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第27章

creatures that once were men-第27章

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〃Well; I should think so!  Be your own master; go where you 

please; do as you like。  To be sure!  If you know how to behave 

yourself; and you've nothing weighing upon youit's first rate。 

Enjoy yourself all you can; only be mindful of God。〃



Chelkash spat contemptuously; and turning away from the youth; 

dropped the conversation。



〃Here's my case now;〃 the latter began; with sudden animation。  

〃As my father's dead; my bit of land's small; my mother's old; 

all the land's sucked dry; what am I to do?  I must live。  And 

how? There's no telling。





136 CHELKASH





〃Am I to marry into some well…to…do house?  I'd be glad to; if 

only they'd let their daughter have her share apart。



〃Not a bit of it; the devil of a father…in…law won't consent 

to that。  And so I shall have to slave for himfor ever so 

longfor years。  A nice state of things; you know!



〃But if I could earn a hundred or a hundred and fifty roubles; 

I could stand on my own feet; and look askance at old Antip; 

and tell him straight out!  Will you give Marfa her share 

apart?  No?  all right; then!  Thank God; she's not the only 

girl in the village。  And I should be; I mean; quite free and 

independent。



〃Ah; yes!〃 the young man sighed。  〃But as 'tis; there's 

nothing for it; but to marry and live at my father…in…law's。 

I was thinking I'd go; d'ye see; to Kuban; and make some two 

hundred roubles…straight off!  Be a gentleman!  But there; 

it was no go!  It didn't come off。  Well; I suppose I'll have 

to work for my father…in…law!  Be a day…laborer。  For I'll 

never manage on my own bitnot anyhow。  Heigh…ho!〃



The lad extremely disliked the idea of bondage to his future 

father…in…law。  His face positively darkened and looked gloomy。 

He shifted clumsily on the ground and drew Chelkash out of the 

reverie into which he had sunk during his speech。



Chelkash felt that he had no inclination now to talk to him; 

yet he asked him another question:  〃Where are you going now?〃





137  CHELKASH





〃Why; where should I go?  Home; to be sure。〃



〃Well; mate; I couldn't be sure of that; you might be on your 

way to Turkey。〃



〃To Th…urkey!〃 drawled the youth。  〃Why; what good Christian 

ever goes there!  Well I never!〃



〃Oh; you fool!〃 sighed Chelkash; and again he turned away from 

his companion; conscious this time of a positive disinclination 

to waste another word on him。  This stalwart village lad roused 

some feeling in him。  It was a vague feeling of annoyance; that 

grew instinctively; stirred deep down in his heart; and hindered 

him from concentrating himself on the consideration of all that

he had to do that night。



The lad he had thus reviled muttered something; casting 

occasionally a dubious glance at Chelkash。  His cheeks were 

comically puffed out; his lips parted; and his eyes were screwed 

up and blinking with extreme rapidity。  He had obviously not 

expected so rapid and insulting a termination to his 

conversation with this long…whiskered ragamuffin。  The ragamuffin 

took no further notice of him。  He whistled dreamily; sitting on 

the stone post; and beating time on it with his bare; dirty heel。



The young peasant wanted to be quits with him。



〃Hi; you there; fisherman!  Do you often get tipsy like this?〃 

he was beginning; but at the same instant the fisherman turned 

quickly towards him; and asked:



〃I say; suckling!  Would you like a job to…night with me?  Eh?  Tell me quickly!〃



〃What sort of a job?〃 the lad asked him; distrustfully。





138 CHELKASH





〃What!  What I set you。  We're going fishing。 You'll row the 

boat。〃



〃Well。  Yes。  All right。  I don't mind a job。  Only there's 

this。  I don't want to get into a mess with you。  You're so 

awfully deep。  You're rather shady。〃



Chelkash felt a scalding sensation in his breast; and with 

cold anger he said in a low voice:



〃And you'd better hold your tongue; whatever you think; or 

I'll give you a tap on your nut that will make things light 

enough。〃



He jumped up from his post; tugged at his moustache with his 

left hand; while his sinewy right hand was clenched into a 

fist; hard as iron; and his eyes gleamed。



The youth was frightened。  He looked quickly round him; and 

blinking uneasily; he; too; jumped up from the ground。 

Measuring one another with their eyes; they paused。



〃Well?〃 Chelkash queried; sullenly。  He was boiling inwardly; 

and trembling at the affront dealt him by this young calf; 

whom he had despised while he talked to him; but now hated 

all at once because he had such clear blue eyes; such health; 

a sunburned face; and broad; strong hands; because he had 

somewhere a village; a home in it; because a well…to…do 

peasant wanted him for a son…in…law; because of all his life; 

past and future; and most of all; because hethis babe 

compared with Chelkashdared to love freedom; which he could 

not appreciate; nor need。  It is always unpleasant to see

that a man one regards as baser or lower than oneself likes 

or hates the same things; and so puts himself on a level with 

oneself。





139 CHELKASH





The young peasant looked at Chelkash and saw in him an employer。



〃Well;〃 he began; 〃I don't mind。  I'm glad of it。  Why; it's 

work for; you or any other man。  I only meant that you don't 

look like a working mana bit too…ragged。  Oh; I know that 

may happen to anyone。  Good Lord; as though I've never seen 

drunkards!  Lots of them! and worse than you too。〃



〃All right; all right!  Then you agree?〃 Chelkash said more 

amicably。



〃I?  Ye…es!  With pleasure!  Name your terms。〃



〃That's according to the job。  As the job turns out。  

According to the job。  Five roubles you may get。  Do you see?〃



But now it was a question of money; and in that the peasant 

wished to be precise; and demanded the same exactness from his 

employer。  His distrust and suspicion revived。



〃That's not my way of doing business; mate!  A bird in the 

hand for me。〃



Chelkash threw himself into his part。



〃Don't argue; wait a bit!  Come into the restaurant。〃



And they went down the street side by side; Chelkash with the 

dignified air of an employer; twisting his mustaches; the 

youth with an expression of absolute readiness to give way to 

him; but yet full of distrust and uneasiness。 



〃And what's your name?〃 asked Chelkash。



〃Gavrilo!〃 answered the youth。





140 CHELKASH





When they had come into the dirty and smoky eating…house; and 

Chelkash going up to the counter; in the familiar tone of an 

habitual customer; ordered a bottle of vodka; cabbage soup; 

a cut from the joint; and tea; and reckoning up his order; 

flung the waiter a brief 〃put it all down!〃 to which the waiter 

nodded in silence;Gavrilo was at once filled with respect for

this ragamuffin; his employer; who enjoyed here such an 

established and confident position。



〃Well; now we'll have a bit of lunch and talk things over。  

You sit still; I'll be back in a minute。〃



He went out。  Gavrilo looked round。  The restaurant was in 

an underground basement; it was damp and dark; and reeked with 

the stifling fumes of vodka; tobacco…smoke; tar; and some 

acrid odor。  Facing Gavrilo at another table sat a drunken man 

in the dress of a sailor; with a red beard; all over coal…dust 

and tar。  Hiccupping every minute; he was droning a song all

made up of broken and incoherent words; strangely sibilant 

and guttural sounds。  He was unmistakably not a Russian。



Behind him sat two Moldavian women; tattered; black…haired 

sunburned creatures; who were chanting some sort of song; too; 

with drunken voices。



And from the darkness beyond emerged other figures; all 

strangely dishevelled; all half…drunk; noisy and restless。



Gavrilo felt miserable here alone。  He longed for his employer 

to come b

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