyourdeaths——

so，ofcourse，youarebrutes！It’snotdifficulttogetridofyou。Allthatisnecessaryis，inthefirstplace，tohavenoconscienceorhumanity，and，secondly，todeceivethesteamerauthorities。Thefirstconditionneedhardlybeconsidered，inthatrespectweareartists；andonecanalwayssucceedinthesecondwithalittlepractice。Inacrowdoffourhundredhealthysoldiersandsailorshalfadozensickonesarenotconspicuous；

well，theydroveyouallontothesteamer，mixedyouwiththehealthyones，hurriedlycountedyouover，andintheconfusionnothingamisswasnoticed，andwhenthesteamerhadstartedtheysawthattherewereparalyticsandconsumptivesinthelaststagelyingaboutonthedeck。“

GusevdidnotunderstandPavelIvanitch；butsupposinghewasbeingblamed，hesaidinself-defence:

“IlayonthedeckbecauseIhadnotthestrengthtostand；whenwewereunloadedfromthebargeontotheshipIcaughtafearfulchill。“

“It’srevolting，“PavelIvanitchwenton。“Theworstofitistheyknowperfectlywellthatyoucan’tlastoutthelongjourney，andyettheyputyouhere。SupposingyougetasfarastheIndianOcean，whatthen？It’shorribletothinkofit。

Andthat’stheirgratitudeforyourfaithful，irreproachableservice！“

PavelIvanitch’seyeslookedangry；hefrownedcontemptuouslyandsaid，gasping:

“Thosearethepeoplewhooughttobepluckedinthenewspaperstillthefeathersflyinalldirections。“

Thetwosicksoldiersandthesailorwereawakeandalreadyplayingcards。Thesailorwashalfreclininginhishammock，thesoldiersweresittingnearhimonthefloorinthemostuncomfortableattitudes。Oneofthesoldiershadhisrightarminasling，andthehandwasswathedupinaregularbundlesothatheheldhiscardsunderhisrightarmorinthecrookofhiselbowwhileheplayedwiththeleft。Theshipwasrollingheavily。Theycouldnotstandup，nordrinktea，nortaketheirmedicines。

“Wereyouanofficer’sservant？“PavelIvanitchaskedGusev。

“Yes，anofficer’sservant。“

“MyGod，myGod！“saidPavelIvanitch，andheshookhisheadmournfully。“Totearamanoutofhishome，draghimtwelvethousandmilesaway，thentodrivehimintoconsumptionand。

andwhatisitallfor，onewonders？ToturnhimintoaservantforsomeCaptainKopeikinormidshipmanDirka！Howlogical！“

“It’snothardwork，PavelIvanitch。Yougetupinthemorningandcleantheboots，getthesamovar，sweeptherooms，andthenyouhavenothingmoretodo。Thelieutenantisallthedaydrawingplans，andifyoulikeyoucansayyourprayers，ifyoulikeyoucanreadabookorgooutintothestreet。Godgranteveryonesuchalife。“

“Yes，verynice，thelieutenantdrawsplansallthedayandyousitinthekitchenandpineforhome。Plansindeed！

Itisnotplansthatmatter，butahumanlife。Lifeisnotgiventwice，itmustbetreatedmercifully。“

“Ofcourse，PavelIvanitch，abadmangetsnomercyanywhere，neitherathomenorinthearmy，butifyouliveasyououghtandobeyorders，whohasanyneedtoinsultyou？Theofficersareeducatedgentlemen，theyunderstand。InfiveyearsIwasneveronceinprison，andIwasneverstruckablow，sohelpmeGod，butonce。“

“Whatfor？“

“Forfighting。Ihaveaheavyhand，PavelIvanitch。FourChinamencameintoouryard；theywerebringingfirewoodorsomething，I

don’tremember。Well，IwasboredandIknockedthemaboutabit，one’snosebeganbleeding，damnthefellow。Thelieutenantsawitthroughthelittlewindow，hewasangryandgavemeaboxontheear。“

“Foolish，pitifulman“whisperedPavelIvanitch。“Youdon’tunderstandanything。“

Hewasutterlyexhaustedbythetossingoftheshipandclosedhiseyes；hisheadalternatelyfellbackanddroppedforwardonhisbreast。Severaltimeshetriedtoliedownbutnothingcameofit；hisdifficultyinbreathingpreventedit。

“AndwhatdidyouhitthefourChinamenfor？“heaskedalittlewhileafterwards。

“Oh，nothing。TheycameintotheyardandIhitthem。“

Andastillnessfollowed。Thecard-playershadbeenplayingfortwohourswithenthusiasmandloudabuseofoneanother，butthemotionoftheshipovercamethem，too；theythrewasidethecardsandlaydown。AgainGusevsawthebigpond，thebrickbuilding，thevillage。Againthesledgewascomingalong，againVankawaslaughingandAkulka，sillylittlething，threwopenherfurcoatandstuckherfeetout，asmuchastosay:

“Look，goodpeople，mysnowbootsarenotlikeVanka’s，theyarenewones。“

“Fiveyearsold，andshehasnosenseyet，“Gusevmutteredindelirium。“Insteadofkickingyourlegsyouhadbettercomeandgetyoursoldieruncleadrink。Iwillgiveyousomethingnice。“

ThenAndronwithaflintlockgunonhisshoulderwascarryingaharehehadkilled，andhewasfollowedbythedecrepitoldJewIsaitchik，whoofferstobarterthehareforapieceofsoap；

thentheblackcalfintheshed，thenDomnasewingatashirtandcryingaboutsomething，andthenagainthebull’sheadwithouteyes，blacksmoke。

Overheadsomeonegavealoudshout，severalsailorsranby，theyseemedtobedraggingsomethingbulkyoverthedeck，somethingfellwithacrash。Againtheyranby。Hadsomethinggonewrong？Gusevraisedhishead，listened，andsawthatthetwosoldiersandthesailorwereplayingcardsagain；PavelIvanitchwassittingupmovinghislips。Itwasstifling，onehadn’tstrengthtobreathe，onewasthirsty，thewaterwaswarm，disgusting。Theshipheavedasmuchasever。

Suddenlysomethingstrangehappenedtooneofthesoldiersplayingcards。Hecalledheartsdiamonds，gotmuddledinhisscore，anddroppedhiscards，thenwithafrightened，foolishsmilelookedroundatallofthem。

“Ishan’tbeaminute，mates，I’ll“hesaid，andlaydownonthefloor。

Everybodywasamazed。Theycalledtohim，hedidnotanswer。

“Stephan，maybeyouarefeelingbad，eh？“thesoldierwithhisarminaslingaskedhim。“Perhapswehadbetterbringthepriest，eh？“

“Haveadrinkofwater，Stepan“saidthesailor。“Here，lad，drink。“

“Whyareyouknockingthejugagainsthisteeth？“saidGusevangrily。“Don’tyousee，turniphead？’

“What？“

“What？“Gusevrepeated，mimickinghim。“Thereisnobreathinhim，heisdead！That’swhat！Whatnonsensicalpeople，Lordhavemercyonus！“

TheshipwasnotrockingandPavelIvanitchwasmorecheerful。Hewasnolongerill-humoured。Hisfacehadaboastful，defiant，mockingexpression。Helookedasthoughhewantedtosay:“Yes，inaminuteIwilltellyousomethingthatwillmakeyousplityoursideswithlaughing。“ThelittleroundwindowwasopenandasoftbreezewasblowingonPavelIvanitch。Therewasasoundofvoices，oftheplashofoarsinthewater。Justunderthelittlewindowsomeonebegandroninginahigh，unpleasantvoice:

nodoubtitwasaChinamansinging。

“Hereweareintheharbour，“saidPavelIvanitch，smilingironically。“OnlyanothermonthandweshallbeinRussia。Well，worthygentlemenandwarriors！IshallarriveatOdessaandfromtheregostraighttoHarkov。InHarkovIhaveafriend，aliteraryman。Ishallgotohimandsay，’Come，oldman，putasideyourhorridsubjects，ladies’amoursandthebeautiesofnature，andshowuphumandepravity。’“

Foraminutehepondered，thensaid:

“Gusev，doyouknowhowItookthemin？“

“Tookinwhom，PavelIvanitch？“

“Why，thesefellows。Youknowthatonthissteamerthereisonlyafirst-classandathird-class，andtheyonlyallowpeasants——thatistherift-raft——togointhethird。Ifyouhavegotonareeferjacketandhavethefaintestresemblancetoagentlemanorabourgeoisyoumustgofirst-class，ifyouplease。Youmustforkoutfivehundredroublesifyoudieforit。

Why，Iask，haveyoumadesucharule？DoyouwanttoraisetheprestigeofeducatedRussiansthereby？Notabitofit。Wedon’tletyougothird-classsimplybecauseadecentpersoncan’tgothird-class；itisveryhorribleanddisgusting。Yes，indeed。I