the wife and other stories-第43章

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uproar　in　the　classes。

〃Oh；　he　hoped　it　would　not　reach　the　ears　of　the　authorities；　oh；　he　hoped　nothing　would　come　of　it；　and　he　thought　it　would　be　a　very　good　thing　if　Petrov　were　expelled　from　the　second　class　and　Yegorov　from　the　fourth。　And；　do　you　know；　by　his　sighs；　his　despondency；　his　black　spectacles　on　his　pale　little　face；　a　little　face　like　a　pole…cat's；　you　know；　he　crushed　us　all；　and　we　gave　way；　reduced　Petrov's　and　Yegorov's　marks　for　conduct；　kept　them　in；　and　in　the　end　expelled　them　both。　He　had　a　strange　habit　of　visiting　our　lodgings。　He　would　come　to　a　teacher's；　would　sit　down；　and　remain　silent；　as　though　he　were　carefully　inspecting　something。　He　would　sit　like　this　in　silence　for　an　hour　or　two　and　then　go　away。　This　he　called　'maintaining　good　relations　with　his　colleagues'；　and　it　was　obvious　that　coming　to　see　us　and　sitting　there　was　tiresome　to　him；　and　that　he　came　to　see　us　simply　because　he　considered　it　his　duty　as　our　colleague。　We　teachers　were　afraid　of　him。　And　even　the　headmaster　was　afraid　of　him。　Would　you　believe　it；　our　teachers　were　all　intellectual；　right…minded　people；　brought　up　on　Turgenev　and　Shtchedrin；　yet　this　little　chap；　who　always　went　about　with　goloshes　and　an　umbrella；　had　the　whole　high…school　under　his　thumb　for　fifteen　long　years！　High…school；　indeed　　he　had　the　whole　town　under　his　thumb！　Our　ladies　did　not　get　up　private　theatricals　on　Saturdays　for　fear　he　should　hear　of　it；　and　the　clergy　dared　not　eat　meat　or　play　cards　in　his　presence。　Under　the　influence　of　people　like　Byelikov　we　have　got　into　the　way　of　being　afraid　of　everything　in　our　town　for　the　last　ten　or　fifteen　years。　They　are　afraid　to　speak　aloud；　afraid　to　send　letters；　afraid　to　make　acquaintances；　afraid　to　read　books；　afraid　to　help　the　poor；　to　teach　people　to　read　and　write。　。　。　。〃

Ivan　Ivanovitch　cleared　his　throat；　meaning　to　say　something；　but　first　lighted　his　pipe；　g　azed　at　the　moon；　and　then　said；　with　pauses：

〃Yes；　intellectual；　right　minded　people　read　Shtchedrin　and　Turgenev；　Buckle；　and　all　the　rest　of　them；　yet　they　knocked　under　and　put　up　with　it。　。　。　that's　just　how　it　is。〃

〃Byelikov　lived　in　the　same　house　as　I　did；〃　Burkin　went　on；　〃on　the　same　storey；　his　door　facing　mine；　we　often　saw　each　other；　and　I　knew　how　he　lived　when　he　was　at　home。　And　at　home　it　was　the　same　story：　dressing…gown；　nightcap；　blinds；　bolts；　a　perfect　succession　of　prohibitions　and　restrictions　of　all　sorts；　and　'Oh；　I　hope　nothing　will　come　of　it！'　Lenten　fare　was　bad　for　him；　yet　he　could　not　eat　meat；　as　people　might　perhaps　say　Byelikov　did　not　keep　the　fasts；　and　he　ate　freshwater　fish　with　butter　　not　a　Lenten　dish；　yet　one　could　not　say　that　it　was　meat。　He　did　not　keep　a　female　servant　for　fear　people　might　think　evil　of　him；　but　had　as　cook　an　old　man　of　sixty；　called　Afanasy；　half…witted　and　given　to　tippling；　who　had　once　been　an　officer's　servant　and　could　cook　after　a　fashion。　This　Afanasy　was　usually　standing　at　the　door　with　his　arms　folded；　with　a　deep　sigh；　he　would　mutter　always　the　same　thing：

〃　'There　are　plenty　of　_them_　about　nowadays！'

〃Byelikov　had　a　little　bedroom　like　a　box；　his　bed　had　curtains。　When　he　went　to　bed　he　covered　his　head　over；　it　was　hot　and　stuffy；　the　wind　battered　on　the　closed　doors；　there　was　a　droning　noise　in　the　stove　and　a　sound　of　sighs　from　the　kitchen　　ominous　sighs。　。　。　。　And　he　felt　frightened　under　the　bed…clothes。　He　was　afraid　that　something　might　happen；　that　Afanasy　might　murder　him；　that　thieves　might　break　in；　and　so　he　had　troubled　dreams　all　night；　and　in　the　morning；　when　we　went　together　to　the　high…school；　he　was　depressed　and　pale；　and　it　was　evident　that　the　high…school　full　of　people　excited　dread　and　aversion　in　his　whole　being；　and　that　to　walk　beside　me　was　irksome　to　a　man　of　his　solitary　temperament。

〃　'They　make　a　great　noise　in　our　classes；'　he　used　to　say；　as　though　trying　to　find　an　explanation　for　his　depression。　'It's　beyond　anything。'

〃And　the　Greek　master；　this　man　in　a　case　　would　you　believe　it？　　almost　got　married。〃

Ivan　Ivanovitch　glanced　quickly　into　the　barn；　and　said：

〃You　are　joking！〃

〃Yes；　strange　as　it　seems；　he　almost　got　married。　A　new　teacher　of　history　and　geography；　Milhail　Savvitch　Kovalenko；　a　Little　Russian；　was　appointed。　He　came；　not　alone；　but　with　his　sister　Varinka。　He　was　a　tall；　dark　young　man　with　huge　hands；　and　one　could　see　from　his　face　that　he　had　a　bass　voice；　and；　in　fact；　he　had　a　voice　that　seemed　to　come　out　of　a　barrel　　'boom；　boom；　boom！'　And　she　was　not　so　young；　about　thirty；　but　she；　too；　was　tall；　well…made；　with　black　eyebrows　and　red　cheeks　　in　fact；　she　was　a　regular　sugar…plum；　and　so　sprightly；　so　noisy；　she　was　always　singing　Little　Russian　songs　and　laughing。　For　the　least　thing　she　would　go　off　into　a　ringing　laugh　　'Ha…ha…ha！'　We　made　our　first　thorough　acquaintance　with　the　Kovalenkos　at　the　headmaster's　name…day　party。　Among　the　glum　and　intensely　bored　teachers　who　came　even　to　the　name…day　party　as　a　duty　we　suddenly　saw　a　new　Aphrodite　risen　from　the　waves；　she　walked　with　her　arms　akimbo；　laughed；　sang；　danced。　。　。　。　She　sang　with　feeling　'The　Winds　do　Blow；'　then　another　song；　and　another；　and　she　fascinated　us　all　　all；　even　Byelikov。　He　sat　down　by　her　and　said　with　a　honeyed　smile：

〃　'The　Little　Russian　reminds　one　of　the　ancient　Greek　in　its　softness　and　agreeable　resonance。'

〃That　flattered　her；　and　she　began　telling　him　with　feeling　and　earnestness　that　they　had　a　farm　in　the　Gadyatchsky　district；　and　that　her　mamma　lived　at　the　farm；　and　that　they　had　such　pears；　such　melons；　such　_kabaks_！　The　Little　Russians　call　pumpkins　_kabaks_　（i。e。；　pothouses）；　while　their　pothouses　they　call　_shinki_；　and　they　make　a　beetroot　soup　with　tomatoes　and　aubergines　in　it；　'which　was　so　nice　　awfully　nice！'

〃We　listened　and　listened；　and　suddenly　the　same　idea　dawned　upon　us　all：

〃　'It　would　be　a　good　thing　to　make　a　match　of　it；'　the　headmaster's　wife　said　to　me　softly。

〃We　all　for　some　reason　recalled　the　fact　that　our　friend　Byelikov　was　not　married；　and　it　now　seemed　to　us　strange　that　we　had　hitherto　failed　to　observe；　and　had　in　fact　completely　lost　sight　of；　a　detail　so　important　in　his　life。　What　was　his　attitude　to　woman？　How　had　he　settled　this　vital　question　for　himself？　This　had　not　interested　us　in　the　least　till　then；　perhaps　we　had　not　even　admitted　the　idea　that　a　man　who　went　out　in　all　weathers　in　goloshes　and　slept　under　curtains　could　be　in　love。

〃　'He　is　a　good　deal　over　forty　and　she　is　thirty；'　the　headmaster's　wife　went　on；　developing　her　idea。　'I　believe　she　would　marry　him。'

〃All　sorts　of　things　are　done　in　the　provinces　through　boredom；　all　sorts　of　unnecessary　and　nonsensical　things！　And　that　is　because　what　is　necessary　is　not　done　at　all。　What　need　was　there　for　instance；　for　us　to　make　a　match　for　this　Byelikov；　whom　one　could　not　even　imagine　married？　The　headmaster's　wife；　the　inspector's　wife；　and　all　our　high…school　ladies；　grew　livelier　and　even　better…looking；　as　though　they　had　suddenly　found　a　new　object　in　life。　The　headmaster's　wife　would　take　a　box　at　the　theatre；　and　we　beheld　sitting　in　her　box　Varinka；　with　such　a　fan；　beaming　and　happy；　and　beside　her　Byelikov；　a　little　bent　figure；　looking　as　though　he　had　been　extracted　from　his　house　by　pincers。　I　would　give　an　evening　party；　and　the　ladies　would　insist　on　my　inviting　Byelikov　and　Varinka。　In　short；　the　machine　was　set　in　motion。　It　appeared　that　Varinka　was　not　averse　to　matrimony。　She　had　not　a　very　cheerful　life　with　her　brother；　they　could　do　nothing　but　quarrel　and　scold　one　another　from　morning　till　night。　Here　is　a　scene；　for　instance。　Kovalenko　would　be　coming　along　the　street；　a　tall；　sturdy　young　ruffian；　in　an　embroidered　shirt；　his　love…locks　falling　on　his　forehead　under　his　cap；　in　one　hand　a　bundle　of　books；　in　the　other　a　thick　knotted　stick；　followed　by　his　sister；　also　with　books　in　her　hand。

〃　'But　you　haven't　read　it；　Mihalik！'　she　would　be　arguing　loudly。　'I　tell　you；　I　swear　you　have　not　read　it　at　all！'

〃　'And　I　tell　you　I　have　read　it；'　cries　Kovalenko；　thumping　his　stick　on　the　pavement。

〃