her?" repeated the peasant woman in a sing-song voice andshe leaned her cheek on her hand. "And where did you run into her, mygood girl?"
"Beyond the priest's hemp-patch. She must have gone to the hemp-patchto meet her Naum, but I could not see them in the dusk, owing to themoon, maybe, I don't know; I simply dashed into them."
"Dashed into them?" the other woman repeated. "Well, and was shestanding with him, my good girl?"
"Yes, she was. He was standing there and so was she. She saw me andsaid, 'Where are you running to? Go home.' So I went home."
"You went home?" The peasant woman was silent. "Well, good-bye,Fetinyushka," she brought out at last, and trudged off.
This conversation had an unpleasant effect on Akim. His love forAvdotya had cooled, but still he did not like what the servant hadsaid. And she had told the truth: Avdotya really had gone out thatevening to meet Naum, who had been waiting for her in the patch ofdense shade thrown on the road by the high motionless hemp. The dewbathed every stalk of it from top to bottom; the strong, almostoverpowering fragrance hung all about it. A huge crimson moon had justrisen in the dingy, blackish mist. Naum heard the hurried footsteps ofAvdotya a long way off and went to meet her. She came up to him, palewith running; the moon lighted up her face.
"Well, have you brought it?" he asked.
"Brought it--yes, I have," she answered in an uncertain voice. "But,Naum Ivanitch----"
"Give it me, since you have brought it," he interrupted her, and heldout his hand.
She took a parcel from under her shawl. Naum took it at once andthrust it in his bosom.
"Naum Ivanitch," Avdotya said slowly, keeping her eyes fixed on him,"oh, Naum Ivanitch, you will bring my soul to ruin."
It was at that instant that the servant came up to them.
And so Akim was sitting on the bench discontentedly stroking hisbeard. Avdotya kept coming into the room and going out again. Hesimply followed her with his eyes. At last she came into the room andafter taking a jerkin from the lobby was just crossing the threshold,when he could not restrain himself and said, as though speaking tohimself:
"I wonder," he began, "why it is women are always in a fuss? It's nogood expecting them to sit still. That's not in their line. Butrunning out morning or evening, that's what they like. Yes."
Avdotya listened to her husband's words without changing her position;only at the word "evening," she moved her head slightly and seemed toponder.
"Once you begin talking, Semyonitch," she commented at last withvexation, "there is no stopping you."
And with a wave of her hand she went away and slammed the door.Avdotya certainly did not appreciate Akim's eloquence and often in theevenings when he indulged in conversation with travellers or fell totelling stories she stealthily yawned or went out of the room. Akimlooked at the closed door. "Once you begin talking," he repeated in anundertone.... "The fact is, I have not talked enough to you. And whois it? A peasant like any one of us, and what's more...." And he gotup, thought a little and tapped the back of his head with his fist.
Several days passed in a rather strange way. Akim kept looking at hiswife as though he were preparing to say something to her, and she, forher part, looked at him suspiciously; meanwhile, they both preserved astrained silence. This silence, however, was broken from time to timeby some peevish remark from Akim in regard to some oversight in thehousekeeping or in regard to women in general. For the most partAvdotya did not answer one word. But in spite of Akim's good-naturedweakness, it certainly would have come to a decisive explanationbetween him and Avdotya, if it had not been for an event whichrendered any explanation useless.
One morning Akim and wife were just beginning lunch (owing to thesummer work in the fields there were no travellers at the inn) whensuddenly a cart rattled briskly along the road and pulled up sharplyat the front door. Akim peeped out of window, frowned and looked down:Naum got deliberately out of the cart. Avdotya had not seen him, butwhen she heard his voice in the entry the spoon trembled in her hand.He told the labourers to put up the horse in the yard. At last thedoor opened and he walked into the room.
"Good-day," he said, and took off his cap.
"Good-day," Akim repeated through his teeth. "Where has God broughtyou from?"
"I was in the neighbourhood," replied Naum, and he sat down on thebench. "I have come from your lady."
"From the lady," said Akim, not getting up from his seat. "Onbusiness, eh?"
"Yes, on business. My respects to you, Avdotya Arefyevona."
"Good morning, Naum Ivanitch," she answered. All were silent.
"What have you got, broth, is it?" began Naum.
"Yes, broth," replied Akim and all at once he turned pale, "but notfor you."
Naum glanced at Akim with surprise.
"Not for me?"
"Not for you, and that's all about it." Akim's eyes glittered and hebrought his fist on the table. "There is nothing in my house for you,do you hear?"
"What's this, Semyonitch, what is the matter with you?"
"There's nothing the matter with me, but I am sick of you, NaumIvanitch, that's what it is." The old man got up, trembling all over."You poke yourself in here too often, I tell you."
Naum, too, got up.
"You've gone clean off your head, old man," he said with a jeer."Avdotya Arefyevna, what's wrong with him?"
"I tell you," shouted Akim in a cracked voice, "go away, do youhear? ... You have nothing to do with Avdotya Arefyevna ... I tellyou, do you hear, get out!"
"What's that you are saying to me?" Naum asked significantly.
"Go out of the house, that's what I am telling to you. Here's God andhere's the door ... do you understand? Or there will be trouble."
Naum took a step forward.
"Good gracious, don't fight, my dears," faltered Avdotya, who tillthen had sat motionless at the table.
Naum glanced at her.
"Don't be uneasy, Avdotya Arefyevna, why should we fight? Fie,brother, what a hullabaloo you are making!" he went on, addressingAkim. "Yes, really. You are a hasty one! Has anyone ever heard ofturning anyone out of his house, especially the owner of it?" Naumadded with slow deliberateness.
"Out of his house?" muttered Akim. "What owner?"
"Me, if you like."
And Naum screwed up his eyes and showed his white teeth in a grin.
"You? Why, it's my house, isn't it?"
"What a slow-witted fellow you are! I tell you it's mine."
Akim gazed at him open-eyed.
"What crazy stuff is it you are talking? One would think you had gonesilly," he said at last. "How the devil can it be yours?"
"What's the good of talking to you?" cried Naum impatiently. "Do yousee this bit of paper?" he went on, pulling out of his pocket a sheetof stamped paper, folded in four, "do you see? This is the deed ofsale, do you understand, the deed of sale of your land and your house;I have bought them from the lady, from Lizaveta Prohorovna; the deedwas drawn up at the town yesterday; so I am master here, not you. Packyour belongings today," he added, putting the document back in hispocket, "and don't let me see a sign of you here to-morrow, do youhear?"
Akim stood as though struck by a thunderbolt.
"Robber," he moaned at last, "robber.... Heigh, Fedka, Mitka, wife,wife, seize him, seize him--hold him."
He lost his head completely.
"Mind now, old man," said Naum menacingly, "mind what you are about,don't play the fool...."
"Beat him, wife, beat him!" Akim kept repeating in a tearful voice,trying helplessly and in vain to get up. "Murderer, robber.... She isnot enough for you, you want to take my house, too, and everything....But no, stop a bit ... that can't be.... I'll go myself, I'll speakmyself ... how ... why should she sell it? Wait a bit, wait a bit."
And he dashed out bareheaded.
"Where are you off to, Akim Ivanitch?" said the servant Fetinya,running into him in the doorway.
"To our mistress! Let me pass! To our mistress!" wailed Akim, andseeing Naum's
cart which had not yet been taken into the yard, hejumped into it, snatched the reins and lashing the horse with all hismight set off at full speed to his mistress's house.
"My lady, Lizaveta Prohorovna," he kept repeating to himself all theway, "how have I lost your favour? I should have thought I had done mybest!"
And meantime he kept lashing and lashing the horse. Those who met himmoved out of his way and gazed after him.
In a
Knock, Knock, Knock and Other Stories Page 9