creatures that once were men-第7部分

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because　they　did　not　look　upon　him　as　a　common　person；　and　also　

because　they　wished　to　borrow　from　him　on　Saturdays　the　money　

which　he　had　earned　during　the　week。　　He　had　many　privileges。　

They　never　beat　him；　for　instance；　on　these　occasions　when　the　

conversation　ended　in　a　free　fight。　　He　had　the　right　to　bring　

women　into　the　dosshouse；　a　privilege　accorded　to　no　one　else；　

as　the　Captain　had　previously　warned　them。



〃No　bringing　of　women　to　my　house；〃　he　had　said。　〃Women；　

merchants　and　philosophers；　these　are　the　three　causes　of　my　

ruin。　　I　will　horsewhip　anyone　bringing　in　women。　I　will　

horsewhip　the　woman　also　。　。　。　And　as　to　the　philosopher；　

I'll　knock　his　head　off　for　him。〃　　And　notwithstanding　his　age　

he　could　have　knocked　anyone's　head　off；　for　he　possessed　

wonderful　strength。　　Besides　that；　whenever　he　fought　or　

quarrelled；　he　was　assisted　by　Martyanoff；　who　was　accustomed　

during　a　general　fight　to　stand　silently　and　sadly　back　to　back　

with　Kuvalda；　when　he　became　an　all　destroying　and　impregnable　

engine　of　war。　Once　when　Simtsoff　was　drunk；　he　rushed　at　the　

teacher　for　no　reason　whatever；　and　getting　hold　of　his　head　

tore　out　a　bunch　of　hair。　





43　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Kuvalda；　with　one　stroke　of　his　fist　in　the　other's　chest；　sent　

him　spinning；　and　he　fell　to　the　ground。　　He　was　unconscious　

for　almost　half…an…hour；　and　when　he　came　to　himself　Kuvalda　

compelled　him　to　eat　the　hair　he　had　torn　from　the　teacher's　

head。　　He　ate　it；　preferring　this　to　being　beaten　to　death。



Besides　reading　newspapers；　fighting　and　indulging　in　general　

conversation；　they　amused　themselves　by　playing　cards。　They　

played　without　Martyanoff　because　he　could　not　play　honestly。　　

After　cheating　several　times；　he　openly　confessed：



〃I　cannot　play　without　cheating　。　。　。　it　is　a　habit　of　mine。〃



〃Habits　do　get　the　better　of　you；〃　assented　Deacon　Taras。　〃I　

always　used　to　beat　my　wife　every　Sunday　after　Mass；　and　when　

she　died　I　cannot　describe　how　extremely　dull　I　felt　every　

Sunday。　　I　lived　through　one　Sundayit　was　dreadful；　the　second　

I　still　controlled　myself；　the　third　Sunday　I　struck　my　Asok。

。　。　。　She　was　angry　and　threatened　to　summon　me。　Just　imagine　

if　she　had　done　so！　On　the　fourth　Sunday；　I　beat　her　just　as　

if　she　were　my　own　wife！　After　that　I　gave　her　ten　roubles；　

and　beat　her　according　to　my　own　rules　till　I　married　again！〃　



〃You　are　lying；　Deacon！　　How　could　you　marry　a　second　time？〃　

interrupted　Abyedok。



〃Ay；　just　so　。　。　。　She　looked　after　my　house　。　。　。〃



〃Did　you　have　any　children？〃　asked　the　teacher。



〃Five　of　them　。　。　。　One　was　drowned　。　。　。　the　oldest　。　。　。　

he　was　an　amusing　boy！　Two　died　of　diphtheria　。　。　。　One　of　

the　daughters　married　a　student　and　went　with　him　to　Siberia。　





44　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





The　other　went　to　the　University　of　St。　Petersburg　and　died　

there　。　。　。　of　consumption　they　say。　　Yees；　there　were　five　

of　them　。　。　。　Ecclesiastics　are　prolific；　you　know。〃　　He　began

explaining　why　this　was　so；　and　they　laughed　till　they　nearly　

burst　at　his　tales。　　When　the　laughter　stopped；　Aleksei　

Maksimovitch　Simtsoff　remembered　that　he　too　had　once　had　a　

daughter。



〃Her　name　was　Lidka　。　。　。　she　was　very　stout。　。　。　。〃



More　than　this　he　did　not　seem　to　remember；　for　he　looked　at　

them　all；　was　silent　and　smiled　。　。　。　in　a　guilty　way。　　Those　

men　spoke　very　little　to　each　other　about　their　past；　and　they　

recalled　it　very　seldom；　and　then　only　its　general　outlines。　

When　they　did　mention　it；　it　was　in　a　cynical　tone。　Probably；　

this　was　just　as　well；　since；　in　many　people；　remembrance　of　

the　past　kills　all　present　energy　and　deadens　all　hope　for　the

future。



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On　rainy；　cold；　or　dull　days　in　the　late　autumn；　these　

〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　gathered　in　the　eating…house　of　

Vaviloff。　　They　were　well　known　there；　where　some　feared　them　

as　thieves　and　rogues；　and　some　looked　upon　them　contemptuously　

as　hard　drinkers；　although　they　respected　them；　thinking　that　

they　were　clever。



The　eating…house　of　Vaviloff　was　the　club　of　the　main　street；　

and　the　〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　were　its　most　intellectual　

members。　





45　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





On　Saturday　evenings　or　Sunday　mornings；　when　the　eating…house　

was　packed；　the　〃creatures　that　once　were　men〃　were　only　too　

welcome　guests。　　They　brought　with　them；　besides　the　forgotten　

and　poverty…stricken　inhabitants　of　the　street；　their　own　spirit；　

in　which　there　was　something　that　brightened　the　lives　of　men　

exhausted　and　worn　out　in　the　struggle　for　existence；　as　great　

drunkards　as　the　inhabitants　of　Kuvalda's　shelter；　and；　like　

them；　outcasts　from　the　town。　　Their　ability　to　speak　on　all　

subjects；　their　freedom　of　opinion；　skill　in　repartee；　courage

in　the　presence　of　those　of　whom　the　whole　street　was　in　terror；　

together　with　their　daring　demeanor；　could　not　but　be　pleasing　

to　their　companions。　　Then；　too；　they　were　well　versed　in　law；　

and　could　advise；　write　petitions；　and　help　to　swindle　without　

incurring　the　risk　of　punishment。　　For　all　this　they　were　paid　

with　vodki　and　flattering　admiration　of　their　talents。



The　inhabitants　of　the　street　were　divided　into　two　parties　

according　to　their　sympathies。　　One　was　in　favor　of　Kuvalda；　

who　was　thought　〃a　good　soldier；　clever；　and　courageous〃；　the　

other　was　convinced　of　the　fact　that　the　teacher　was　〃superior〃　

to　Kuvalda。　　The　latter's　admirers　were　those　who　were　known　to　

be　drunkards；　thieves；　and　murderers；　for　whom　the　road　from

beggary　to　prison　was　inevitable。　　But　those　who　respected　the　

teacher　were　men　who　still　had　expectations；　still　hoped　for　

better　things；　who　were　eternally　occupied　with　nothing；　and　

who　were　nearly　always　hungry。



The　nature　of　the　teacher's　and　Kuvalda's　relations　toward　the　

street　may　be　gathered　from　the　following：





46　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Once　in　the　eating…house　they　were　discussing　the　resolution　

passed　by　the　Corporation　regarding　the　main　street；　viz。；　that　

the　inhabitants　were　to　fill　up　the　pits　and　ditches　in　the　

street；　and　that　neither　manure　nor　the　dead　bodies　of　domestic　

animals　should　be　used　for　the　purpose；　but　only　broken　tiles；　

etc。；　from　the　ruins　of　other　houses。



〃Where　am　I　going　to　get　these　same　broken　tiles　and　bricks？　

I　could　not　get　sufficient　bricks　together　to　build　a　

hen…house；〃　plaintively　said　Mokei　Anisimoff；　a　man　who　hawked　

kalaches　（a　sort　of　white　bread）　which　were　baked　by　his　wife。



〃Where　can　you　get　broken　bricks　and　lime　rubbish？　　Take　bags　

with　you；　and　go　and　remove　them　from　the　Corporation　buildings。　

They　are　so　old　that　they　are　of　no　use　to　anyone；　and　you　will　

thus　be　doing　two　good　deeds；　firstly；　by　repairing　the　main　

street；　and　secondly；　by　adorning　the　city　with　a　new　Corporation

building。〃



〃If　you　want　horses；　get　them　from　the　Lord　Mayor；　and　take　his　

three　daughters；　who　seem　quite　fit　for　harness。　　Then　destroy　

the　house　of　Judas　Petunikoff　and　pave　the　street　with　its　

timbers。　　By　the　way；　Mokei；　I　know　out　of　what　your　wife　baked　

to…day's　kalaches；　out　of　the　frames　of　the　third　window　and　the　

two　steps　from　the　roof　of　Judas'　house。〃



When　those　present　had　laughed　and　joked　sufficiently　over　the　

Captain's　proposal；　the　sober　market　gardener；　Pavlyugus　asked：



〃But　seriously；　what　are　we　to　do；　your　honor？　。　。　。　Eh？　What　

do　you　think？〃





47　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃I？　I　shall　neither　move　hand　nor　foot。　　If　they　wish　to　clean　

the　street；　let　them　do　it。〃



〃Some　of　the　houses　are　almost　coming　down。　。　。　。〃



〃Let　them　fall；　don't　interfere；　and　when　they　fall　ask　help　

from　the　city。　　If　they　don't　give　it　you；　then　bring　a　suit　

in　court　against　them！　　Where　does　the　water　come　from？　　From　

the　city！　　Therefore　let　the　city　be　responsible　for　the　

destruction　of　the　houses。〃



〃They　will　say　it　is　rain…water。〃



〃Does　it　destroy　the　houses　in　the　city？　　Eh？　　They　take　taxes　

from　you；　but　they　do　not　permit　you　to　speak！　　They　destroy　

your　property　and　at　the　same　time　compel　you　to　repair　it！〃　

And　half　the　radicals　in　the　street；　convinced　by　the　words　

of　Kuvalda；　decided　to　wait　till　the　rain…water　came　down　in　

huge　streams　and　swept　away　their　houses。　　The　others；　more　

sensible；　found　in　the　teacher　a　man　who　composed　for　them　an　

excellent　and　convincing　report　for　the　Corporation。　　In　this　

report　the　refusal　of　the　street's　inhabitants　to　comply　with　

the　resolution　of　the　Corporation　was　well　explained　that　the　

Corporation　actually　entertained　it。　　It　was　decided　that　the　

rubbish　left　after　some　repairs　had　been　done　to　the　barracks　

should　be　used　for　mending　and　filling　up　the　ditches　in　their　

street；　and　for　the　transport　of　this　five　horses　were　given　

by　the　fire　brigade。　　Still　more；　they　even　saw　the　necessity　

of　laying　a　drain…pipe　through　the　street。　　This　and　many

other　things　vastly　increased　the　popularity　of　the　teacher。　　

He　wrote　petitions　for　them　and　published　various　remarks　in　

the　newspapers。　　





48　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





For　instance；　on　one　occasion　Vaviloff's　customers　noticed　that　

the　herrings　and　other　provisions　of　the　eating…house　were　not

what　they　should　be；　and　after　a　day　or　two　they　saw　Vaviloff　

standing　at　the　bar　with　the　newspaper　in　his　hand　making　a　

public　apology。



〃It　is　true；　I　must　acknowledge；　that　I　bought　old　and　not　very　

good　herrings；　and　the　cabbage　。　。　。　also　。　。　。　was　old。　　It　is　

only　too　well　known　that　anyone　can　put　many　a　five…kopeck　piece　

in　his　pocket　in　this　way。　　And　what　is　the　result？　　It　has　not　

been　a　success；　I　was　gre