第18章
Somuchisthisthecasethatinspringeventhecatsforbeartosquallsaveincrushedandsubduedaccents。TheonlylocalpersontosingisFelitzata；andevenshedoessoonlywhensheisdrunk。ItmaybesaidthatFelitzataisasaucy，cunningprocuress，anddoeshersinginginapeculiarlythickandraspingvoicewhich，withmanycroaksandhiatuses，necessitatesmuchclosingoftheeyes，andagreatprotrudingoftheappleofthethroat。Indeed，itisonlythewomenoftheplacewho，turbulentlyquarrelsomeandhystericallynoisy，spendmostofthedayinscouringthestreetswithskirtstuckedup，andneverceasebeggingforpinchesofsaltorflourorspoonfulsofoilastheyrailandscreechatandbeattheirchildren，andthrustwitheredbreastsintotheirbabies’mouths，andrushandflingthemselvesabout，andbawlinaconstantendeavourtorighttheirwoebegonecondition。Yes，allaredishevelledanddirty，andhavewizened，bonyfaces，andtherestlesseyesofthieves。
Never，indeed，isawomanplumpoffigure，saveattheperiodwhensheisill，andhereyesaredim，andhergaitislaboured。
Yetuntiltheyareforty，themajorityofthewomenbecomepregnantwitheverywinter，andonthearrivalofspringmaybeseenwalkingabroadwithlargestomachsandbluehollowsundertheeyes。Andeventhisdoesnotpreventthemfromworkingwiththesamedesperateenergyaswhentheyarenotwithchild。Inshort，theinhabitantsoftheplaceresembleneedlesandthreadswithwhichsomerough，clumsy，andimpatienthandisforevertryingtodarnaraggedclothwhichasconstantlypartsandrends。
Thechiefpersonofreputeinthesuburbismylandlord，oneAntipaVologonov——alittleoldmanwhokeepsashopof“oddwares，“andalsolendsmoneyonpledge。
Unfortunately，Antipaisasuffererfromalong-standingtendencytorheumatism，whichhaslefthimbow-legged，andhastwistedandswollenhisfingerstotheextentthattheywillnotbend。Hence，healwayskeepshishandstuckedintohissleeves，thoughseeminglyhehasthelessusefortheminthat，evenwhenhewithdrawsthemfromtheirshelter，hedoessoascautiouslyasthoughhewereafraidoftheirbecomingdislocated。
Ontheotherhand，heneverloseshistemper，andhenevergrowsexcited。
“Neitherofthosethingssuitsme，“hewillsay，“formyheartisdilated，andmightatanymomentfail。“
Asforhisface，ithashighcheekboneswhichinplacesblossomintodarkredblotches；anexpressionascalmasthatofthefaceofaKhirghiz；achinwhencedanglewispsofmingledgrey，red，andflaxenhairofaperpetuallymoistappearance；obliqueandever-changingeyeswhicharepermanentlycontracted；apairofthick，parti-colouredeyebrowswhichcastdeepshadowsovertheeyes；andtempleswhereonanumberofblueveinsstrugglewithanirregular，sparsecoatingofbristles。Finally，abouthiswholepersonalitythereissomethingevervariableandintangible。
Also，hisgaitisirritatinglyslow；andthemoresoowingtohiscoat，which，ofacutdevisedbyhimself，consists，asitwere，ofcassock，sarafan[jacket]，andwaistcoatinone。Asoftenasnothefindstheskirtsofthegarmentcumberinghislegs；whereuponhehastostopandgivethemakick。Andthusitcomesaboutthatpermanentlytheskirtsareraggedandtorn。
“Noneedforhurry，“ishiscustomaryremark。“Always，intime，doesonewintoone’spitchinthemarketplace。“
Hisspeechiscastinroundedperiods，anddisplaysagreatloveforecclesiasticalterms。Ontheoccurrenceofonesuchterm，hepausesthereafterasthoughmentallyhewereaddingtothetermaverythick，averyblack，fullstop。Yetalwayshewillconversewithanyone，andatgreatlength——hisprobablemotivebeingadesiretoleavebehindhimthereputationofawiseoldman。
Inhisshantyarethreewindowsfacingontothestreet，andapartition-wallwhichdividesitintotworoomsofunequalsize。
Inthelargerroom，whichcontainsaRussianstove，hehimselflives；inthesmallerroomIhavemyabode。Byapassagethetwoareseparatedfromastoreroomwhere，closetedbehindadoortowhichthereareaheavy，old-fashionedboltandmanyironandbrassscrews，Antipapreservespledgesleftbyhisneighbours，suchassamovars，ikons，winterclothingandthelike。Ofthisstoreroomhealwayscarriesthegreatindentatedkeyatthebackofthestrapwhichupholdshisclothbreeches；and，wheneverthepolicecalltoascertainwhetherheisharbouringanystolengoods，alongtimeensueswhilstheisshiftingthekeyroundtohisstomach，andagainalongtimewhilstheisunfasteningitfromthebelt。Meanwhile，hesayspompouslytotheSuperintendentortheDeputySuperintendent:
“NeverdoItakeingoodsofthatkind。OfthetruthofwhatI
say，yourhonour，youhavemorethanonceassuredyourselfinperson。“
Also，wheneverAntipasitsdownthekeyrattlesagainstthebackortheseatofhischair；whereuponhebendshisarmwithdifficulty，andfeelstoseewhetherornotthekeyhascomeunslung。ThisIknowforthereasonthatthepartition-wallisnotsothickbutthatIcanhearhiseverybreathdrawn，anddivinehiseverymovement。
Ofanevening，whenthemistysunisslantingacrosstherivertowardstheauburnbeltofpines，anddistillingpinkvapoursfromthesombrevistatobeseenthroughtheshaggymouthoftheravine，AntipaVologonovsetsoutasquatsamovarthatisdintedofside，andplatedwithgreenoxideonhandle，turncock，andspout。Thenheseatshimselfathistablebythewindow。
AtintervalsIheartheeveningstillnessbrokenbyquestionsputinatonewhichimpliesalwaysanexpectationofapreciseanswer。
“WhereisDarika？“
“Hehasgonetothespringforwater。“Theanswerisgivenwhiningly，andinathinvoice。
“Andhowisyoursister？
“Stillinpain。“
“Yes？Well，youcangonow。“
Givingaslightcoughtoclearhisthroat，theoldmanbeginstosinginaquaveringfalsetto:
Onceabulletsmotemybreast，AndscarcethepangIfelt。
Butne’erthepangcouldbeexpress’dWhichlove’sflamesincehathdealt！
Asthesamovarhissesandbubbles，heavyfootstepsresoundinthestreet，andanindistinctvoicesays:
“HethinksthatbecauseheisaTownCouncillorheisalsoclever。“
“Yes；suchfolkareapttogrowveryproud。“
“Why，allhisbrainsputtogetherwouldn’tgreaseoneofmyboots！“
Andasthevoicesdieawaytheoldman’sfalsettotricklesforthanew，humming:
“Thepoorman’sanger……Minika！Hi，you！Comeinhere，andI
willgiveyouabitofsugar。Howisyourfathergettingon？Ishedrunkatpresent？“
“No，sober，forheistakingnothingbutkvasandcabbagesoup。“
“Andwhatishedoingforaliving？“
“Sittingatthetable，andthinking。“
“Andhasyourmotherbeenbeatinghimagain？“
“No——notagain。“
“Andshe——howisshe？“
“Obligedtokeepindoors。“
“Well，runalongwithyou。“
SoftlytherenextpresentsherselfbeforethewindowFelitzata，awomanofaboutfortywithahawk-likegleaminhercoldlycivileyes，andapairofhandsomelipscompressedintoacovertsmile。Sheiswellknownthroughoutthesuburb，andoncehadason，Nilushka，whowasthelocal“God’sfool。“Alsoshehasthereputationofknowingwhatiscorrectprocedureonallandsundryoccasions，aswellasofbeingskilledinlamentations，funeralrites，andfestivitiesinconnectionwiththemusteringsofrecruits。Lastlyshehashadahipbroken，sothatshewalkswithaninclinationtowardstheleft。
Herfellowwomensayofherthatherveinscontain“adropofgentleblood“；butprobablythestatementisinspiredbynomorethanthefactthatshetreatseveryonewiththesamecoldcivility。Nevertheless，thereissomethingpeculiarabouther，forherhandsareslenderandhavelongfingers，andherheadishaughtilypoised，andhervoicehasametallicring，eventhoughthemetalhas，asitwere，growndullandrusty。Also，shespeaksofeveryone，herselfincluded，inthemostroughanddownrightterms，yettermswhicharesosimplethat，thoughhertalkmaybedisconcertingtolistento，itcouldneverbecalledobscene。
Forinstance，onceIoverheardVologonovreproachherfornotleadingamorebecominglife:
“Yououghttohavemoreself-restraint，“saidhe，“seeingthatyouarealady，andalsoyourownmistress。“
“Thatisplayedout，myfriend，“shereplied。“Yousee，Ihavehadverymuchtobear，fortherewasatimewhensuchhungerusedtognawatmybellyasyouwouldneverbelieve。Itwasthenthatmyeyesbecamedazzledwiththetokensofshame。SoItookmyfilloflove，asdoeseverywoman。Andonceawomanhasbecomealight-o’-loveshemayaswelldoffhershiftaltogether，andusethebodywhichGodhasgivenher。And，afterall，anindependentlifeisthebestlife；soIhawkmyselfaboutlikeapotofbeer，andsay，’Drinkofthis，anyonewholikes，whileitstillcontainsliquor。’“