the witch and other stories-第26章

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same　desperate　poverty　and　hunger；　the　same　thatched　roofs　with
holes　in　them；　ignorance；　misery；　the　same　desolation　around；　the
same　darkness；　the　same　feeling　of　oppression　　all　these　had
existed；　did　exist；　and　would　exist；　and　the　lapse　of　a　thousand
years　would　make　life　no　better。　And　he　did　not　want　to　go　home。

The　gardens　were　called　the　widows'　because　they　were　kept　by　two
widows；　mother　and　daughter。　A　camp　fire　was　burning　brightly
with　a　crackling　sound；　throwing　out　light　far　around　on　the
ploughed　earth。　The　widow　Vasilisa；　a　tall；　fat　old　woman　in　a
man's　coat；　was　standing　by　and　looking　thoughtfully　into　the
fire；　her　daughter　Lukerya；　a　little　pock…marked　woman　with　a
stupid…looking　face；　was　sitting　on　the　ground；　washing　a　caldron
and　spoons。　Apparently　they　had　just　had　supper。　There　was　a
sound　of　men's　voices；　it　was　the　labourers　watering　their　horses
at　the　river。

〃Here　you　have　winter　back　again；〃　said　the　student；　going　up　to
the　camp　fire。　〃Good　evening。〃

Vasilisa　started；　but　at　once　recognized　him　and　smiled
cordially。

〃I　did　not　know　you；　God　bless　you；〃　she　said。

〃You'll　be　rich。〃

They　talked。　Vasilisa；　a　woman　of　experience；　who　had　been　in
service　with　the　gentry；　first　as　a　wet…nurse；　afterwards　as　a
children's　nurse；　expressed　herself　with　refinement；　and　a　soft；
sedate　smile　never　left　her　face；　her　daughter　Lukerya；　a　village
peasant　woman；　who　had　been　beaten　by　her　husband；　simply　screwed
up　her　eyes　at　the　student　and　said　nothing；　and　she　had　a
strange　expression　like　that　of　a　deaf　mute。

〃At　just　such　a　fire　the　Apostle　Peter　warmed　himself；〃　said　the
student；　stretching　out　his　hands　to　the　fire；　〃so　it　must　have
been　cold　then；　too。　Ah；　what　a　terrible　night　it　must　have　been；
granny！　An　utterly　dismal　long　night！〃

He　looked　round　at　the　darkness；　shook　his　head　abruptly　and
asked：

〃No　doubt　you　have　been　at　the　reading　of　the　Twelve　Gospels？〃

〃Yes；　I　have；〃　answered　Vasilisa。

〃If　you　remember　at　the　Last　Supper　Peter　said　to　Jesus；　'I　am
ready　to　go　with　Thee　into　darkness　and　unto　death。'　And　our　Lord
answered　him　thus：　'I　say　unto　thee；　Peter；　before　the　cock
croweth　thou　wilt　have　denied　Me　thrice。'　After　the　supper　Jesus
went　through　the　agony　of　death　in　the　garden　and　prayed；　and
poor　Peter　was　weary　in　spirit　and　faint；　his　eyelids　were　heavy
and　he　could　not　struggle　against　sleep。　He　fell　asleep。　Then　you
heard　how　Judas　the　same　night　kissed　Jesus　and　betrayed　Him　to
His　tormentors。　They　took　Him　bound　to　the　high　priest　and　beat
Him；　while　Peter；　exhausted；　worn　out　with　misery　and　alarm；
hardly　awake；　you　know；　feeling　that　something　awful　was　just
going　to　happen　on　earth；　followed　behind。　。　。　。　He　loved　Jesus
passionately；　intensely；　and　now　he　saw　from　far　off　how　He　was
beaten。　。　。〃

Lukerya　left　the　spoons　and　fixed　an　immovable　stare　upon　the
student。

〃They　came　to　the　high　priest's；〃　he　went　on；　〃they　began　to
question　Jesus；　and　meantime　the　labourers　made　a　fire　in　the
yard　as　it　was　cold；　and　warmed　themselves。　Peter；　too；　stood
with　them　near　the　fire　and　warmed　himself　as　I　am　doing。　A
woman；　seeing　him；　said：　'He　was　with　Jesus；　too'　　that　is　as
much　as　to　say　that　he；　too；　should　be　taken　to　be　questioned。
And　all　the　labourers　that　were　standing　near　the　fire　must　have
looked　sourly　and　suspiciously　at　him；　because　he　was　confused
and　said：　'I　don't　know　Him。'　A　little　while　after　again　someone
recognized　him　as　one　of　Jesus'　disciples　and　said：　'Thou；　too；
art　one　of　them；'　but　again　he　denied　it。　And　for　the　third　time
someone　turned　to　him：　'Why；　did　I　not　see　thee　with　Him　in　the
garden　to…day？'　For　the　third　time　he　denied　it。　And　immediately
after　that　time　the　cock　crowed；　and　Peter；　looking　from　afar　off
at　Jesus；　remembered　the　words　He　had　said　to　him　in　the　evening。
。　。　。　He　remembered；　he　came　to　himself；　went　out　of　the　yard　and
wept　bitterly　　bitterly。　In　the　Gospel　it　is　written：　'He　went
out　and　wept　bitterly。'　I　imagine　it：　the　still；　still；　dark；
dark　garden；　and　in　the　stillness；　faintly　audible；　smothered
sobbing。　。　。〃

T　he　student　sighed　and　sank　into　thought。　Still　smiling；
Vasilisa　suddenly　gave　a　gulp；　big　tears　flowed　freely　down　her
cheeks；　and　she　screened　her　face　from　the　fire　with　her　sleeve
as　though　ashamed　of　her　tears；　and　Lukerya；　staring　immovably　at
the　student；　flushed　crimson；　and　her　expression　became　strained
and　heavy　like　that　of　someone　enduring　intense　pain。

The　labourers　came　back　from　the　river；　and　one　of　them　riding　a
horse　was　quite　near；　and　the　light　from　the　fire　quivered　upon
him。　The　student　said　good…night　to　the　widows　and　went　on。　And
again　the　darkness　was　about　him　and　his　fingers　began　to　be
numb。　A　cruel　wind　was　blowing；　winter　really　had　come　back　and
it　did　not　feel　as　though　Easter　would　be　the　day　after
to…morrow。

Now　the　student　was　thinking　about　Vasilisa：　since　she　had　shed
tears　all　that　had　happened　to　Peter　the　night　before　the
Crucifixion　must　have　some　relation　to　her。　。　。　。

He　looked　round。　The　solitary　light　was　still　gleaming　in　the
darkness　and　no　figures　could　be　seen　near　it　now。　The　student
thought　again　that　if　Vasilisa　had　shed　tears；　and　her　daughter
had　been　troubled；　it　was　evident　that　what　he　had　just　been
telling　them　about；　which　had　happened　nineteen　centuries　ago；
had　a　relation　to　the　present　　to　both　women；　to　the　desolate
village；　to　himself；　to　all　people。　The　old　woman　had　wept；　not
because　he　could　tell　the　story　touchingly；　but　because　Peter　was
near　to　her；　because　her　whole　being　was　interested　in　what　was
passing　in　Peter's　soul。

And　joy　suddenly　stirred　in　his　soul；　and　he　even　stopped　for　a
minute　to　take　breath。　〃The　past；〃　he　thought；　〃is　linked　with
the　present　by　an　unbroken　chain　of　events　flowing　one　out　of
another。〃　And　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　just　seen　both　ends　of
that　chain；　that　when　he　touched　one　end　the　other　quivered。

When　he　crossed　the　river　by　the　ferry　boat　and　afterwards；
mounting　the　hill；　looked　at　his　village　and　towards　the　west
where　the　cold　crimson　sunset　lay　a　narrow　streak　of　light；　he
thought　that　truth　and　beauty　which　had　guided　human　life　there
in　the　garden　and　in　the　yard　of　the　high　priest　had　continued
without　interruption　to　this　day；　and　had　evidently　always　been
the　chief　thing　in　human　life　and　in　all　earthly　life；　indeed；
and　the　feeling　of　youth；　health；　vigour　　he　was　only
twenty…two　　and　the　inexpressible　sweet　expectation　of
happiness；　of　unknown　mysterious　happiness；　took　possession　of
him　little　by　little；　and　life　seemed　to　him　enchanting；
marvellous；　and　full　of　lofty　meaning。


IN　THE　RAVINE

I

THE　village　of　Ukleevo　lay　in　a　ravine　so　that　only　the　belfry
and　the　chimneys　of　the　printed　cottons　factories　could　be　seen
from　the　high　road　and　the　railway…station。　When　visitors　asked
what　village　this　was；　they　were　told：

〃That's　the　village　where　the　deacon　ate　all　the　caviare　at　the
funeral。〃

It　had　happened　at　the　dinner　at　the　funeral　of　Kostukov　that　the
old　deacon　saw　among　the　savouries　some　large…grained　caviare　and
began　eating　it　greedily；　people　nudged　him；　tugged　at　his　arm；
but　he　seemed　petrified　with　enjoyment：　felt　nothing；　and　only
went　on　eating。　He　ate　up　all　the　caviare；　and　there　were　four
pounds　in　the　jar。　And　years　had　passed　since　then；　the　deacon
had　long　been　dead；　but　the　caviare　was　still　remembered。　Whether
life　was　so　poor　here　or　people　had　not　been　clever　enough　to
notice　anything　but　that　unimportant　incident　that　had　occurred
ten　years　before；　anyway　the　people　had　nothing　else　to　tell
about　the　village　Ukleevo。

The　village　was　never　free　from　fever；　and　there　was　boggy　mud
there　even　in　the　summer；　especially　under　the　fences　over　which
hung　old　willow…trees　that　gave　deep　shade。　Here　there　was　always
a　smell　from　the　factory　refuse　and　the　acetic　acid　which　was
used　in　the　finishing　of　the　cotton　print。

The　three　cotton　factories　and　the　tanyard　were　not　in　the
village　itself；　but　a　little　way　off。　They　were　small　factories；
and　not　more　than　four　hundred　workmen　were　employed　in　a