第26章

ThedayhadbeenaSunday，andthehoureventide。Ontheburntplotofgroundsomebrokenglasshadbeenemittingareddishgleam，shootsofergothadbeendiffusingtheirgloss，childrenshoutingatplay，dogstrottingbackwardsandforwards，andallthings，seemingly，faringwell，sunkeninthestillnessoftheportionofthetownadjoiningtherolling，vacantsteppe，with，abovethem，onlythesky’slevel，dull-bluecanopy，andaroundthem，onlythecemetery，likeanislandamidstasea。

WithVirubov，Ihadbeensittingonabenchnearthewicket-gateofhishut，asintermittentlyhehadscrewedhislecherouseyesinthedirectionofthestout，ox-eyedlacemaker，MadameEzhov，who，afterdisposingofherformonabankhard-by，hadfallentopickingliceoutofthecurlsofhereight-year-oldPetkaKoshkodav。Presently，asswiftlyshehadrummagedtheboy’shairwithfingersgrownusedtosuchrapidmovement，shehadsaidtoherhusband(adealerinsecond-handarticles)，whohadbeenseatedwithindoors，andthereforerenderedinvisible——shehadsaidwithoilyderision:

“Oh，yes，youbald-headedolddevil，you！Ofcourseyougotyourprice。Ye-es。Then，fool，yououghttohavehadaslippersmackedacrossthatKalmucksnoutofyours。Talkofmyprice，indeed！“

UponthisVirubovhadremarkedwithasigh，andinsluggish，sententioustones:

“Togranttheserfsemancipationwasasheermistake。Iamahumbleenoughservantofmycountry，yetIcanseethetruthofwhatIhavestated，sinceitfollowsasamatterofcourse。WhatoughttohavebeendoneisthatalltheestatesofthelandownersshouldhavebeenconveyedtotheTsar。Beyondadoubtthatisso。Thenboththepeasantryandthetownsfolk，thewholepeople，inshort，wouldhavehadbutasinglelandlord。Fornevercanthepeopleliveproperlysolongasitisignorantofthepointwhereitstands；andsinceitlovesauthority，itlovestohaveoveritanautocraticforce，foritscontrol。

Alwayscanitbeseenseekingsuchaforce。“

Then，bendingforward，andinfusingintoeachsoftlyutteredwordaperfectlusciousnessoffalsity，Virubovhadaddedtohisneighbour:

“Take，forexample，theworking-womanwhostandsfreeofeverytie。“

“HowdoIstandfreeofanything？“theneighbourhadretorted，incompletereadinessforaquarrel。

“Oh，Iamnotspeakinginyourdespite，Pavlushka，buttoyourcredit，“hastilyVirubovhadprotested。

“Thenkeepyourblandishmentsforthatheifer，your’niece，’“

hadbeenMadameEzhov’sresponse。

UponthisVirubovhadrisenheavily，andremarkedashemovedawaytowardsthecourtyard:

“Allfolkneedtobesupervisedbyanautocraticeye。“

Thereafterhadfollowedaboutofchoiceabusebetweenhisneighbourandhis“niece，“whileVirubovhimself，framedinthewicket-gate，andlisteningtothecontest，hadsmackedhislipsashegazedatthepair，andparticularlyatMadameEzhov。AtthebeginningoftheboutDikankahadscreeched:

“Itismyopinion，itismyopinion，that——“

“Don’ttreatmetoanyofYOURslop！“thelong-fangedPavlahadinterruptedforthebenefitofthestreetingeneral。Andthushadtheaffaircontinued……

LieutenantKhorvatblewthefag-endofhiscigarettefromhismouthpiece，glancedatme，

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