creatures that once were men-第28章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
Gavrilo felt miserable here alone。 He longed for his employer
to come back quickly。 And the din in the eating…house got
louder and louder。 Growing shriller every second; it all
melted into one note; and it seemed like the roaring of some
monstrous boast; with hundreds of different throats; vaguely
enraged; trying to struggle out of this damp hole and unable
to find a way out to freedom。
141 CHELKASH
Gavrilo felt something intoxicating and oppressive creeping
over him; over all his limbs; making his head reel; and his
eyes grow dim; as they moved inquisitively about the
eating…house。
Chelkash came in; and they began eating and drinking and
talking。 At the third glass Gavrilo was drunk。 He became
lively and wanted to say something pleasant to his employer;
whothe good fellow!though he had done nothing for him yet;
was entertaining him so agreeably。 But the words which flowed
in perfect waves to his throat; for some reason would not come
from his tongue。
Chelkash looked at him and smiled sarcastically; saying:
〃You're screwed! Ughmilksop!with five glasses! how will
you work?〃
〃Dear fellow!〃 Gavrilo melted into a drunken; good…natured
smile。 〃Never fear! I respect you! That is; look here! Let
me kiss you! eh?〃
〃Come; come! A drop more!〃
Gavrilo drank; and at last reached a condition when everything
seemed waving up and down in regular undulations before his
eyes。 It was unpleasant and made him feel sick。 His face wore
an expression of childish bewilderment and foolish enthusiasm。
Trying to say something; he smacked his lips absurdly and
bellowed。 Chelkash; watching him intently; twisted his
mustaches; and as though recollecting something; still smiled
to himself; but morosely now and maliciously。
142 CHELKASH
The eating…house roared with drunken clamor。 The red…headed
sailor was asleep; with his elbows on the table。
〃Come; let's go then!〃 said Chelkash; getting up。
Gavrilo tried to get up; but could not; and with a vigorous
oath; he laughed a meaningless; drunken laugh。
〃Quite screwed!〃 said Chelkash; sitting down again opposite
him。
Gavrilo still guffawed; staring with dull eyes at his new
employer。 And the latter gazed at him intently; vigilantly
and thoughtfully。 He saw before him a man whose life had
fallen into his wolfish clutches。 He; Chelkash; felt that he
had the power to do with it as he pleased。 He could rend it
like a card; and he could help to set it on a firm footing in
its peasant framework。 He reveled in feeling himself master
of another man; and thought that never would this peasant…lad
drink of such a cup as destiny had given him; Chelkash; to
drink。 And he envied this young life and pitied it; sneered
at it; and was even troubled over it; picturing to himself
how it might again fall into such hands as his。
And all these feelings in the end melted in Chelkash into one
a fatherly sense of proprietorship in him。 He felt sorry
for the boy; and the boy was necessary to him。 Then Chelkash
took Gavrilo under the arms; and giving him a slight shove
behind with his knee; got him out into the yard of the
eating…house; where he put him on the ground in the shade of
a stack of wood; then he sat down beside him and lighted his
pipe。
143 CHELKASH
Gavrilo shifted about a little; muttered; and dropped asleep。
CHAPTER II。
〃Come; ready?〃 Chelkash asked in a low voice of Gavrilo; who
was busy doing something to the oars。
〃In a minute! The rowlock here's unsteady; can I just knock
it in with the oar?〃
〃Nono! Not a sound! Push it down harder with your hand;
it'll go in of itself。〃
They were both quietly getting out a boat; which was tied to
the stern of one of a whole flotilla of oakladen barges; and
big Turkish feluccas; half unloaded; hall still full of palm…
oil; sandal wood; and thick trunks of cypress。
The night was dark; thick strata of ragged clouds were moving
across the sky; and the sea was quiet; black; and thick as oil。
It wafted a damp and salt aroma; and splashed caressingly on
the sides of the vessels and the banks; setting Chelkash's boat
lightly rocking。 There were boats all round them。 At a long
distance from the shore rose from the sea the dark outlines of
vessels; thrusting up into the dark sky their pointed masts
with various colored lights at their tops。 The sea reflected
the lights; and was spotted with masses of yellow; quivering
patches。 This was very beautiful on the velvety bosom of the
soft; dull black water; so rhythmically; mightily breathing。
The sea slept the sound; healthy sleep of a workman; wearied
out by his day's toil。
144 CHELKASH
〃We're off!〃 said Gavrilo; dropping the oars into the water。
〃Yes!〃 With a vigorous turn of the rudder Chelkash drove the
boat into a strip of water between two barks; and they darted
rapidly over the smooth surface; that kindled into bluish
phosphorescent light under the strokes of the oars。 Behind
the boat's stern lay a winding ribbon of this phosphorescence;
broad and quivering。
〃Well; how's your head; aching?〃 asked Chelkash; smiling。
〃Awfully! Like iron ringing。 I'll wet it with some water in
a minute。〃
〃Why? You'd better wet your inside; that may get rid of it。
You can do that at once。〃 He held out a bottle to Gavrilo。
〃Eh? Lord bless you!〃
There was a faint sound of swallowing。
〃Aye! aye! like it? Enough!〃 Chelkash stopped him。
The boat darted on again; noiselessly and lightly threading
its way among the vessels。 All at once; they emerged from
the labyrinth of ships; and the sea; boundless; mute; shining
and rhythmically breathing; lay open before them; stretching
far into the distance; where there rose out of its waters
masses of storm clouds; some lilac…blue with fluffy yellow
edges; and some greenish like the color of the seawater; or
those dismal; leaden…colored clouds that cast such heavy;
dreary shadows; oppressing mind and soul。 They crawled slowly
after one another; one melting into another; one overtaking
another; and there was something weird in this slow procession
of soulless masses。
145 CHELKASH
It seemed as though there; at the sea's rim; they were a
countless multitude; that they would forever crawl thus
sluggishly over the sky; striving with dull malignance to
hinder it from peeping at the sleeping sea with its millions
of golden eyes; the various colored; vivid stars; that shine
so dreamily and stir high hopes in all who love their pure;
holy light。 Over the sea hovered the vague; soft sound of
its drowsy breathing。
〃The sea's fine; eh?〃 asked Chelkash。
〃It's all right! Only I feel scared on it;〃 answered Gavrilo;
pressing the oars vigorously and evenly through the water。
The water faintly gurgled and splashed under the strokes of
his long oars; splashed glittering with the warm; bluish;
phosphorescent light。
〃Scared! What a fool!〃 Chelkash muttered; discontentedly。
He; the thief and cynic; loved the sea。 His effervescent;
nervous nature; greedy after impressions; was never weary of
gazing at that dark expanse; boundless; free; and mighty。 And
it hurt him to hear such an answer to his question about the
beauty of what he loved。 Sitting in the stern; he cleft the
water with his oar; and looked on ahead quietly; filled with
desire to glide far on this velvety surface; not soon to quit
it。
On the sea there always rose up in him a broad; warm feeling;
that took possession of his whole soul; and somewhat purified
it from the sordidness of daily life。 He valued this; and
loved to feel himself better out here in the midst of the water
and the air; where the cares of life; and life itsel