04-polikushka-第4部分

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done；　Polikey；　you　have　shown　that　you　can　be　honest。　　Here　are

threeit　may　be　fiveperhaps　tenrubles　for　you；〃　and　also　she

would　order　tea　for　him；　and　might　treat　him　to　vodkiwho　knows？



The　latter　thought　gave　him　great　pleasure；　as　he　was　feeling

very　cold。



Speaking　aloud　he　said：　〃What　a　happy　holy…day　we　can　have　with

ten　rubles！　　Having　so　much　money；　I　could　pay　Nikita　the　four

rubles　fifty　kopecks　which　I　owe　him；　and　yet　have　some　left　to

buy　shoes　for　the　children。〃



When　near　the　house　Polikey　began　to　arrange　his　clothes；

smoothing　down　his　fur　collar；　re…tying　his　sash；　and　stroking

his　hair。　　To　do　the　latter　he　had　to　take　off　his　hat；　and　when

doing　so　felt　in　the　lining　for　the　envelope。　　Quicker　and

quicker　he　ran　his　hand　around　the　lining；　and　not　finding　the

money　used　both　hands；　first　one　and　then　the　other。　But　the

envelope　was　not　to　be　found。



Polikey　was　by　this　time　greatly　distressed；　and　his　face　was

white　with　fear　as　he　passed　his　hand　through　the　crown　of　his

old　hat。　Polikey　stopped　the　mare　and　began　a　diligent　search

through　the　wagon　and　its　contents。　　Not　finding　the　precious

envelope；　he　felt　in　all　his　pocketsBUT　THE　MONEY　COULD　NOT　BE

FOUND！



Wildly　clutching　at　his　hair；　he　exclaimed：　〃Batiushka！　　What

will　I　do　now？　　What　will　become　of　me？〃　　At　the　same　time　he

realized　that　he　was　near　his　neighbors'　house　and　could　be　seen

by　them；　so　he　turned　the　mare　around；　and；　pulling　his　hat　down

securely　upon　his　head；　he　rode　quickly　back　in　search　of　his

lost　treasure。



　

CHAPTER　VI。



The　whole　day　passed　without　any　one　in　the　village　of　Pokrovski

having　seen　anything　of　Polikey。　　During　the　afternoon　his

mistress　inquired　many　times　as　to　his　whereabouts；　and　sent

Aksiutka　frequently　to　Akulina；　who　each　time　sent　back　word　that

Polikey　had　not　yet　returned；　saying　also　that　perhaps　the

merchant　had　kept　him；　or　that　something　had　happened　to　the

mare。



His　poor　wife　felt　a　heavy　load　upon　her　heart；　and　was　scarcely

able　to　do　her　housework　and　put　everything　in　order　for　the　next

day　（which　was　to　be　a　holy…day）。　　The　children　also　anxiously

awaited　their　father's　appearance；　and；　though　for　different

reasons；　could　hardly　restrain　their　impatience。　　The　noblewoman

and　Akulina　were　concerned　only　in　regard　to　Polikey　himself；

while　the　children　were　interested　most　in　what　he　would　bring

them　from　the　town。



The　only　news　received　by　the　villagers　during　the　day　concerning

Polikey　was　to　the　effect　that　neighboring　peasants　had　seen　him

running　up　and　down　the　road　and　asking　every　one　he　met　if　he　or

she　had　found　an　envelope。



One　of　them　had　seen　him　also　walking　by　the　side　of　his

tired…out　horse。　　〃I　thought；〃　said　he；　〃that　the　man　was　drunk；

and　had　not　fed　his　horse　for　two　daysthe　animal　looked　so

exhausted。〃



Unable　to　sleep；　and　with　her　heart　palpitating　at　every　sound；

Akulina　lay　awake　all　night　vainly　awaiting　Polikey's　return。

When　the　cock　crowed　the　third　time　she　was　obliged　to　get　up　to

attend　to　the　fire。　　Day　was　just　dawning　and　the　church…bells

had　begun　to　ring。　　Soon　all　the　children　were　also　up；　but　there

was　still　no　tidings　of　the　missing　husband　and　father。



In　the　morning　the　chill　blasts　of　winter　entered　their　humble

home；　and　on　looking　out　they　saw　that　the　houses；　fields；　and

roads　were　thickly　covered　with　snow。　　The　day　was　clear　and

cold；　as　if　befitting　the　holy…day　they　were　about　to　celebrate。　

They　were　able　to　see　a　long　distance　from　the　house；　but　no　one

was　in　sight。



Akulina　was　busy　baking　cakes；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the　joyous

shouts　of　the　children　she　would　not　have　known　that　Polikey　was

coming　up　the　road；　for　a　few　minutes　later　he　came　in　with　a

bundle　in　his　hand　and　walked　quietly　to　his　corner。　　Akulina

noticed　that　he　was　very　pale　and　that　his　face　bore　an

expression　of　sufferingas　if　he　would　like　to　have　cried　but

could　not　do　so。　　But　she　did　not　stop　to　study　it；　but　excitedly

inquired：　〃What！　　Illitch；　is　everything　all　right　with　you？〃



He　slowly　muttered　something；　but　his　wife　could　not　understand

what　he　said。



〃What！〃　she　cried　out；　〃have　you　been　to　see　our　mistress？〃



Polikey　still　sat　on　the　bed　in　his　corner；　glaring　wildly　about

him；　and　smiling　bitterly。　He　did　not　reply　for　a　long　time；　and

Akulina　again　cried：



〃Eh？　　Illitch！　　Why　don't　you　answer　me？　　Why　don't　you　speak？〃



Finally　he　said：　〃Akulina；　I　delivered　the　money　to　our　mistress；

and　oh；　how　she　thanked　me！〃　　Then　he　suddenly　looked　about　him；

with　an　anxious；　startled　air；　and　with　a　sad　smile　on　his　lips。　

Two　things　in　the　room　seemed　to　engross　the　most　of　his

attention：　the　baby　in　the　cradle；　and　the　rope　which　was

attached　to　the　ladder。　　Approaching　the　cradle；　he　began　with

his　thin　fingers　quickly　to　untie　the　knot　in　the　rope　by　which

the　two　were　connected。　　After　untying　it　he　stood　for　a　few

moments　looking　silently　at　the　baby。



Akulina　did　not　notice　this　proceeding；　and　with　her　cakes　on　the

board　went　to　place　them　in　a　corner。



Polikey　quickly　hid　the　rope　beneath　his　coat；　and　again　seated

himself　on　the　bed。



〃What　is　it　that　troubles　you；　Illitch？〃　inquired　Akulina。　　〃You

are　not　yourself。〃



〃I　have　not　slept；〃　he　answered。



Suddenly　a　dark　shadow　crossed　the　window；　and　a　minute　later　the

girl　Aksiutka　quickly　entered　the　room；　exclaiming：



〃The　boyarinia　commands　you；　Polikey　Illitch；　to　come　to　her　this

moment！〃



Polikey　looked　first　at　Akulina　and　then　at　the　girl。



〃This　moment！〃　he　cried。　　〃What　more　is　wanted？〃



He　spoke　the　last　sentence　so　softly　that　Akulina　became　quieted

in　her　mind；　thinking　that　perhaps　their　mistress　intended　to

reward　her　husband。



〃Say　that　I　will　come　immediately；〃　he　said。



But　Polikey　failed　to　follow　the　girl；　and　went　instead　to

another　place。



From　the　porch　of　his　house　there　was　a　ladder　reaching　to　the

attic。　　Arriving　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder　Polikey　looked　around

him；　and　seeing　no　one　about；　he　quickly　ascended　to　the

garret。



*　*　*　*　*　*　*



Meanwhile　the　girl　had　reached　her　mistress's　house。



〃What　does　it　mean　that　Polikey　does　not　come？〃　said　the

noblewoman　impatiently。　　〃Where　can　he　be？　　Why　does　he　not　come

at　once？〃



Aksiutka　flew　again　to　his　house　and　demanded　to　see　Polikey。



〃He　went　a　long　time　ago；〃　answered　Akulina；　and　looking　around

with　an　expression　of　fear　on　her　face；　she　added；　〃He　may　have

fallen　asleep　somewhere　on　the　way。〃



About　this　time　the　joiner's　wife；　with　hair　unkempt　and　clothes

bedraggled；　went　up　to　the　loft　to　gather　the　linen　which　she　had

previously　put　there　to　dry。　　Suddenly　a　cry　of　　horror　was

heard；　and　the　woman；　with　her　eyes　closed；　and　crazed　by　fear；

ran　down　the　ladder　like　a　cat。



〃Illitch；〃　she　cried；　〃has　hanged　himself！〃



Poor　Akulina　ran　up　the　ladder　before　any　of　the　people；　who　had

gathered　from　the　surrounding　houses；　could　prevent　her。　　With　a

loud　shriek　she　fell　back　as　if　dead；　and　would　surely　have　been

killed　had　not　one　of　the　spectators　succeeded　in　catching　her　in

his　arms。



Before　dark　the　same　day　a　peasant　of　the　village；　while

returning　from　the　town；　found　the　envelope　containing　Polikey's

money　on　the　roadside；　and　soon　after　delivered　it　to　the

boyarinia。