第43章

Yetwhereaswewereout-at-elbows，thecarpentersweresleek，respectable，monied，well-cladfellows。Also，therewassomethingdourandirritatingaboutthem，since，foronething，theyhadfailedtorespondtoourgreetingonourfirstappearance，andeyeduswithnothingbutdislikeandsuspicion。Hence，hurtbytheirchillyattitude，wehadwithdrawnfromtheirimmediateneighbourhood，constructedacausewayofsteppingstonestotheeasternbankoftherivulet，andtakenupourabodebeneaththechaoticgreymistswhichenvelopedthemountainsideinthatdirection。

Also，overthecarpenterstherewasaforeman——amanwhosebonyframe，cladinawhiteshirtandapairofwhitetrousers，lookedalwaysasthoughitwereready-attiredfordeath。Moreover，heworenocaptoconcealtheyellowpatchofbaldnesswhichcoveredmostofhishead，and，inaddition，hisnosewassquatandgrey，hisneckandfacehadoverthemskinofaporous，pumice-likeconsistency，hiseyesweregreenanddim，anduponhisfeaturestherewasstampedadeadanddisagreeableexpression。Tobecandid，however，behindthedarklipslayasetoffine，closeteeth，whilethehairsofthegreybeard(abeardtrimmedaftertheTartarfashion)werethickand，seemingly，soft。

Neverdidthismanputahandactuallytothework；alwayshekeptroamingaboutwiththelarge，rigid-lookingfingersofhishandstuckedintohisbelt，andhisfixedandexpressionlesseyesscanningthebarraque，themen，andtheworkashislipsventedsomesuchlinesas:

OhGodourFather，boundhastThouAcrownofthornsuponmybrow！

Listentomyhumbleprayer！

LightentheburdenwhichIbear！

“Whatonearthcanbeintheman’smind？“onceremarkedtheex-

soldier，withafrowningglanceatthesinger。

Asforourduties，mymatesandIhadnothingtodo，andsoonbegantofindthetimetedious。Forhispart，themanwiththeCossackphysiognomyscaledthemountainside；whencehecouldbeheardwhistlingandsnappingtwigswithhisheavyfeet，whiletheex-soldierselectedaspacebetweentworocksforashelteroface-roseboughs，and，stretchinghimselfonhisstomach，felltosmokingstrongmountaintobaccoinhislargemeerschaumpipeasdimly，dreamilyhecontemplatedtheplayofthemountaintorrent。

Lastly，Imyselfselectedaseatonarockwhichoverhungthebrook，dippedmyfeetinthecoolnessofthewater，andproceededtomendmyshirt。

Atintervals，thedefilewouldconveytoourearsadullechoofsoundssowhollyatvariancewiththelocalityasmuffledhammer-

blows，ascreechingofsaws，araspingofplanes，andaconfusedmurmurofhumanvoices。

Also，amoistbreezeblewconstantlyfromthedark-bluedepthsofthedefile，andcausedthestiff，uprightlarchesontheknollbehindthebarraquetorustletheirboughs，anddistilledfromtheranksoilthevoluptuousscentsoface-roseandpitch-pine，andevokedinthetrees’quietgloomasoft，crooning，somnolentlullaby。

Aboutasazhen[Fathom]belowthelevelofthebarraquetherecoursednoisilyoveritsbedofstonesarivuletwhitewithfoam。

Yetthoughofothersoundsinthevicinitytherewerebutfew，thegeneraleffectwastosuggestthateverythingintheneighbourhoodwasspeakingorsi

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