the witch and other stories(女巫)-第37节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
131
… Page 132…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
can make out；' he used to say； 'which are my children and which are other
people's。' An easy…going disposition； to be sure； and so I now can't
distinguish which are genuine roubles and which are false ones。 And it
seems to me that they are all false。〃
〃Nonsense； God bless you。〃
〃I take a ticket at the station； I give the man three roubles； and I keep
fancying they are false。 And I am frightened。 I must be ill。〃
〃There's no denying it； we are all in God's hands。 。 。 。 Oh dear；
dear 。 。 。〃 said Varvara； and she shook her head。 〃You ought to think about
this； Grigory Petrovitch： you never know； anything may happen； you are
not a young man。 See they don't wrong your grandchild when you are
dead and gone。 Oy； I am afraid they will be unfair to Nikifor！ He has as
good as no father； his mother's young and foolish 。 。 。 you ought to secure
something for him； poor little boy； at least the land； Butyokino； Grigory
Petrovitch； really！ Think it over！〃 Varvara went on persuading him。 〃The
pretty boy； one is sorry for him！ You go to…morrow and make out a deed；
why put it off？〃
〃I'd forgotten about my grandson；〃 said Tsybukin。 〃I must go and have
a look at him。 So you say the boy is all right？ Well； let him grow up；
please God。〃
He opened the door and； crooking his finger； beckoned to Lipa。 She
went up to him with the baby in her arms。
〃If there is anything you want； Lipinka； you ask for it；〃 he said。 〃And
eat anything you like； we don't grudge it； so long as it does you good。 。 。 。〃
He made the sign of the cross over the baby。 〃And take care of my
grandchild。 My son is gone； but my grandson is left。〃
Tears rolled down his cheeks； he gave a sob and went away。 Soon
afterwards he went to bed and slept soundly after seven sleepless nights。
VII
Old Tsybukin went to the town for a short time。 Someone told Aksinya
that he had gone to the notary to make his will and that he was leaving
Butyokino； the very place where she had set up a brickyard； to Nikifor； his
grandson。 She was informed of this in the morning when old Tsybukin and
132
… Page 133…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
Varvara were sitting near the steps under the birch…tree； drinking their tea。
She closed the shop in the front and at the back； gathered together all the
keys she had； and flung them at her father…in…law's feet。
〃I am not going on working for you；〃 she began in a loud voice； and
suddenly broke into sobs。 〃It seems I am not your daughter…in…law； but a
servant！ Everybody's jeering and saying； 'See what a servant the Tsybukins
have got hold of！' I did not come to you for wages！ I am not a beggar； I am
not a slave； I have a father and mother。〃
She did not wipe away her tears； she fixed upon her father…in…law eyes
full of tears； vindictive； squinting with wrath； her face and neck were red
and tense； and she was shouting at the top of her voice。
〃I don't mean to go on being a slave！〃 she went on。 〃I am worn out。
When it is work； when it is sitting in the shop day in and day out；
scurrying out at night for vodka then it is my share； but when it is giving
away the land then it is for that convict's wife and her imp。 She is mistress
here； and I am her servant。 Give her everything； the convict's wife； and
may it choke her！ I am going home！ Find yourselves some other fool； you
damned Herods！〃
Tsybukin had never in his life scolded or punished his children； and
had never dreamed that one of his family could speak to him rudely or
behave disrespectfully； and now he was very much frightened； he ran into
the house and there hid behind the cupboard。 And Varvara was so much
flustered that she could not get up from her seat； and only waved her
hands before her as though she were warding off a bee。
〃Oh； Holy Saints！ what's the meaning of it？〃 she muttered in horror。
〃What is she shouting？ Oh； dear； dear！ 。 。 。 People will hear！ Hush。 Oh；
hush！〃
〃He has given Butyokino to the convict's wife；〃 Aksinya went on
bawling。 〃Give her everything now； I don't want anything from you！ Let
me alone！ You are all a gang of thieves here！ I have seen my fill of it； I
have had enough！ You have robbed folks coming in and going out； you
have robbed old and young alike； you brigands！ And who has been selling
vodka without a licence？ And false money？ You've filled boxes full of
false coins； and now I am no more use！〃
133
… Page 134…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
A crowd had by now collected at the open gate and was staring into
the yard。
〃Let the people look；〃 bawled Aksinya。 〃I will shame you all！ You
shall burn with shame！ You shall grovel at my feet。 Hey！ Stepan；〃 she
called to the deaf man； 〃let us go home this minute！ Let us go to my father
and mother； I don't want to live with convicts。 Get ready！〃
Clothes were hanging on lines stretched across the yard； she snatched
off her petticoats and blouses still wet and flung them into the deaf man's
arms。 Then in her fury she dashed about the yard by the linen； tore down
all of it； and what was not hers she threw on the ground and trampled
upon。
〃Holy Saints； take her away；〃 moaned Varvara。 〃What a woman！ Give
her Butyokino！ Give it her； for the Lord's sake！
〃Well！ Wha…at a woman！〃 people were saying at the gate。 〃She's a wo…
oman！ She's going it something like！〃
Aksinya ran into the kitchen where washing was going on。 Lipa was
washing alone； the cook had gone to the river to rinse the clothes。 Steam
was rising from the trough and from the caldron on the side of the stove；
and the kitchen was thick and stifling from the steam。 On the floor was a
heap of unwashed clothes； and Nikifor； kicking up his little red legs； had
been put down on a bench near them； so that if he fell he should not hurt
himself。 Just as Aksinya went in Lipa took the former's chemise out of the
heap and put it in the trough； and was just stretching out her hand to a big
ladle of boiling water which was standing on the table。
〃Give it here；〃 said Aksinya； looking at her with hatred； and snatching
the chemise out of the trough； 〃it is not your business to touch my linen！
You are a convict's wife； and ought to know your place and who you are。〃
Lipa gazed at her； taken aback； and did not understand； but suddenly
she caught the look Aksinya turned upon the child； and at once she
understood and went numb all over。
〃You've taken my land； so here you are！〃 Saying this Aksinya snatched
up the ladle with the boiling water and flung it over Nikifor。
After this there was heard a scream such as had never been heard
before in Ukleevo； and no one would have believed that a little weak
134
… Page 135…
THE WITCH AND OTHER STORIES
creature like Lipa could scream like that。 And it was suddenly silent in the
yard。
Aksinya walked into the house with her old naive smile。 。 。 。 The deaf
man kept moving about the yard with his arms full of linen； then he began
hanging it up again； in silence； without haste。 And until the cook came
back from the river no one ventured to go into the kitchen and see what
was there。
VIII
Nikifor was taken to the district hospital； and towards evening he died
there。 Lipa did not wait for them to come for her； but wrapped the dead
baby in its little quilt and carried it home。
The hospital； a new one recently built； with big windows； stood high
up on a hill； it was glittering from the setting sun and looked as though it
were on fire from inside。 There was a little village below。 Lipa went down
along the road； and before reaching the village sat down by a pond。 A
woman brought a horse down to drink and the horse did not drink。
〃What more do you want？〃 said the woman to it softly。 〃What do you
want？〃
A boy in a red shirt； s
