第15章
“Letusexchangeplaces，“Icriedatlength。
“Whatiswrong？“inquiredGubininresponse“Downhereitiscold——Ican’tstanditanylonger。“
“Geeup！“exclaimedGubintotheoldhorsewhichsuppliedtheleveragepowerforthebucket；whereuponIseatedmyselfupontheedgeofthereceptacleandwentaloft，whereeverythingwaslookingsobrightandwarmastobearanewandunwontedlypleasingappearance。
SonowitwasGubin’sturntostandatthebottomofthewell。
Andsoon，inadditiontotheodourofdecay，andasubduedsoundofsplashing，andtherumblingsandbumpingsoftheironbucketagainstitschain，therebegantocomeupfromthedamp，blackcavityaperfectstreamofcurses。
“Theinfernalskinflints！“Iheardmycompanionexclaim。
“Hullo，hereissomething！Adogorababy，eh？Thedamnedoldbarbarians！“
Andthebucketascendedwith，amongitscontents，asoddenandmostancienthat。WiththepassageoftimeGubin’stempergrewworseandworse。
“IfISHOULDfindababyhere，“nextheexclaimed，“Ishallreportthemattertothepolice，andgetthoseblessedoldbrothersintotrouble。“
Eachmovementoftheleathern-hided，wall-eyedsteedwhichdidourbiddingwasaccompaniedbyaswishingofasandytailwhichhadforitsobjectthebrushingawayofautumn’sharbingers，thebluebottles。Almostwiththetranquilgaitofareligiousdidtheanimalaccomplishitsperiodicaljourneysfromthewalltotheentrancegatesandbackagain；afterwhichitalwaysheavedaprofoundsigh，andstoodwithitsbonycrestlowered。
Presently，fromacorneroftheyardthatlayscreenedbehindsomerank，pale，withered，trampledherbageadoorscreeched。
IntotheyardthereissuedNadezhdaBirkin，carryingabunchofkeys，andfollowedbyaladywho，elderlyandrotundoffigure，hadafewdarkhairsgrowingonherfullandratherhaughtyupperlip。Asthetwowalkedtowardsthecellar(Nadezhdabeingcladonlyinanunder-petticoat，withachemisehalf-coveringhershoulders，andslippersthrustontobarefeet)，Iperceivedfromthelanguoroftheyoungerwoman’sgaitthatshewasfeelingwearyindeed。
“Whydoyoulookatuslikethat？“herseniorinquiredofmeasshedrewlevel。Andasshedidsotheeyesthatpeeredatmefromabovethefulland，somehow，displaced-lookingcheeksbidinthemadim，misty，half-blindexpression。
“ThatmustbePeterBirkin’smother-in-law，“wasmyunspokenreflection。
AtthedoorofthecellarNadezhdahandedthekeystohercompanion，andwithaslowstepwhichsetheramplebosomswaying，andincreasedthedisarrayofthebodiceonherround，butbroad，shoulders，approachedmyself，andsaidquietly:
“Pleaseopenthegutter-sluiceandletoutthewaterintothestreet，ortheyardwillsoonbeflooded。Oh，thesmellofit！
Whatisthatthingthere？Arat？Ohbatinshka，whatahorriblemess！“
Herfacehadaboutitadrawnlook，andunderhereyestherewereapairofdarkpatches，andintheirdepthsthedryglitterofapersonwhohasspentanightofwaking。True，itwasafacestillfreshofhue；yetbeadsofsweatwerestandingontheforehead，andhershoulderslookedgreyandheavy——asgreyandheavyasunleavenedbreadwhichthefirehascoatedwithathincrust，yetfailedtobakethroughout。
“Please，also，openthewicket，“shecontinued。“And，incasealameoldbeggar-womanshouldcall，comeandtellme。IamtheNadezhdaIvanovnaforwhomshewillinquire。Doyouunderstand？“
Fromthewell，atthispoint，thereissuedthewords:
“Whoisthatspeaking？“
“Itisthemistress，“Ireplied。
“What？Nadezhda？WithherIhaveabonetopick。“
“Whatdidhesay？“thewomanaskedtenselyassheraisedherdark，thinlypencilledbrows，andmadeasthoughtogoandleanoverthewell。IndependentlyofmyownvolitionIforestalledwhatGubinmightnexthavebeengoingtosaybyremarking:
“Imusttellyouthatlastnighthesawyouwalkinginthegardenhere。“
“Indeed？“sheejaculated，anddrewherselftoherfullheight。
Yetindoingsosheblushedtohershoulders，and，clappingplumphandstoherbosom，andopeningdarkeyestotheirfullest，saidinahastyandconfusedwhisperas，againpalingandshrinkinginstature，shesubsidedlikeapieceofpastrythatisturningheavy:
“GoodLord！WHATdidhesee？……Ifthelamewomanshouldcall，youmustnotadmither。No，tellherthatshewillnotbewanted，thatIcannot，thatImustnot——Butseehere。Hereisaroubleforyou。Oh，goodLord！“
BythistimeevenlouderandmoreangryexclamationshadbeguntoascendfromGubin。Yettheonlysoundtoreachmyearswasthewoman’smutteredwhispering，andasIglancedintoherfaceIperceivedthatitshithertohigh-colouredandroundedcontourshadfallenin，andturnedgrey，andthatherflushedlipsweretremblingtosuchanextentasalmosttopreventthearticulationofherwords。Lastly，hereyeswerefrozenintoanexpressionofpitiful，dogliketerror。
Suddenlysheshruggedhershoulders，straightenedherform，putawayfromhertheexpressionofterror，andsaidquietly，butincisively:
“Youwillnotneedtosayanythingaboutthis。Allowme。“
Andwithaswayingstepshedeparted——astepsoshortasalmosttoconveytheimpressionthatherlegswereboundtogether。Yetwhilethegaitwasthegaitofapersonfullofsuppressedfury，itwasalsothegaitofapersonwhocanscarcelyseeaninchinadvance。
“Haulaway，you！“shoutedGubin。
Ihauledhimupinastateofcoldandwet；whereafterhefelltostampingaroundthecopingofthewell，cursing，andwavinghisarms。
“Whathaveyoubeenthinkingofallthistime？“hevociferated。“Why，foreversolongIshoutedandshoutedtoyou！“
“IhavebeentellingNadezhdathatlastnightyousawherwalkinginthegarden。“
Hesprangtowardsmewithaviciousscowl。
“Whogaveyouleavetodoso？“heexclaimed。
“Waitamoment。Isaidthatitwasonlyinadream，thatyousawhercrossingthegardentothewashhouse。“
“Indeed？Andwhydidyoudothat？“
Somehow，as，bareleggedanddrippingwithmud，hestoodblinkinghiseyesatmewithamostdisagreeableexpression，helookedextremelycomical。
“Seehere，“Iremarked，“youhaveonlytogoandtellherhusbandaboutherformetogoandtellhimthesamestoryaboutyourhavingseenthewholethinginadream。“
“Why？“criedGubin，nowalmostbesidehimself。Presently，however，herecoveredsufficientself-possessiontogrinandaskinanundertone:
“HOWMUCHDIDSHEGIVEYOU？“
IexplainedtohimthatmysolereasonforwhatIhaddonehadbeenthatIpitiedthewoman，andfearedlestthebrothersBirkinshoulddoaninjurytoonewhoatleastoughtnottobebetrayed。Gubinbeganbydecliningtobelieveme，buteventually，afterthematterhadbeenthoughtout，said:
“Acceptanceofmoneyfordoingwhatisrightiscertainlyirregular；butatleastisitbetterthanacceptanceofmoneyforconnivingatsin。Well，youhavespoiltmyscheme，youngfellow。Hiredonlytocleanoutthewell，Iwouldneverthelesshavecleanedouttheestablishmentasawhole，andtakenpleasureindoingso。“
Thenoncemoreherelapsedintofury，andmutteredashescurriedroundandroundthewell:
“HowDAREDyoupokeyournoseintootherpeople’saffairs？WhoareYOUinthisestablishment？“
Theairwashotandarid，yetstilltheskywasasdullasthoughcoatedthroughoutwiththedustofsummer，and，asyet，onecouldgazeatthesun’spurple，raylessorbwithoutblinking，andaseasilyasonecouldhavegazedattheglowingembersofawoodfire。
Seatedonthefence，anumberofrooksweredirectingintelligentblackeyesupontheheapsofmudwhichlayaroundthecopingofthewell。Andfromtimetotimetheyflutteredtheirwingsimpatiently，andcawed。
“Igotyousomework，“Gubincontinuedinagrumblingtone，“andputheartintoyouwiththeprospectofemployment。Andnowyouhavegoneandtreatedmelike——“
AtthispointIcaughtthesoundofahorsetrottingtowardstheentrance-gates，andheardsomeoneshout，astheanimaldrewlevelwiththehouse:
“YOURtimbertoohascaughtalight！“
Instantly，frightenedbytheshout，therookstooktotheirwingsandflewaway。Also，awindowsashsqueaked，andthecourtyardresoundedwithsuddenbustle——theculinaryregionsvomitingtheelderlyladyandthetousled，half-cladJonah；andanopenwindowtheupperhalfofthered-headedPeter。
“Men，harnessupasquicklyaspossible！“thelattercried，hisvoicechargedwithaplaintivenote。
And，indeed，hehadhardlyspokenbeforeGubinledoutafatroanpony，andJonahpulledfromashelteralightbuggyorbritchka。MeanwhileNadezhdacalledfromtheverandatoJonah: