03-a lost opportunity-第4章

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When　it　becomes　necessary　for　you　and　your　boys　to　go　to　the

field　to　work；　your　enemy　instead　summons　you　to　appear　at　court

or　before　some　kind　of　judicial　person。　If　you　do　not　plow　at　the

proper　time　and　sow　at　the　proper　time　mother　earth　will　not

yield　up　her　products；　and　you　and　your　children　will　be　left

destitute。　　Why　did　your　oats　fail　this　year？　　When　did　you　sow

them？　　Were　you　not　quarrelling　with　your　neighbor　instead　of

attending　to　your　work？　　You　have　just　now　returned　from　the

town；　where　you　have　been　the　means　of　having　your　neighbor

humiliated。　You　have　succeeded　in　getting　him　sentenced；　but　in

the　end　the　punishment　will　fall　on　your　own　shoulders。　　Oh！　my

child；　it　would　be　better　for　you　to　attend　to　your　work　on　the

farm　and　train　your　boys　to　become　good　farmers　and　honest　men。　

If　any　one　offend　you　forgive　him　for　Christ's　sake；　and　then

prosperity　will　smile　on　your　work　and　a　light　and　happy　feeling

will　fill　your　heart。〃



Ivan　still　remained　silent。



The　old　father　in　a　pleading　voice　continued：　〃Take　an　old　man's

advice。　　Go　and　harness　your　horse；　drive　back　to　the　court；　and

withdraw　all　these　complaints　against　your　neighbor。　　To…morrow

go　to　him；　offer　to　make　peace　in　Christ's　name；　and　invite　him

to　your　house。　　It　will　be　a　holy　day　（the　birth　of　the　Virgin

Mary）。　　Get　out　the　samovar　and　have　some　vodki；　and　over　both

forgive　and　forget　each　other's　sins；　promising　not　to　transgress

in　the　future；　and　advise　your　women　and　children　to　do　the

same。〃



Ivan　heaved　a　deep　sigh　but　felt　easier　in　his　heart；　as　he

thought：　〃The　old　man　speaks　the　truth；〃　yet　he　was　in　doubt　as

to　how　he　would　put　his　father's　advice　into　practice。



The　old　man；　surmising　his　uncertainty；　said　to　Ivan：　〃Go；

Ivanushka；　do　not　delay。　　Extinguish　the　fire　in　the　beginning；

before　it　grows　large；　for　then　it　may　be　impossible。〃



Ivan's　father　wished　to　say　more　to　him；　but　was　prevented　by　the

arrival　of　the　women；　who　came　into　the　room　chattering　like　so

many　magpies。　　They　had　already　heard　of　Gavryl's　sentence；　and

of　how　he　threatened　to　set　fire　to　Ivan's　house。　　They　found　out

all　about　it；　and　in　telling　it　to　their　neighbors　added　their

own　versions　of　the　story；　with　the　usual　exaggeration。　　Meeting

in　the　pasture…ground；　they　proceeded　to　quarrel　with　Gavryl's

women。　　They　related　how　the　latter's　daughter…in…law　had

threatened　to　secure　the　influence　of　the　manager　of　a　certain

noble's　estate　in　behalf　of　his　friend　Gavryl；　also　that　the

school…teacher　was　writing　a　petition　to　the　Czar　himself　against

Ivan；　explaining　in　detail　his　theft　of　the　perchbolt　and　partial

destruction　of　Gavryl's　gardendeclaring　that　half　of　Ivan's

land　was　to　be　given　to　them。



Ivan　listened　calmly　to　their　stories；　but　his　anger　was　soon

aroused　once　more；　when　he　abandoned　his　intention　of　making

peace　with　Gavryl。



As　Ivan　was　always　busy　about　the　household；　he　did　not　stop　to

speak　to　the　wrangling　women；　but　immediately　left　the　room；

directing　his　steps　toward　the　barn。　　Before　getting　through　with

his　work　the　sun　had　set　and　the　boys　had　returned　from　their

plowing。　　Ivan　met　them　and　asked　about　their　work；　helping　them

to　put　things　in　order　and　leaving　the　broken　horse…collar　aside

to　be　repaired。　　He　intended　to　perform　some　other　duties；　but　it

became　too　dark　and　he　was　obliged　to　leave　them　till　the　next

day。　　He　fed　the　cattle；　however；　and　opened　the　gate　that

Taraska　might　take　his　horses　to　pasture　for　the　night；　after

which　he　closed　it　again　and　went　into　the　house　for　his　supper。



By　this　time　he　had　forgotten　all　about　Gavryl　and　what　his

father　had　said　to　him。　　Yet；　just　as　he　touched　the　door…knob；

he　heard　sounds　of　quarrelling　proceeding　from　his　neighbor's

house。



〃What　do　I　want　with　that　devil？〃　shouted　Gavryl　to　some　one。　

〃He　deserves　to　be　killed！〃



Ivan　stopped　and　listened　for　a　moment；　when　he　shook　his　head

threateningly　and　entered　the　room。　　When　he　came　in；　the

apartment　was　already　lighted。　　His　daughter…in…law　was　working

with　her　loom；　while　the　old　woman　was　preparing　the　supper。　　The

eldest　son　was　twining　strings　for　his　lapti　（peasant's　shoes

made　of　strips　of　bark　from　the　linden…tree）。　　The　other　son　was

sitting　by　the　table　reading　a　book。　　The　room　presented　a

pleasant　appearance；　everything　being　in　order　and　the　inmates

apparently　gay　and　happythe　only　dark　shadow　being　that　cast

over　the　household　by　Ivan's　trouble　with　his　neighbor。



Ivan　came　in　very　cross；　and；　angrily　throwing　aside　a　cat　which

lay　sleeping　on　the　bench；　cursed　the　women　for　having　misplaced

a　pail。　　He　looked　very　sad　and　serious；　and；　seating　himself　in

a　corner　of　the　room；　proceeded　to　repair　the　horse…collar。　　He

could　not　forget　Gavryl；　howeverthe　threatening　words　he　had

used　in　the　court…room　and　those　which　Ivan　had　just　heard。



Presently　Taraska　came　in；　and　after　having　his　supper；　put　on

his　sheepskin　coat；　and；　taking　some　bread　with　him；　returned　to

watch　over　his　horses　for　the　night。　　His　eldest　brother　wished

to　accompany　him；　but　Ivan　himself　arose　and　went　with　him　as　far

as　the　porch。　　The　night　was　dark　and　cloudy　and　a　strong　wind

was　blowing；　which　produced　a　peculiar　whistling　sound　that　was

most　unpleasant　to　the　ear。　　Ivan　helped　his　son　to　mount　his

horse；　which；　followed　by　a　colt；　started　off　on　a　gallop。



Ivan　stood　for　a　few　moments　looking　around　him　and　listening　to

the　clatter　of　the　horse's　hoofs　as　Taraska　rode　down　the　village

street。　He　heard　him　meet　other　boys　on　horseback；　who　rode　quite

as　well　as　Taraska；　and　soon　all　were　lost　in　the　darkness。



Ivan　remained　standing　by　the　gate　in　a　gloomy　mood；　as　he　was

unable　to　banish　from　his　mind　the　harassing　thoughts　of　Gavryl；

which　the　latter's　menacing　words　had　inspired：　〃Something　will

burn　with　greater　fierceness　in　Ivan's　household　before　long。〃



〃He　is　so　desperate；〃　thought　Ivan；　〃that　he　may　set　fire　to　my

house　regardless　of　the　danger　to　his　own。　　At　present　everything

is　dry；　and　as　the　wind　is　so　high　he　may　sneak　from　the　back　of

his　own　building；　start　a　fire；　and　get　away　unseen　by　any　of　us。



He　may　burn　and　steal　without　being　found　out；　and　thus　go

unpunished。　　I　wish　I　could　catch　him。〃



This　thought　so　worried　Ivan　that　he　decided　not　to　return　to　his

house；　but　went　out　and　stood　on　the　street…corner。



〃I　guess；〃　thought　Ivan　to　himself；　〃I　will　take　a　walk　around

the　premises　and　examine　everything　carefully；　for　who　knows　what

he　may　be　tempted　to　do？〃



Ivan　moved　very　cautiously　round　to　the　back　of　his　buildings；

not　making　the　slightest　noise；　and　scarcely　daring　to　breathe。　

Just　as　he　reached　a　corner　of　the　house　he　looked　toward　the

fence；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　saw　something　moving；　and

that　it　was　slowly　creeping　toward　the　corner　of　the　house

opposite　to　where　he　was　standing。　　He　stepped　back　quickly　and

hid　himself　in　the　shadow　of　the　building。　　Ivan　stood　and

listened；　but　all　was　quiet。　　Not　a　sound　could　be　heard　but　the

moaning　of　the　wind　through　the　branches　of　the　trees；　and　the

rustling　of　the　leaves　as　it　caught　them　up　and　whirled　them　in

all　directions。　　So　dense　was　the　darkness　that　it　was　at　first

impossible　for　Ivan　to　see　more　than　a　few　feet　beyond　where　he

stood。



After　a　time；　however；　his　sight　becoming　accustomed　to　the

gloom；　he　was　enabled　to　see　for　a　considerable　distance。　　The

plow　and　his　other　farming　implements　stood　just　where　he　had

placed　them。　　He　could　see　also　the　opposite　corner　of　the　house。



He　looked　in　every　direction；　but　no　one　was　in　sight；　and　he

thought　to　himself　that　his　imagination　must　have　played　him　some

trick；　leading　him　to　believe　that　some　one　was　moving　when　there

really　was　no　one　there。



Still；　Ivan　was　not　satisfied；　and　decided　to　make　a　further

examination　of　the