按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
front。
〃My baby was in torment all day；〃 said Lipa。 〃He looked at me
with his little eyes and said nothing； he wanted to speak and
could not。 Holy Father； Queen of Heaven！ In my grief I kept
falling down on the floor。 I stood up and fell down by the
bedside。 And tell me； grandfather； why a little thing should be
tormented before his death？ When a grown…up person； a man or
woman； are in torment their sins are forgiven； but why a little
thing； when he has no sins？ Why？〃
〃Who can tell？〃 answered the old man。
They drove on for half an hour in silence。
〃We can't know everything； how and wherefore；〃 said the old man。
〃It is ordained for the bird to have not four wings but two
because it is able to fly with two； and so it is ordained for man
not to know everything but only a half or a quarter。 As much as
he needs to know so as to live； so much he knows。〃
〃It is better for me to go on foot； grandfather。 Now my heart is
all of a tremble。〃
〃Never mind； sit still。〃
The old man yawned and made the sign of the cross over his mouth。
〃Never mind；〃 he repeated。 〃Yours is not the worst of sorrows。
Life is long； there will be good and bad to come； there will be
everything。 Great is mother Russia；〃 he said； and looked round on
each side of him。 〃I have been all over Russia； and I have seen
everything in her； and you may believe my words； my dear。 There
will be good and there will be bad。 I went as a delegate from my
village to Siberia； and I have been to the Amur River and the
Altai Mountains and I settled in Siberia； I worked the land
there； then I was homesick for mother Russia and I came back to
my native village。 We came back to Russia on foot； and I remember
we went on a steamer； and I was thin as thin； all in rags；
barefoot； freezing with cold； and gnawing a crust； and a
gentleman who was on the steamer the kingdom of heaven be his
if he is dead looked at me pitifully； and the tears came into
his eyes。 'Ah；' he said； 'your bread is black； your days are
black。 。 。 。' And when I got home； as the saying is； there was
neither stick nor stall； I had a wife； but I left her behind in
Siberia； she was buried there。 So I am living as a day labourer。
And yet I tell you： since then I have had good as well as bad。
Here I do not want to die； my dear； I would be glad to live
another twenty years； so there has been more of the good。 And
great is our mother Russia！〃 and again he gazed to each side and
looked round。
〃Grandfather；〃 Lipa asked； 〃when anyone dies； how many days does
his soul walk the earth？〃
〃Who can tell！ Ask Vavila here； he has been to school。 Now they
teach them everything。 Vavila！〃 the old man called to him。
〃Yes！〃
〃Vavila； when anyone dies how long does his soul walk the earth？
Vavila stopped the horse and only then answered：
〃Nine days。 My uncle Kirilla died and his soul lived in our hut
thirteen days after。〃
〃How do you know？〃
〃For thirteen days there was a knocking in the stove。〃
〃Well； that's all right。 Go on；〃 said the old man； and it could
be seen that he did not believe a word of all that。
Near Kuzmenki the cart turned into the high road while Lipa went
straight on。 It was by now getting light。 As she went down into
the ravine the Ukleevo huts and the church were hidden in fog。 It
was cold； and it seemed to her that the same cuckoo was calling
still。
When Lipa reached home the cattle had not yet been driven out；
everyone was asleep。 She sat down on the steps and waited。 The
old man was the first to come out； he understood all that had
happened from the first glance at her； and for a long time he
could not articulate a word； but only moved his lips without a
sound。
〃Ech； Lipa；〃 he said； 〃you did not take care of my grandchild。 。
。 。〃
Varvara was awakened。 She clasped her hands and broke into sobs；
and immediately began laying out the baby。
〃And he was a pretty child 。 。 。〃 she said。 〃Oh； dear； dear。 。 。
。 You only had the one child； and you did not take care enough of
him； you silly girl。 。 。 。〃
There was a requiem service in the morning and the evening。 The
funeral took place the next day； and after it the guests and the
priests ate a great deal； and with such greed that one might have
thought that they had not tasted food for a long time。 Lipa
waited at table； and the priest； lifting his fork on which there
was a salted mushroom； said to her：
〃Don't grieve for the babe。 For of such is the kingdom of
heaven。〃
And only when they had all separated Lipa realized fully that
there was no Nikifor and never would be； she realized it and
broke into sobs。 And she did not know what room to go into to
sob； for she felt that now that her child was dead there was no
place for her in the house； that she had no reason to be here；
that she was in the way； and the others felt it； too。
〃Now what are you bellowing for？〃 Aksinya shouted； suddenly
appearing in the doorway； in honour of the funeral she was
dressed all in new clothes and had powdered her face。 〃Shut up！〃
Lipa tried to stop but could not； and sobbed louder than ever。
〃Do you hear？〃 shouted Aksinya； and she stamped her foot in
violent anger。 〃Who is it I am speaking to？ Go out of the yard
and don't set foot here again； you convict s wife。 Get away。〃
〃There； there； there；〃 the old man put in fussily。 〃Aksinya；
don't make such an outcry； my girl。 。 。 。 She is crying； it is
only natural 。 。 。 her child is dead。 。 。 。〃
〃 'It's only natural；' 〃 Aksinya mimicked him。 〃Let her stay the
night here； and don't let me see a trace of her here to…morrow！
'It's only natural！' 。 。 。〃 she mimicked him again； and；
laughing； she went into the shop。
Early the next morning Lipa went off to her mother at Torguevo。
IX
At the present time the steps and the front door of the shop have
been repainted an d are as bright as though they were new； there
are gay geraniums in the windows as of old； and what happened in
Tsybukin's house and yard three years ago is almost forgotten。
Grigory Petrovitch is looked upon as the master as he was in old
days； but in reality everything has passed into Aksinya's hands；
she buys and sells； and nothing can be done without her consent。
The brickyard is working well； and as bricks are wanted for the
railway the price has gone up to twenty…four roubles a thousand；
peasant women and girls cart the bricks to the station and load
them up in the trucks and earn a quarter…rouble a day for the
work。
Aksinya has gone into partnership with the Hrymin Juniors； and
their factory is now called Hrymin Juniors and Co。 They have
opened a tavern near the station； and now the expensive
concertina is played not at the factory but at the tavern； and
the head of the post office often goes there； and he； too； is
engaged in some sort of traffic； and the stationmaster； too。
Hrymin Juniors have presented the deaf man Stepan with a gold
watch； and he is constantly taking it out of his pocket and
putting it to his ear。
People say of Aksinya that she has become a person of power； and
it is true that when she drives in the morning to her brickyard；
handsome and happy； with the naive smile on her face； and
afterwards