The Mantle and Other Stories

orted one corner of the black-draped coffin upon his shoulder, and felt an ice-cold shiver run throug

end of the village in gloomy solitude; it was adorned with three round cupolas. One

onel kissed his dead daughter once more, and then left the church, together with the bearers of the bier, aft

laid their hands on the stove. This custom is always ob

ally all the domestics of the house assembled in the kitchen; it was really a kind of club, where they were accusto

n the kitchen-his cap, or his whip, or something of the sort. But the numbers of the club were not complete till the evening, when the groom came in after tying up his horses in the stable, the cowherd had shut up his cows in their stalls, and others collected there who were not usually seen in the day-time. During supper-time ev

h both hands a large vessel full of hot "galuchkis," which she distributed among them. Each drew out of his pocket a wooden spoon, or a one-pronged wooden fork. As soon as the

true-though I cannot understand it-that our

e the philosopher had already made in the kibitka. "Yes, s

journey, had played the part of a consoler. "We have nothing to do with

ellar with the steward on important business, and having stooped two or three ti

he answered. "She has ridden on

shepherd, "are there signs by

h; "even if you knew the Psalter by

ormer consoler. "It is not for nothing that God has given each some spec

tch," said a grey-headed

an who entered at that moment with a vessel ful

when he found that his remark had touched the old woman on a tender point. The shepherd

onel's daughter. In order to lead the talk back to the subject, he turned to his next neighbour and said, "I should like to k

a man, whose face was as flat as a shovel. "Who

ikita got to do with it?

u the story of Mikita

said the groom, "for

e story of Miki

ll it," exclaimed the whol

though he were his own father. The present huntsman, Mikola, who sits three places away from me, is not

y," exclaimed Dorosch, and n

d con

whether he went quicker than the dog or the dog than he. He could empty a quart pot of brandy in the twinkling of an eye. Ah! he was a splendid huntsman, only for some time he always had his eyes fixed on t

," remarke

as quite delighted, and answered, 'Don't only set your foot there, but sit on me altogether.' The young lady lifted her white little foot, and as soon as he saw it, his delight robbed him of his senses. He bowed his neck, the idiot, took her feet in both hands, and began to trot about like a horse all over the place. Whither they we

y all began to vie with one another

ory of Cheptchicha?" asked

N

lying without any reason; but he is a fine fellow for all that. His house is not far away from here. One evening, just about this time, Cheptoun and his wife went to bed after they had finished the

a bench, but on the ground," interrup

her, and said after a pause, "If I tore your dress off yo

The old woman was silent,

h cont

the snout to stop his howling!' So she seized the poker and opened the door. But hardly had she done so than the dog rushed between her legs straight to the cradle. Then Cheptchicha saw that it was not a dog but the young lady; and if it had only been the young lady as she knew her it wouldn't have mattered, but she looked quite blue, and her eyes sparkled like fiery coals. She seized the child, bit its throat, and began to suck its blood. Cheptchicha shrieked, 'Ah!

he witch had made a deep impression on all, and each of them had something to say about her. One had seen her come to the door of his house in the form of a hayric

heir time, for it was already night. All looked for a sleeping p

four-Spirid, Dorosch, the old Cossack, and the philosopher-betook themselves to the church, keeping off with thei

d made a deep impression on his imagination. They had passed the thick hedges and trees, and the country became more open. At last they reached the small enclosure round the church; behind it there were no more trees, but a huge, empty plain dimly visi

pictures of saints burned the candles, whose light only illuminated the icons, and cast a faint glimmer into the body of the church; all the corners were in complete darkness. The

ure can get in, and as for the dead and those who come from the 'other side,' I can protect myself with such effectual prayers that the

isles, he noticed two packets of c

e the whole church, till it is as bright as d

ly lit up. Only the darkness in the roof above seemed still denser by contrast, and the faces of the saints peering out of the frames looked as unearthly as before. He appro

terrible about the beauty of the dead girl. Perhaps she would not have inspired so much fear had she been less beautiful; but there was nothing ghastly or deathlike in the face, which wore rather an expression of life, and it seemed

ry loud voice in order to keep up his courage. His deep voice sounded strange to himself in th

She will remain quietly resting. Yes, and what sort of a Cossack should I be, if I were afraid? The fact is, I have

book towards the bier, and involuntarily he said to himself, "There! Se

t up at midnight, with the corpse in the midst, and no living soul near but one. The philosopher began to sing in various keys in order to stifl

Not even did a cricket chirp in any corner. There was nothing audible but the

he rose up

n, but sitting upright. He turned away his eyes, but at once looked again, terrified, at the coffin. She stood up;

round himself; then in a loud voice he began to recite the prayers and formulas of

but it was evident that she had not the power to enter it. Her face

she opened her dead eyes, but as in her rage she saw nothing, she turned in another direction and

a threatening gesture, and the

st directly over his head; but the philosopher observed that it could not pass over the area of his charmed circle, so he kept on repeating his formulas of exorcism. The coffin now fell with a crash in the

tion poured in streams from his face; but heartened by t

to release him. When he had reached the house, he could not sleep for a long time; but at last weariness overpowered him, and he slept

sistance. But none the less he resolved to say nothing of what he had seen, and to a

meal, are uncommonly amiable. He lay down on a bench, with his pip

on the back of his opponent. It provided the spectators with much amusement; sometimes the groom, a huge man, would clamber on the back of the swineherd, who was slim and short and shrunken; another time the groom would present his own back, while Dorosch sprang on it

ke a nail in his head. In spite of his desperate efforts to appear cheerful after supp

d the grey-haired Cossack, and stood up with D

way as on the previous evening; again he was

s. He again saw the dark pictures of the saints in their gilt frames, and t

he first shock. The first time I was frightene

s and formulas for exorcism, and then began to read the prayers for the dead in a loud voi

red his throat and drew his snuff-box out of his pocket, but bef

ooked down at the book, and began to read his prayers and exorcisms aloud. Yet all the while he was aware how her teeth chattered, and how she stretched out he

unded like the bubbling of boiling pitch. The philosopher did not know their meaning, but h

He heard the noise of their wings and claws as they flapped against and scratched at the iron bars of the chu

ead the prayers without a pause. At last there was heard in the distance the shrill so

rry him to the house; he then shook himself, asked for and drank a quart of brandy. He passed his hand through his hair and said, "There are all sorts of horrors in the world, and such dreadful things happ

ssistant, and very coquettish; she always stuck something in her bodice by way of or

hilosopher. "Dear me! what has happened to you

s it, you sil

You have grow

arding him more closely. "You have

iece of looking-glass. In front of it hung some forget-me-nots, evergreens, and a small garland-a proof that it was the t

im all, and declare that I will read no more prayers. He must send me back at once to

s had observed on it on his first arrival, only the hollows in his cheeks had deepened. It was obvious

s standing, cap in hand, at the door. "W

are going on, that one would like to rus

w s

e is, of course, of noble descent-no one can dispute that

l! What a

. She inspires one with such dre

you. My dove was troubled about her salvation, and w

ous sir, it is

uasive tone. "There is only one night more; you are

will not read the prayers any more, si

. In your seminary you may act as you like, but here it won't do. If I have you knouted, it w

opher in a low voice; "a number o

ce, despotic expression, betraying the savagery of his nature, which had been only temporarily modified by grief. "After the first flogging they pour on b

d went out. "One can't trifle with him. But wait a little, my friend;

y into the garden, whence he thought he could escape more easily into the open country. This garden was generally so choked up with weeds that it seemed admirably adapted for such an attempt. With the exception of a single path used by the people of the house, the whole of it was covered with cherry-trees, elder-bushes, and tall heath-thistles with fibrous red buds. All these trees and bushes had been thickly

t frightened at it. The skirts of his long cloak seemed to cling to the ground as though they had been fastened to it

his calculation, must stretch as far as the road leading to Kieff, and if he reached it he would be safe. Accordingly he ran over the field and plunged into the thorny copse. Every sharp thorn he encountered tore a fragment from his coat. Then he reac

wiping his mouth. "This i

s we are being followed," said

d turned; before

uld like to seize him by the feet and smash h

by which I came; it leads directly by the stable. Besides, it is a pity about your coat. Such splen

lowed Javtuch in a

ck? I have read the prayers for two nights already; with God's help I will get through the third night also. It i

teward's permission, had access to the wine-cellar, to fetch him a small bottle of brandy. The two friends sat down before

tea-time, and the servants, who, as is usual in such cases, had formed a small circle round

essary to pour a bucket of cold water on his head to wake him up for supper. At the meal he enlarged

said Javtuch

your tongue," thought the philosopher;

nversation with his companions; but both Javtuch and Dorosch remained silent. It was a weird night. In t

olves howling, but somethi

and the philosopher did no

ondition showed how little the lord of the manor cared about God and his soul

silence in the church, in the centre of which st

said; and after drawing a circle round himself as

ed one page after another, and noticed that he was not reading what was in the book. Full of alarm, he crossed himself

from its hinges, and a huge mass of monstrous creatures rushed into the church, which became filled with the noise of beating wings and scratching claws. All these creatures flew and crept about, seeking for the philosopher, from whose brain the last fumes of intoxication had vanished. He crossed himself ceaselessly and uttered prayer after prayer, hearing all the time the whole unclean swarm rustling about him, and brushing him with the tips o

! Bring the Viy!"

ngainly human figure with crooked legs was being led into the church. He was quite covered with black soil, and his hands and feet resembled knotted roots. He trod heavily and

" said the Viy in a dull, hollow voice,

arned the philosopher; but he

inting an iron finger at him; and al

error, he sank to

the first one. In alarm they hurried to the windows and the door to get out as quickly as possib

ayers there. The church remained standing as it was, with the monsters hanging on the windows and the doo

.

k for a whole hour into deep reflection. He had greatly altered of late; after finishing his studies he had become bell-ringer of one

as?" said Tiberius Gorobetz, who had beco

the bell-ringer. "Let us go to the ale-ho

h full use of his privileges as a student that his breeches and coat and

the limping innkeeper set the third jug of beer before

done nothing to him. One ought to cross oneself incessantly and spit exactly on her tail, and then not the lea

aying to the right and left in order to find a hiding-place in the thick steppe grass outside the town. At the same

E

RESS, THORNTON STREE

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