creatures that once were men-第13章

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a　wood…louse！　　You　nose　out　every　evil　thing。　　Yes；　the　face　

of　that　young　swindler　shows　that　be　has　got　what　he　wanted。　。　。　

I　wonder　how　much　Egorka　has　got　out　of　them。　　He　has　evidently　

taken　something　。　。　。　He　is　just　the　same　sort　of　rogue　that

they　are　。　。　。　they　are　all　tarred　with　the　same　brush。　He　has　

got　some　money；　and　I'm　damned　if　I　did　not　arrange　the　whole　

thing　for　him！　It　is　best　to　own　my　folly　。　。　。　Yes；　life　is　

against　us　all；　brothers　。　。　。　and　even　when　you　spit　upon　

those　nearest　to　you；　the　spittle　rebounds　and　hits　your　own　

face。〃



Having　satisfied　himself　with　this　reflection；　the　worthy　Captain　

looked　round　upon　his　staff。　　Every　one　of　them　was　disappointed；　

because　they　all　knew　that　something　they　did　not　expect　had　

taken　place　between　Petunikoff　and　Vaviloff；　and　they　all　felt　

that　they　had　been　insulted。　　The　feeling　that　one　is　unable　to　

injure　anyone　is　worse　than　the　feeling　that　one　is　unable　to　do　

good；　because　to　do　harm　is　far　easier　and　simpler。



〃Well；　why　are　we　loitering　here？　　We　have　nothing　more　to　wait　

for　。　。　。　except　the　reward　that　I　shall　get　outout　of　Egorka；　

。　。　。〃　said　the　Captain；　looking　angrily　at　the　eating…house。　

〃So　our　peaceful　life　under　the　roof　of　Judas　has　come　to　an　end。　





65　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Judas　will　now　turn　us　out　。　。　。　So　do　not　say　that　I　have　not　

warned　you。〃



Kanets　smiled　sadly。



〃What　are　you　laughing　at；　jailer？〃　Kuvalda　asked。



〃Where　shall　I　go　then？〃



〃That；　my　soul；　is　a　question　that　fate　will　settle　for　you；　so　

do　not　worry；〃　said　the　Captain　thoughtfully；　entering　the　

dosshouse。　　〃The　creatures　that　once　were　men〃　followed　him。



〃We　can　do　nothing　but　await　the　critical　moment；〃　said　the　

Captain；　walking　about　among　them。　　〃When　they　turn　us　out　we　

shall　seek　a　new　place　for　ourselves；　but　at　present　there　is　

no　use　spoiling　our　life　by　thinking　of　it　。　。　。　In　times　of　

crisis　one　becomes　energetic　。　。　。　and　if　life　were　fuller　of　

them　and　every　moment　of　it　so　arranged　that　we　were　compelled　

to　tremble　for　our　lives　all　the　time　。　。　。　By　God！　life　would　be

livelier　and　even　fuller　of　interest　and　energy　than　it　is！〃



〃That　means　that　people　would　all　go　about　cutting　one　another's　

throats；〃　explained　Abyedok　smilingly。



〃Well；　what　about　it？〃　asked　the　Captain　angrily。　　He　did　not　

like　to　hear　his　thoughts　illustrated。



〃Oh！　Nothing！　When　a　person　wants　to　get　anywhere　quickly　he　

whips　up　the　horses；　but　of　course　it　needs　fire　to　make　engines　

go。　。　。　。〃



〃Well；　let　everything　go　to　the　Devil　as　quickly　as　possible。　

I'm　sure　I　should　be　pleased　if　the　earth　suddenly　opened　up　or　

was　burned　or　destroyed　somehow　。　。　。　only　I　were　left　to　the　

last　in　order　to　see　the　others　consumed。　。　。　。〃





66　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Ferocious　creature！〃　smiled　Abyedok。



〃Well；　what　of　that？　　I　。　。　。　I　was　once　a　man　。　。　。　now　I　am　

an　outcast　。　。　。　that　means　I　have　no　obligations。　　It　means　

that　I　am　free　to　spit　on　everyone。　　The　nature　of　my　present　

life　means　the　rejection　of　my　past　。　。　。　giving　up　all　relations　

toward　men　who　are　well　fed　and　well　dressed；　and　who　look　upon　

me　with　contempt　because　I　am　inferior　to　them　in　the　matter　of　

feeding　or　dressing。　　I　must　develop　something　new　within　myself；　

do　you　understand？　　Something　that　will　make　Judas　Petunikoff　and　

his　kind　tremble　and　perspire　before　me！〃



〃Ah！　　You　have　a　courageous　tongue！〃　jeered　Abyedok。



〃Yes　。　。　。　You　miser！〃　　And　Kuvalda　looked　at　him　contemptuously。　

〃What　do　you　understand？　　What　do　you　know？　　Are　you　able　to　

think？　　But　I　have　thought　and　I　have　read　。　。　。　books　of　which　

you　could　not　have　understood　one　word。〃



〃Of　course！　　One　cannot　eat　soup　out　of　one's　hand　。　。　。　But　

though　you　have　read　and　thought；　and　I　have　not　done　that　or　

anything　else；　we　both　seem　to　have　got　into　pretty　much　the　

same　condition；　don't　we？〃



〃Go　to　the　Devil！〃　shouted　Kuvalda。　　His　conversations　with　

Abyedok　always　ended　thus。　　When　the　teacher　was　absent　his　

speeches；　as　a　rule；　fell　on　the　empty　air；　and　received　no　

attention；　and　he　knew　this；　but　still　he　could　not　help　

speaking。　　And　now；　having　quarrelled　with　his　companion；　he　

felt　rather　deserted；　but；　still　longing　for　conversation；　he　

turned　to　Simtsoff　with　the　following　question：　





67　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃And　you；　Aleksei　Maksimovitch；　where　will　you　lay　your　gray　

head？〃



The　old　man　smiled　good…humoredly；　rubbed　his　hands；　and　

replied；　〃I　do　not　know　。　。　。　I　will　see。　　One　does　not　require　

much；　just　a　little　drink。〃



〃Plain　but　honorable　fare！〃　the　Captain　said。　　Simtsoff　was　

silent；　only　adding　that　he　would　find　a　place　sooner　than　any　

of　them；　because　women　loved　him。　　This　was　true。　　The　old　man　

had；　as　a　rule；　two　or　three　prostitutes；　who　kept　him　on　their　

very　scant　earnings。　　They　very　often　beat　him；　but　he　took　this

stoically。　　They　somehow　never　beat　him　too　much；　probably　

because　they　pitied　him。　　He　was　a　great　lover　of　women；　and　

said　they　were　the　cause　of　all　his　misfortunes。　　The　character　

of　his　relations　toward　them　was　confirmed　by　the　appearance　of　

his　clothes；　which；　as　a　rule；　were　tidy；　and　cleaner　than　those　

of　his　companions。　　And　now；　sitting　at　the　door　of　the　dosshouse；

he　boastingly　related　that　for　a　long　time　past　Redka　had　been　

asking　him　to　go　and　live　with　her；　but　he　had　not　gone　because　

he　did　not　want　to　part　with　the　company。　　They　heard　this　with　

jealous　interest。　　They　all　knew　Redka。　　She　lived　very　near　the　

town；　almost　below　the　mountain。　　Not　long　ago；　she　had　been　in

prison　for　theft。　　She　was　a　retired　nurse；　a　tall；　stout　peasant　

woman　with　a　face　marked　by　smallpox；　but　with　very　pretty；　

though　always　drunken；　eyes。



〃Just　look　at　the　old　devil！〃　swore　Abyedok；　looking　at　Simtsoff；　

who　was　smiling　in　a　self…satisfied　way。



〃And　do　you　know　why　they　love　me？　　Because　I　know　how　to　cheer　

up　their　souls。〃





68　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Do　you？〃　inquired　Kuvalda。



〃And　I　can　make　them　pity　me　。　。　。　And　a　woman；　when　she　pities！　　

Go　and　weep　to　her；　and　ask　her　to　kill　you　。　。　。　she　will　pity　

youand　she　will　kill　you。〃



〃I　feel　inclined　to　commit　a　murder；〃　declared　Martyanoff；　

laughing　his　dull　laugh。



〃Upon　whom？〃　asked　Abyedok；　edging　away　from　him。



〃It's　all　the　same　to　me　。　。　。　Petunikoff　。　。　。　Egorka　or　even　

you！〃



〃And　why？〃　inquired　Kuvalda。



〃I　want　to　go　to　Siberia　。　。　。　I　have　had　enough　of　this　vile　

life　。　。　。　one　learns　how　to　live　there！〃



〃Yes；　they　have　a　particularly　good　way　of　teaching　in　Siberia；〃　

agreed　the　Captain　sadly。



They　spoke　no　more　of　Petunikoff；　or　of　the　turning　out　of　the　

inhabitants　of　the　dosshouse。　　They　all　knew　that　they　would　

have　to　leave　soon；　therefore　they　did　not　think　the　matter　

worth　discussion。　　It　would　do　no　good；　and　besides　the　weather　

was　not　very　cold　though　the　rains　had　begun　。　。　。　and　it　would　

be　possible　to　sleep　on　the　ground　anywhere　outside　the　town。　

They　sat　in　a　circle　on　the　grass　and　conversed　about　all　sorts

of　things；　discussing　one　subject　after　another；　and　listening　

attentively　even　to　the　poor　speakers　in　order　to　make　the　time　

pass；　keeping　quiet　was　as　dull　as　listening。　　This　society　of　

〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　had　one　fine　characteristicno

one　of　them　endeavored　to　make　out　that　he　was　better　than　the　

others；　nor　compelled　the　others　to　acknowledge　his　superiority。





69　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





The　August　sun　seemed　to　set　their　tatters　on　fire　as　they　sat　

with　their　backs　and　uncovered　heads　exposed　to　it　。　。　。　a　

chaotic　mixture　of　the　vegetable；　mineral；　and　animal　kingdoms。　

In　the　corners　of　the　yard　the　tall　steppe　grass　grew