The Mantle and Other Stories

s would come flocking from all parts of the town. The students of grammar, rhetoric,

thes, and their pockets were always crammed with all kinds of things-push-bones, pipes made out of pens, remains of confectionery, and sometimes even young sp

on the other hand their faces were often strangely decorated; one had a black eye, and the

hole cakes of it; for what they could get hold of, they used at once. They smelt so strongly of tobacco and brand

le, and the market women, selling rolls, cakes, and honey-tarts, p

from all sides. "Rolls and cakes and tasty ta

d out of her basket and cried, "Here i

a rival. "See how greasy she is, and

to the philosophers and theologians, for these on

with a many-toned murmur. The teachers heard the pupils' lessons repeated, some in shrill and others in deep voices which sounded like a distant booming. While the lessons were

by general agreement. In this battle all had to take part, even the monitors who were appointed to look after the order and morality of the whole school. Two theologi

ortunes of the fray. Then came the philosophers with long black moustaches, and finally the thick-necked theologians. The battle generally ended in a victory

saw by the heated faces of his pupils that the battle had been very severe, and while he caned

ias, etc. As a reward for their exertions, they received a piece of linen, a sack of maize, half a roast goose, or something similar. All the students, lay and clerical, were very poorly provided with means for procuring the

etoricians under the leadership of a philosopher-themselves sometimes joining in the expedition-with sacks on their shoulders

were thronged with grammarians, rhetoricians, philosophers, and theologians. He who had no home of his own, would take up his quarters with some fellow-student's family; th

d them on a stick over their shoulders, especially when the road was very muddy. Then they tucked up their breeches over their knees and waded bravely through the pools and puddles. Whenever they spied a village near the highway, they at once left it, approached the house which seemed the most considerable, and began with l

y. The farther they went, the smaller grew their numbers, as they disperse

isions in some village, since their stock had long been exhausted. This party consisted of t

fingers he felt obliged to appropriate. Moreover, he was of a very melancholy disposition, and when he had got intoxica

is pipe; and when he was merry with wine, he hired a fiddler and danced the "tropak." Often he got a whole quantity of "b

h his character was at present too little developed. To judge by the great bumps on his forehead, with which he often appeared in the class-room, it might be

hetorician struck off the heads of the thistles by the wayside with his stick. The way wound on through thick woods of oak and walnut; green hills alternated here and there with meadows. Twice already they had seen corn

Thomas Brutus. "I was almost certa

round him, then put his pipe again between

ilosopher, and stood still. "Now

r on," answered the theologian, with

d according to all appearance there was no chance of moon or stars a

y sought for a footpath, he exc

for a while, and said,

ered only fox-holes. All around lay a huge steppe over which no one seemed to have passed. The wa

vacancy, no one answered; only, some moments later, they h

t shall we do?" sa

r," answered the theologian. So saying, he felt in his p

first eaten five pounds of bread and five of dripping, and so he now felt an intolerable emptiness

t any supper! Let us try once more; perhaps we shall find a house, and th

on one side and said, "Yes, of course, w

dogs in the distance. After listening a while to see from which direction the

ns, a village!" excl

d before the fence stood a number of trees. The students looked through the crevices of the gates and saw a court-yard in which

st now cry 'halt!' Cost what it may, we

cked together at the g

s, and an old woman wrapped in a sheepskin appeare

lost our way, our stomachs are empty, and we

ort of peop

gian Khalava, the philosopher Brut

can I put you up? You are big and heavy enough to break the house down. I know these philosophers and theologians

ish. Put us up where you like, and if we eat up your provisions, or do any othe

ents' consideration, "I will let you in; but I must put you in differen

won't say any more about

on their hinges, and the

had a little scrap of something! By heavens! my stomach is as empty as a

. "There you go begging at once. But I h

everything," contin

early to-mo

you get. You are fine fellows

his pocket. The latter had already seized the opportunity to steal a whole fish from one of the carts standing in the court-yard. He had not done this from hunger so much as from the force of habit. He had quite forg

nt; the rhetorician she put in a shed, the theologian in a

e which enclosed the stall, kicked away a pig from a neighbouring stall, which had inquiring

, and the old woman came

do you want here?" a

ut came with outstret

A terrible fright seized him, for he saw the old hag's eyes sparkle in an extraordinary way. "Aw

stonishment he found that he could neither lift his hands nor move his legs, nor utter an audible word. He only heard his heart beating, and saw the old woman approach him, place his hands crosswise on

e laid hold of his knees with both hands in order to stop his legs from running; but to his great

lain stretched before them, bordered on one side by a bla

eadows, hills, and valleys-all seemed to be sleeping with open eyes; nowhere was a breath of air stirring. The atmosphere was moist and warm; the shadows o

om of a transparent sea. He saw his own image, and that of the old woman whom he carried on his back, clearly reflected in it. Then he beheld how, instead of the moon, a strange sun shone there; he heard the deep tones of bells, and saw them swinging. He saw a wa

w-wind or music? It sounded and drew nearer, and penetrated his soul like a song that rose

strange feeling of oppression and delight in all his being. Often he felt as

s. Suddenly he experienced a certain relief. He felt that his pace was slackening; the witch weighed less heavily on h

r Thomas, and began to repeat his

d. They were still on the plain, but owing to the rapidity of their flight everything seemed indistinct and confused before his eyes. He seized a stick that was lying on the ground, and began to belabour the hag with all his might. She uttered a wild cry, whic

eally an

" she said in a faint voi

ilt domes of the churches of Kieff. Before him lay a beautiful maiden with thick, dishevelled hair and long e

to run with all his might. His heart beat violently, and he could not explain to himself what a strange, new feeling had seized him. He

n Little Russia one can live comfortably and at ease without paying a farthing. The great half-decayed building in which the seminary was established was completely empty; and howev

dow in the market-place who sold ribbons, etc. The same evening he found himself being stuffed with cakes and fowl; in f

n his usual way, and threw the Jewish publican a gold piece. He had a jug of ale standing before him, looked o

.

home one day from a walk in a quite broken-down condition. She had scarcely enough strength to reach her father's house; now she lay dying, an

t once, as a rich colonel had sent his servants and a kibitka for him. The philosopher trembled, and was seized by an uncomfortable feeling which h

idea of asking you whether you wish to go or not. I only tell you that if you think of disobeying, I will have yo

e descended the steep flight of steps which led to the court-yard, thickly planted with poplars; there he remained standing for a moment, and heard

them to a clerk to be copied. And don't forget to remind your master that he has some excellent fish, especially prime sturgeon, in his ponds; he might send me some when he has the opportunit

ht the philosopher. "He has smel

was one of those remarkable Cracow vehicles in which Jews travelled from town to town in scores, wherever they thought they would find a market. Six stout, strong, though somewhat elderly Cossa

e is no escaping one's destiny." So he stepped

losopher!" some

vehicle," he continued as he got into it. "If there

d his head, as he had already found an opportunity of pawning his cap in the ale-house. The other five, with the philosoph

"if this equipage were laden with salt or iron,

coachman, after thinking a short time

ssack considered himself entitled to remain s

in such a strange way and now lay dying, and whose destiny seemed to be mingled with his own; and wanted to know the sort of life that was lived in the colonel's house. But

don't forget to pull up and wake me and the other fellows if we are asleep." Then he began to snore pretty loud. But in any case his admonition was quite superfluous; for scarcely had the enor

and laid them on the table, where, though forbidden by the Talmud, they looked very seductive. All sat down at table, and it was not long before each of the guests had an earthenware jug standing in front of him. Th

here, Spirid, let

ch, let me press

ep bitterly because he was an orphan and alone in God's wide world. Another tall, loquacious man did h

tions to the philosopher Thomas. "I should like to know," he said, "what you learn in your s

hem learn what they like. God knows wh

hat is written in their books; perhaps it is someth

all this talk? It is God's will, and

the seminary too, by heaven I will! Do you think perhaps

and let his head sink on the table, f

bout the nobility, and why

In the first place he turned to the grey-headed Cossack, who was lamenting the loss of his parents. "But, lit

them, "he is an orphan, l

played a special thirst for knowledge, stopped them, saying, "No, I want

he tried to rise from his chair, he felt as though his feet were made of wood, and he began to see such a n

ich were hard to understand. During a great part of the night, they wandered about, having lost the road which they ought to have been able to find blindfolded. At last they drove down a steep

tched roofs. Just opposite the gateway was a house, which was larger than the others, and seemed to be the colonel's dwelling. The kibitka stopped before a small barn, and the travellers hastened into it and laid themselves down to sleep. The philos

distracted state; the old women wept and lamented; and a number of curious people gazed through the enclosure into the court-yard, as though there we

with a window shaped like an eye, was painted all over with blue and yellow flowers and red crescent-moons; it rested on little oaken pillars, which were round above

ind the barns near the entrance-gate stood two three-cornered wine-houses, also thatched with straw; each of the stone walls had a door in it, and was covered with all kinds of paintings. On one was represented a Cossack sitting on a barrel

asants' houses were visible. The whole village lay on a broad, even plateau, in the middle of a mountain-slope which culminated in a steep summit on the north side. When seen from below, it looked still steeper. Here and there on the top the irregular stems of the thick steppe-brooms showed in dark relief against the blue sky. The bare clay soil made a melancholy impre

to the conclusion that either the colonel's horses were very sagacious, or that the Cossacks must have

retched away to an immense distance, their bright green growing gradually dark; far away, about twenty versts off, many other villages were visib

ponds, and shoot and snare partridges and bustards; there must be quantities here. Much fruit might be dried here and sold in the town, or,

opher approached it mechanically, meaning at first to walk a little along it unobserved, and then quite quietly to ga

ness. "You are giving yourself useless trouble, Mr Philosopher, if you think you can escape from us," he said. "One cannot run away

I will come with the greatest pleasure," sa

table, with his head propped on both hands. He seemed about five-and-fifty, but his attitude of utter despair, and the pall

ck, he answered their deep bows wi

our profession, my good man?" asked the colonel

philosophy; my name

was you

't kno

our mo

have had a mother, but who she was, and w

for a moment lost in thought. "Wher

racious sir; I declar

you, and no one else, to

act that grand people often demand things which the most learned man cannot c

king nonsense,

g strike me on th

father, at once to the seminary in Kieff for the student Thomas Brutus; he shall pray three nights running for my sinful soul-he knows.' But what he really knows sh

anctity!" he exclaimed, and stared at the colonel. "God help us, gracious sir! What

ome reason for making the arrangement,

easure-but I believe it would be better on this occasion to send for a deacon or subdeacon. They are learne

f you read the prayers for her three nights through in the proper way, I

in such an emphatic way that the

!" said th

own. The philosopher remained for a few minutes in the hall in order to lo

he girl. Tall candles, round which were wound branches of the "calina," stood at her head and feet, and burned dimly in the broad daylight. The face of the dead was not to

ng you, or of speaking a disrespectful word to you, I swear by heaven he would never have seen his children again, if he had been as old as myself; nor his father and mother, if he had been young. And I would have thrown his corpse to the birds of the air, an

grief, and streams of te

d gently in order to clear his throat. The colonel turned and signed to him to take his

" thought the philosopher; "and then the co

more, began to read, without paying attention to anyt

ity of expression and harmony of feature been united. Her brow, soft as snow and pure as silver, seemed to be thinking; the fine, regular eyebrows shadowed proudly the closed eyes, whose lashes gently rested on her cheeks, which seemed to glow with secret longing; her lips still appeared to smile. But a

to himself; then he turned away and began to read the pra