01-the forged coupon-第8章

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put　questions　to　him。　　Stepan　had　terminated　his
military　service；　and　was　of　a　solitary　turn　of
mind。　　When　he　had　separated　from　his　father；
and　started　his　own　home；　he　had　his　first　experi…
ence　of　losing　a　horse。　　After　that　he　worked　for
two　years　in　the　mines；　and　made　money　enough
to　buy　two　horses。　　These　two　had　been　stolen　by
Ivan　Mironov。

〃Tell　me　where　my　horses　are！〃　shouted
Stepan；　pale　with　fury；　alternately　looking　at　the
ground　and　at　Ivan　Mironov's　face。

Ivan　Mironov　denied　his　guilt。　　Then　Stepan
aimed　so　violent　a　blow　at　his　face　that　he
smashed　his　nose　and　the　blood　spurted　out。

〃Tell　the　truth；　I　say；　or　I'll　kill　you！〃

Ivan　Mironov　kept　silent；　trying　to　avoid　the
blows　by　stooping。　　Stepan　hit　him　twice　more
with　his　long　arm。　　Ivan　Mironov　remained
silent；　turning　his　head　backwards　and　forwards。

〃Beat　him；　all　of　you！〃　cried　the　bailiff；　and
the　whole　crowd　rushed　upon　Ivan　Mironov。　　He
fell　without　a　word　to　the　ground；　and　then
shouted；

〃Devils；　wild　beasts；　kill　me　if　that's　what　you
want！　I　am　not　afraid　of　you！〃

Stepan　seized　a　stone　out　of　those　that　had　been
collected　for　the　purpose；　and　with　a　heavy　blow
smashed　Ivan　Mironov's　head。



XV

IVAN　MIRONOV'S　murderers　were　brought　to
trial；　Stepan　Pelageushkine　among　them。　　He　had
a　heavier　charge　to　answer　than　the　others；　all
the　witnesses　having　stated　that　it　was　he　who
had　smashed　Ivan　Mironov's　head　with　a　stone。　
Stepan　concealed　nothing　when　in　court。　　He　con…
tented　himself　with　explaining　that；　having　been
robbed　of　his　two　last　horses；　he　had　informed　the
police。　　Now　it　was　comparatively　easy　at　that
time　to　trace　the　horses　with　the　help　of　profes…
sional　thieves　among　the　gipsies。　　But　the　police
officer　would　not　even　permit　him；　and　no　search
had　been　ordered。

〃Nothing　else　could　be　done　with　such　a　man。　
He　has　ruined　us　all。〃

〃But　why　did　not　the　others　attack　him。　　It
was　you　alone　who　broke　his　head　open。〃

〃That　is　false。　　We　all　fell　upon　him。　　The
village　agreed　to　kill　him。　　I　only　gave　the　final
stroke。　　What　is　the　use　of　inflicting　unnecessary
sufferings　on　a　man？〃

The　judges　were　astonished　at　Stepan's　wonder…
ful　coolness　in　narrating　the　story　of　his　crime
how　the　peasants　fell　upon　Ivan　Mironov；　and
how　he　had　given　the　final　stroke。　　Stepan　act…
ually　did　not　see　anything　particularly　revolting　in
this　murder。　　During　his　military　service　he　had
been　ordered　on　one　occasion　to　shoot　a　soldier；
and；　now　with　regard　to　Ivan　Mironov；　he　saw
nothing　loathsome　in　it。　　〃A　man　shot　is　a　dead
manthat's　all。　　It　was　him　to…day；　it　might　be
me　to…morrow；〃　he　thought。　　Stepan　was　only
sentenced　to　one　year's　imprisonment；　which　was
a　mild　punishment　for　what　he　had　done。　　His
peasant's　dress　was　taken　away　from　him　and　put
in　the　prison　stores；　and　he　had　a　prison　suit　and
felt　boots　given　to　him　instead。　　Stepan　had　never
had　much　respect　for　the　authorities；　but　now　he
became　quite　convinced　that　all　the　chiefs；　all　the
fine　folk；　all　except　the　Czarwho　alone　had　pity
on　the　peasants　and　was　justall　were　robbers
who　suck　blood　out　of　the　people。　　All　he　heard
from　the　deported　convicts；　and　those　sentenced　to
hard　labour；　with　whom　he　had　made　friends　in
prisons；　confirmed　him　in　his　views。　　One　man
had　been　sentenced　to　hard　labour　for　having　con…
victed　his　superiors　of　a　theft；　another　for　having
struck　an　official　who　had　unjustly　confiscated　the
property　of　a　peasant；　a　third　because　he　forged
bank　notes。　　The　well…to…do…people；　the　mer…
chants；　might　do　whatever　they　chose　and　come
to　no　harm；　but　a　poor　peasant；　for　a　trumpery
reason　or　for　none　at　all；　was　sent　to　prison　to
become　food　for　vermin。

He　had　visits　from　his　wife　while　in　prison。　
Her　life　without　him　was　miserable　enough；　when；
to　make　it　worse；　her　cottage　was　destroyed　by
fire。　　She　was　completely　ruined；　and　had　to　take
to　begging　with　her　children。　　His　wife's　misery
embittered　Stepan　still　more。　　He　got　on　very
badly　with　all　the　people　in　the　prison；　was　rude
to　every　one；　and　one　day　he　nearly　killed　the　cook
with　an　axe；　and　therefore　got　an　additional　year
in　prison。　　In　the　course　of　that　year　he　received
the　news　that　his　wife　was　dead；　and　that　he　had
no　longer　a　home。


When　Stepan　had　finished　his　time　in　prison；
he　was　taken　to　the　prison　stores；　and　his　own
dress　was　taken　down　from　the　shelf　and　handed
to　him。

〃Where　am　I　to　go　now？〃　he　asked　the　prison
officer；　putting　on　his　old　dress。

〃Why；　home。〃

〃I　have　no　home。　　I　shall　have　to　go　on　the
road。　　Robbery　will　not　be　a　pleasant　occupa…
tion。〃

〃In　that　case　you　will　soon　be　back　here。〃

〃I　am　not　so　sure　of　that。〃

And　Stepan　left　the　prison。　　Nevertheless　he
took　the　road　to　his　own　place。　　He　had　nowhere
else　to　turn。

On　his　way　he　stopped　for　a　night's　rest　in　an
inn　that　had　a　public　bar　attached　to　it。　　The　inn
was　kept　by　a　fat　man　from　the　town；　Vladimir；
and　he　knew　Stepan。　　He　knew　that　Stepan　had
been　put　into　prison　through　ill　luck；　and　did　not
mind　giving　him　shelter　for　the　night。　　He　was
a　rich　man；　and　had　persuaded　his　neighbour's
wife　to　leave　her　husband　and　come　to　live　with
him。　　She　lived　in　his　house　as　his　wife；　and
helped　him　in　his　business　as　well。

Stepan　knew　all　about　the　innkeeper's　affairs
how　he　had　wronged　the　peasant；　and　how　the
woman　who　was　living　with　him　had　left　her　hus…
band。　　He　saw　her　now　sitting　at　the　table　in　a
rich　dress；　and　looking　very　hot　as　she　drank　her
tea。　　With　great　condescension　she　asked　Stepan
to　have　tea　with　her。　　No　other　travellers　were
stopping　in　the　inn　that　night。　　Stepan　was　given
a　place　in　the　kitchen　where　he　might　sleep。　　Ma…
trenathat　was　the　woman's　namecleared　the
table　and　went　to　her　room。　　Stepan　went　to　lie
down　on　the　large　stove　in　the　kitchen；　but　he
could　not　sleep；　and　the　wood　splinters　put　on　the
stove　to　dry　were　crackling　under　him；　as　he　tossed
from　side　to　side。　　He　could　not　help　thinking　of
his　host's　fat　paunch　protruding　under　the　belt
of　his　shirt；　which　had　lost　its　colour　from　having
been　washed　ever　so　many　times。　　Would　not　it
be　a　good　thing　to　make　a　good　clean　incision　in
that　paunch。　　And　that　woman；　too；　he　thought。

One　moment　he　would　say　to　himself；　〃I　had
better　go　from　here　to…morrow；　bother　them　all！〃
But　then　again　Ivan　Mironov　came　back　to　his
mind；　and　he　went　on　thinking　of　the　innkeeper's
paunch　and　Matrena's　white　throat　bathed　in　per…
spiration。　　〃Kill　I　must；　and　it　must　be　both！〃

He　heard　the　cock　crow　for　the　second　time。

〃I　must　do　it　at　once；　or　dawn　will　be　here　〃　　He
had　seen　in　the　evening　before　he　went　to　bed　a
knife　and　an　axe。　　He　crawled　down　from　the
stove；　took　the　knife　and　axe；　and　went　out　of
the　kitchen　door。　　At　that　very　moment　he　heard
the　lock　of　the　entrance　door　open。　　The　inn…
keeper　was　going　out　of　the　house　to　the　court…
yard。　　It　all　turned　out　contrary　to　what　Stepan
desired。　　He　had　no　opportunity　of　using　the
knife；　he　just　swung　the　axe　and　split　the　innkeep…
er's　head　in　two。　　The　man　tumbled　down　on　the
threshold　of　the　door；　then　on　the　ground。

Stepan　stepped　into　the　bedroom。　　Matrena
jumped　out　of　bed；　and　remained　standing　by　its
side。　　With　the　same　axe　Stepan　killed　her　also。

Then　he　lighted　the　candle；　took　the　money　out
of　the　desk；　and　left　the　house。



XVI

IN　a　small　district　town；　some　distance　away　from
the　other　buildings；　an　old　man；　a　former　official；
who　had　taken　to　drink；　lived　in　his　own　house
with　his　two　daughters　and　his　son…in…law。　　The
married　daughter　was　also　addicted　to　drink　and
led　a　bad　life；　and　it　was　the　elder　daughter；　the
widow　Maria　Semenovna；　a　wrinkled　woman　of
fifty；　who　supported　the　whole　family。　　She　had
a　pension　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　roubles　a　year；
and　the　family　lived　on　this。　　Maria　Semenovna
did　all　the　work　in　the　house；　looked　after　the
drunken　old　father；　who　was　very　weak；　attended
to　her　sister's　child；　and　managed　all　the　cooking
and　the　washing　of　the　family。　　And；　as　is　al…
ways　the　case；　whatever　there　was　to　do；　she　was
expected　to　do　it；　and　w