Chapter 22 "Duel" twenty one

twenty one More than three months have passed. The day of von Koren's scheduled departure arrived.It has been raining coldly since early in the morning, the northeast wind is blowing, and there are big waves on the sea.It is said that ships may not be able to enter the port in such weather.According to the timetable, the ship should arrive here at around nine o'clock in the morning, but von Koren went to the Embankment at noon and went again after lunch, but he didn't see the ship in the binoculars, only gray waves and shadows. There is no limit to the heavy rain. It was near dusk when the rain stopped and the wind died down significantly.Von Koren had given up his mind, thinking that he would not be able to leave today, so he sat down to play chess with Samoylenko.

But when it got dark, the orderly came to report that there were lights on the sea, and that a flare was seen being fired from the ship. Von Ko kept busy.He took up a small bundle, kissed Samoylenko and the deacon, and walked needlessly from room to room, saying goodbye to the orderly and the cook. Then he went out into the street with the look of having forgotten something in the doctor's house or in his own lodgings.He walked side by side with Samoylenko in the street, followed by the deacon with a suitcase, and behind him the orderly with two large suitcases.Only Samoylenko and the orderly could see the dim light on the sea; the other two looked into the darkness and saw nothing.

The steamer stops a long way from the coast. "Come on, come on," said Von Koren. "I'm worried the boat's going to sail!" Von Koren passed a small three-windowed house into which Laevsky had moved in shortly after the duel.Von Koren could not help but glance into the window. Laevsky was sitting at a table with his back to the window, his head bowed, and he was writing. "I find it strange," whispered the zoologist. "How hard he is!" "Yes, it is indeed strange," said Samoylenko, with a sigh. "He sits like this from morn till night, always working. He's going to pay off his debts. Man, he's a beggar!"

Half a minute passed in silence.The zoologist, the physician, and the deacon stood looking at Laevsky from the windows. "He never left here, poor man," Samoylenko said. "Do you remember how he was so anxious to go?" "Yes, he worked very hard," von Koren repeated. "His wedding, this toil of working all day for a living, that new look on his face, even his gait, was so unnatural that I don't know the words to express it all. , " the zoologist tugged at Samoylenko's sleeve, and went on with excitement in his voice, "please tell him and his wife that I was surprised by them when I left, and wish them all the best. Ruyi, ... and begged him, if possible, not to remember my bad. He knew me. He knew that if I had foreseen the change then, I would have been his best friend. "

"Go in and say goodbye to him." "No, it's not appropriate." "Why? God knows, maybe you'll never see him again." The zoologist thought about it and said: "It's true." Samoylenko tapped lightly on the window a few times with his finger.Startled, Laevsky looked back. "Vanya, Nikolai Vasiliitch has come to bid you farewell," said Samoylenko. "He's leaving soon." Laevsky got up from the table and went into the hall to open the door.Samoylenko, von Koren, and the deacon entered the room. "I'll be leaving shortly," began the zoologist, taking off his rain boots in the hall, already regretting his impulsiveness and coming in uninvited.

"It's as if I were trying to break in," he thought. "How embarrassing it is." "Forgive me for disturbing you," he said, and followed Laevsky into the room. "But I'm leaving soon, and I just want to see you. God only knows if we'll see each other again." "I'm glad to see you. . . . Sit down, please," said Laevsky, clumsily moving chairs for the guests, as if trying to block their way, and then standing still in the middle of the room, rubbing his hands. "I should have left this gang of witnesses in the street," thought von Koren.Then he said calmly: "Please don't remember my faults, Ivan Andreitch. Of course it is impossible to forget the past, they are too painful. I have not come here to apologize, Not to affirm that I was not wrong. I acted in earnest, and my convictions have not changed since then. . . . However, to my great joy, I now know that I was wrong about you, but, Indeed, even if a person walks on a smooth road, he will stumble. This is the fate of mankind: even if he does not make mistakes in big things, he will make mistakes in small things. No one knows the real truth."

"Yes, no one knows the truth, . . . " said Laevsky. "Well, good-bye. . . . God bless you with all the best." Von Koren held out his hand to Laevsky.Laevsky shook hands and bowed. "Please don't remember my faults," said Von Koren. "Please give my regards to your wife, and tell her that I am sorry that I have not been able to say goodbye to her." "She's home." Laevsky went to the door and said to the other room: "Nadya, Nikolai Vasilyitch wants to say goodbye to you." Nadezhda Fyodorovna entered the room, stopped by the door, and glanced timidly at the guests.Her face was ashamed and terrified, and her hands remained in such a state that she looked like a middle school student being scolded.

"I am leaving here soon, Nadezhda Fyodorovna," said von Koren, "and I have come to say good-bye." She held out a hand to him hesitantly.Laevsky bowed. "Oh, how poor they are!" thought Von Koren. "It's not an easy life for them." "I'm going to Moscow and Petersburg," he asked. "Shall I send you something from there?" "Oh," said Nadyezhda Fyodorovna, looking anxiously at her husband. "I don't seem to need anything. . . . " "Yes, I don't need anything . . . " said Laevsky, rubbing his hands.

"Please say hello to everyone for us." Von Koren didn't know what else to say, what else to say; but when he came in earlier, he thought he was going to say a lot of good, warm, meaningful things.He silently shook Laevsky's hand, then his wife's, and with a heavy heart came out of their house. "What kind of man!" whispered the deacon, walking behind. "My God, what kind of man! Indeed, the hand of God planted this vine! Lord, Lord! Some conquer thousands, others tens of thousands. Nikolai V. Siriich," he said enthusiastically, "you know that today you have conquered the greatest enemy of man: pride!"

"Come on, deacon! What kind of conquerors are he and I! The conqueror looks like an eagle, but he looks pitiful, cowering, languid, bowing like a Chinese clay baby, and I... . . . I feel sad." Footsteps came from behind.It was Laevsky who came to see him off.The orderly stood on the pier carrying two suitcases.Not far from him, stood four rowers. "But it's windy, . . . hey!" said Samoylenko. "There is probably a storm at sea now, alas, alas! You are going at a bad time, Kolya." "I'm not afraid of seasickness." "That's not the problem. . . . I'm afraid these fools will throw you into the water.

You should get on board in the boat of the steamship company.Where is the boat of the steamship company? ' he shouted to the rowers. "Let's go, my lord." "And what about the customs ship?" "Leave too." "Why didn't you report earlier?" Samoylenko said angrily. "asshole!" "It's all right, don't worry..." said Von Koren. "Well, good-bye. God bless you." Samoylenko embraced von Koren and made the cross three times on his chest. "Don't forget us, Kolya. . . . Write. . . . We'll be waiting for you next spring." "Good-bye, deacon," said von Koren, shaking the deacon's hand. "Thank you for your company, and for the pleasant conversation. Think about the expedition." "Yes, Lord, even to the ends of the earth!" said the deacon, laughing. "Have I objected?" Von Koren recognized Laevsky in the dark and silently held out his hand to him.The rowers had disembarked and were steadying the wooden boat, which was still hitting the stakes despite the breakwaters to keep out the waves.Von Koren went down a ladder, jumped into the wooden boat, and sat down at the helm. "Write!" Samoylenko called to him. "take care!" "No one knows the real truth!" Laevsky thought to himself, turning up the collar of his overcoat and stuffing his hands into the sleeves. The wooden boat deftly circled the pier, sailed out, and took to the vast sea.It disappeared into the waves, and then came out of the deep again at once, and slid on the top of the wave, so that they could see the people in the boat, and even the oars.The wooden boat went out three azhang, and then was beaten back by the waves, retreating two azhang. "Write!" cried Samoylenko. "It's the devil who sent you out in this weather!" "Yes, no one knows the real truth..." thought Laevsky, looking sadly at the restless, black sea. "The waves have driven the boat back," he thought. "It took two steps forward and one step back, but the rowers are tenacious, and they row their oars tirelessly, unafraid of the towering waves. The wooden boat keeps going. Go, go, and lo, it's out of sight now. In half an hour, the boatmen will see the steamer's lights clearly. In an hour, they'll be close to the gangway of the steamer. So it is in life ...When seeking the truth, people always take two steps forward and one step back. Pain, mistakes, and the boredom of life throw them back, but the desire for truth and tenacious will push them forward.Who knows?Maybe they'll finally find the real truth. ……""goodbye! ' shouted Samoylenko in a drawn-out tone. "They are no longer seen or heard," said the deacon. "Bon Voyage!" The sky began to drop scattered raindrops.