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05-there are no guilty people-第3章

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and then went into the house。  His host was
standing in the hall。

〃Where is your letter?〃 he asked; approach…
ing Volgin; 〃I am just off。〃

〃I'm awfully sorry; I'll write it this minute; if
you will let me。  I forgot all about it。  It's so
pleasant here that one can forget anything。〃

〃All right; but do be quick。  The horses have
already been standing a quarter of an hour; and
the flies are biting viciously。  Can you wait; Ar…
senty?〃 he asked the coachman。

〃Why not?〃 said the coachman; thinking to
himself; 〃why do they order the horses when
they aren't ready? The rush the grooms and I
hadjust to stand here and feed the flies。〃

〃Directly; directly;〃 Volgin went towards his
room; but turned back to ask Nicholas Petrovich
about the begging peasant。

〃Did you see him?He's a drunkard; but
still he is to be pitied。  Do be quick!〃

Volgin got out his case; with all the requisites
for writing; wrote the letter; made out a cheque
for a hundred and eighty roubles; and; sealing
down the envelope; took it to Nicholas Petrovich。

〃Good…bye。〃

Volgin read the newspapers till luncheon。  He
only read the Liberal papers:  The Russian
Gazette; Speech; sometimes The Russian Word
but he would not touch The New Times; to
which his host subscribed。

While he was scanning at his ease the political
news; the Tsar's doings; the doings of President;
and ministers and decisions in the Duma; and was
just about to pass on to the general news; thea…
tres; science; murders and cholera; he heard the
luncheon bell ring。

Thanks to the efforts of upwards of ten human
beingscounting laundresses; gardeners; cooks;
kitchen…maids; butlers and footmenthe table
was sumptuously laid for eight; with silver water…
jugs; decanters; kvass; wine; mineral waters; cut
glass; and fine table linen; while two men…servants
were continually hurrying to and fro; bringing
in and serving; and then clearing away the
hors d'oeuvre and the various hot and cold
courses。

The hostess talked incessantly about every…
thing that she had been doing; thinking; and say…
ing; and she evidently considered that everything
that she thought; said; or did was perfect; and
that it would please every one except those who
were fools。  Volgin felt and knew that every…
thing she said was stupid; but it would never do
to let it be seen; and so he kept up the conversa…
tion。  Theodorite was glum and silent; the stu…
dent occasionally exchanged a few words with the
widow。  Now and again there was a pause in
the conversation; and then Theodorite interposed;
and every one became miserably depressed。  At
such moments the hostess ordered some dish that
had not been served; and the footman hurried
off to the kitchen; or to the housekeeper; and hur…
ried back again。  Nobody felt inclined either to
talk or to eat。  But they all forced themselves
to eat and to talk; and so luncheon went on。

The peasant who had been begging because his
horse had died was named Mitri Sudarikov。  He
had spent the whole day before he went to the
squire over his dead horse。  First of all he went
to the knacker; Sanin; who lived in a village near。 
The knacker was out; but he waited for him; and
it was dinner…time when he had finished bargain…
ing over the price of the skin。  Then he bor…
rowed a neighbour's horse to take his own to a
field to be buried; as it is forbidden to bury dead
animals near a village。  Adrian would not lend
his horse because he was getting in his potatoes;
but Stephen took pity on Mitri and gave way to
his persuasion。  He even lent a hand in lifting
the dead horse into the cart。  Mitri tore off the
shoes from the forelegs and  gave them to his
wife。  One was broken; but the other one was
whole。  While he was digging the grave with a
spade which was very blunt; the knacker appeared
and took off the skin; and the carcass was then
thrown into the hole and covered up。  Mitri felt
tired; and went into Matrena's hut; where he
drank half a bottle of vodka with Sanin to con…
sole himself。  Then he went home; quarrelled
with his wife; and lay down to sleep on the hay。 
He did not undress; but slept just as he was; with
a ragged coat for a coverlet。  His wife was in
the hut with the girlsthere were four of them;
and the youngest was only five weeks old。  Mitri
woke up before dawn as usual。  He groaned as
the memory of the day before broke in upon him
how the horse had struggled and struggled;
and then fallen down。  Now there was no horse;
and all he had was the price of the skin; four
roubles and eighty kopeks。  Getting up he ar…
ranged the linen bands on his legs; and went
through the yard into the hut。  His wife was put…
ting straw into the stove with one hand; with
the other she was holding a baby girl to her
breast; which was hanging out of her dirty
chemise。

Mitri crossed himself three times; turning
towards the corner in which the ikons hung; and
repeated some utterly meaningless words; which
he called prayers; to the Trinity and the Virgin;
the Creed and our Father。

〃Isn't there any water?〃

〃The girl's gone for it。  I've got some tea。 
Will you go up to the squire?〃

〃Yes; I'd better 〃  The smoke from the stove
made him cough。  He took a rag off the wooden
bench and went into the porch。  The girl had
just come back with the water。  Mitri filled his
mouth with water from the pail and squirted it
out on his hands; took some more in his mouth
to wash his face; dried himself with the rag; then
parted and smoothed his curly hair with his fin…
gers and went out。  A little girl of about ten;
with nothing on but a dirty shirt; came towards
him。  〃Good…morning; Uncle Mitri;〃 she said;
〃you are to come and thrash。〃  〃All right; I'll
come;〃 replied Mitri。  He understood that he
was expected to return the help given the week
before by Kumushkir; a man as poor as he was
himself; when he was thrashing his own corn with
a horse…driven machine。

〃Tell them I'll comeI'll come at lunch time。
I've got to go to Ugrumi 〃  Mitri went back to
the hut; and changing his birch…bark shoes and the
linen bands on his legs; started off to see the
squire。  After he had got three roubles from
Volgin; and the same sum from Nicholas Petro…
vich; he returned to his house; gave the money to
his wife; and went to his neighbour's。  The thrash…
ing machine was humming; and the driver was
shouting。  The lean horses were going slowly
round him; straining at their traces。  The driver
was shouting to them in a monotone; 〃Now; there;
my dears 〃  Some women were unbinding sheaves;
others were raking up the scattered straw and ears;
and others again were gathering great armfuls of
corn and handing them to the men to feed the
machine。  The work was in full swing。  In the
kitchen garden; which Mitri had to pass; a girl;
clad only in a long shirt; was digging potatoes
which she put into a basket。

〃Where's your grandfather?〃 asked Mitri。
〃He's in the barn 〃  Mitri went to the barn and
set to work at once。  The old man of eighty knew
of Mitri's trouble。  After greeting him; he gave
him his place to feed the machine。

Mitri took off his ragged coat; laid it out of the
way near the fence;
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