第35章

Onthepresentoccasionhehasarrivedonthesceneincompanywithtwowomen。Oneofthem，agedabouttwenty，isgentle-

looking，plump，andglassyofeye，withamouthperpetuallyhalf-

open，sothatthefacelookslikethatofanimbecile，andthoughtheexposedteethofitslowerportionmayseemtobesetinasmile，youwillperceive，shouldyoupeerintothemotionlesseyesundertheoverhangingbrows，thatshehasrecentlybeenweepingintheterrified，hystericalfashionofapersonofweakintellect。

IhavecomeherewiththatmanandotherstrangersthusIheardhernarrateinlow，queruloustonesaswithastumpyfingersherearrangedthefadedhairunderheryellowandgreenscarf。

Afat-facedyouthwithhighcheek-bonesandthesmalleyesofaMongolherenudgedher，andsaidcarelessly:

“Youmean，rather，thatyourownmanhascastyouoff。Probablyhewastheonlymanyoueversaw。“

“Aye，“Konevdrawledthoughtfullyashefeltinhiswallet。

Nowadaysfolkneedthinklittleofdesertingawoman，sinceinthisyearofgracewomenarenogoodatall。“

Uponthisthewomanfrowned——thenblinkedhereyestimidly，andwouldhaveopenedherlipstoreply，butthathercompanioninterruptedherbysayinginabrisk，incisivetone:

“Donotlistentothoserascals！“

Thewoman’scompanion，somefiveorsixyearshersenior，hasafaceexceptionalintheconstantchangeandmovementofitsgreatdarkeyesasatonemomenttheywithdrawthemselvesfromthestreetoftheCossackhamlet，togazefixedlyandgravelytowardsthesteppewhereitliesscouredwiththescuddingbreeze，andatanothermomentfalltoscanningthefacesofthepersonsaroundher，and，atanother，frownanxiously，orsendasmileflittingacrosshercomelylipsasshebendsherhead，untilherfeaturesareconcealed。Next，theheadisraisedagain，fortheeyeshavetakenonanotherphase，andbecomedilatedwithinterest，whileasharpfurrowisformingbetweentheslendereyebrows，andthefinelymouldedlipsandtrimmouthhavecompressedthemselvestogether，andthethinnostrilsofthestraightnosearesnuffingtheairlikethoseofahorse。

Infact，inthewomanthereissomethingnon-peasantinitsorigin。Forinstance，letonebutwatchhersharplyclickingfeetas，inwalking，theypeepfromunderherblueskirt，andonewillperceivethattheyarenotthesplayedfeetofavillager，but，rather，feetarchedofinstep，andatonetimeaccustomedtothewearingofboots。Or，asthewomansitsengagedinembroideringabluebodicewithapatternofwhitepeas，onewillperceivethatshehaslongbeenaccustomedtoplyingtheneedlesodexterously；swiftlydothesmall，sunburnthandsflyinandoutunderthetumbledmaterial，

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