the wife and other stories-第40章

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t　were　a　pendulum；　whistling；　and　nodding　his　head　in　time。　He　had　an　extremely　careless　and　frivolous　expression　all　the　while；　as　though　he　were　not　working；　but　playing　at　noughts　and　crosses。　I　always　saw　him　wearing　a　smart　short　jacket　and　a　jauntily　tied　cravat；　and　he　always　smelt；　even　through　the　keyhole；　of　delicate　feminine　perfumery。　He　only　left　his　room　for　dinner；　but　he　ate　little。

〃I　can't　make　brother　out！〃　mother　complained　of　him。　〃Every　day　we　kill　a　turkey　and　pigeons　on　purpose　for　him；　I　make　a　_compote_　with　my　own　hands；　and　he　eats　a　plateful　of　broth　and　a　bit　of　meat　the　size　of　a　finger　and　gets　up　from　the　table。　I　begin　begging　him　to　eat；　he　comes　back　and　drinks　a　glass　of　milk。　And　what　is　there　in　that；　in　a　glass　of　milk？　It's　no　better　than　washing　up　water！　You　may　die　of　a　diet　like　that。　。　。　。　If　I　try　to　persuade　him；　he　laughs　and　makes　a　joke　of　it。　。　。　。　No；　he　does　not　care　for　our　fare；　poor　dear！〃

We　spent　the　evenings　far　more　gaily　than　the　days。　As　a　rule；　by　the　time　the　sun　was　setting　and　long　shadows　were　lying　across　the　yard；　we　　that　is；　Tatyana　Ivanovna；　Pobyedimsky；　and　I　　were　sitting　on　the　steps　of　the　lodge。　We　did　not　talk　till　it　grew　quite　dusk。　And；　indeed；　what　is　one　to　talk　of　when　every　subject　has　been　talked　over　already？　There　was　only　one　thing　new；　my　uncle's　arrival；　and　even　that　subject　was　soon　exhausted。　My　tutor　never　took　his　eyes　off　Tatyana　Ivanovna　's　face；　and　frequently　heaved　deep　sighs。　。　。　。　At　the　time　I　did　not　understand　those　sighs；　and　did　not　try　to　fathom　their　significance；　now　they　explain　a　great　deal　to　me。

When　the　shadows　merged　into　one　thick　mass　of　shade；　the　bailiff　Fyodor　would　come　in　from　shooting　or　from　the　field。　This　Fyodor　gave　me　the　impres　sion　of　being　a　fierce　and　even　a　terrible　man。　The　son　of　a　Russianized　gipsy　from　Izyumskoe；　swarthy…faced　and　curly…headed；　with　big　black　eyes　and　a　matted　beard；　he　was　never　called　among　our　Kotchuevko　peasants　by　any　name　but　〃The　Devil。〃　And；　indeed；　there　was　a　great　deal　of　the　gipsy　about　him　apart　from　his　appearance。　He　could　not；　for　instance；　stay　at　home；　and　went　off　for　days　together　into　the　country　or　into　the　woods　to　shoot。　He　was　gloomy；　ill…humoured；　taciturn；　was　afraid　of　nobody；　and　refused　to　recognize　any　authority。　He　was　rude　to　mother；　addressed　me　familiarly；　and　was　contemptuous　of　Pobyedimsky's　learning。　All　this　we　forgave　him；　looking　upon　him　as　a　hot…tempered　and　nervous　man；　mother　liked　him　because；　in　spite　of　his　gipsy　nature；　he　was　ideally　honest　and　industrious。　He　loved　his　Tatyana　Ivanovna　passionately；　like　a　gipsy；　but　this　love　took　in　him　a　gloomy　form；　as　though　it　cost　him　suffering。　He　was　never　affectionate　to　his　wife　in　our　presence；　but　simply　rolled　his　eyes　angrily　at　her　and　twisted　his　mouth。

When　he　came　in　from　the　fields　he　would　noisily　and　angrily　put　down　his　gun；　would　come　out　to　us　on　the　steps；　and　sit　down　beside　his　wife。　After　resting　a　little；　he　would　ask　his　wife　a　few　questions　about　household　matters；　and　then　sink　into　silence。

〃Let　us　sing；〃　I　would　suggest。

My　tutor　would　tune　his　guitar；　and　in　a　deep　deacon's　bass　strike　up　〃In　the　midst　of　the　valley。〃　We　would　begin　singing。　My　tutor　took　the　bass；　Fyodor　sang　in　a　hardly　audible　tenor；　while　I　sang　soprano　in　unison　with　Tatyana　Ivanovna。

When　the　whole　sky　was　covered　with　stars　and　the　frogs　had　left　off　croaking；　they　would　bring　in　our　supper　from　the　kitchen。　We　went　into　the　lodge　and　sat　down　to　the　meal。　My　tutor　and　the　gipsy　ate　greedily；　with　such　a　sound　that　it　was　hard　to　tell　whether　it　was　the　bones　crunching　or　their　jaws；　and　Tatyana　Ivanovna　and　I　scarcely　succeeded　in　getting　our　share。　After　supper　the　lodge　was　plunged　in　deep　sleep。

One　evening；　it　was　at　the　end　of　May；　we　were　sitting　on　the　steps；　waiting　for　supper。　A　shadow　suddenly　fell　across　us；　and　Gundasov　stood　before　us　as　though　he　had　sprung　out　of　the　earth。　He　looked　at　us　for　a　long　time；　then　clasped　his　hands　and　laughed　gaily。

〃An　idyll！〃　he　said。　〃They　sing　and　dream　in　the　moonlight！　It's　charming；　upon　my　soul！　May　I　sit　down　and　dream　with　you？〃

We　looked　at　one　another　and　said　nothing。　My　uncle　sat　down　on　the　bottom　step；　yawned；　and　looked　at　the　sky。　A　silence　followed。　Pobyedimsky；　who　had　for　a　long　time　been　wanting　to　talk　to　somebody　fresh；　was　delighted　at　the　opportunity；　and　was　the　first　to　break　the　silence。　He　had　only　one　subject　for　intellectual　conversation；　the　epizootic　diseases。　It　sometimes　happens　that　after　one　has　been　in　an　immense　crowd；　only　some　one　countenance　of　the　thousands　remains　long　imprinted　on　the　memory；　in　the　same　way；　of　all　that　Pobyedimsky　had　heard；　during　his　six　months　at　the　veterinary　institute；　he　remembered　only　one　passage：

〃The　epizootics　do　immense　damage　to　the　stock　of　the　country。　It　is　the　duty　of　society　to　work　hand　in　hand　with　the　government　in　waging　war　upon　them。〃

Before　saying　this　to　Gundasov；　my　tutor　cleared　his　throat　three　times；　and　several　times；　in　his　excitement；　wrapped　himself　up　in　his　Inverness。　On　hearing　about　the　epizootics；　my　uncle　looked　intently　at　my　tutor　and　made　a　sound　between　a　snort　and　a　laugh。

〃Upon　my　soul；　that's　charming！〃　he　said；　scrutinizing　us　as　though　we　were　mannequins。　〃This　is　actually　life。　。　。　。　This　is　really　what　reality　is　bound　to　be。　Why　are　you　silent；　Pelagea　Ivanovna？〃　he　said；　addressing　Tatyana　Ivanovna。

She　coughed；　overcome　with　confusion。

〃Talk；　my　friends；　sing　。　。　。　play！　。　。　。　Don't　lose　time。　You　know；　time；　the　rascal；　runs　away　and　waits　for　no　man！　Upon　my　soul；　before　you　have　time　to　look　round；　old　age　is　upon　you。　。　。　。　Then　it　is　too　late　to　live！　That's　how　it　is；　Pelagea　Ivanovna。　。　。　。　We　mustn't　sit　still　and　be　silent。　。　。　。〃

At　that　point　supper　was　brought　out　from　the　kitchen。　Uncle　went　into　the　lodge　with　us；　and　to　keep　us　company　ate　five　curd　fritters　and　the　wing　of　a　duck。　He　ate　and　looked　at　us。　He　was　touched　and　delighted　by　us　all。　Whatever　silly　nonsense　my　precious　tutor　talked；　and　whatever　Tatyana　Ivanovna　did；　he　thought　charming　and　delightful。　When　after　supper　Tatyana　Ivanovna　sat　quietly　down　and　took　up　her　knitting；　he　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　her　fingers　and　chatted　away　without　ceasing。

〃Make　all　the　haste　you　can　to　live；　my　friends。　。　。〃　he　said。　〃God　forbid　you　should　sacrifice　the　present　for　the　future！　There　is　youth；　health；　fire　in　the　present；　the　future　is　smoke　and　deception！　As　soon　as　you　are　twenty　begin　to　live。〃

Tatyana　Ivanovna　dropped　a　knitting…needle。　My　uncle　jumped　up；　picked　up　the　needle；　and　handed　it　to　Tatyana　Ivanovna　with　a　bow；　and　for　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　learnt　that　there　were　people　in　the　world　more　refined　than　Pobyedimsky。

〃Yes　。　。　。〃　my　uncle　went　on；　〃love；　marry；　do　silly　things。　Foolishness　is　a　great　deal　more　living　and　healthy　than　our　straining　and　striving　after　rational　life。〃

My　uncle　talked　a　great　deal；　so　much　that　he　bored　us；　I　sat　on　a　box　listening　to　him　and　dropping　to　sleep。　It　distressed　me　that　he　did　not　once　all　the　evening　pay　attention　to　me。　He　left　the　lodge　at　two　o'clock；　when；　overcome　with　drowsiness；　I　was　sound　asleep。

From　that　time　forth　my　uncle　took　to　coming　to　the　lodge　every　evening。　He　sang　with　us；　had　supper　with　us；　and　always　stayed　on　till　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　chatting　incessantly；　always　about　the　same　subject。　His　evening　and　night　work　was　given　up；　and　by　the　end　of　June；　when　the　privy　councillor　had　learned　to　eat　mother's　turkey　and　_compote_；　his　work　by　day　was　abandoned　too。　My　uncle　tore　himself　away　from　his　table　and　plunged　into　〃life。〃　In　the　daytime　he　walked　up　and　down　the　garden；　he　whistled　to　the　workmen　and　hindered　them　from　working；　making　them　tell　him　their　various　histories。　When　his　eye　fell　on　Tatyana　Ivanovna　he　ran　up　to　her；　and；　if　she　were　carrying　anything；　offered　his　assistance；　which　embarrassed　her　dreadfully。

As　the　summer　advanced　my　uncle　grew　more　and　more　frivolous；　volatile；　and　careless。　Pobyedimsky　was　completely　disillusioned　in　regard　to　him。

〃He　is　too　one…sided；〃　he　said