creatures that once were men-第21章

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bake…shop；　as　if　silently　mocking　us。　　The　giant　oven　was　like　

the　misshapen　head　of　a　monster　in　a　fairy　tale；　it　thrust　

itself　up　out　of　the　floor；　opened　wide　jaws；　full　of　glowing　

fire；　and　blew　hot　breath　upon　us；　it　seemed　to　be　ever　watching　

out　of　its　black　air…holes　our　interminable　work。　　Those　two　

deep　holes　were　like　eye~the　cold；　pitiless　eyes　of　a　monster。　　

They　watched　us　always　with　the　same　darkened　glance；　as　if　they　

were　weary　of　seeing　before　them　such　eternal　slaves；　from　whom

they　could　expect　nothing　human；　and　therefore　scorned　them　with　

the　cold　scorn　of　wisdom。



In　meal　dust；　in　the　mud　which　we　brought　in　from　the　yard　on　

our　boots；　in　the　hot；　sticky　atmosphere；　day　in；　day　out；　we　

rolled　the　dough　into　kringels；　which　we　moistened　with　our　own　

sweat。　　And　we　hated　our　work　with　a　glowing　hatred；　we　never　

ate　what　had　passed　through　our　hands；　and　preferred　black　bread　

to　kringels。　　





106　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





Sitting　opposite　each　other；　at　a　long　tablenine　facing　nine

we　moved　our　hands　and　fingers　mechanically　during　endlessly　

long　hours；　till　we　were　so　accustomed　to　our　monotonous　work　

that　we　ceased　to　pay　any　attention　to　it。



We　had　all　studied　each　other　so　constantly；　that　each　of　us　

knew　every　wrinkle　of　his　mates'　faces。　　It　was　not　long　also　

before　we　had　exhausted　almost　every　topic　of　conversation；　

that　is　why　we　were　most　of　the　time　silent；　unless　we　were　

chaffing　each　other；　but　one　cannot　always　find　something　

about　which　to　chaff　another　man；　especially　when　that　man　is　

one's　mate。　　Neither　were　we　much　given　to　finding　fault　with　

one　another；　how；　indeed；　could　one　of　us　poor　devils　be　in　a　

position　to　find　fault　with　another；　when　we　were　all　of　us　

half　dead　and；　as　it　were；　turned　to　stone？　　For　the　heavy　

drudgery　seemed　to　crush　all　feeling　out　of　us。　But　silence　

is　only　terrible　and　fearful　for　those　who　have　said　everything　

and　have　nothing　more　to　say　to　each　other；　for　men；　on　the　

contrary；　who　have　never　begun　to　communicate　with　one　another；　

it　is　easy　and　simple。



Sometimes；　too；　we　sang；　and　this　is　how　it　happened　that　we　

began　to　sing：　one　of　us　would　sigh　deeply　in　the　midst　of　our　

toil；　like　an　overdriven　horse；　and　then　we　would　begin　one　of　

those　songs　whose　gentle　swaying　melody　seems　always　to　ease　

the　burden　on　the　singer's　heart。



At　first　one　sang　by　himself；　and　we　others　sat　in　silence　

listening　to　his　solitary　song；　which；　under　the　heavy　vaulted　

roof　of　the　cellar；　died　gradually　away；　and　became　extinguished；　

like　a　little　fire　in　the　steppes；　on　a　wet　autumn　night；　when　

the　gray　heaven　hangs　like　a　heavy　mass　over　the　earth。　





107　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





Then　another　would　join　in　with　the　singer；　and　now　two　soft；　

sad　voices　would　break　into　song　in　our　narrow；　dull　hole　of　a

cellar。　　Suddenly　others　would　join　in；　and　the　song　would　roll　

forward　like　a　wave；　would　grow　louder　and　swell　upward；　till　it　

would　seem　as　if　the　damp；　foul　walls　of　our　stone　prison　were　

widening　out　and　opening。　　Then；　all　six…and…twenty　of　us　would　

be　singing；　our　loud；　harmonious　song　would　fill　the　whole　

cellar；　our　voices　would　travel　outside　and　beyond；　striking；　as　

it　were；　against　the　walls　in　moaning　sobs　and　sighs；　moving　our　

hearts　with　soft；　tantalizing　ache；　tearing　open　old　wounds；　and

awakening　longings。



The　singers　would　sigh　deeply　and　heavily；　suddenly　one　would　

become　silent　and　listen　to　the　others　singing；　then　let　his　

voice　flow　once　more　in　the　common　tide。　Another　would　exclaim　

in　a　stifled　voice；　〃Ah！〃　and　would　shut　his　eyes；　while　the　

deep；　full　sound　waves　would　show　him；　as　it　were；　a　road；　in　

front　of　hima　sunlit；　broad　road　in　the　distance；　which　he　

himself；　in　thought　wandered　along。



But　the　flame　flickers　once　more　in　the　huge　oven；　the　baker　

scrapes　incessantly　with　his　shovel；　the　water　simmers　in　the　

kettle；　and　the　flicker　of　the　fire　on　the　wall　dances　as　before　

in　silent　mockery。　　While　in　other　men's　words　we　sing　out　our　

dumb　grief；　the　weary　burden　of　live　men　robbed　of　the　sunlight；　

the　burden　of　slaves。





108　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





So　we　lived；　we　six…and…twenty；　in　the　vault…like　cellar　of　a　

great　stone　house；　and　we　suffered　each　one　of　us；　as　if　we　

had　to　bear　on　our　shoulders　the　whole　three　storys　of　that　

house。



But　we　had　something　else　good；　besides　the　singingsomething　

we　loved；　that　perhaps　took　the　place　of　the　sunshine。



In　the　second　story　of　our　house　there　was　established　a　

gold…embroiderer's　shop；　and　there；　living　among　the　other　

embroidery　girls；　was　Tanya；　a　little　maid…servant　of　sixteen。　

Every　morning　there　peeped　in　through　the　glass　door　a　rosy　

little　face；　with　merry　blue　eyes；　while　a　ringing；　tender　

voice　called　out　to　us：



〃Little　prisoners！　　Have　you　any　knugels；　please；　for　me？〃



At　that　clear　sound；　we　knew　so　well；　we　all　used　to　turn　

round；　gazing　with　simple…hearted　joy　at　the　pure　girlish　face　

which　smiled　at　us　so　sweetly。　　The　sight　of　the　small　nose　

pressed　against　the　window…pane；　and　of　the　white　teeth　

gleaming　between　the　half…open　lips；　had　become　for　us　a　daily　

pleasure。　　Tumbling　over　each　other　we　used　to　jump　up　to　open　

the　door；　and　she　would　step　in；　bright　and　cheerful；　holding　

out　her　apron；　with　her　head　thrown　on　one　side；　and　a　smile

on　her　lips。　　Her　thick；　long　chestnut　hair　fell　over　her　

shoulder　and　across　her　breast。　But　we；　ugly；　dirty　and　

misshapen　as　we　were；　looked　up　at　herthe　threshold　door　was　

four　steps　above　the　floorlooked　up　at　her　with　heads　thrown　

back；　wishing　her　good…morning；　and　speaking　strange；　

unaccustomed　words；　which　we　kept　for　her　only。　





109　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





Our　voices　became　softer　when　we　spoke　to　her；　our　jests　were　

lighter。　　For　hereverything　was　different　with　us。　　The　baker　

took　from　his　oven　a　shovel　of　the　best　and　the　brownest　

kringels；　and　threw　them　deftly　into　Tanya's　apron。



〃Be　off　with　you　now；　or　the　boss　will　catch　you！〃　we　warned　

her　each　time。　　She　laughed　roguishly；　called　out　cheerfully：　　

〃Good…bye；　poor　prisoners！〃　and　slipped　away　as　quick　as　a　

mouse。



That　was　all。　　But　long　after　she　had　gone　we　talked　about　her　

to　one　another　with　pleasure。　　It　was　always　the　same　thing　as　

we　had　said　yesterday　and　the　day　before；　because　everything　

about　us；　including　ourselves　and　her；　remained　the　sameas　

yesterdayand　as　always。



Painful　and　terrible　it　is　when　a　man　goes　on　living；　while　

nothing　changes　around　him；　and　when　such　an　existence　does　

not　finally　kill　his　soul；　then　the　monotony　becomes　with　

time；　even　more　and　more　painful。　　Generally　we　spoke　about　

women　in　such　a　way；　that　sometimes　it　was　loathsome　to　us　

ourselves　to　hear　our　rude；　shameless　talk。　　The　women　whom　

we　knew　deserved　perhaps　nothing　better。　　But　about　Tanya　we

never　let　fall　an　evil　word；　none　of　us　ever　ventured　so　much　

as　to　lay　a　hand　on　her；　even　too　free　a　jest　she　never　heard　

from　us。　　Maybe　this　was　so　because　she　never　remained　for　

long　with　us；　she　flashed　on　our　eyes　like　a　star　falling　from　

the　sky；　and　vanished；　and　maybe　because　she　was　little　and　

very　beautiful；　and　everything　beautiful　calls　forth　respect；　

even　in　coarse　people。　　





110　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





And　beside~though　our　life　of　penal　labor　had　made　us　dull　

beasts；　oxen；　we　were　still　men；　and；　like　all　men；　could　

not　live　without　worshipping　something　or　other。　　Better　

than　her　we　had　none；　and　none　but　her　took　any　notice　of　us；　

living　in　the　cellarno　one；　though　there　were　dozens　of　

people　in　the　house。　　And　then；　tomost　likely；　this　was　

the　chief　thingwe　all　regarded　her　as　something　of　our　own；　

something　existing　as　it　were　only　by　virtue　of　our　kring