the wife and other stories-第44节

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　gentleman　by　education；　a　studious　person　by　disposition；　but　there　was　a　big　debt　owing　on　the　estate　when　I　came　here；　and　as　my　father　was　in　debt　partly　because　he　had　spent　so　much　on　my　education；　I　resolved　not　to　go　away；　but　to　work　till　I　paid　off　the　debt。　I　made　up　my　mind　to　this　and　set　to　work；　not；　I　must　confess；　without　some　repugnance。　The　land　here　does　not　yield　much；　and　if　one　is　not　to　farm　at　a　loss　one　must　employ　serf　labour　or　hired　labourers；　which　is　almost　the　same　thing；　or　put　it　on　a　peasant　footing　　that　is；　work　the　fields　oneself　and　with　one's　family。　There　is　no　middle　path。　But　in　those　days　I　did　not　go　into　such　subtleties。　I　did　not　leave　a　clod　of　earth　unturned；　I　gathered　together　all　the　peasants；　men　and　women；　from　the　neighbouring　villages；　the　work　went　on　at　a　tremendous　pace。　I　myself　ploughed　and　sowed　and　reaped；　and　was　bored　doing　it；　and　frowned　with　disgust；　like　a　village　cat　driven　by　hunger　to　eat　cucumbers　in　the　kitchen…garden。　My　body　ached；　and　I　slept　as　I　walked。　At　first　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　could　easily　reconcile　this　life　of　toil　with　my　cultured　habits；　to　do　so；　I　thought；　all　that　is　necessary　is　to　maintain　a　certain　external　order　in　life。　I　established　myself　upstairs　here　in　the　best　rooms；　and　ordered　them　to　bring　me　there　coffee　and　liquor　after　lunch　and　dinner；　and　when　I　went　to　bed　I　read　every　night　the　_Yyesnik　Evropi_。　But　one　day　our　priest；　Father　Ivan；　came　and　drank　up　all　my　liquor　at　one　sitting；　and　the　_Yyesnik　Evropi_　went　to　the　priest's　daughters；　as　in　the　summer；　especially　at　the　haymaking；　I　did　not　succeed　in　getting　to　my　bed　at　all；　and　slept　in　the　sledge　in　the　barn；　or　somewhere　in　the　forester's　lodge；　what　chance　was　there　of　reading？　Little　by　little　I　moved　downstairs；　began　dining　in　the　servants'　kitchen；　and　of　my　former　luxury　nothing　is　left　but　the　servants　who　were　in　my　father's　service；　and　whom　it　would　be　painful　to　turn　away。

〃In　the　first　years　I　was　elected　here　an　honourary　justice　of　the　peace。　I　used　to　have　to　go　to　the　town　and　take　part　in　the　sessions　of　the　congress　and　of　the　circuit　court；　and　this　was　a　pleasant　change　for　me。　When　you　live　here　for　two　or　three　months　without　a　break；　especially　in　the　winter；　you　begin　at　last　to　pine　for　a　black　coat。　And　in　the　circuit　court　there　were　frock…coats；　and　uniforms；　and　dress…coats；　too；　all　lawyers；　men　who　have　received　a　general　education；　I　had　some　one　to　talk　to。　After　sleeping　in　the　sledge　and　dining　in　the　kitchen；　to　sit　in　an　arm…chair　in　clean　linen；　in　thin　boots；　with　a　chain　on　one's　waistcoat；　is　such　luxury！

〃I　received　a　warm　welcome　in　the　town。　I　made　friends　eagerly。　And　of　all　my　acquaintanceships　the　most　intimate　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　the　most　agreeable　to　me　was　my　acquaintance　with　Luganovitch；　the　vice…president　of　the　circuit　court。　You　both　know　him：　a　most　charming　personality。　It　all　happened　just　after　a　celebrated　case　of　incendiarism；　the　preliminary　investigation　lasted　two　days；　we　were　exhausted。　Luganovitch　looked　at　me　and　said：

〃　'Look　here；　come　round　to　dinner　with　me。'

〃This　was　unexpected；　as　I　knew　Luganovitch　very　little；　only　officially；　and　I　had　never　been　to　his　house。　I　only　just　went　to　my　hotel　room　to　change　and　went　off　to　dinner。　And　here　it　was　my　lot　to　meet　Anna　Alexyevna；　Luganovitch's　wife。　At　that　time　she　was　still　very　young；　not　more　than　twenty…two；　and　her　first　baby　had　been　born　just　six　months　before。　It　is　all　a　thing　of　the　past；　and　now　I　should　find　it　difficult　to　define　what　there　was　so　exceptional　in　her；　what　it　was　in　her　attracted　me　so　much；　at　the　time；　at　dinner；　it　was　all　perfectly　clear　to　me。　I　saw　a　lovely　young；　good；　intelligent；　fascinating　woman；　such　as　I　had　never　met　before；　and　I　felt　her　at　once　some　one　close　and　already　familiar；　as　though　that　face；　those　cordial；　intelligent　eyes；　I　had　seen　somewhere　in　my　childhood；　in　the　album　which　lay　on　my　mother's　chest　of　drawers。

〃Four　Jews　were　charged　with　being　incendiaries；　were　regarded　as　a　gang　of　robbers；　and；　to　my　mind；　quite　groundlessly。　At　dinner　I　was　very　much　excited；　I　was　uncomfortable；　and　I　don't　know　what　I　said；　but　Anna　Alexyevna　kept　shaking　her　head　and　saying　to　her　husband：

〃　'Dmitry；　how　is　this？'

〃Luganovitch　is　a　good…natured　man；　one　of　those　simple…hearted　people　who　firmly　maintain　the　opinion　that　once　a　man　is　charged　before　a　court　he　is　guilty；　and　to　express　doubt　of　the　correctness　of　a　sentence　cannot　be　done　except　in　legal　form　on　paper；　and　not　at　dinner　and　in　private　conversation。

〃　'You　and　I　did　not　set　fire　to　the　place；'　he　said　softly；　'and　you　see　we　are　not　condemned；　and　not　in　prison。'

〃And　both　husband　and　wife　tried　to　make　me　eat　and　drink　as　much　as　possible。　From　some　trifling　details；　from　the　way　they　made　the　coffee　together；　for　instance；　and　from　the　way　they　understood　each　other　at　half　a　word；　I　could　gather　that　they　lived　in　harmony　and　comfort；　and　that　they　were　glad　of　a　visitor。　After　dinner　they　played　a　duet　on　the　piano；　then　it　got　dark；　and　I　went　home。　That　was　at　the　beginning　of　spring。

〃After　that　I　spent　the　whole　summer　at　Sofino　without　a　break；　and　I　had　no　time　to　think　of　the　town；　either；　but　the　memory　of　the　graceful　fair…haired　woman　remained　in　my　mind　all　those　days；　I　did　not　think　of　her；　but　it　was　as　though　her　light　shadow　were　lying　on　my　heart。

〃In　the　late　autumn　there　was　a　theatrical　performance　for　some　charitable　object　in　the　town。　I　went　into　the　governor's　box　（I　was　invited　to　go　there　in　the　interval）；　I　looked；　and　there　was　Anna　Alexyevna　sitting　beside　the　governor's　wife；　and　again　the　same　irresistible；　thrilling　impression　of　beauty　and　sweet；　caressing　eyes；　and　again　the　same　feeling　of　nearness。　We　sat　side　by　side；　then　went　to　the　foyer。

〃　'You've　grown　thinner；'　she　said；　'have　you　been　ill？'

〃　'Yes；　I've　had　rheumatism　in　my　shoulder；　and　in　rainy　weather　I　can't　sleep。'

〃　'You　look　dispirited。　In　the　spring；　when　you　came　to　dinner；　you　were　younger；　more　confident。　You　were　full　of　eagerness；　and　talked　a　great　deal　then；　you　were　very　interesting；　and　I　really　must　confess　I　was　a　little　carried　away　by　you。　For　some　reason　you　often　came　back　to　my　memory　during　the　summer；　and　when　I　was　getting　ready　for　the　theatre　today　I　thought　I　should　see　you。'

〃And　she　laughed。

〃　'But　you　look　dispirited　today；'　she　repeated；　'it　makes　you　seem　older。'

〃The　next　day　I　lunched　at　the　Luganovitchs'。　After　lunch　they　drove　out　to　their　summer　villa；　in　order　to　make　arrangements　there　for　the　winter；　and　I　went　with　them。　I　returned　with　them　to　the　town；　and　at　midnight　drank　tea　with　them　in　quiet　domestic　surroundings；　while　the　fire　glowed；　and　the　young　mother　kept　going　to　see　if　her　baby　girl　was　asleep。　And　after　that；　every　time　I　went　to　town　I　never　failed　to　visit　the　Luganovitchs。　They　grew　used　to　me；　and　I　grew　used　to　them。　As　a　rule　I　went　in　unannounced；　as　though　I　were　one　of　the　family。

〃　'Who　is　there？'　I　would　hear　from　a　faraway　room；　in　the　drawling　voice　that　seemed　to　me　so　lovely。

〃　'It　is　Pavel　Konstantinovitch；'　answered　the　maid　or　the　nurs　e。

〃Anna　Alexyevna　would　come　out　to　me　with　an　anxious　face；　and　would　ask　every　time：

〃　'Why　is　it　so　long　since　you　have　been？　Has　anything　happened？'

〃Her　eyes；　the　elegant　refined　hand　she　gave　me；　her　indoor　dress；　the　way　she　did　her　hair；　her　voice；　her　step；　always　produced　the　same　impression　on　me　of　something　new　and　extraordinary　in　my　life；　and　very　important。　We　talked　together　for　hours；　were　silent；　thinking　each　our　own　thoughts；　or　she　played　for　hours　to　me　on　the　piano。　If　there　were　no　one　at　home　I　stayed　and　waited；　talked　to　the　nurse；　played　with　the　child；　or　lay　on　the　sofa　in　the　study　and　read；　and　when　Anna　Alexyevna　came　back　I　met　her　in　the　hall；　took　all　her　parcels　from　her；　and　for　some　reason　I　carried　those　parcels　every　time　with　as　much　love；　with　as　much　solemnity；　as　a　boy。

〃There　is　a　proverb　that　if　a　peasant　woman　has　no　troubles　she　will　buy　a　pig。　The　Luganovitchs　had　no　troubles；　so　they　made　friends　with　me。　If　I　did　not　come　to　the　town　I　must　be　ill　or　something　must　have　happened　to　me；　and　both　of　them　were　extremely　anxious。　They　were　worried　that　I；　an　educated　man　with　a　knowledge　of　languages；　should；　instead　of　devoting　myself　to　science　or　literary　work；　live　in　the　country；　rush　round　like　a　squirrel　in　a　rage；　work　hard　with　never　a　penny　to　show　for　it。　They　fancied　that　I　was　unhappy；　and　that　I　only　talked；　laughed；　and　ate　to　conceal　my　sufferings；　and　even　at　cheerful　moments　when　I　felt　happy　I　was　aware　of　their　searching　eyes　fixed　upon　me。　They　were　particularly　touching　when　I　really　was　depressed；　when　I　was　being　worried　by　some　creditor　or　had　not　money　enough　to　pay　interest　on　the　proper　day。　The　two　of　them；　husband　and　wife；　would　whisper　together　at　the　window；　then　he　would　come　to　me　and　say　with　a　grave　face：

〃　'If　you　really　are　in　need　of　money　at　the　moment；　Pavel　Konstantinovitch；　my　wife　and　I　beg　you　not　to　hesitate　to　borrow　from　us。'

〃And　he　would　blush　to　his