第18章
Ivá；nsighed，andthought，’Whathesaysistrue，’andhisheartgrewlighter。Onlyhedidnotknowhow，now，tobegintoputmattersright。
Butagaintheoldmanbegan，asifhehadguessedwhatwasinIvan’smind。
’Go，Ivá；n，don’tputitoff！Putoutthefirebeforeitspreads，oritwillbetoolate。’
Theoldmanwasgoingtosaymore，butbeforehecoulddosothewomencamein，chatteringlikemagpies。ThenewsthatGabrielwassentencedtobeflogged，andofhisthreattosetfiretothehouse，hadalreadyreachedthem。Theyhadheardallaboutitandaddedtoitsomethingoftheirown，andhadagainhadarow，inthepasture，withthewomenofGabriel’shousehold。TheybegantellinghowGabriel’sdaughter-in-lawthreatenedafreshaction:Gabrielhadgottherightsideoftheexaminingmagistrate，whowouldnowturnthewholeaffairupsidedown；
andtheschoolmasterwaswritingoutanotherpetition，totheTsarhimselfthistime，aboutIvá；n；andeverythingwasinthepetition——allaboutthecoupling-pinandthekitchen-garden——sothathalfofIvan’shomesteadwouldbetheirssoon。Ivá；nheardwhattheyweresaying，andhisheartgrewcoldagain，andhegaveupthethoughtofmakingpeacewithGabriel。
Inafarmsteadthereisalwaysplentyforthemastertodo。Ivá；ndidnotstoptotalktothewomen，butwentouttothethreshing-floorandtothebarn。Bythetimehehadtidiedupthere，thesunhadsetandtheyoungfellowshadreturnedfromthefield。Theyhadbeenploughingthefieldforthewintercropswithtwohorses。Ivá；nmetthem，questionedthemabouttheirwork，helpedtoputeverythinginitsplace，setatornhorse-collarasidetobemended，andwasgoingtoputawaysomestakesunderthebarn，butithadgrownquitedusk，sohedecidedtoleavethemwheretheyweretillnextday。Thenhegavethecattletheirfood，openedthegate，letoutthehorses。Tará；swastotaketopastureforthenight，andagainclosedthegateandbarredit。
’Now，’thoughthe，’I’llhavemysupper，andthentobed。’Hetookthehorse-collarandenteredthehut。BythistimehehadforgottenaboutGabrielandaboutwhathisoldfatherhadbeensayingtohim。But，justashetookholdofthedoor-handletoenterthepassage，heheardhisneighbourontheothersideofthefencecursingsomebodyinahoarsevoice:’Whatthedevilishegoodfor？’Gabrielwassaying。’He’sonlyfittobekilled！’AtthesewordsallIvan’sformerbitternesstowardshisneighbourre-awoke。HestoodlisteningwhileGabrielscolded，and，whenhestopped，Ivá；nwentintothehut。
Therewasalightinside；hisdaughter-in-lawsatspinning，hiswifewasgettingsupperready，hiseldestsonwasmakingstrapsforbarkshoes，hissecondsatnearthetablewithabook，andTará；swasgettingreadytogoouttopasturethehorsesforthenight。Everythinginthehutwouldhavebeenpleasantandbright，butforthatplague——abadneighbour！
Ivá；nentered，sullenandcross；threwthecatdownfromthebench，andscoldedthewomenforputtingtheslop-pailinthewrongplace。Hefeltdespondent，andsatdown，frowning，tomendthehorse-collar。Gabriel’swordskeptringinginhisears:histhreatatthelawcourt，andwhathehadjustbeenshoutinginahoarsevoiceaboutsomeonewhowas’onlyfittobekilled。’
HiswifegaveTará；shissupper，and，havingeatenit，Tará；sputonanoldsheepskinandanothercoat，tiedasashroundhiswaist，tooksomebreadwithhim，andwentouttothehorses。Hiseldestbrotherwasgoingtoseehimoff，butIvá；nhimselfroseinstead，andwentoutintotheporch。Ithadgrownquitedarkoutside，cloudshadgathered，andthewindhadrisen。Ivá；nwentdownthesteps，helpedhisboytomount，startedthefoalafterhim，andstoodlisteningwhileTará；srodedownthevillageandwastherejoinedbyotherladswiththeirhorses。Ivá；nwaiteduntiltheywerealloutofhearing。AshestoodtherebythegatehecouldnotgetGabriel’swordsoutofhishead:’Mindthatsomethingofyoursdoesnotburnworse！’
’Heisdesperate，’thoughtIvá；n。’Everythingisdry，andit’swindyweatherbesides。He’llcomeupatthebacksomewhere，setfiretosomething，andbeoff。He’llburntheplaceandescapescotfree，thevillain！……Therenow，ifonecouldbutcatchhimintheact，he’dnotgetoffthen！’Andthethoughtfixeditselfsofirmlyinhismindthathedidnotgoupthestepsbutwentoutintothestreetandroundthecorner。I’lljustwalkroundthebuildings；
whocantellwhathe’safter？’AndIvá；n，steppingsoftly，passedoutofthegate。Assoonashereachedthecorner，helookedroundalongthefence，andseemedtoseesomethingsuddenlymoveattheoppositecorner，asifsomeonehadcomeoutanddisappearedagain。Ivá；nstopped，andstoodquietly，listeningandlooking。Everythingwasstill；onlytheleavesofthewillowsflutteredinthewind，andthestrawsofthethatchrustled。Atfirstitseemedpitchdark，but，whenhiseyeshadgrownusedtothedarkness，hecouldseethefarcorner，andaploughthatlaythere，andtheeaves。Helookedawhile，butsawnoone。
’Isupposeitwasamistake，’thoughtIvá；n；’butstillIwillgoround，’andIvá；nwentstealthilyalongbytheshed。Ivá；nsteppedsosoftlyinhisbarkshoesthathedidnothearhisownfootsteps。Ashereachedthefarcorner，somethingseemedtoflareupforamomentneartheploughandtovanishagain。Ivá；nfeltasifstrucktotheheart；andhestopped。Hardlyhadhestopped，whensomethingflaredupmorebrightlyinthesameplace，andheclearlysawamanwithacaponhishead，crouchingdown，withhisbacktowardshim，lightingabunchofstrawheheldinhishand。Ivá；n’sheartflutteredwithinhimlikeabird。Strainingeverynerve，heapproachedwithgreatstrides，hardlyfeelinghislegsunderhim。’Ah，’thoughtIvá；n，’nowhewon’tescape！I’llcatchhimintheact！’
Ivá；nwasstillsomedistanceoff，whensuddenlyhesawabrightlight，butnotinthesameplaceasbefore，andnotasmallflame。
Thethatchhadflaredupattheeaves，theflameswerereachinguptotheroof，and，standingbeneathit，Gabriel’swholefigurewasclearlyvisible。
Likeahawkswoopingdownonalark，Ivá；nrushedatLimpingGabriel。
’NowI’llhavehim；heshan’tescapeme！’thoughtIvá；n。
ButGabrielmusthaveheardhissteps，and(howeverhemanagedit)
glancinground，hescuttledawaypastthebarnlikeahare。
’Youshan’tescape！’shoutedIvá；n，dartingafterhim。
JustashewasgoingtoseizeGabriel，thelatterdodgedhim；butIvá；nmanagedtocatchtheskirtofGabriel’scoat。Ittorerightoff，andIvá；nfelldown。Herecoveredhisfeet，andshouting，’Help！Seizehim！Thieves！Murder！’ranonagain。ButmeanwhileGabrielhadreachedhisowngate。ThereIvá；novertookhimandwasabouttoseizehim，whensomethingstruckIvá；nastunningblow，asthoughastonehadhithistemple，quitedeafeninghim。ItwasGabrielwho，seizinganoakwedgethatlaynearthegate，hadstruckoutwithallhismight。
Ivá；nwasstunned；sparksflewbeforehiseyes，thenallgrewdarkandhestaggered。WhenhecametohissensesGabrielwasnolongerthere:itwasaslightasday，andfromthesidewherehishomesteadwassomethingroaredandcrackledlikeanengineatwork。Ivá；nturnedroundandsawthathisbackshedwasallablaze，andthesideshedhadalsocaughtfire，andflamesandsmokeandbitsofburningstrawmixedwiththesmoke，werebeingdriventowardshishut。
’Whatisthis，friends？……’criedIvá；n，liftinghisarmsandstrikinghisthighs。’Why，allIhadtodowasjusttosnatchitoutfromundertheeavesandtrampleonit！Whatisthis，friends？……’hekeptrepeating。Hewishedtoshout，buthisbreathfailedhim；
hisvoicewasgone。Hewantedtorun，buthislegswouldnotobeyhim，andgotineachother’sway。Hemovedslowly，butagainstaggeredandagainhisbreathfailed。Hestoodstilltillhehadregainedbreath，andthenwenton。Beforehehadgotroundthebackshedtoreachthefire，thesideshedwasalsoallablaze；
andthecornerofthehutandthecoveredgatewayhadcaughtfireaswell。Theflameswereleapingoutofthehut，anditwasimpossibletogetintotheyard。Alargecrowdhadcollected，butnothingcouldbedone。Theneighbourswerecarryingtheirbelongingsoutoftheirownhouses，anddrivingthecattleoutoftheirownsheds。AfterIvan’shouse，Gabriel’salsocaughtfire，then，thewindrising，theflamesspreadtotheothersideofthestreetandhalfthevillagewasburntdown。
AtIvan’shousetheybarelymanagedtosavehisoldfather；andthefamilyescapedinwhattheyhadon；everythingelse，exceptthehorsesthathadbeendrivenouttopastureforthenight，waslost；
allthecattle，thefowlsontheirperches，thecarts，ploughs，andharrows，thewomen’strunkswiththeirclothes，andthegraininthegranaries——allwereburntup！
AtGabriel’s，thecattleweredrivenout，andafewthingssavedfromhishouse。
Thefirelastedallnight。Ivá；nstoodinfrontofhishomesteadandkeptrepeating，’Whatisthis？……Friends！……Oneneedonlyhavepulleditoutandtrampledonit！’Butwhentherooffellin，Ivá；nrushedintotheburningplace，andseizingacharredbeam，triedtodragitout。Thewomensawhim，andcalledhimback；buthepulledoutthebeam，andwasgoinginagainforanotherwhenhelosthisfootingandfellamongtheflames。Thenhissonmadehiswayinafterhimanddraggedhimout。Ivá；nhadsingedhishairandbeardandburnthisclothesandscorchedhishands，buthefeltnothing。’Hisgriefhasstupefiedhim，’saidthepeople。Thefirewasburningitselfout，butIvá；nstillstoodrepeating:’Friends！……Whatisthis？……Oneneedonlyhavepulleditout！’
InthemorningthevillageElder’ssoncametofetchIvá；n。
’DaddyIvá；n，yourfatherisdying！Hehassentforyoutosaygood-bye。’
Ivá；nhadforgottenabouthisfather，anddidnotunderstandwhatwasbeingsaidtohim。
’Whatfather？’hesaid。’Whomhashesentfor？’
’Hesentforyou，tosaygood-bye；heisdyinginourcottage！Comealong，daddyIvá；n，’saidtheElder’sson，pullinghimbythearm；andIvá；nfollowedthelad。
Whenhewasbeingcarriedoutofthehut，someburningstrawhadfallenontotheoldmanandburnthim，andhehadbeentakentothevillageElder’sinthefartherpartofthevillage，whichthefiredidnotreach。
WhenIvá；ncametohisfather，therewasonlytheElder’swifeinthehut，besidessomelittlechildrenonthetopoftheoven。Alltherestwerestillatthefire。Theoldman，whowaslyingonabenchholdingawaxcandle[10]inhishand，keptturninghiseyestowardsthedoor。Whenhissonentered，hemovedalittle。Theoldwomanwentuptohimandtoldhimthathissonhadcome。