第36章

colouredsteppeandsnowcappedmountainpeaks。Yet，ohhowthatsteppe，bathedingoldensunshine，drawsonetoitselfanditssmoothdesolationofsweet，drygrassesastheparched，fragrantexpanserustlesunderthesoughingwind！

“Youaskaboutthatwoman，eh？“queriesKonev，whomIfindleaningagainstoneofthepoplartrunks，andembracingitwithanarm。

“Yes。Fromwheredoesshehail？“

“FromRiazan，shesays。AnotherstoryofhersisthathernameisTatiana。“

“Hasshebeenwithyoulong？“

“No。Infact，itwasonlythismorning，somethirtyverstsfromhere，thatIovertookherandhercompanion。However，Ihaveseenherbefore，atMaikop-on-Laba，duringtheseasonofhayharvest，whenshehadwithheranelderly，smoothfacedmuzhikwhomighthavebeenasoldier，andcertainlywaseitherherloveroranuncle，aswellasabullyandadrunkardofthetypewhich，beforeithasbeentwodaysinaplace，startsaboutasmanybrawls。Atpresent，however，sheistrampingwithnonebutthisfemalecompanion，for，afterthatthe’uncle’haddrunkawayhisverybelly-bandandreins，hewasclappedingaol。TheCossack，youknow，isanawkwardpersontodealwith。“

AlthoughKonevspeakswithoutconstraint，hiseyesarefixeduponthegroundinamannersuggestiveofsomedisturbingthought。Andasthebreezeruffleshisdishevelledbeardandraggedpea-jacketitendsbyrobbinghisheadofhiscap——ofthetattered，peaklesscloutwhich，withrentsinitslining，socloselyresemblesatchepchik[Woman’smob-cap]，astocommunicatetothepicturesquefeaturesofitsweareranappearancecomicallyfeminine。

“Ye-es，“expectorating，anddrawlingthewordsbetweenhisteeth，hecontinues:“Sheisaremarkablewoman，aregular，sotospeak，highstepper。YetitmusthavebeentheDevilhimselfthatblewthisyoungoafwiththebloatedjowlontothescene。

OtherwiseIshouldsoonhavefixedupmatterswithher。Thecurthatheis！“

“Butonceyoutoldmethatyouhadawifealready？“

Dartingatmeanangryglance，heturnsawaywithamutterof:

“AMItocarrymywifeaboutwithmeinmywallet？“

HeretherecomeslimpingacrossthesquareamoustachioedCossack。Inonehandheisholdingabunchofkeys，andintheotherhandabatteredCossackcap，peakinfront。Behindhim，sobbingandapplyinghisknucklestohiseyes，thereiscreepingacurly-headedurchinofeight，whiletherearisbroughtupbyashaggydogwhosedejectedcountenanceandloweredtailwouldseemtoshowthathetooisindisgrace。EachtimethattheboywhimpersmoreloudlythanusualtheCossackhalts，awaitsthelad’scominginsilence，cuffshimovertheheadwiththepeakofthecap，and，resuminghiswaywiththegaitofadrunkenman，leavestheboyandthedogstandingwheretheyare——theboylamenting，andthedogwaggingitstailas

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节