第17章
AndIvá；nalsowenttolaw。TheyweretriedbytheJusticeofthePeaceandbytheDistrictCourt。Whileallthiswasgoingon，thecoupling-pinofGabriel’scartdisappeared。Gabriel’swomenfolkaccusedIvan’ssonofhavingtakenit。Theysaid:’Wesawhiminthenightgopastourwindow，towardsthecart；andaneighboursayshesawhimatthepub，offeringthepintothelandlord。’
Sotheywenttolawaboutthat。Andathomenotadaypassedwithoutaquarrelorevenafight。Thechildren，too，abusedoneanother，havinglearnttodosofromtheirelders；andwhenthewomenhappenedtomeetbytheriver-side，wheretheywenttorinsetheclothes，theirarmsdidnotdoasmuchwringingastheirtonguesdidnagging，andeverywordwasabadone。
Atfirstthepeasantsonlyslanderedoneanother；butafterwardstheybeganinrealearnesttosnatchanythingthatlayhandy，andthechildrenfollowedtheirexample。Lifebecameharderandharderforthem。Ivá；nStcherbakó；fandLimpingGabrielkeptsuingoneanotherattheVillageAssembly，andattheDistrictCourt，andbeforetheJusticeofthePeaceuntilallthejudgesweretiredofthem。NowGabrielgotIvá；nfinedorimprisoned；thenIvá；ndidasmuchtoGabriel；andthemoretheyspitedeachothertheangriertheygrew——likedogsthatattackoneanotherandgetmoreandmorefuriousthelongertheyfight。Youstrikeonedogfrombehind，anditthinksit’stheotherdogbitinghim，andgetsstillfiercer。Sothesepeasants:theywenttolaw，andoneorotherofthemwasfinedorlockedup，butthatonlymadethemmoreandmoreangrywitheachother。’Waitabit，’theysaid，’andI’llmakeyoupayforit。’Andsoitwentonforsixyears。Onlytheoldmanlyingonthetopoftheovenkepttellingthemagainandagain:’Children，whatareyoudoing？Stopallthispayingback；keeptoyourwork，anddon’tbearmalice——itwillbebetterforyou。Themoreyoubearmalice，theworseitwillbe。’
Buttheywouldnotlistentohim。
Intheseventhyear，atawedding，Ivan’sdaughter-in-lawheldGabrieluptoshame，accusinghimofhavingbeencaughthorse-stealing。Gabrielwastipsy，andunabletocontainhisanger，gavethewomansuchablowthatshewaslaidupforaweek；andshewaspregnantatthetime。Ivá；nwasdelighted。
Hewenttothemagistratetolodgeacomplaint。’NowI’llgetridofmyneighbour！Hewon’tescapeimprisonment，orexiletoSiberia。’ButIvan’swishwasnotfulfilled。Themagistratedismissedthecase。Thewomanwasexamined，butshewasupandaboutandshowednosignofanyinjury。ThenIvanwenttotheJusticeofthePeace，buthereferredthebusinesstotheDistrictCourt。Ivanbestirredhimself:treatedtheclerkandtheElderoftheDistrictCourttoagallonofliquorandgotGabrielcondemnedtobeflogged。ThesentencewasreadouttoGabrielbytheclerk:’TheCourtdecreesthatthepeasantGabrielGordé；yefshallreceivetwentylasheswithabirchrodattheDistrictCourt。’
Ivantooheardthesentenceread，andlookedatGabrieltoseehowhewouldtakeit。Gabrielgrewaspaleasasheet，andturnedroundandwentoutintothepassage。Ivanfollowedhim，meaningtoseetothehorse，andheoverheardGabrielsay，’Verywell！Hewillhavemybackflogged:thatwillmakeitburn；butsomethingofhismayburnworsethanthat！’
Hearingthesewords，IvanatoncewentbackintotheCourt，andsaid:
’Uprightjudges！Hethreatenstosetmyhouseonfire！
Listen:hesaiditinthepresenceofwitnesses！’
Gabrielwasrecalled。’Isittruethatyousaidthis？’
’Ihaven’tsaidanything。Flogme，sinceyouhavethepower。ItseemsthatIaloneamtosuffer，andallforbeingintheright，whileheisallowedtodoashelikes。’
Gabrielwishedtosaysomethingmore，buthislipsandhischeeksquivered，andheturnedtowardsthewall。Eventheofficialswerefrightenedbyhislooks。’Hemaydosomemischieftohimselfortohisneighbour，’thoughtthey。
ThentheoldJudgesaid:’Lookhere，mymen；you’dbetterbereasonableandmakeitup。Wasitrightofyou，friendGabriel，tostrikeapregnantwoman？Itwasluckyitpassedoffsowell，butthinkwhatmighthavehappened！Wasitright？Youhadbetterconfessandbeghispardon，andhewillforgiveyou，andwewillalterthesentence。’
Theclerkheardthesewords，andremarked:’That’simpossibleunderStatute117。Anagreementbetweenthepartiesnothavingbeenarrivedat，adecisionoftheCourthasbeenpronouncedandmustbeexecuted。’
ButtheJudgewouldnotlistentotheclerk。
’Keepyourtonguestill，myfriend，’saidhe。’ThefirstofalllawsistoobeyGod，Wholovespeace。’AndtheJudgebeganagaintopersuadethepeasants，butcouldnotsucceed。Gabrielwouldnotlistentohim。
’Ishallbefiftynextyear，’saidhe，’andhaveamarriedson，andhaveneverbeenfloggedinmylife，andnowthatpockmarkedIvanhashadmecondemnedtobeflogged，andamItogoandaskhisforgiveness？No；I’veborneenough……Ivanshallhavecausetorememberme！’
AgainGabriel’svoicequivered，andhecouldsaynomore，butturnedroundandwentout。
ItwassevenmilesfromtheCourttothevillage，anditwasgettinglatewhenIvanreachedhome。Heunharnessedhishorse，putitupforthenight，andenteredthecottage。Noonewasthere。Thewomenhadalreadygonetodrivethecattlein，andtheyoungfellowswerenotyetbackfromthefields。Ivá；nwentin，andsatdown，thinking。HerememberedhowGabrielhadlistenedtothesentence，andhowpalehehadbecome，andhowhehadturnedtothewall；andIvan’sheartgrewheavy。Hethoughthowhehimselfwouldfeelifheweresentenced，andhepitiedGabriel。Thenheheardhisoldfatherupontheovencough，andsawhimsitup，lowerhislegs，andscrambledown。Theoldmandraggedhimselfslowlytoaseat，andsatdown。Hewasquitetiredoutwiththeexertion，andcoughedalongtimetillhehadclearedhisthroat。Then，leaningagainstthetable，hesaid:’Well，hashebeencondemned？’
’Yes，totwentystrokeswiththerods，’answeredIvá；n。
Theoldmanshookhishead。
’Abadbusiness，’saidhe。’Youaredoingwrong，Ivá；n！Ah！it’sverybad——notforhimsomuchasforyourself！……Well，they’llfloghim:butwillthatdoyouanygood？’
’He’llnotdoitagain，’saidIvá；n。
’Whatisithe’llnotdoagain？Whathashedoneworsethanyou？’
’Why，thinkoftheharmhehasdoneme！’saidIvá；n。’Henearlykilledmywife，andnowhe’sthreateningtoburnusup。AmItothankhimforit？’
Theoldmansighed，andsaid:’Yougoaboutthewideworld，Ivá；n，whileIamlyingontheovenalltheseyears，soyouthinkyouseeeverything，andthatIseenothing……Ah，lad！It’syouthatdon’tsee；maliceblindsyou。Others’sinsarebeforeyoureyes，butyourownarebehindyourback。“He’sactedbadly！“Whatathingtosay！Ifheweretheonlyonetoactbadly，howcouldstrifeexist？Isstrifeamongmeneverbredbyonealone？Strifeisalwaysbetweentwo。Hisbadnessyousee，butyourownyoudon’t。Ifhewerebad，butyouweregood，therewouldbenostrife。Whopulledthehairoutofhisbeard？Whospoilthishaystack？Whodraggedhimtothelawcourt？Yetyouputitallonhim！Youliveabadlifeyourself，that’swhatiswrong！
It’snotthewayIusedtolive，lad，andit’snotthewayItaughtyou。IsthatthewayhisoldfatherandIusedtolive？Howdidwelive？Why，asneighboursshould！Ifhehappenedtorunoutofflour，oneofthewomenwouldcomeacross:“UncleTrol，wewantsomeflour。““Gotothebarn，dear，“I’dsay:“takewhatyouneed。“
Ifhe’dnoonetotakehishorsestopasture，“Go，Ivá；n，“
I’dsay，“andlookafterhishorses。“AndifIwasshortofanything，I’dgotohim。“UncleGordé；y，“I’dsay，“Iwantso-and-so！“
“TakeitUncleTrol！“That’showitwasbetweenus，andwehadaneasytimeofit。Butnow？……ThatsoldiertheotherdaywastellingusaboutthefightatPlevna[9]。Why，there’swarbetweenyouworsethanatPlevna！Isthatliving？……Whatasinitis！Youareamanandmasterofthehouse；it’syouwhowillhavetoanswer。Whatareyouteachingthewomenandthechildren？Tosnarlandsnap？Why，theotherdayyourTará；ska——thatgreenhorn——wasswearingatneighbourIrena，callinghernames；andhismotherlistenedandlaughed。Isthatright？Itisyouwillhavetoanswer。Thinkofyoursoul。Isthisallasitshouldbe？Youthrowawordatme，andIgiveyoutwoinreturn；yougivemeablow，andIgiveyoutwo。No，lad！Christ，whenHewalkedonearth，taughtusfoolssomethingverydifferent……Ifyougetahardwordfromanyone，keepsilent，andhisownconsciencewillaccusehim。ThatiswhatourLordtaught。Ifyougetaslap，turntheothercheek。“Here，beatme，ifthat’swhatI
deserve！“Andhisownconsciencewillrebukehim。Hewillsoften，andwilllistentoyou。That’sthewayHetaughtus，nottobeproud！……Whydon’tyouspeak？Isn’titasIsay？’
Ivá；nsatsilentandlistened。
Theoldmancoughed，andhavingwithdifficultyclearedhisthroat，beganagain:’YouthinkChristtaughtuswrong？Why，it’sallforourowngood。Justthinkofyourearthlylife；areyoubetteroff，orworse，sincethisPlevnabeganamongyou？Justreckonupwhatyou’vespentonallthislawbusiness——whatthedrivingbackwardsandforwardsandyourfoodonthewayhavecostyou！Whatfinefellowsyoursonshavegrown；youmightliveandgetonwell；butnowyourmeansarelessening。Andwhy？Allbecauseofthisfolly；becauseofyourpride。Yououghttobeploughingwithyourlads，anddothesowingyourself；butthefiendcarriesyouofftothejudge，ortosomepettifoggerorother。Theploughingisnotdoneintime，northesowing，andmotherearthcan’tbearproperly。Whydidtheoatsfailthisyear？Whendidyousowthem？Whenyoucamebackfromtown！Andwhatdidyougain？Aburdenforyourownshoulders……Eh，lad，thinkofyourownbusiness！Workwithyourboysinthefieldandathome，andifsomeoneoffendsyou，forgivehim，asGodwishedyouto。Thenlifewillbeeasy，andyourheartwillalwaysbelight。’
Ivá；nremainedsilent。
’Ivá；n，myboy，hearyouroldfather！Goandharnesstheroan，andgoatoncetotheGovernmentoffice；putanendtoallthisaffairthere；andinthemorninggoandmakeitupwithGabrielinGod’sname，andinvitehimtoyourhouseforto-morrow’sholiday’(itwastheeveoftheVirgin’sNativity)。’Haveteaready，andgetabottleofvó；dkaandputanendtothiswickedbusiness，sothatthereshouldnotbeanymoreofitinfuture，andtellthewomenandchildrentodothesame。’