LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

A fine lad — a brave, like me. I too lay dying like that once. The old women were already wailing. My head was burning. They had already laid me out under the holy icons. So I lay there, and above me on the oven little drummers, no bigger than this, beat the tattoo. I shout at them and they drum all the harder.’ (The old man laughed.) ‘The women brought our church elder. They were getting ready to bury me. They said, “He defiled himself with worldly unbelievers; he made merry with women; he ruined people; he did not fast, and he played the balalayka. Confess,” they said. So I began to confess. “I’ve sinned!” I said. Whatever the priest said, I always answered “I’ve sinned.” He began to ask me about the balalayka. “Where is the accursed thing,” he says. “Show it me and smash it.” But I say, “I’ve not got it.” I’d hidden it myself in a net in the outhouse. I knew they could not find it. So they left me. Yet after all I recovered. When I went for my balalayka— What was I saying?’ he continued. ‘Listen to me, and keep farther away from the other men or you’ll get killed foolishly. I feel for you, truly: you are a drinker — I love you! And fellows like you like riding up the mounds. There was one who lived here who had come from Russia, he always would ride up the mounds (he called the mounds so funnily, “hillocks”). Whenever he saw a mound, off he’d gallop. Once he galloped off that way and rode to the top quite pleased, but a Chechen fired at him and killed him! Ah, how well they shoot from their gun-rests, those Chechens! Some of them shoot even better than I do. I don’t like it when a fellow gets killed so foolishly! Sometimes I used to look at your soldiers and wonder at them. There’s foolishness for you! They go, the poor fellows, all in a clump, and even sew red collars to their coats! How can they help being hit! One gets killed, they drag him away and another takes his place! What foolishness!’ the old man repeated, shaking his head. ‘Why not scatter, and go one by one? So you just go like that and they won’t notice you. That’s what you must do.’

      ‘Well, thank you! Good-bye, Daddy. God willing we may meet again,’ said Olenin, getting up and moving towards the passage.

      The old man, who was sitting on the floor, did not rise.

      ‘Is that the way one says “Good-bye”? Fool, fool!’ he began. ‘Oh dear, what has come to people? We’ve kept company, kept company for well-nigh a year, and now “Good-bye!” and off he goes! Why, I love you, and how I pity you! You are so forlorn, always alone, always alone. You’re somehow so unsociable. At times I can’t sleep for thinking about you. I am so sorry for you. As the song has it:

      “It is very hard, dear brother, In a foreign land to live.”

      So it is with you.’

      ‘Well, good-bye,’ said Olenin again.

      The old man rose and held out his hand. Olenin pressed it and turned to go.

      ‘Give us your mug, your mug!’

      And the old man took Olenin by the head with both hands and kissed him three times with wet moustaches and lips, and began to cry.

      ‘I love you, good-bye!’

      Olenin got into the cart.

      ‘Well, is that how you’re going? You might give me something for a remembrance. Give me a gun! What do you want two for?’ said the old man, sobbing quite sincerely.

      Olenin got out a musket and gave it to him.

      ‘What a lot you’ve given the old fellow,’ murmured Vanyusha, ‘he’ll never have enough! A regular old beggar. They are all such irregular people,’ he remarked, as he wrapped himself in his overcoat and took his seat on the box.

      ‘Hold your tongue, swine!’ exclaimed the old man, laughing. ‘What a stingy fellow!’

      Maryanka came out of the cowshed, glanced indifferently at the cart, bowed and went towards the hut.

      ‘La fille!’ said Vanyusha, with a wink, and burst out into a silly laugh.

      ‘Drive on!’ shouted Olenin, angrily.

      ‘Good-bye, my lad! Good-bye. I won’t forget you!’ shouted Eroshka.

      Olenin turned round. Daddy Eroshka was talking to Maryanka, evidently about his own affairs, and neither the old man nor the girl looked at Olenin.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEAYABgAAD/4QCCRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABQESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAASgEbAAUAAAABAAAAUgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAIdpAAQAAAABAAAAWgAAAAAAAABgAAAAAQAA AGAAAAABAAKgAgAEAAAAAQAABYKgAwAEAAAAAQAACMoAAAAAAAD/4Q3kaHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2Jl LmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49J++7vycgaWQ9J1c1TTBNcENlaGlIenJlU3pO VGN6a2M5ZCc/Pg0KPHg6eG1wbWV0YSB4bWxuczp4PSJhZG9iZTpuczptZXRhLyI+DQoJPHJkZjpS REYgeG1sbnM6cmRmPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8xOTk5LzAyLzIyLXJkZi1zeW50YXgtbnMj Ij4NCgkJPHJkZjpEZXNjcmlwdGlvbiByZGY6YWJvdXQ9IiIgeG1sbnM6QXR0cmliPSJodHRwOi8v bnMuYXR0cmlidXRpb24uY29tL2Fkcy8xLjAvIj4NCgkJCTxBdHRyaWI6QWRzPg0KCQkJCTxyZGY6 U2VxPg0KCQkJCQk8cmRmOmxpIHJkZjpwYXJzZVR5cGU9IlJlc291cmNlIj4NCgkJCQkJCTxBdHRy aWI6Q3JlYXRlZD4yMDIxLTA1LTE0PC9BdHRyaWI6Q3JlYXRlZD4NCgkJCQkJCTxBdHRyaWI6RXh0 SWQ+ZTQyMGI4NGYtYzRmMy00ZmIxLTk3N2MtYTFmZGMxYzk4MDI2PC9BdHRyaWI6RXh0SWQ+DQoJ CQkJCQk8QXR0cmliOkZiSWQ+NTI1MjY1OTE0MTc5NTgwPC9BdHRyaWI6RmJJZD4NCgkJCQkJCTxB dHRyaWI6VG91Y2hUeXBlPjI8L0F0dHJpYjpUb3VjaFR5cGU+DQoJCQkJCTwvcmRmOmxpPg0KCQkJ CTwvcmRmOlNlcT4NCgkJCTwvQXR0cmliOkFkcz4NCgkJPC9yZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24+DQoJCTxy ZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHhtbG5zOmRjPSJodHRwOi8vcHVybC5vcmcvZGMv ZWxlbWVudHMvMS4xLyI+DQoJCQk8ZGM6dGl0bGU+DQoJCQkJPHJkZjpBbHQ+DQoJCQkJCTxyZGY6 bGkgeG1sOmxhbmc9IngtZGVmYXVsdCI+SWNhcnN1czwvcmRmOmxpPg0KCQkJCTwvcmRmOkFsdD4N CgkJCTwvZGM6dGl0bGU+DQoJCTwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPg0KCQk8cmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9u IHJkZjphYm91dD0iIiB4bWxuczpwZGY9Imh0dHA6Ly9ucy5hZG9iZS5jb20vcGRmLzEuMy8iPg0K CQkJPHBkZjpBdXRob3I+cmVkbm9zOTQ8L3BkZjpBdXRob3I+DQoJCTwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9u Pg0KCQk8cmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIHJkZjphYm91dD0iIiB4bWxuczp4bXA9Imh0dHA6Ly9ucy5h ZG9iZS5jb20veGFwLzEuMC8iPg0KCQkJPHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD5DYW52YTwveG1wOkNyZWF0 b3JUb29sPg0KCQk8L3JkZjpEZXNjcmlwdGlvbj4NCgk8L3JkZjpSREY+DQo8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4N CiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAKICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIAogICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgIAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgCiAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIAogIC

Скачать книгу