Chapter 103 Part Two - Forty One

The carriage in which Nekhludoff was traveling contained only half a passenger.Among them were servants, artisans, factory workers, butchers, Jews, clerks, women, workers' wives, a soldier, and two noble ladies, one young and the other old, wearing several only bracelet.There was also a stern-faced gentleman in a black cap with a badge.These people have found their seats and are sitting comfortably, some are cracking sunflower seeds, some are smoking, and some are chatting enthusiastically with their neighbors. Taras sat triumphantly on the bench on the right in the aisle, leaving a seat for Nekhludoff.He was chatting with a passenger opposite with great interest.The man with his country tweed jacket unbuttoned was muscular.Nekhludoff later found out that he was a gardener, and he was traveling by car to work elsewhere.Before Nekhludoff could reach Taras, he stopped beside a solemn old man.The old man with a snow-white beard and a homemade robe pleated at the waist was talking to a young woman in country attire.Next to this woman sat a little girl of about seven years old.The little girl was wearing a brand-new sleeveless gown, her pale, almost white hair was tied into a braid, her feet were far away from the ground, and she kept nibbling sunflower seeds in her mouth.The old man looked back at Nekhludoff, tucked up the front of his coat, made room for a seat on the polished bench, and said kindly:

"Please sit down." Nekhludoff thanked him, and sat down in the seat appointed.No sooner had Nekhludoff sat down than the woman went on with her story.She told how her husband had entertained her in the city, and now she was going back to the country. "I went there last Maslenitsa, by God's grace. I went again now," she said, "and God bless me to go again at Christmas." "That's a good thing," said the old man, looking at Nekhludoff. "You must visit him often, otherwise young people living alone in the city are liable to go bad."

-------- ① Christian festivals are generally held three days before Lent. "No, sir, our master is not that kind of man. He never does stupid things, he is like a big girl. All the money he earns is sent home, and he doesn't keep a cent. He likes the girl, don't mention it." I like it so much," the woman said with a smile. While spitting out sunflower husks, the little girl listened to her mother, as if confirming her mother's words.Her intelligent, quiet eyes looked from the old man's face to Nekhludoff's. "Looks like a wise man, nothing could be better," said the old man. "So, isn't he coming for this thing?" he added, eyeing a couple sitting across the aisle.They were probably factory workers.

The husband shuts the mouth of a bottle of vodka, throws his head back, and drinks; The wife holds the bottle bag and keeps her eyes on her husband. "No, our heads don't drink or smoke," said the woman who was talking to the old man, seizing the opportunity to compliment her husband again. "There are very few people like him, my lord. Well, that's what he is," she said, turning to Nekhludoff again. "That can't be better," the old man said again, looking at the drinking workers. The worker took a few sips from the bottle, then handed the bottle to his wife.The wife took the wine bottle, shook her head with a smile, and pointed the mouth of the bottle at her own mouth.The worker, noticing that Nekhludoff and the old man were looking at him, turned to them and said:

"What's the matter, sir? See how we drink? We work, and no one sees it; now when we drink, everyone sees it. I work for money, and I drink a little, and let my wife drink a little. Nothing else It's gone." "Yes, yes," said Nekhludoff, not knowing how to reply. "Am I right, sir? My wife is a steady woman! I'm happy with her, because she loves me. Am I right, Mavera?" "Here, take it. I don't want to drink any more," said his wife, handing him the bottle. "What are you talking about?" she added. "Look, that's how she is," continued the workman. "She's fine for a while, and then she's like a wagon that hasn't been oiled, creaking all the time. Mavera, am I right?"

Mavra smiled and waved her hand with alcohol. "Hey, he's talking nonsense again..." "Well, that's what she is. Good is good, but only for a while. When you get mad, you can do anything. . . . I'm telling the truth. You'll have to bear with me, sir. I've had a drink." , um, but is there any way..." the worker said and lay down to sleep, resting his head on the lap of his smiling wife. Nekhludoff sat down with the old man again.The old man talked about his life experience, saying that he was a furnace builder who had been working for fifty-three years and had built countless furnaces in his life. He wanted to take a rest, but there was always no time.This time he was in the city and found work for the children, and now he went back to his hometown to see his family.After hearing what the old man had said, Nekhludoff got up and went to the seat Taras had left for him.

"Oh, sir, sit down. Let's move the bag here," said the gardener, who was sitting opposite Taras, looking up at Nekhludoff's face, kindly. "I'm not afraid of being crowded, but of being angry," Taras said with a smile and a singing voice, and stretching out two strong arms, he lifted the two-pound heavy bag gently like a feather, and carried it to the window. "There are plenty of places, you can stand up, or get under the chair. It's peaceful here, no one quarrels!" He said kindly with a smile on his face. Taras said of himself that he had nothing to say when he didn't drink;It is true that Taras was always taciturn when he was sober, but when he drank a little wine-which was rare for him and only drank on special occasions-he was especially fond of talking.When he opened his mouth, he talked a lot, very interestingly, and very simply, very sincerely, and above all very kindly, with his kind light blue eyes and eager smiling lips always full of kindness.

Today he is in such a state.Nekhludoff came up, but he stopped for a while.But when he had put the bag away, he sat down as he had done before, and, putting his strong, ever-working hands on his knees, looked the gardener straight in the eye, and went on talking about him.He told his new friend in detail how his wife had been sentenced, why she had been exiled, and why he was now going to Siberia with her. Nekhludoff, who had never heard the whole story before, listened attentively.While he was listening, Taras had just reported that the poisoning had taken place, and everyone in the family knew that Fedosya had done it.

"I am telling of my grief," Taras said amiably to Nekhludoff. "When I met such an enthusiastic friend, we started talking, and I also talked about my affairs." "Well, well," said Nekhludoff. "Well, brother, this matter was exposed like this. My mother took the cake and said: 'I'm going to the police. 'My father is a reasonable old man.He said: 'Wait a minute, old woman, the little girl is still a baby, she doesn't know what she is doing, we must forgive her.Maybe she'll figure it out. 'But what's the use, my mother can't listen to a word.She said: 'If we keep her, she'll poison us all like cockroaches. 'Brother, after she finished speaking, she ran to the police, and the police rushed to our house... and passed on all the witnesses. "

"Well, how were you then?" asked the gardener. "Me, brother, my stomach hurts and I can't stop vomiting. I can't say a word. My father immediately put the car in, told Fedosha to sit in it, and drove away." To the police station, and from the police station to the judge. And she, brother, pleaded guilty at the beginning, and later confessed to the judge. Where did she get the arsenic, and how did she knead it into the cake? The judge asked her, "Why did you do that?" She replied, "Because I hate him. I'd rather go to Siberia than live with him." She meant she didn't want to be with him. I live together," Taras said with a smile. "She pleaded guilty completely in this way. Needless to say, she was put in prison. My father came back alone. It happened to be the busy farming season, and my mother was the only woman in our family, and she had no strength. We counted Now, what should I do? Can I get a bail to bail her out? My father went to find an officer, but if it didn’t work, he went to find another one, but it still didn’t work. He found five officers in one go. We plan to stop running around, Unexpectedly, I met a man, a petty official in the government. That fellow was clever, and he was rare in the world. He said: "Give me five rubles, and I will bail her out." My father negotiated with him, and the result was Three roubles are agreed. Well, brother, I will deposit the homemade cloth she wove and give him the money. He picks up the pen and writes like this," said Taras in a long voice, as if at the beginning of the speech. Like a gun, "I wrote it all at once. I was already up, and I drove to pick her up myself. Brother, I will come to the city. I tied my mare in the inn, and took up the business. , walked to the prison in one breath. They asked me: "What's your business?" Handed him the business at once. He looked at it and said: 'Wait a minute.' I sat down on a bench. The sun was already overhead. An officer came out and asked: 'You are Vargusio husband?' I said, 'I am.' He said, 'Okay, take her back.' They immediately opened the cell door. She was escorted out in her own clothes, neatly dressed, and I Said: "Okay, let's go." But she asked me: "Did you come here?" I said: "No, I came by driving." We walked to the inn together and settled the matter. tent, harness the horses to the cart, spread the hay left over from the horses on the cart, and cover it with a piece of sackcloth. My wife sat in the cart and put on a headscarf. We drove home. She didn’t speak all the way, and I She didn't make a sound. She didn't ask until she was almost home, "So, is Mom all right?" I said, "It's all right." She asked again: "So, is Dad all right?" Said: "Taras, I did something stupid, please forgive me! I can't explain myself, how can I do such a thing." I said: "What are you talking about, I have forgiven you long ago I didn't say anything more. As soon as we got home, she knelt down in front of my mother. My mother said, 'Go and ask God to forgive me!' My father greeted her and said, 'Why do you Let's talk about the old days. Live well. There's no time to talk about that now. It's time to harvest the crops. At Skorodnoe, the well-fertilized rye field, God bless, is growing well, the scythe I can’t get it in, the ears of wheat are tangled with each other, and they all fall to the ground. It’s time to harvest. You and Taras can cut it together tomorrow.” Brother, she started working immediately. She worked hard. It was amazing. At that time our family rented three acres of land, God forbid, whether it was rye or oats, it was a rare and good harvest. I reaped the wheat, she tied it, or we both cut together. I She works fast and can do anything. She, no matter what she does, is better than me.neatly.My wife is young, flexible in her hands and feet, and full of energy.Brother, she is working so desperately that I have no choice but to persuade her to stop.When we came home from work, our fingers were swollen and our arms were sore, we should rest for a while, but she didn't eat dinner, so she ran to the warehouse to make straw rope for the next day.She has really changed! "

"Did she make out to you, then?" asked the gardener. "It goes without saying that she was very sweet to me. She knew what was on my mind. My mother was very angry with her, but even she said: 'Our Fedosya seems to be letting me down. People have lost their bags, and they have changed.' Once we both drove two cars to load wheat sheaves, and I sat in the front car with her. I asked her: 'Feduoxia, what did you do back then? What happened to that?' she replied, "How could I have done that? I just don't want to live with you. I think I'd rather die than live with you." And I said : 'And now?' She said: 'Now, now you can become my sweetheart.'" Taras paused, smiling happily, shaking his head in bewilderment. "We harvested the marijuana from the field, soaked the marijuana in water, and just got home," he said after a moment of silence, "Unexpectedly, the summons came and there was a court trial. But we have forgotten why there is a court trial. " "This must be a demon possessing the body, nothing else," said the gardener, "is it possible for a person to kill people for no reason? By the way, there was such a person in our place..." The gardener just asked Tell a story, but the train stops. "It must be the stop," he said. "Better go down and have a drink." The conversation ends here.Nekhludoff followed the gardener out of the carriage and onto the wet wooden platform.