01-the forged coupon-第5章

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！


back　the　last　supply　of　firewood　he　needed　before
spring。

〃What　is　that？〃　he　thought；　seeing　the　door
of　the　stable　wide　open。　　〃Hallo；　who　is　there？〃

No　answer。　　Peter　Nikolaevich　stepped　into
the　stable。　　It　was　dark；　the　ground　was　soft
under　his　feet；　and　the　air　smelt　of　dung；　on　the
right　side　of　the　door　were　two　loose　boxes　for
a　pair　of　grey　horses。　　Peter　Nikolaevich
stretched　out　his　hand　in　their　directionone
box　was　empty。　　He　put　out　his　footthe　horse
might　have　been　lying　down。　　But　his　foot　did
not　touch　anything　solid。　　〃Where　could　they
have　taken　the　horse？〃　he　thought。　　They　cer…
tainly　had　not　harnessed　it；　all　the　sledges　stood
still　outside。　　Peter　Nikolaevich　went　out　of　the
stable。

〃Stepan；　come　here！〃　he　called。

Stepan　was　the　head　of　the　workmen's　gang。　
He　was　just　stepping　out　of　the　cottage。

〃Here　I　am！〃　he　said；　in　a　cheerful　voice。　
〃Oh；　is　that　you；　Peter　Nikolaevich？　Our　men
are　coming。〃

〃Why　is　the　stable　door　open？

〃Is　it？　I　don't　know　anything　about　it。　　I
say；　Proshka；　bring　the　lantern！〃

Proshka　came　with　the　lantern。　　They　all　went
to　the　stable；　and　Stepan　knew　at　once　what　had
happened。

〃Thieves　have　been　here；　Peter　Nikolaevich；〃
he　said。　　〃The　lock　is　broken。〃

〃No；　you　don't　say　so！〃

〃Yes；　the　brigands！　I　don't　see　'Mashka。'
'Hawk'　is　here。　　But　'Beauty'　is　not。　　Nor　yet
'Dapple…grey。'〃

Three　horses　had　been　stolen！

Peter　Nikolaevich　did　not　utter　a　word　at　first。　
He　only　frowned　and　took　deep　breaths。

〃Oh；〃　he　said　after　a　while。　　〃If　only　I　could
lay　hands　on　them！　Who　was　on　guard？〃

〃Peter。　　He　evidently　fell　asleep。〃

Peter　Nikolaevich　called　in　the　police；　and
making　an　appeal　to　all　the　authorities；　sent　his
men　to　track　the　thieves。　　But　the　horses　were
not　to　be　found。

〃Wicked　people；〃　said　Peter　Nikolaevich。
〃How　could　they！　I　was　always　so　kind　to
them。　　Now；　wait！　Brigands！　Brigands　the
whole　lot　of　them。　　I　will　no　longer　be　kind。〃



X

IN　the　meanwhile　the　horses；　the　grey　ones；　had
all　been　disposed　of；　Mashka　was　sold　to　the　gip…
sies　for　eighteen　roubles；　Dapple…grey　was　ex…
changed　for　another　horse；　and　passed　over　to
another　peasant　who　lived　forty　miles　away　from
the　estate；　and　Beauty　died　on　the　way。　　The　man
who　conducted　the　whole　affair　wasIvan　Mi…
ronov。　　He　had　been　employed　on　the　estate；　and
knew　all　the　whereabouts　of　Peter　Nikolaevich。
He　wanted　to　get　back　the　money　he　had　lost；　and
stole　the　horses　for　that　reason。

After　his　misfortune　with　the　forged　coupon；
Ivan　Mironov　took　to　drink；　and　all　he　possessed
would　have　gone　on　drink　if　it　had　not　been　for
his　wife；　who　locked　up　his　clothes；　the　horses'
collars；　and　all　the　rest　of　what　he　would　other…
wise　have　squandered　in　public…houses。　　In　his
drunken　state　Ivan　Mironov　was　continually
thinking；　not　only　of　the　man　who　had　wronged
him；　but　of　all　the　rich　people　who　live　on　robbing
the　poor。　　One　day　he　had　a　drink　with　some
peasants　from　the　suburbs　of　Podolsk；　and　was
walking　home　together　with　them。　　On　the　way
the　peasants；　who　were　completely　drunk；　told　him
they　had　stolen　a　horse　from　a　peasant's　cottage。　
Ivan　Mironov　got　angry；　and　began　to　abuse　the
horse…thieves。

〃What　a　shame！〃　he　said。　　〃A　horse　is　like
a　brother　to　the　peasant。　　And　you　robbed　him　of
it？　　It　is　a　great　sin；　I　tell　you。　　If　you　go　in　for
stealing　horses；　steal　them　from　the　landowners。　
They　are　worse　than　dogs；　and　deserve　anything。〃

The　talk　went　on；　and　the　peasants　from　Po…
dolsk　told　him　that　it　required　a　great　deal　of
cunning　to　steal　a　horse　on　an　estate。

〃You　must　know　all　the　ins　and　outs　of　the
place；　and　must　have　somebody　on　the　spot　to
help　you。〃

Then　it　occurred　to　Ivan　Mironov　that　he　knew
a　landownerSventizky；　he　had　worked　on　his
estate；　and　Sventizky；　when　paying　him　off；　had
deducted　one　rouble　and　a　half　for　a　broken　tool。　
He　remembered　well　the　grey　horses　which　he
used　to　drive　at　Sventizky's。

Ivan　Mironov　called　on　Peter　Nikolaevich　pre…
tending　to　ask　for　employment；　but　really　in　or…
der　to　get　the　information　he　wanted。　　He　took
precautions　to　make　sure　that　the　watchman　was
absent；　and　that　the　horses　were　standing　in　their
boxes　in　the　stable。　　He　brought　the　thieves　to
the　place；　and　helped　them　to　carry　off　the　three
horses。

They　divided　their　gains；　and　Ivan　Mironov
returned　to　his　wife　with　five　roubles　in　his　pocket。　
He　had　nothing　to　do　at　home；　having　no　horse
to　work　in　the　field；　and　therefore　continued　to
steal　horses　in　company　with　professional　horse…
thieves　and　gipsies。



XI

PETER　NIKOLAEVICH　SVENTIZKY　did　his　best　to
discover　who　had　stolen　his　horses。　　He　knew
somebody　on　the　estate　must　have　helped　the
thieves；　and　began　to　suspect　all　his　staff。　　He
inquired　who　had　slept　out　that　night；　and　the
gang　of　the　working　men　told　him　Proshka　had
not　been　in　the　whole　night。　　Proshka；　or　Prokofy
Nikolaevich；　was　a　young　fellow　who　had　just　fin…
ished　his　military　service；　handsome；　and　skilful
in　all　he　did；　Peter　Nikolaevich　employed　him　at
times　as　coachman。　　The　district　constable　was　a
friend　of　Peter　Nikolaevich；　as　were　the　provin…
cial　head　of　the　police；　the　marshal　of　the　nobility；
and　also　the　rural　councillor　and　the　examining
magistrate。　　They　all　came　to　his　house　on　his
saint's　day；　drinking　the　cherry　brandy　he　offered
them　with　pleasure；　and　eating　the　nice　preserved
mushrooms　of　all　kinds　to　accompany　the　liqueurs。　
They　all　sympathised　with　him　in　his　trouble　and
tried　to　help　him。

〃You　always　used　to　take　the　side　of　the　peas…
ants；〃　said　the　district　constable；　〃and　there　you
are！　　I　was　right　in　saying　they　are　worse　than
wild　beasts。　　Flogging　is　the　only　way　to　keep
them　in　order。　　Well；　you　say　it　is　all　Proshka's
doings。　　Is　it　not　he　who　was　your　coachman
sometimes？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　he。〃

〃Will　you　kindly　call　him？〃

Proshka　was　summoned　before　the　constable；
who　began　to　examine　him。

〃Where　were　you　that　night？〃

Proshka　pushed　back　his　hair；　and　his　eyes
sparkled。

〃At　home。〃

〃How　so？　All　the　men　say　you　were　not　in。〃

〃Just　as　you　please；　your　honour。〃

〃My　pleasure　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　mat…
ter。　　Tell　me　where　you　were　that　night。〃

〃At　home。〃

〃Very　well。　　Policeman；　bring　him　to　the　po…
lice…station。〃

The　reason　why　Proshka　did　not　say　where　he
had　been　that　night　was　that　he　had　spent　it　with
his　sweetheart；　Parasha；　and　had　promised　not　to
give　her　away。　　He　kept　his　word。　　No　proofs
were　discovered　against　him；　and　he　was　soon　dis…
charged。　　But　Peter　Nikolaevich　was　convinced
that　Prokofy　had　been　at　the　bottom　of　the　whole
affair；　and　began　to　hate　him。　　One　day　Proshka
bought　as　usual　at　the　merchant's　two　measures　of
oats。　　One　and　a　half　he　gave　to　the　horses；　and
half　a　measure　he　gave　back　to　the　merchant；　the
money　for　it　he　spent　in　drink。　　Peter　Nikolae…
vich　found　it　out；　and　charged　Prokofy　with　cheat…
ing。　　The　judge　sentenced　the　man　to　three
months'　imprisonment。

Prokofy　had　a　rather　proud　nature；　and　thought
himself　superior　to　others。　　Prison　was　a　great
humiliation　for　him。　　He　came　out　of　it　very
depressed；　there　was　nothing　more　to　be　proud
of　in　life。　　And　more　than　that；　he　felt　extremely
bitter；　not　only　against　Peter　Nikolaevich；　but
against　the　whole　world。

On　the　whole；　as　all　the　people　around　him　no…
ticed；　Prokofy　became　another　man　after　his　im…
prisonment；　both　careless　and　lazy；　he　took　to
drink；　and　he　was　soon　caught　stealing　clothes　at
some　woman's　house；　and　found　himself　again　in
prison。

All　that　Peter　Nikolaevich　discovered　about　his
grey　horses　was　the　hide　of　one　of　them；　Beauty；
which　had　been　found　somewhere　on　the　estate。　
The　fact　that　the　thieves　had　got　off　scot…free
irritated　Peter　Nikolaevich　still　more。　　He　was
unable　now　to　speak　of　the　peasants　or　to　look　at
them　without　anger。　　And　whenever　he　could　he
tried　to　oppress　them。



XII

AFTER　having　got　rid　of　the　coupon；　Eugene
Mihailovich　forgot　all　about　it；　but　his　wife；　Ma…
ria　Vassilievna；　could　not　forgive　herself　for　hav…
ing　been　taken　in；　nor　yet　her　husband　for　his