Through Russia [40]
her veins contain "a drop of gentle blood"; but probably the statement is inspired by no more than the fact that she treats everyone with the same cold civility. Nevertheless, there is something peculiar about her, for her hands are slender and have long fingers, and her head is haughtily poised, and her voice has a metallic ring, even though the metal has, as it were, grown dull and rusty. Also, she speaks of everyone, herself included, in the most rough and downright terms, yet terms which are so simple that, though her talk may be disconcerting to listen to, it could never be called obscene.
For instance, once I overheard Vologonov reproach her for not leading a more becoming life:
"You ought to have more self-restraint," said he, "seeing that you are a lady, and also your own mistress."
"That is played out, my friend," she replied. "You see, I have had very much to bear, for there was a time when such hunger used to gnaw at my belly as you would never believe. It was then that my eyes became dazzled with the tokens of shame. So I took my fill of love, as does every woman. And once a woman has become a light-o'-love she may as well doff her shift altogether, and use the body which God has given her. And, after all, an independent life is the best life; so I hawk myself about like a pot of beer, and say, 'Drink of this, anyone who likes, while it still contains liquor.'"
"It makes one feel ashamed to hear such talk," said Vologonov with a sigh. In response she burst out laughing.
"What a virtuous man!" was her comment upon his remark.
Until now Antipa had spoken cautiously, and in an undertone, whereas the woman had replied in loud accents of challenge.
"Will you come in and have some tea? " he said next as he leant out of the window.
"No, I thank you. In passing, what a thing I have heard about you!"
"Do not shout so loud. Of what are you speaking?"
"Oh, of SUCH a thing!"
"Of NOTHING, I imagine."
"Yes, of EVERYTHING."
"God, who created all things, alone knows everything."
Whereafter the pair whispered together awhile. Then Felitzata disappeared as suddenly as she had come, leaving the old man sitting motionless. At length he heaved a profound sigh, and muttered to himself.
"Into that Eve's ears be there poured the poison of the asp! . . . Yet pardon me, 0h God! Yea, pardon me!"
The words contained not a particle of genuine contrition. Rather, I believe, he uttered them because he had a weakness not for words which signified anything, but for words which, being out of the way, were not used by the common folk of the suburb.
****************************
Sometimes Vologonov knocks at the partition-wall with a superannuated arshin measure which has only fifteen vershoki of its length remaining. He knocks, and shouts:
"Lodger, would you care to join me in a pot of tea? "
During the early days of our acquaintanceship he regarded me with marked and constant suspicion. Clearly he deemed me to be a police detective. But subsequently he took to scanning my face with critical curiosity, until at length he said with an air of imparting instruction:
"Have you ever read Paradise Lost and Destroyed?"
"No," I replied. "Only Paradise Regained."
This led him to wag his parti-coloured beard in token that 'be disagreed with my choice', and to observe:
"The reason why Adam lost Paradise is that he allowed Eve to corrupt him. And never did the Lord permit him to regain it. For who is worthy to return to the gates of Paradise? Not a single human being."
And, indeed, I found it a waste of time to dispute the matter, for he merely listened to what I had to say, and then, without an attempt at refutation, repeated in the same tone as before, and exactly in the same words, his statement that " Adam lost Paradise for the reason that he allowed Eve to corrupt him."
Similarly did women constitute our most usual subject of conversation.
"You are young," once he said, " and therefore a human being bound to find forbidden fruit blocking your way at every step. This because
For instance, once I overheard Vologonov reproach her for not leading a more becoming life:
"You ought to have more self-restraint," said he, "seeing that you are a lady, and also your own mistress."
"That is played out, my friend," she replied. "You see, I have had very much to bear, for there was a time when such hunger used to gnaw at my belly as you would never believe. It was then that my eyes became dazzled with the tokens of shame. So I took my fill of love, as does every woman. And once a woman has become a light-o'-love she may as well doff her shift altogether, and use the body which God has given her. And, after all, an independent life is the best life; so I hawk myself about like a pot of beer, and say, 'Drink of this, anyone who likes, while it still contains liquor.'"
"It makes one feel ashamed to hear such talk," said Vologonov with a sigh. In response she burst out laughing.
"What a virtuous man!" was her comment upon his remark.
Until now Antipa had spoken cautiously, and in an undertone, whereas the woman had replied in loud accents of challenge.
"Will you come in and have some tea? " he said next as he leant out of the window.
"No, I thank you. In passing, what a thing I have heard about you!"
"Do not shout so loud. Of what are you speaking?"
"Oh, of SUCH a thing!"
"Of NOTHING, I imagine."
"Yes, of EVERYTHING."
"God, who created all things, alone knows everything."
Whereafter the pair whispered together awhile. Then Felitzata disappeared as suddenly as she had come, leaving the old man sitting motionless. At length he heaved a profound sigh, and muttered to himself.
"Into that Eve's ears be there poured the poison of the asp! . . . Yet pardon me, 0h God! Yea, pardon me!"
The words contained not a particle of genuine contrition. Rather, I believe, he uttered them because he had a weakness not for words which signified anything, but for words which, being out of the way, were not used by the common folk of the suburb.
****************************
Sometimes Vologonov knocks at the partition-wall with a superannuated arshin measure which has only fifteen vershoki of its length remaining. He knocks, and shouts:
"Lodger, would you care to join me in a pot of tea? "
During the early days of our acquaintanceship he regarded me with marked and constant suspicion. Clearly he deemed me to be a police detective. But subsequently he took to scanning my face with critical curiosity, until at length he said with an air of imparting instruction:
"Have you ever read Paradise Lost and Destroyed?"
"No," I replied. "Only Paradise Regained."
This led him to wag his parti-coloured beard in token that 'be disagreed with my choice', and to observe:
"The reason why Adam lost Paradise is that he allowed Eve to corrupt him. And never did the Lord permit him to regain it. For who is worthy to return to the gates of Paradise? Not a single human being."
And, indeed, I found it a waste of time to dispute the matter, for he merely listened to what I had to say, and then, without an attempt at refutation, repeated in the same tone as before, and exactly in the same words, his statement that " Adam lost Paradise for the reason that he allowed Eve to corrupt him."
Similarly did women constitute our most usual subject of conversation.
"You are young," once he said, " and therefore a human being bound to find forbidden fruit blocking your way at every step. This because