creatures that once were men-第3部分

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！



with　a　slightly　happier　face。



〃Good…day；　your　honor；　and　how　do　you　do？〃



〃Alive；　in　good　health！　Go　on。〃



〃Don't　you　know　me？〃



〃I　did　not　know　you。〃



〃Do　you　remember　that　I　lived　with　you　last　winter　for　nearly　a　

month　。　。　。　when　the　fight　with　the　police　took　place；　and　

three　were　taken　away？〃　



〃My　brother；　that　is　so。　The　police　do　come　even　under　my　

hospitable　roof！〃



〃My　God！　You　gave　a　piece　of　your　mind　to　the　police　inspector　

of　this　district！〃



〃Wouldn't　you　accept　some　small　hospitality　from　me？　When　I　

lived　with　you；　you　were。　。　。　。〃　





18　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Gratitude　must　be　encouraged　because　it　is　seldom　met　with。　

You　seem　to　be　a　good　man；　and；　though　I　don't　remember　you；　

still　I　will　go　with　you　into　the　public…house　and　drink　to　

your　success　and　future　prospects　with　the　greatest　pleasure。〃



〃You　seem　always　the　same　。　。　。　Are　you　always　joking？〃



〃What　else　can　one　do；　living　among　you　unfortunate　men？〃



They　went。　　Sometimes　the　Captain's　former　customer；　uplifted　

and　unsettled　by　the　entertainment；　returned　to　the　dosshouse；　

and　on　the　following　morning　they　would　again　begin　treating　

each　other　till　the　Captain's　companion　would　wake　up　to　

realize　that　he　had　spent　all　his　money　in　drink。



〃Your　honor；　do　you　see　that　I　have　again　fallen　into　your　

hands？　What　shall　we　do　now？〃



〃The　position；　no　doubt；　is　not　a　very　good　one；　but　still　

you　need　not　trouble　about　it；〃　reasoned　the　Captain。　　〃You　

must；　my　friend；　treat　everything　indifferently；　without　

spoiling　yourself　by　philosophy；　and　without　asking　yourself　

any　question。　　To　philosophize　is　always　foolish；　to　

philosophize　with　a　drunken　headache；　ineffably　so。　　Drunken　

headaches　require　vodki；　and　not　the　remorse　of　conscience　

or　gnashing　of　teeth　。　。　。　save　your　teeth；　or　else　you　will　

not　be　able　to　protect　yourself。　　Here　are　twenty　kopecks。　　Go　

and　buy　a　bottle　of　vodki　for　five　kopecks；　hot　tripe　or　lungs；　

one　pound　of　bread　and　two　cucumbers。　　When　we　have　lived　off　

our　drunken　headache　we　will　think　of　the　condition　of　

affairs。　。　。　。〃





19　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN　　





As　a　rule　the　consideration　of　the　〃condition　of　affairs〃　

lasted　some　two　or　three　days；　and　only　when　the　Captain　had　

not　a　farthing　left　of　the　three　roubles　or　five　roubles　given　

him　by　his　grateful　customer　did　he　say：　　〃You　came！　Do　you　

see？　　Now　that　we　have　drunk　everything　with　you；　you　fool；　

try　again　to　regain　the　path　of　virtue　and　soberness。　　It　has　

been　truly　said　that　if　you　do　not　sin；　you　will　not　repent；　

and；　if　you　do　not　repent；　you　shall　not　be　saved。　　We　have　done

the　first；　and　to　repent　is　useless。　Let　us　make　direct　for　

salvation。　　Go　to　the　river　and　work；　and　if　you　think　you　

cannot　control　yourself；　tell　the　contractor；　your　employer；　

to　keep　your　money；　or　else　give　it　to　me。　　When　you　get　

sufficient　capital；　I　will　get　you　a　pair　of　trousers　and　

other　things　necessary　to　make　you　seem　a　respectable　and　

hard…working　man；　persecuted　by　fate。　　With　decent…looking　

trousers　you　can　go　far。　　Now　then；　be　off！〃



Then　the　client　would　go　to　the　river　to　work　as　a　porter；　

smiling　the　while　over　the　Captain's　long　and　wise　speeches。　

He　did　not　distinctly　understand　them；　but　only　saw　in　front　

of　him　two　merry　eyes；　felt　their　encouraging　influence；　and　

knew　that　in　the　loquacious　Captain　he　had　an　arm　that　would　

assist　him　in　time　of　need。



And　really　it　happened　very　often　that；　for　a　month　or　so；　

some　ticket…of…leave　client；　under　the　strict　surveillance　of　

the　Captain；　had　the　opportunity　of　raising　himself　to　a　

condition　better　than　that　to　which；　thanks　to　the　Captain's　

cooperation；　he　had　fallen。





20　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Now；　then；　my　friend！〃　said　the　Captain；　glancing　critically　

at　the　restored　client；　〃we　have　a　coat　and　jacket。　　When　I　had　

respectable　trousers　I　lived　in　town　like　a　respectable　man。　

But　when　the　trousers　wore　out；　I；　too；　fell　off　in　the　opinion　

of　my　fellow…men　and　had　to　come　down　here　from　the　town。　　Men；　

my　fine　mannikin；　judge　everything　by　the　outward　appearance；　

while；　owing　to　their　foolishness；　the　actual　reality　of　things　

is　incomprehensible　to　them。　　Make　a　note　of　this　on　your　nose；　

and　pay　me　at　least　half　your　debt。　Go　in　peace；　seek；　and　you　

may　find。〃



〃How　much　do　I　owe　you；　Aristid　Fomich？〃　asks　the　client；　in　

confusion。



〃One　rouble　and　70　kopecks　。　。　。　Now；　give　me　only　one　rouble；　

or；　if　you　like；　70　kopecks；　and　as　for　the　rest；　I　shall　wait　

until　you　have　earned　more　than　you　have　now　by　stealing　or　by　

hard　work；　it　does　not　matter　to　me。〃



〃I　thank　you　humbly　for　your　kindness！〃　says　the　client；　touched　

to　the　heart。　　〃Truly　you　are　a　kind　man　。　。　。；　Life　has　

persecuted　you　in　vain　。　。　。　What　an　eagle　you　would　have　been　

in　your　own　place！〃



The　Captain　could　not　live　without　eloquent　speeches。



〃What　does　'in　my　own　place'　mean？　　No　one　really　knows　his　own　

place　in　life；　and　every　one　of　us　crawls　into　his　harness。　　The　

place　of　the　merchant　Judas　Petunikoff　ought　to　be　in　penal　

servitude；　but　he　still　walks　through　the　streets　in　daylight；　

and　even　intends　to　build　a　factory。　　The　place　of　our　teacher　

ought　to　be　beside　a　wife　and　half…a…dozen　children；　but　he　is　

loitering　in　the　public…house　of　Vaviloff。　





21　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN　　





〃And　then；　there　is　yourself。　　You　are　going　to　seek　a　situation　

as　a　hall　porter　or　waiter；　but　I　can　see　that　you　ought　to　be　a

soldier　in　the　army；　because　you　are　no　fool；　are　patient　and　

understand　discipline。　　Life　shuffles　us　like　cards；　you　see；　and　

it　is　only　accidentally；　and　only　for　a　time；　that　we　fall　into　

our　own　places！〃



Such　farewell　speeches　often　served　as　a　preface　to　the

continuation　of　their　acquaintance；　which　again　began　with　

drinking　and　went　so　far　that　the　client　would　spend　his　last　

farthing。　　Then　the　Captain　would　stand　him　treat；　and　they　

would　drink　all　they　had。



A　repetition　of　similar　doings　did　not　affect　in　the　least　

the　good　relations　of　the　parties。



The　teacher　mentioned　by　the　Captain　was　another　of　those　

customers　who　were　thus　reformed　only　in　order　that　they　

should　sin　again。　　Thanks　to　his　intellect；　he　was　the　nearest　

in　rank　to　the　Captain；　and　this　was　probably　the　cause　of　his　

falling　so　low　as　dosshouse　life；　and　of　his　inability　to　rise　

again。　　It　was　only　with　him　that　Aristid　Kuvalda　could　

philosophize　with　the　certainty　of　being　understood。　　He　valued　

this；　and　when　the　reformed　teacher　prepared　to　leave　the　

dosshouse　in　order　to　get　a　corner　in　town　for　himself；　then　

Aristid　Kuvalda　accompanied　him　so　sorrowfully　and　sadly　that　

it　ended；　as　a　rule；　in　their　both　getting　drunk　and　spending　

all　their　money。　　Probably　Kuvalda　arranged　the　matter

intentionally　so　that　the　teacher　could　not　leave　the

dosshouse；　though　he　desired　to　do　so　with　all　his　heart。　　Was　

it　possible　for　Aristid　Kuvalda；　a　nobleman　（as　was　evident　

from　his　speeches）；　one　who　was　accustomed　to　think；　though　

the　turn　of　fate　may　have　changed　his　position；　was　it　possible　

for　him　not　to　desire　to　have　close　to　him　a　man　like　himself？　

We　can　pity　our　own　faults　in　others。





22　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





This　teacher　had　once　taught　at　an　institution　in　one　of　the　

towns　on　the　Volga；　but　in　consequence　of　some　story　was　

dismissed。　　After　this　he　was　a　clerk　in　a　tannery；　but　again　

had　to　leave。　　Then　he　became　a　librarian　in　some　private　

library；　subsequently　following　other　professions。　　Finally；　

after　passing　examinations　in　law　he　became　a　lawyer；　but　

drink　reduced　him　to　the　Captain's　dosshouse。　　He　was　tall；　

round…shouldered；　with　a　long；　sharp　nose　and　bald　head。　　In　

his　bony　and　yellow　face；　on　which　grew　a　wedge…shaped　beard；

shone　large；　restless　eyes；　deeply　sunk　in　their　sockets；　and　

the　corners　of　his　mouth　drooped　sadly　down。　　He　earned　his　

bread；　or　rather　his　drink；　by　reporting　for　the　local　papers。　

He　sometimes　earned　as　much　as　fifteen　roubles。　　These　he　gave　

to　the　Captain　and　said：



〃It　is　enough。　I　am　going　back　into　the　bosom　of　culture。　

Another　week's　hard　work　and　I　shall　dress　respectably；　and　

then　Addio；　mio　caro！〃



〃Very　exemplary！　　As　I　heartily　sympathize　with　your　decision；　

Philip；　I　shall　not　give　you　another　glass　all　this　week；〃　the　

Captain　warned　him　sternly。



〃I　shall　be　thankful！　。　。　。　You　will　not　give　me　one　drop？〃



The　Captain　beard　in　his　voice　a　beseeching　note　to　which　he　

turned　a　deaf　ear。



〃Even　though　you　roar；　I　shall　not　give　it　you！〃



〃As　you　like；　then；〃　sighed　the　teacher；　and　went　away　to　

continue　his　reporting。　





23　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN　　





But　after　a　day　or　two　he　would　return　tired　and　thirsty；　and　

would　look　at　the　Captain　with　a　beseeching　glance　out　of　the　

corners　of　his　eyes；　hoping　that　his　friend's　heart　would　

soften。



The　Captain　in　such　cases　put　on　a　serious　face　and　began　

speaking　with　killing　irony　on　the　theme　of　weakness　of　

character；　of　the　animal　delight　of　intoxication；　and　on　such

subjects　as　suited　the　occasion。　　One　must　do　him　justice：　　he　

was　captivated　by　his　role　of　mentor　and　moralist；　but　the　

lodgers　dogged　him；　and；　listening　sceptically　to　his　

exhortations　to　repentance；　would　whisper　aside　to　each　other：



〃Cunning；　skilful；　shifty　rogue！　　I　told　you　so；　but　you　would　

not　listen。　　It's　your　own　fault！〃



〃His　honor　is　really　a　good　soldier。　　He　goes　first　and　examines　

the　road　behind　him！〃



The　teacher　then　hunted　here　and　there　till　he　found　his　friend　

again　in　some　corner；　and　grasping　his　dirty　coat；　trembling　

and　licking　his