the witch and other stories(女巫)-第28节
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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；
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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
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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。
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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 all of them。 The tanyard often made
the water in the little river stink； the refuse contaminated the meadows； the
peasants' cattle suffered from Siberian plague； and orders were given that
the factory should be closed。 It was considered to be closed； but went on
