creatures that once were men-第18章
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and the others sad and silent。 Only the Deacon suddenly drew
himself up straight and howled wildly:
〃And may the righteous r…e…s…t!〃
〃You idiot!〃 hissed Abyedok。 〃What are you howling for?〃
〃Fool!〃 said Tyapa's hoarse voice。 〃When a man is dying one must
be quiet 。 。 。 so that he may have peace。
Silence reigned once more。 The cloudy sky threatened thunder;
and the earth was covered with the thick darkness of an autumn
night。
〃Let us go on drinking!〃 proposed Kuvalda; filling up the
glasses。
〃I will go and see if he wants anything;〃 said Tyapa。
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〃He wants a coffin!〃 jeered the Captain。
〃Don't speak about that;〃 begged Abyedok in a low voice。
Meteor rose and followed Tyapa。 The Deacon tried to get up;
but fell and swore loudly。
When Tyapa had gone the Captain touched Martyanoff's shoulder
and said in low tones:
〃Well; Martyanoff 。 。 。 You must feel it more then the others。
You were 。 。 。 But let that go to the Devil 。 。 。 Don't you
pity Philip?〃
〃No;〃 said the ex…jailer; quietly; 〃I do not feel things of
this sort; brother 。 。 。 I have learned better this life is
disgusting after all。 I speak seriously when I say that I
should like to kill someone。〃
〃Do you?〃 said the Captain; indistinctly。 〃Well let's have
another drink 。 。 。 It's not a long job ours; a little drink
and then 。 。 。〃
The others began to wake up; and Simtsoff shouted in a blissful
voice: 〃Brothers! One of you pour out a glass for the old man!〃
They poured out a glass and gave it to him。 Having drunk it
he tumbled down again; knocking against another man as he fell。
Two or three minutes' silence ensued; dark as the autumn night。
〃What do you say?〃
〃I say that he was a good man 。 。 。 a quiet and good man;〃
whispered a low voice。
〃Yes; and he had money; too 。 。 。 and he never refused it to
a friend。 。 。 。〃
Again silence ensued。
〃He is dying!〃 said Tyapa; hoarsely; from behind the
91 CREATURES THAT ONCE WERE MEN
Captain's head。 Aristid Fomich got up; and went with firm
steps into the dosshouse。
〃Don't go!〃 Tyapa stopped him。 〃Don't go! You are drunk!
It is not right。〃 The Captain stopped and thought。
〃And what is right on this earth? Go to the Devil!〃 And he
pushed Tyapa aside。
On the walls of the dosshouse the shadows were creeping;
seeming to chase each other。 The teacher lay on the board
at full length and snored。 His eyes were wide open; his naked
breast rose and fell heavily; the corners of his mouth foamed;
and on his face was an expression as if he wished to say
something very important; but found it difficult to do so。
The Captain stood with his hands behind him; and looked at him
in silence。 He then began in a silly way:
〃Philip! Say something to me 。 。 。 a word of comfort to a
friend 。 。 。 come 。 。 。 I love you; brother! All men are
beasts 。 。 。 You were the only man for me 。 。 。 though you
were a drunkard。 Ah! how you did drink vodki; Philip! That
was the ruin of you I You ought to have listened to me; and
controlled yourself 。 。 。 Did I not once say to you。 。 。 。〃
The mysterious; all…destroying reaper; called Death; made up
his mind to finish the terrible work quickly; as if insulted
by the presence of this drunken man at the dark and solemn
struggle。 The teacher sighed deeply; and quivered all over;
stretched himself out; and died。 The Captain stood shaking
to and fro; and continued to talk to him。
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〃Do you want me to bring you vodki? But it is better that you
should not drink; Philip 。 。 。 control yourself or else drink!
Why should you really control yourself? For what reason;
Philip? For what reason?〃
He took him by the foot and drew him closer to himself。
〃Are you dozing; Philip? Well; then; sleep Good…night 。 。 。
To…morrow I shall explain all this to you; and you will
understand that it is not really necessary to deny yourself
anything 。 。 。 But go on sleeping now 。 。 。 if you are not
dead。〃
He went out to his friends; followed by the deep silence; and
informed them:
〃Whether he is sleeping or dead; I do not know I am a little
drunk。〃
Tyapa bent further forward than usual and crossed himself
respectfully。 Martyanoff dropped to the ground and lay there。
Abyedok moved quietly; and said in a low and wicked tone:
〃May you all go to the Devil! Dead? What of that? Why should
I care? Why should I speak about it? It will be time enough
when I come to die myself 。 。 。 I am not worse than other
people。〃
〃That is true;〃 said the Captain; loudly; and fell to the
ground。 〃The time will come when we shall all die like others
。 。 。 Ha! ha! How shall we live? That is nothing 。 。 。
But we shall die like everyone else; and this is the whole end
of life; take my word for it。 A man lives only to die; and he
dies 。 。 。 and if this be so what does it matter how or where
he died or how he lived? Am I right; Martyanoff? Let us
therefore drink 。 。 。 while we still have life!〃
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The rain began to fall。 Thick; close darkness covered the
figures that lay scattered over the ground; half drunk; half
asleep。 The light in the windows of the dosshouse flickered;
paled; and suddenly disappeared。 Probably the wind blew it
out or else the oil was exhausted。 The drops of rain sounded
strangely on the iron roof of the dosshouse。 Above the
mountain where the town lay the ringing of bells was heard;
rung by the watchers in the churches。 The brazen sound
coming from the belfry rang out into the dark and died away;
and before its last indistinct note was drowned another stroke
was heard and the monotonous silence was again broken by the
melancholy clang of bells。
* * * * * * * * * *
The next morning Tyapa was the first to wake up。 Lying on his
back he looked up into the sky。 Only in such a position did
his deformed neck permit him to see the clouds above his head。
This morning the sky was of a uniform gray。 Up there hung the
damp; cold mist 0? dawn; almost extinguishing the sun; hiding
the unknown vastness behind and pouring despondency over the
earth。 Tyapa crossed himself; and leaning on his elbow;
looked round to see whether there was any vodki left。 The
bottle was there; but it was empty。 Crossing over his
companions he looked into the glasses from which they had
drunk; found one of them almost full; emptied it; wiped his
lips with his sleeve; and began to shake the Captain。
The Captain raised his head and looked at him with sad eyes。
94 CREATURES THAT ONCE WERE MEN
〃We must inform the police 。 。 。 Get up!〃
〃Of what?〃 asked the Captain; sleepily and angrily。
〃What; is he not dead?〃
〃Who?〃
〃The learned one。〃 。
〃Philip? Ye…es!〃
〃Did you forget? 。 。 。 Alas!〃 said Tyapa; hoarsely。
The Captain rose to his feet; yawned and stretched himself
till all his bones cracked。
〃Well; then! Go and give information。
〃I will not go 。 。 。 I do not like them;〃 said the Captain
morosely。
〃Well; then; wake up the Deacon 。 。 。 I shall go; at any
rate。〃
〃All right! 。 。 。 Deacon; get up!〃
The Captain entered the dosshouse; and stood at the teacher's
feet。 The dead man lay at full length; his left hand on his
breast; the right hand held as if ready to strike some one。
The Captain thought that if the teacher got up now; he would
be as tall as Paltara Taras。 Then he sat by the side of the
dead man and sighed; as he remembered that they had lived
together for the last three years。 Tyapa entered holding his
head like a goat whic