the wife and other stories-第3章

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〃Eh？　Yes　。　。　。　that's　so；　to　be　sure。　。　。　。　Yes。〃

Ivan　Ivanitch　sneezed　into　his　handkerchief；　brightened　up；　and　as　though　he　had　just　woken　up；　looked　round　at　my　wife　and　me。

〃My　crops　have　failed；　too。〃　He　laughed　a　thin　little　laugh　and　gave　a　sly　wink　as　though　this　were　really　funny。　〃No　money；　no　corn；　and　a　yard　full　of　labourers　like　Count　Sheremetyev's。　I　want　to　kick　them　out；　but　I　haven't　the　heart　to。〃

Natalya　Gavrilovna　laughed；　and　began　questioning　him　about　his　private　affairs。　Her　presence　gave　me　a　pleasure　such　as　I　had　not　felt　for　a　long　time；　and　I　was　afraid　to　look　at　her　for　fear　my　eyes　would　betray　my　secret　feeling。　Our　relations　were　such　that　that　feeling　might　seem　surprising　and　ridiculous。

She　laughed　and　talked　with　Ivan　Ivanitch　without　being　in　the　least　disturbed　that　she　was　in　my　room　and　that　I　was　not　laughing。

〃And　so；　my　friends；　what　are　we　to　do？〃　I　asked　after　waiting　for　a　pause。　〃I　suppose　before　we　do　anything　else　we　had　better　immediately　open　a　subscription…list。　We　will　write　to　our　friends　in　the　capitals　and　in　Odessa；　Natalie；　and　ask　them　to　subscribe。　When　we　have　got　together　a　little　sum　we　will　begin　buying　corn　and　fodder　for　the　cattle；　and　you；　Ivan　Ivanitch；　will　you　be　so　kind　as　to　undertake　distributing　the　relief？　Entirely　relying　on　your　characteristic　tact　and　efficiency；　we　will　only　venture　to　express　a　desire　that　before　you　give　any　relief　you　make　acquaintance　with　the　details　of　the　case　on　the　spot；　and　also；　which　is　very　important；　you　should　be　careful　that　corn　should　be　distributed　only　to　those　who　are　in　genuine　need；　and　not　to　the　drunken；　the　idle；　or　the　dishonest。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　yes　。　。　。〃　muttered　Ivan　Ivanitch。　〃To　be　sure；　to　be　sure。〃

〃Well；　one　won't　get　much　done　with　that　slobbering　wreck；〃　I　thought；　and　I　felt　irritated。

〃I　am　sick　of　these　famine…stricken　peasants；　bother　them！　It's　nothing　but　grievances　with　them！〃　Ivan　Ivanitch　went　on；　sucking　the　rind　of　the　lemon。　〃The　hungry　have　a　grievance　against　those　who　have　enough；　and　those　who　have　enough　have　a　grievance　against　the　hungry。　Yes　。　。　。　hunger　stupefies　and　maddens　a　man　and　makes　him　savage；　hunger　is　not　a　potato。　When　a　man　is　starving　he　uses　bad　language；　and　steals；　and　may　do　worse。　。　。　。　One　must　realize　that。〃

Ivan　Ivanitch　choked　over　his　tea；　coughed；　and　shook　all　over　with　a　squeaky；　smothered　laughter。

〃　'There　was　a　battle　at　Pol　。　。　。　Poltava；'　〃　he　brought　out；　gesticulating　with　both　hands　in　protest　against　the　laughter　and　coughing　which　prevented　him　from　speaking。　〃　'There　was　a　battle　at　Poltava！'　When　three　years　after　the　Emancipation　we　had　famine　in　two　districts　here；　Fyodor　Fyodoritch　came　and　invited　me　to　go　to　him。　'Come　along；　come　along；'　he　persisted；　and　nothing　else　would　satisfy　him。　'Very　well；　let　us　go；'　I　said。　And；　so　we　set　off。　It　was　in　the　evening；　there　was　snow　falling。　Towards　night　we　were　getting　near　his　place；　and　suddenly　from　the　wood　came　'bang！'　and　another　time　'bang！'　'Oh；　damn　it　all！'　。　。　。　I　jumped　out　of　the　sledge；　and　I　saw　in　the　darkness　a　man　running　up　to　me；　knee…deep　in　the　snow。　I　put　my　arm　round　his　shoulder；　like　this；　and　knocked　the　gun　out　of　his　hand。　Then　another　one　turned　up；　I　fetched　him　a　knock　on　the　back　of　his　head　so　that　he　grunted　and　flopped　with　his　nose　in　the　snow。　I　was　a　sturdy　chap　then；　my　fist　was　heavy；　I　disposed　of　two　of　them；　and　when　I　turned　round　Fyodor　was　sitting　astride　of　a　third。　We　did　not　let　our　three　fine　fellows　go；　we　tied　their　hands　behind　their　backs　so　that　they　might　not　do　us　or　themselves　any　harm；　and　took　the　fools　into　the　kitchen。　We　were　angry　with　them　and　at　the　same　time　ashamed　to　look　at　them；　they　were　peasants　we　knew；　and　were　good　fellows；　we　were　sorry　for　them。　They　were　quite　stupid　with　terror。　One　was　crying　and　begging　our　pardon；　the　second　looked　like　a　wild　beast　and　kept　swearing；　the　third　knelt　down　and　began　to　pray。　I　said　to　Fedya：　'Don't　bear　them　a　grudge；　let　them　go；　the　rascals！'　He　fed　them；　gave　them　a　bushel　of　flour　each；　and　let　them　go：　'Get　along　with　you；'　he　said。　So　that's　what　he　did。。　。　。　The　Kingdom　of　Heaven　be　his　and　everlasting　peace！　He　understood　and　did　not　bear　them　a　grudge；　but　there　were　some　who　did；　and　how　many　people　they　ruined！　Yes。　。　。　Why；　over　the　affair　at　the　Klotchkovs'　tavern　eleven　men　were　sent　to　the　disciplinary　battalion。　Yes。　。　。　。　And　now；　look；　it's　the　same　thing。　Anisyin；　the　investigating　magistrate；　stayed　the　night　with　me　last　Thursday；　and　he　told　me　about　some　landowner。　。　。　。　Yes。　。　。　。　They　took　the　wall　of　his　barn　to　pieces　at　night　and　carried　off　twenty　sacks　of　rye。　When　the　gentleman　heard　that　such　a　crime　had　been　committed；　he　sent　a　telegram　to　the　Governor　and　another　to　the　police　captain；　another　to　the　investigating　magistrate！　。　。　。　Of　course；　every　one　is　afraid　of　a　man　who　is　fond　of　litigation。　The　authorities　were　in　a　flutter　and　there　was　a　general　hubbub。　Two　villages　were　searched。〃

〃Excuse　me；　Ivan　Ivanitch；〃　I　said。　〃Twenty　sacks　of　rye　were　stolen　from　me；　and　it　was　I　who　telegraphed　to　the　Governor。　I　telegraphed　to　Petersburg；　too。　But　it　was　by　no　means　out　of　love　for　litigation；　as　you　are　pleased　to　express　it；　and　not　because　I　bore　them　a　grudge。　I　look　at　every　subject　from　the　point　of　view　of　principle。　From　the　point　of　view　of　the　law；　theft　is　the　same　whether　a　man　is　hungry　or　not。〃

〃Yes；　yes。　。　。〃　muttered　Ivan　Ivanitch　in　confusion。　〃Of　course。　。　。　To　be　sure；　yes。〃

Natalya　Gavrilovna　blushed。

〃There　are　people。　。　。〃　she　said　and　stopped；　she　made　an　effort　to　seem　indifferent；　but　she　could　not　keep　it　up；　and　looked　into　my　eyes　with　the　hatred　that　I　know　so　well。　〃There　are　people；〃　she　said；　〃for　whom　famine　and　human　suffering　exist　simply　that　they　may　vent　their　hateful　and　despicable　temperaments　upon　them。〃

I　was　confused　and　shrugged　my　shoulders。

〃I　meant　to　say　generally；〃　she　went　on；　〃that　there　are　people　who　are　quite　indifferent　and　completely　devoid　of　all　feeling　of　sympathy；　yet　who　do　not　pass　human　suffering　by；　but　insist　on　meddling　for　fear　people　should　be　able　to　do　without　them。　Nothing　is　sacred　for　their　vanity。〃

〃There　are　people；〃　I　said　softly；　〃who　have　an　angelic　character；　but　who　express　their　glorious　ideas　in　such　a　form　that　it　is　difficult　to　distinguish　the　angel　from　an　Odessa　market…woman。〃

I　must　confess　it　was　not　happily　expressed。

My　wife　looked　at　me　as　though　it　cost　her　a　great　effort　to　hold　her　tongue。　Her　sudden　outburst；　and　then　her　inappropriate　eloquence　on　the　subject　of　my　desire　to　help　the　famine…stricken　peasants；　were；　to　say　the　least；　out　of　place；　when　I　had　invited　her　to　come　upstairs　I　had　expected　quite　a　different　attitude　to　me　and　my　intentions。　I　cannot　say　definitely　what　I　had　expected；　but　I　had　been　agreeably　agitated　by　the　expectation。　Now　I　saw　that　to　go　on　speaking　about　the　famine　would　be　difficult　and　perhaps　stupid。

〃Yes　。　。　。〃　Ivan　Ivanitch　muttered　inappropriately。　〃Burov；　the　merchant；　must　have　four　hundred　thousand　at　least。　I　said　to　him：　'Hand　over　one　or　two　thousand　to　the　famine。　You　can't　take　it　with　you　when　you　die；　anyway。'　He　was　offended。　But　we　all　have　to　die；　you　know。　Death　is　not　a　potato。〃

A　silence　followed　again。

〃So　there's　nothing　left　for　me　but　to　reconcile　myself　to　loneliness；〃　I　sighed。　〃One　cannot　fight　single…handed。　Well；　I　will　try　single…handed。　Let　us　hope　that　my　campaign　against　the　famine　will　be　more　successful　than　my　campaign　against　indifference。〃

〃I　am　expected　downstairs；〃　said　Natalya　Gavrilovna。

She　got　up　from　the　table　and　turned　to　Ivan　Ivanitch。

〃So　you　will　look　in　upon　me　downstairs　for　a　minute？　I　won't　say　good…bye　to　you。〃

And　she　went　away。

Ivan　Ivanitch　was　now　drinking　his　seventh　glass　of　tea；　choking；　smacking　his　lips；　and　sucking　sometimes　his　moustache；　sometimes　the　lemon。　He　was　muttering　something　drowsily　and　listlessly；　and　I　did　not　listen　but　waited　for　him　to　go。　At　last；　with　an　expression　that　suggested　that　he　had　only　come　to　me　to　take　a　cup　of　tea；　he　got　up　and　began