creatures that once were men-第23章

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115　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





But　we　admired　them　always　when　we　met　them　outside；　or　when　

they　walked　past　our　windows；　in　winter；　in　fur　jackets　and　

toques　to　match；　in　summer；　in　hats　trimmed　with　flowers；　and　

with　colored　parasols　in　their　hands。　　We　talked；　however；　about

these　girls　in　a　way　that　would　have　made　them　mad　with　shame　

and　rage；　if　they　could　have　heard　us。



〃If　only　he　does　not　get　hold　of　little　Tanya！〃　said　the　baker；　

suddenly；　in　an　anxious　tone　of　voice。



We　were　silent；　for　these　words　troubled　us。　Tanya　had　quite　

gone　out　of　our　minds；　supplanted；　put　on　one　side　by　the　strong；　

fine　figure　of　the　soldier。



Then　began　a　lively　discussion；　some　of　us　maintained　that　Tanya　

would　never　lower　herself　so；　others　thought　she　would　not　be　

able　to　resist　him；　and　the　third　group　proposed　to　give　him　a　

thrashing　if　he　should　try　to　annoy　Tanya。　　And；　finally；　we　all　

decided　to　watch　the　soldier　and　Tanya；　and　to　warn　the　girl

against　him。　　This　brought　the　discussion　to　an　end。



Four　weeks　had　passed　by　since　then；　during　this　time　the　soldier　

baked　white　bread；　walked　about　with　the　gold…embroidery　girls；　

visited　us　often；　but　did　not　talk　any　more　about　his　conquests；　

only　twisted　his　mustache；　and　licked　his　lips　lasciviously。



Tanya　called　in　as　usual　every　morning　for　〃little　kringels；〃　

and　was　as　gay　and　as　nice　and　friendly　with　us　as　ever。　　We　

certainly　tried　once　or　twice　to　talk　to　her　about　the　soldier；　

but　she　called　him　a　〃goggle…eyed　calf；〃　and　made　fun　of　him　

all　round；　and　that　set　our　minds　at　rest。　　We　saw　how　the　

gold…embroidery　girls　carried　on　with　the　soldier；　and　we　were　

proud　of　our　girl；　Tanya's　behavior　reflected　honor　on　us　all；　we

imitated　her；　and　began　in　our　talks　to　treat　the　soldier　with　

small　consideration。　　





116　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





She　became　dearer　to　us；　and　we　greeted　her　with　more　　

friendliness　and　kindliness　every　morning。



One　day　the　soldier　came　to　see　us；　a　bit　drunk；　and　sat　down　

and　began　to　laugh。　　When　we　asked　him　what　he　was　laughing　

about；　he　explained　to　us：



〃Why　two　of　themthat　Lydka　girl　and　Grushka　have　been　

clawing　each　other　on　my　account。　　You　should　have　seen　the　

way　they　went　for　each　other！　　Ha！　ha！　　One　got　hold　of　the　

other　one　by　the　hair；　threw　her　down　on　the　floor　of　the　

passage；　and　sat　on　her！　Ha！　ha！　ha！　　They　scratched　and　tore　

each　others'　faces。　　It　was　enough　to　make　one　die　with　

laughter！　　Why　is　it　women　can't　fight　fair？　　Why　do　they　always

scratch　one　another；　eh？〃



He　sat　on　the　bench；　healthy；　fresh　and　jolly；　he　sat　there　and　

went　on　laughing。　　We　were　silent。　　This　time　he　made　an　

unpleasant　impression　on　us。



〃Well；　it's　a　funny　thing　what　luck　I　have　with　the　women…folk！　　

Eh？　　I've　laughed　till　I'm　ill！　　One　wink；　and　it's　all　over　

with　them！　　It's　the　d…devil！〃



He　raised　his　white　hairy　hands；　and　slapped　them　down　on　his　

knees。　　　And　his　eyes　seem　to　reflect　such　frank　astonishment；　

as　if　he　were　himself　quite　surprised　at　his　good　luck　with　

women。　　His　fat；　red　face　glistened　with　delight　and　self　

satisfaction；　and　he　licked　his　lips　more　than　ever。



Our　baker　scraped　the　shovel　violently　and　angrily　along　the　

oven　floor；　and　all　at　once　he　said　sarcastically：





117　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





〃There's　no　great　strength　needed　to　pull　up　fir　saplings；　but　

try　a　real　pine…tree。〃



〃Why…what　do　you　mean　by　saying　that　to　me？〃　asked　the　soldier。



〃Oh；　well。　。　。　。〃



〃What　is　it？〃



〃Nothing…it　slipped　out！〃



〃No；　wait　a　minute！　What's　the　point？　What　pinetree？〃



Our　baker　did　not　answer；　working　rapidly　away　with　the　shovel　

at　the　oven；　flinging　into　it　the　half…cooked　kringels；　taking　

out　those　that　were　done；　and　noisily　throwing　them　on　the　

floor　to　the　boys　who　were　stringing　them　on　bast。　　He　seemed　

to　have　forgotten　the　soldier　and　his　conversation　with　him。　

But　the　soldier　had　all　at　once　dropped　into　a　sort　of　

uneasiness。　　He　got　up　on　to　his　feet；　and　went　to　the　oven；　

at　the　risk　of　knocking　against　the　handle　of　the　shovel；　which　

was　waving　spasmodically　in　the　air。



〃No；　tell　me；　dowho　is　it？　　You've　insulted　me。　　I？　　There's　

not　one　could　withstand　me；　n…no！　　And　you　say　such　insulting　

things　to　me？〃



He　really　seemed　genuinely　hurt。　　He　must　have　had　nothing　else　

to　pride　himself　on　except　his　gift　for　seducing　women；　maybe；　

except　for　that；　there　was　nothing　living　in　him；　and　it　was　

only　that　by　which　he　could　feel　himself　a　living　man。



There　are　men　to　whom　the　most　precious　and　best　thing　in　their　

lives　appears　to　be　some　disease　of　their　soul　or　body。　They　

spend　their　whole　life　in　relation　to　it；　and　only　living　by　it；　

suffering　from　it；　they　sustain　themselves　on　it；　they　complain　

of　it　to　others；　and　so　draw　the　attention　of　their　fellows　to　

themselves。





118　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL





For　that　they　extract　sympathy　from　people；　and　apart　from　it　

they　have　nothing　at　all。　　Take　from　them　that　disease；　cure　

them；　and　they　will　be　miserable；　because　they　have　lost　their　

one　resource　in　lifethey　are　left　empty　then。　　Sometimes　a　

man's　life　is　so　poor；　that　he　is　driven　instinctively　to　

prize　his　vice　and　to　live　by　it；　one　may　say　for　a　fact　that　

often　men　are　vicious　from　boredom。



The　soldier　was　offended；　he　went　up　to　our　baker　and　roared：



〃No；　tell　me　do…who？〃



〃Tell　you？〃　the　baker　turned　suddenly　to　him。



〃Well？〃



〃You　know　Tanya？〃



〃Well？〃



〃Well；　there　then！　　Only　try。〃



〃You！〃



〃Her？　　Why　that's　nothing　to　me…pooh！〃



〃We　shall　see！〃



〃You　will　see！　Ha！　ha！〃



〃She'll〃



〃Give　me　a　month！〃



〃What　a　braggart　you　are；　soldier！〃



〃A　fortnight！　　I'll　prove　it！　　Who　is　it？　　Tanya！　　Pooh！〃



〃Well；　get　out。　You're　in　my　way！〃



〃A　fortnightand　it's　done！　　Ah；　you〃



〃Get　out；　I　say！〃





119　　TWENTY…SIX　MEN　AND　A　GIRL







Our　baker；　all　at　once；　flew　into　a　rage　and　brandished　his　

shovel。　　The　soldier　staggered　away　from　him　in　amazement；　

looked　at　us；　paused；　and　softly；　malignantly　said；　〃Oh；　all　

right；　then！〃　and　went　away。



During　the　dispute　we　had　all　sat　silent；　absorbed　in　it。

But　when　the　soldier　had　gone；　eager；　loud　talk　and　noise　

arose　among　us。



Some　one　shouted　to　the　baker：　〃It's　a　bad　job　that　you've　

started；　Pavel！〃



〃Do　your　work！〃　answered　the　baker　savagely。



We　felt　that　the　soldier　had　been　deeply　aggrieved；　and　that　

danger　threatened　Tanya。　　We　felt　this；　and　at　the　same　time　

we　were　all　possessed　by　a　burning　curiosity；　most　agreeable　

to　us。　　What　would　happen？　Would　Tanya　hold　out　against　the　

soldier？　　And　almost　all　cried　confidently：　　〃Tanya？　　She'll　

hold　out！　　You　won't　catch　her　with　your　bare　arms！〃



We　longed　terribly　to　test　the　strength　of　our　idol；　we　

forcibly　proved　to　each　other　that　our　divinity　was　a　strong　

divinity　and　would　come　victorious　out　of　this　ordeal。　　We　

began　at　last　to　fancy　that　we　had　not　worked　enough　on　the　

soldier；　that　he　would　forget　the　dispute；　and　that　we　ought　

to　pique　his　vanity　more　keenly。　　From　that　day　we　began　to　

live　a　different　life；　a　life　of　nervous　tension；　such　as　we　

had　never　known　before。　　We　spent　whole　days　in　arguing　

together；　we　all　grew；　as　it　were；　sharper；　and　got　to　talk　

more　and　better。　　It　seemed　to　us　that　we　were　playing　some　

sort　of　game　with　the　devil；　and　the　stake　on　our　side　was　

Tanya。　　And　when　we　learned　from　the　bakers　that　the　soldier　

had　begun　〃running　after　our　Tanya；〃　we　felt　a　sort　of　

delighted　terror；　and　life　was　so　interesting　that　we　did　not　

even　notice　that　our　employer　had　taken　advantage　of　our　

pre…occupation　to　increase　our　work　by　fourteen　pounds　of　

dough　a　day。　





120　TWENTY…S