第12章

’Whydon’tyouspeak？’saidSimon。’It’stoocoldtostayhere；wemustbegettinghome。Therenow，takemystick，andifyou’refeelingweak，leanonthat。Nowstepout！’

Themanstartedwalking，andmovedeasily，notlaggingbehind。

Astheywentalong，Simonaskedhim，’Andwheredoyoubelongto？’

’I’mnotfromtheseparts。’

’Ithoughtasmuch。Iknowthefolkshereabouts。Buthowdidyoucometobetherebytheshrine？’

’Icannottell。’

’Hassomeonebeenill-treatingyou？’

’Noonehasill-treatedme。Godhaspunishedme。

’OfcourseGodrulesall。Still，you’llhavetofindfoodandsheltersomewhere。Wheredoyouwanttogoto？’

’Itisallthesametome。’

Simonwasamazed。Themandidnotlooklikearogue，andhespokegently，butyethegavenoaccountofhimself。StillSimonthought，’Whoknowswhatmayhavehappened？’Andhesaidtothestranger:

’Wellthen，comehomewithme，andatleastwarmyourselfawhile。’

SoSimonwalkedtowardshishome，andthestrangerkeptupwithhim，walkingathisside。ThewindhadrisenandSimonfeltitcoldunderhisshirt。Hewasgettingoverhistipsinessbynow，andbegantofeelthefrost。Hewentalongsnifflingandwrappinghiswife’scoatroundhim，andhethoughttohimself:’Therenow——talkaboutsheepskins！Iwentoutforsheepskinsandcomehomewithoutevenacoattomybackandwhatismore，I’mbringinganakedmanalongwithme。Matryó；nawon’tbepleased！’Andwhenhethoughtofhiswifehefeltsad；butwhenhelookedatthestrangerandrememberedhowhehadlookedupathimattheshrine，hisheartwasglad。

Simon’swifehadeverythingreadyearlythatday。Shehadcutwood，broughtwater，fedthechildreneatenherownmeal，andnowshesatthinking。Shewonderedwhensheoughttomakebread:noworto-morrow？Therewasstillalargepieceleft。

’IfSimonhashadsomedinnerintown，’thoughtshe，anddoesnoteatmuchforsupper，thebreadwilllastoutanotherday。’

Sheweighedthepieceofbreadinherhandagainandagain，andthought:

’Iwon’tmakeanymoreto-day。Wehaveonlyenoughflourlefttobakeonebatch。WecanmanagetomakethislastouttillFriday。’

SoMatryó；naputawaythebread，andsatdownatthetabletopatchherhusband’sshirt。Whilesheworkedshethoughthowherhusbandwasbuyingskinsforawintercoat。

’Ifonlythedealerdoesnotcheathim。Mygoodmanismuchtoosimple；

hecheatsnobody，butanychildcantakehimin。Eightroublesisalotofmoney——heshouldgetagoodcoatatthatprice。

Nottannedskins，butstillaproperwintercoat。Howdifficultitwaslastwintertogetonwithoutawarmcoat。Icouldneithergetdowntotheriver，norgooutanywhere。Whenhewentoutheputonallwehad，andtherewasnothingleftforme。Hedidnotstartveryearlyto-day，butstillit’stimehewasback。Ionlyhopehehasnotgoneonthespree！’

HardlyhadMatryó；nathoughtthis，whenstepswereheardonthethreshold，andsomeoneentered。Matryó；nastuckherneedleintoherworkandwentoutintothepassage。Thereshesawtwomen:

Simon，andwithhimamanwithoutahat，andwearingfeltboots。

Matryó；nanoticedatoncethatherhusbandsmeltofspirits。’Therenow，hehasbeendrinking，’thoughtshe。Andwhenshesawthathewascoatless，hadonlyherjacketon，broughtnoparcel，stoodtheresilent，andseemedashamed，herheartwasreadytobreakwithdisappointment。’Hehasdrunkthemoney，’thoughtshe，’andhasbeenonthespreewithsomegood-for-nothingfellowwhomhehasbroughthomewithhim。’

Matryó；naletthempassintothehut，followedthemin，andsawthatthestrangerwasayoung，slightman，wearingherhusband’scoat。Therewasnoshirttobeseenunderit，andhehadnohat。Havingentered，hestoodneithermoving，norraisinghiseyes，andMatryó；nathought:’Hemustbeabadman——he’safraid。’

Matryó；nafrowned，andstoodbesidetheovenlookingtoseewhattheywoulddo。

Simontookoffhiscapandsatdownonthebenchasifthingswereallright。

’Come，Matryó；na；ifsupperisready，letushavesome。’

Matryó；namutteredsomethingtoherselfanddidnotmove，butstayedwhereshewas，bytheoven。Shelookedfirstattheoneandthenattheotherofthem，andonlyshookherhead。Simonsawthathiswifewasannoyed，buttriedtopassitoff。

Pretendingnottonoticeanything，hetookthestrangerbythearm。

’Sitdown，friend，’saidhe，’andletushavesomesupper。’

Thestrangersatdownonthebench。

’Haven’tyoucookedanythingforus？’saidSimon。

Matryó；na’sangerboiledover。’I’vecooked，butnotforyou。

Itseemstomeyouhavedrunkyourwitsaway。Youwenttobuyasheep-skincoat，butcomehomewithoutsomuchasthecoatyouhadon，andbringanakedvagabondhomewithyou。I

havenosupperfordrunkardslikeyou。’

’That’senough，Matryó；na。Don’twagyourtonguewithoutreason！

Youhadbetteraskwhatsortofman——’

’Andyoutellmewhatyou’vedonewiththemoney？’

Simonfoundthepocketofthejacket，drewoutthethree-roublenote，andunfoldedit。

’Hereisthemoney。Trí；fonofdidnotpay，butpromisestopaysoon。’

Matryó；nagotstillmoreangry；hehadboughtnosheep-skins，buthadputhisonlycoatonsomenakedfellowandhadevenbroughthimtotheirhouse。

Shesnatchedupthenotefromthetable，tookittoputawayinsafety，andsaid:’Ihavenosupperforyou。Wecan’tfeedallthenakeddrunkardsintheworld。’

’Therenow，Matryó；na，holdyourtongueabit。Firsthearwhatamanhastosay！’

’MuchwisdomIshallhearfromadrunkenfool。Iwasrightinnotwantingtomarryyou——adrunkard。Thelinenmymothergavemeyoudrank；andnowyou’vebeentobuyacoat——andhavedrunkittoo！’

Simontriedtoexplaintohiswifethathehadonlyspenttwentykopeks；

triedtotellhowhehadfoundtheman——butMatryó；nawouldnotlethimgetawordin。Shetalkednineteentothedozen，anddraggedinthingsthathadhappenedtenyearsbefore。

Matryó；natalkedandtalked，andatlastsheflewatSimonandseizedhimbythesleeve。

’Givememyjacket。ItistheonlyoneIhaveandyoumustneedstakeitfrommeandwearityourself。Giveithere，youmangydog，andmaythedeviltakeyou。’

Simonbegantopulloffthejacket，andturnedasleeveofitinsideout；Matryó；naseizedthejacketanditburstitsseams。Shesnatcheditup，threwitoverherheadandwenttothedoor。Shemeanttogoout，butstoppedundecided——shewantedtoworkoffheranger，butshealsowantedtolearnwhatsortofamanthestrangerwas。

Matryó；nastoppedandsaid:’Ifhewereagoodmanhewouldnotbenaked。Why，hehasn’tevenashirtonhim。Ifhewereallright，youwouldsaywhereyoucameacrossthefellow。’

’That’sjustwhatIamtryingtotellyou，’saidSimon。’AsIcametotheshrineIsawhimsittingallnakedandfrozen。Itisn’tquitetheweathertositaboutnaked！Godsentmetohim，orhewouldhaveperished。WhatwasItodo？Howdoweknowwhatmayhavehappenedtohim？SoItookhim，clothedhim，andbroughthimalong。Don’tbesoangry，Matryó；na。Itisasin。

Remember，weallmustdieoneday。’

AngrywordsrosetoMatryó；na’slips，butshelookedatthestrangerandwassilent。Hesatontheedgeofthebench，motionless，hishandsfoldedonhisknees，hisheaddroopingonhisbreast，hiseyesclosed，andhisbrowsknitasifinpain。

Matryó；nawassilent，andSimonsaid:’Matryó；na，haveyounoloveofGod？’

Matryó；naheardthesewords，andasshelookedatthestranger，suddenlyherheartsoftenedtowardshim。Shecamebackfromthedoor，andgoingtotheovenshegotoutthesupper。Settingacuponthetable，shepouredoutsomekvas[7]。Thenshebroughtoutthelastpieceofbread，andsetoutaknifeandspoons。