第10章

Andevermoreandmoreswiftlywasthewaterrising，andwashingawaysoilfromthebank，andspreadingathicksedimentoverthedarkbluesurfaceoftheriver。Andasitdidso，thereresoundedintheairastrangenoiseasofchewingandchamping，anoiseasthoughsomehugewildanimalweremasticating，andlickingitselfwithitsgreatlongtongue。

Andstilltherecontinuedtocomefromthetownthemelancholy，distance-softened，sweet-tonedsongofthebells。

Presently，thebrothersDiatlovappeareddescendingfromthehillwithbottlesintheirhands，andsportinglikeacoupleofjoyouspuppies，whiletointerceptthemtherecouldbeseenadvancingalongthebankoftheriveragrey-coatedpolicesergeantandtwoblack-coatedconstables。

“0hLord！“groanedOssipasherubbedhisknee。

Asforthetownsfolk，theyhadnoloveforthepolice，sohastenedtowithdrawtoalittledistance，wheretheysilentlyawaitedtheofficers’approach。Beforelongthesergeant，alittle，witheredsortofafellowwithdiminutivefeaturesandasandy，stubbymoustache，calledoutingruff，stern，hoarse，labouredaccents:

“Sohereyouare，yourascals！“

Ossipprisedhimselfupfromthegroundwithhiselbow，andsaidhurriedly:

“ItwasIthatcontrivedtheideaofthething，yourExcellency；but，prayletmeoffinhonourofthefestival。“

“Whatdoyousay，you——？“thesergeantbegan，buthisblusterwaslostamidtheswiftflowofOssip’sfurtherconciliatorywords。

“Wearefolkofthistown，“Ossipcontinued，“whotonightfoundourselvesstrandedonthefurtherbank，withnothingtobuybreadwith，eventhoughthedayaftertomorrowwillbeChrist’sday，thedaywhenChristianslikeourselveswishtocleanthemselvesupalittle，andtogotochurch。SoIsaidtomymates，’Beoffwithyou，mygoodfellows，andmayGodsendthatnomishapbefallyou！’AndforthispresumptuousnessofmineIhavebeenpunishedalready，for，asyoucansee，haveasgoodasbrokenmyleg。“

“Yes，“ejaculatedthesergeantgrimly。“Butifyouhadbeendrowned，whatthen？“

Ossipsighedwearily。

“Whatthen，doyousay，yourExcellency？Why，then，nothing，withyourpermission。“

Thisledtheofficertostartrailingattheculprit，whilethecrowdlistenedassilentlyandattentivelyasthoughhehadbeensayingsomethingworthytobeheardandheeded，ratherthanfoullyandcynicallymiscallingtheirmothers。

Lastly，ournameshavingbeennoted，thepolicewithdrew，whileeachofusdrankadramofvodka(andtherebygainedameasureofwarmthandcomfort)，andthenbegantomakeforourseveralhomes。Ossipfollowedthepolicewithderisiveeyes；whereafter，heleapttohisfeetwithanimble，adroitmovement，andcrossedhimselfwithpunctiliouspiety。

“That’sallaboutit，thankGod！“heexclaimed。

“What？“sniggeredBoev，nowbothdisillusionedandastonished。

“Doyoureallymeantosaythatthatlegofyoursisbetteralready？Ordoyoumeanthatitneverwasinjuredatall？“

“Ah！SoyouwishthatitHADbeeninjured，eh？“

“TherascalofaPetrushka！“theotherexclaimed。

“Now，“commandedOssip，“doallofyoubeoff，mates。“Andwiththathepulledhiswetcapontohishead。

Iaccompaniedhim——walkingalittlebehindtherest。Ashelimpedalong，hesaidinanundertone-saidkindly——andasthoughhewerecommunicatingasecretknownonlytohimself:

“Whatsoeveronemaydo，andwhithersoeveronemayturn，onewillfindthatlifecannotbelivedwithoutameasureoffraudanddeceit。ForthatiswhatlifeIS，Makarei，thedevilflyawaywithit！……Isupposeyou’remakingforthehill？Well，I’llkeepyoucompany。“

Darknesshadfallen，butatacertainspotsomeredandyellowlamps，lampsthebeamsofwhichseemedtobesaying，“Comeuphither！“wereshiningthroughtheobscurity。

Meanwhile，asweproceededinthedirectionofthebellsthatwereringingonthehill，rivuletsofwaterflowedwithamurmurunderourfeet，andOssip’skindlyvoicekeptminglingwiththeirsound。

“See，“hecontinued，“howeasilyIbefooledthatsergeant！

Thatishowthingshavetobedone，Makarei——onehastokeepfolkfromknowingone’sbusiness，yettomakethemthinkthattheyarethechiefpersonsconcerned，andthepersonswhosewithasputthecaponthewhole。“

YetasIlistenedtohisspeech，whilesupportinghissteps，I

couldmakelittleofit。

NordidIcaretomakeverymuchofit，forIwasofasimpleandeasygoingnature。AndthoughatthemomentIcouldnothavetoldwhetherIreallylikedOssip，Iwouldstillhavefollowedhisleadinanydirection——yes，evenacrosstheriveragain，thoughtheicehadbeengivingwaybeneathme。

Andasweproceeded，andthebellsechoedandre-echoed，I

thoughttomyselfwithaspasmofjoy:

“Ah，manytimesmayIthuswalktogreetthespring！“

WhileOssipsaidwithasigh:

“Thehumansoulisawingedthing。Eveninsleepitflies。“

Awingedthing？Yes，andathingofwonder。

TheplacewhereIfirstsawhimwasatavernwherein，ensconcedinthechimney-corner，andfacingatable，hewasexclaimingstutteringly，“Oh，Iknowthetruthaboutyouall！Yes，Iknowthetruthaboutyou！“whilestandinginasemicircleinfrontofhim，andunconsciouslyrenderinghimmoreandmoreexcitedwiththeirsarcasticinterpolations，weresometradesmenofthesuperiorsort——fiveinnumber。Oneofthemremarkedindifferently:

“HowshouldyouNOTknowthetruthaboutus，seeingthatyoudonothingbutslanderus？“

Shabby，infactinrags，Gubinatthatmomentremindedmeofahomelessdogwhich，havingstrayedintoastrangestreet，hasfounditselfheldupbyabandofdogsofsuperiorstrength，and，seizedwithnervousness，issittingbackonitshaunchesandsweepingthedustwithitstail；and，withgrowls，andoccasionalbaringsofitsfangs，andsundrybarkings，attemptingnowtointimidateitsadversaries，andnowtoconciliatethem。

Meanwhile，havingperceivedthestranger’shelplessnessandinsignificance，thenativepackisbeginningtomoderateitsattitude，intheconvictionthat，thoughcontinuedmaintenanceofdignityisimperative，itisnotworthwhiletopickaquarrelsolongasanoccasionalyelpbeventedinthestranger’sface。

“Towhomareyouofanyuse？“oneofthetradesmenatlengthinquired。

“Notamanofusbutmaybeofuse。“

“Towhom，then？“……

Ihadlongsincegrownfamiliarwithtaverndisputesconcerningverities，andnotinfrequentlyseenthosedisputesdevelopintoopenbrawls；butneverhadIpermittedmyselftobedrawnintotheirtoils，ortobesetwanderingamidtheirtangleslikeablindmannegotiatinganumberofhillocks。Moreover，justbeforethisencounterwithGubin，Ihadarrivedatadimsurmisethatwhensuchdifferenceswerecarriedtothepointofmadnessandbloodshed。Really，theyconstitutedanexpressionoftheunmeaning，hopeless，melancholylifethatislivedinthewilderandmoreremotedistrictsofRussia——ofthelifethatislivedonswampybanksofdingyrivers，andinoursmallerandmoreGod-forgottentowns。Foritwouldseemthatinsuchplacesmenhavenothingtolookfor，noranyknowledgeofhowtolookforanything；wherefore，theybrawlandshoutinvainattemptstodissipatedespondency……

ImyselfwassittingnearGubin，butontheothersideofthetable。Yet，thiswasnotbecausehisoutburstsandthetradesmen’sretortstheretowereapleasuretolistento，sincetomeboththeoneandtheotherseemedaboutasfutileasbeatingtheair。

“TowhomareYOUofuse？“

“Tohimselfeverymancanbeuseful。“

“Butwhatgoodcanonedooneself？“……

Thewindowsofthetavernwereopen，whileinthependent，undulatingcloudofbluesmokethattheflamesofthelampsemitted，thoselampslookedlikesomanyyellowpitchersfloatingamidthewatersofastagnantpond。OutofdoorstherewasbroodingthequietofanAugustnight，andnotarustle，notawhisperwastheretobeheard。Hence，asnumbedwithmelancholy，IgazedattheinkyheavensandlimpidstarsIthoughttomyself:

“Surely，neverweretheskyandthestarsmeanttolookdownuponalifelikethis，alifelikethis？“