creatures that once were men-第14章

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In　the　corners　of　the　yard　the　tall　steppe　grass　grew　

luxuriantly　。　。　。　Nothing　else　grew　there　but　some　dingy　

vegetables；　not　attractive　even　to　those　who　nearly　always　

felt　the　pangs　of　hunger。



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The　following　was　the　scene　that　took　place　in　Vaviloff's　

eating…house。



Young　Petunikoff　entered　slowly；　took　off　his　hat；　looked　around　

him；　and　said　to　the　eating…house　keeper：



〃Egor　Terentievitch　Vaviloff？　Are　you　he？〃



〃I　am；〃　answered　the　sergeant；　leaning　on　the　bar　with　both　arms　

as　if　intending　to　jump　over　it。



〃I　have　some　business　with　you；〃　said　Petunikoff。



〃Delighted。　　Please　come　this　way　to　my　private　room。〃



They　went　in　and　sat　down；　the　guest　on　the　couch　and　his　host　

on　the　chair　opposite　to　him。　　In　one　corner　a　lamp　was　burning　

before　a　gigantic　icon；　and　on　the　wall　at　the　other　side　there　

were　several　oil　lamps。　　They　were　well　kept　and　shone　as　if　

they　were　new。　　The　room；　which　contained　a　number　of　boxes　and　

a　variety　of　furniture；　smelt　of　tobacco；　sour　cabbage；　and　olive

oil。　　Petunikoff　looked　around　him　and　made　a　face。　　Vaviloff　

looked　at　the　icon；　and　then　they　looked　simultaneously　at　one　

another；　and　both　seemed　to　be　favorably　impressed。　　Petunikoff　

liked　Vaviloff's　frankly　thievish　eyes；　and　Vaviloff　was　pleased　

with　the　open　cold；　determined　face　of　Petunikoff；　with　its　

large　cheeks　and　white　teeth。





70　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Of　course　you　already　know　me；　and　I　presume　you　guess　what　I　

am　going　to　say　to　you；〃　began　Petunikoff。



〃About　the　lawsuit？　。　。　。　I　presume？〃　remarked　the　ex…sergeant　

respectfully。



〃Exactly！　　I　am　glad　to　see　that　you　are　not　beating　about　the　

bush；　but　going　straight　to　the　point　like　a　business　man；〃　

said　Petunikoff　encouragingly。



〃I　am　a　soldier；〃　answered　Vaviloff；　with　a　modest　air。



〃That　is　easily　seen；　and　I　am　sure　we　shall　be　able　to　finish　

this　job　without　much　trouble。〃



〃Just　so。〃



〃Good！　　You　have　the　law　on　your　side；　and　will；　of　course；　win　

your　case。　　I　want　to　tell　you　this　at　the　very　beginning。〃



〃I　thank　you　most　humbly；〃　said　the　sergeant；　rubbing　his　eyes　

in　order　to　hide　the　smile　in　them。



〃But　tell　me；　why　did　you　make　the　acquaintance　of　your　future　

neighbors　like　this　through　the　law　courts？〃



Vaviloff　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　did　not　answer。



〃It　would　have　been　better　to　come　straight　to　us　and　settle　

the　matter　peacefully；　eh？　　What　do　you　think？〃



〃That　would　have　been　better；　of　course；　but　you　see　there　is　

a　difficulty　。　。　。　I　did　not　follow　my　own　wishes；　but　those　

of　others　。　。　。　I　learned　afterward　that　it　would　have　been　

better　if　。　。　。　but　it　was　too　late。〃





71　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Oh！　I　suppose　some　lawyer　taught　you　this？〃



〃Someone　of　that　sort。〃



〃Aha！　Do　you　wish　to　settle　the　affair　peacefully；〃



〃With　all　my　heart！〃　cried　the　soldier。



Petunikoff　was　silent　for　a　moment；　then　looked　at　him；　and　

suddenly　asked；　coldly　and　dryly；　〃And　why　do　you　wish　to　do　

so？〃



Vaviloff　did　not　expect　such　a　question；　and　therefore　had　no　

reply　ready。　　In　his　opinion　the　question　was　quite　unworthy　

of　any　attention；　and　so　he　laughed　at　young　Petunikoff。



〃That　is　easy　to　understand。　　Men　like　to　live　peacefully　with　

one　another。〃



〃But；〃　interrupted　Petunikoff；　〃that　is　not　exactly　the　reason　

why。　　As　far　as　I　can　see；　you　do　not　distinctly　understand　

why　you　wish　to　be　reconciled　to　us　。　。　。　I　will　tell　you。〃



The　soldier　was　a　little　surprised。　　This　youngster；　dressed　

in　a　check　suit；　in　which　he　looked　ridiculous；　spoke　as　if　

he　were　Colonel　Rakshin；　who　used　to　knock　three　of　the　

unfortunate　soldier's　teeth　out　every　time　he　was　angry。



〃You　want　to　be　friends　with　us　because　we　should　be　such　

useful　neighbors　to　you　。　。　。　because　there　will　be　not　less　

than　a　hundred　and　fifty　workmen　in　our　factory；　and　in　

course　of　time　even　more。　　If　a　hundred　men　come　and　drink　

one　glass　at　your　place；　after　receiving　their　weekly　wages；　

that　means　that　you　will　sell　every　month　four　hundred　glasses　

more　than　you　sell　at　present。　　This　is；　of　course；　the　lowest　

estimate　and　then　you　have　the　eating…house　besides。　You　are　

not　a　fool；　and　you　can　understand　for　yourself　what　

profitable　neighbors　we　shall　be。〃





72　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃That　is　true；〃　Vaviloff　nodded　〃I　knew　that　before。〃



〃Well；　what　then？〃　asked　the　merchant　loudly。



〃Nothing　。　。　。　let　us　be　friends！〃



〃It　is　nice　to　see　that　you　have　decided　so　quickly。　Look　here；　

I　have　already　prepared　a　notification　to　the　court　of　the　

withdrawal　of　the　summons　against　my　father。　　Here　it　is；　read　

it；　and　sign　it。〃



Vaviloff　looked　at　his　companion　with　his　round　eyes　and　

shivered；　as　if　experiencing　an　unpleasant　sensation。



〃Pardon　me　。　。　。　sign　it？　　And　why？〃



〃There　is　no　difficulty　about　it　。　。　。　write　your　Christian　

name　and　surname　and　nothing　more；〃　explained　Petunikoff；　

pointing　obligingly　with　his　finger　to　the　place　for　the　

signature。



〃Oh！　It　is　not　that　。　。　。　I　was　alluding　to　the　compensation　

I　was　to　get　for　my　ground。〃



〃But　then　this　ground　is　of　no　use　to　you；〃　said　Petunikoff　

calmly。



〃But　it　is　mine！〃　exclaimed　the　soldier。



〃Of　course；　and　how　much　do　you　want　for　it？〃



〃Well；　say　the　amount　stated　in　the　document；〃　said　Vaviloff　

boldly。



〃Six　hundred！〃　and　Petunikoff　smiled　softly。　　〃You　are　a　funny　

fellow！〃



〃The　law　is　on　my　side　。　。　。　I　can　even　demand　two　thousand。　

I　can　insist　on　your　pulling　down　the　building　。　。　。　and　

enforce　it　too。　　That　is　why　my　claim　is　so　small。　　I　demand　

that　you　should　pull　it　down！〃



〃Very　well。　　Probably　we　shall　do　so　。　。　。　after　three　years；　

and　after　having　dragged　you　into　enormous　law　expenses。　





73　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





And　then；　having　paid　up；　we　shall　open　our　public…house；　and　

you　will　he　ruined　。　。　。　annihilated　like　the　Swedes　at　

Poltava。　　We　shall　see　that　you　are　ruined　。　。　。　we　will　take　

good　care　of　that。　　We　could　have　begun　to　arrange　about　a　

public…house　now；　but　you　see　our　time　is　valuable；　and　

besides　we　are　sorry　for　you。　　Why　should　we　take　the　bread　

out　of　your　mouth　without　any　reason？〃



Egor　Terentievitch　looked　at　his　guest；　clenching　his　teeth；　

and　felt　that　he　was　master　of　the　situation；　and　held　his　

fate　in　his　hands。　　Vaviloff　was　full　of　pity　for　himself　at　

having　to　deal　with　this　calm；　cruel　figure　in　the　checked　suit。



〃And　being　such　a　near　neighbor　you　might　have　gained　a　good　

deal　by　helping　us；　and　we　should　have　remembered　it　too。　

Even　now；　for　instance；　I　should　advise　you　to　open　a　small　

shop　for　tobacco；　you　know；　bread；　cucumbers；　and　so　on　。　。　。　

All　these　are　sure　to　be　in　great　demand。〃



Vaviloff　listened；　and　being　a　clever　man；　knew　that　to　throw　

himself　upon　the　enemy's　generosity　was　the　better　plan。　　It　

was　as　well　to　begin　from　the　beginning；　and；　not　knowing　what　

else　to　do　to　relieve　his　mind；　the　soldier　began　to　swear　at　

Kuvalda。



〃Curses　be　upon　your　head；　you　drunken　rascal！　　May　the　Devil　

take　you！〃



〃Do　you　mean　the　lawyer　who　composed　your　petition？〃　asked　

Petunikoff　calmly；　and　added；　with　a　sigh；　〃I　have　no　doubt　

he　would　have　landed　you　in　rather　an　awkward　fix　。　。　。　had　

we　not　taken　pity　upon　you。〃





74　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Ah！〃　And　the　angry　soldier　raised　his　hand。



〃There　are　two　of　them　。　。　。　One　of　them　discovered　it；　the　

other　wrote　the　petition；　the　accursed　reporter！〃



〃Why　the　reporter？〃



〃He　writes　for　the　papers　。　。　。　He　is　one　of　your　lodgers　。　。　。　

there　they　all　are　outside　。　。　。　Clear　them　away；　for　Christ's　

s