The Man Who Was Afraid

hchev — a sedate, bald-headed and red-nosed gentleman with side whiskers — and four ladies. The young Zvantzev wore eyeglasses, was thin and pale, and when he stood, the calves of his legs wer

sharp-pointed nose gave her face an expression somewhat bird-like. And this ugly face was perfectly motionless, and the eyes alone, small, round and cold, were forever smiling a penetrating and cunning smile. Ookhtishchev’s lady’s name was Vera; she was a tal

buxom girl, who constantly giggled in a ringing voice at somethi

he kept her head so erect and high and looked at everything about her with such condescending hau

es, provision baskets, candy- wrappers and orange peels were scattered about everywhere. In the corner of the raft was a pile of earth, upon which a bonfire was burning, and a peasant in a short fur coat, squ

hed, the company was in a weary frame of mind. They all gazed at the river,

her, and their noise came in deep moans toward the rafts and into the meadows, where the calm flow of the waves filled the air with soft and faint sounds. Gigantic barges stretched themselves one after another against the current, like huge pigs, tearing asunder the smooth expanse of the river. Black smoke came in ponderous puffs from the chimneys of the steamers, slowly melting in the fresh air, which was full of bright sunshine. At times a whistle resounded — it w

ly gazing into the distance,

iver A little boat

es with contempt, said, without looking at

his lady’s face. He was pale some spark seemed to flash up in his eyes

!” suggested the man w

with enthusiasm. “Vera, sing that song! You know,

ed at the brunette and

I sing,

s companion, and turning toward the la

sing w

nd and fixed her round eyes on the face of her sister. Sasha rose to her feet, leaned her hand agai

ows no cares or woe, And whose heart is

nd slowly, plaintively began

me the ma

sister, Sasha exclaimed i

f grass my hear

sobbed with melancholy and impotent grief; sobbed, quenching with tears the fire of the suffering. The other — the lower, more masculine voice — rolled powerfully through the air, full of the feeling of bloody mortification a

requit

aintively, clo

ame him, I’l

ich sounded like blows. And suddenly, changing the tempo of the song and striking a hig

ier than the mown-down grass, O

hut eyes Staring fixedly into the distance, her eyes flashed so brightly and malignantly that, because of their light, the velvety v

such as she is? It is eve

they leaned toward each other. The red-headed woman was thoughtfully examining the palm of Ookhtishchev’s hand, holding it in her own, and the jolly girl became sad. She drooped her head low and listened to the song, motionless, as though

el, my kind

her sister, her chest bent forward, her hand still h

g and the pa

about her, and seating herself by Foma’s side,

s it a ni

d Foma with a sigh,

ill full of charming sounds, it quivered, but at the touch o

v, and the others were clapping their hands. But she paid no

present of someth

I will,” F

ha

tel

own. And if you’ll give me what

ma, smiling suspiciously. “

and, after a moment’s t

om money, men have nothing. They cannot give anything more than money. Nothing of worth. I know it well already. One can love merely so. Yes, wait a littl

I cannot understand the beauty of this renowned Russian song. What is it that sounds in it? Eh? The howl of a wolf. Something hungry, wild. Eh! it’s the groan of a sick dog — altogether some

olayevich,” cried Oo

It has not, you know, that brilliancy of culture,” said the man wit

warm heart in it,” put in the red-h

e transposed over the placid and vast expanse of waters, and catching fragments of conversation, he pictured to himself the words as a swarm of dark butterflies, busily fluttering in the air. Sasha, her head resting on his shoulder, was softly whispering into his ear something at wh

Eh?” he heard Ookhtishchev

drew the cap from his head, clapped it ag

o listen to th

es she si

aid the peasant, looking at Sas

!” exclaimed

ce in that lady’s breast,” sai

t laughing and the men made some

to these and said nothing in r

you

d he waved his hand, “

singing.” And he sm

g something toge

? Am I a ma

strik

I sit

here, to

” exclaimed Zvantzev

drown yourself,” said Sasha, a

,” replied Zvantzev, s

about time you did it, and then, there’s also plenty of water

g away from her, and added with contempt:

the face of his companion, with his eyes grown dim, he muttered something and heard nothing. The lady with the bird- like face was pecking c

n absurd outing and — company,” said Z

t Sasha had insulted him. Now and then he cast at her a kind glance of approval. He was pleased with t

feet, clasped his knees in his hands, lifted his

r voice, when I low

you ought to hand me some

him a glas

oat with pleasure, licked his lips and said: “No

eg

ifted his eyes to her face, and

drink, I c

he woman sobbed out tremul

ot gladden

and fro, and closing his eyes, poured out into

come for me to

dering and writhing

y kindred I

the peasant declaimed in a sing-song with

eign lands I

some foreign place, where hard labour and degradation are in store for him. It seemed as though not the sounds, nor the song, but the burning tears of the human heart in which the plaint had surged up — it seemed as though these tears moistened the air. Wild grief and pain from the sores of body and

hroat and his face was quivering. He dimly saw Sasha’s black eyes; immobile and flashing gloomily, they seemed to him enormous and still growing larger and larger. And it seemed to him that it was not two persons who were singing — that everything about him was singing and sobbing, quivering and palpitating in torrents of

her head, keeping time to the motions of his hands. Both were now singing without words, with sounds only, and Foma

embling with excitement, with a tear-sta

Sasha. Pale with fatigue, she

t off his brow and looking around him with such a wandering

All were motionle

o his feet. “Eh, Sasha! Peasant!

smiling confusedly, and also rose t

aimed in astonishment, uneasi

sing like a nightingale. And what makes the lady sing like this, only God knows. And she sings, with

ell!” said Ookhtishch

ed up from the table. “I’ve come out here for a good time. I want to enjoy myself, and here they

eary, too,” announced the gen

ntzev to his lady,

d-haired lady to Ookhtishchev. “It

verything away!”

dered. Staggering, the crowd walked along the rafts. Pale and fatigued, they said to one another stu

all for th

ognac with me?” drawled the gentleman with the side whi

Foma became disgusted as he looked at them, and he went off to the other raft. He was astonished that all these people behaved as though they had not heard the s

did he care to stay here with them. And they were still pacing the raft with uneven steps, shaking from side to side and muttering disconnected words. The wome

I’m d

which the peasant had chopped wood for the fire, he began

his is!” Zvantzev’s cap

who awakened in him a certain uneasy feeling, which contained at once admir

ticed that he struck the peasant on the chest, after whi

zev, walking after him

et and said threateni

Don’t to

ntzev turned ar

e over here,

hurled with contem

but suddenly a thought flashed vividly through his min

s is moored in thre

ee, of

e conne

d t

quiet!

ut

, so they don

o the place where one link was well fastened to another l

nsible, your H

be af

f the cross. And Foma gazed, laughing softly, and experienced a painful sensation tha

stling one another, assisting the ladies with their wraps, laughing and talk

whispered the peasant, “they’ll strike against

p qu

’ll d

boat, and ov

, so that those drunken people would not be able to jump across to the moored links. He experienced a pleasant caressing sensation as he saw the raft softly rocking upon the water and floating off farther and farther from him every moment.The heavy and dark feeling, with which his heart had been filled during this time, now seemed to float away together with the

Good-bye!

ther in one group, in the centre of the raft. But by this time a clear st

ence lasting fo

were full of animal fright, was hurled at Foma, and louder than all and

-e-

he sedate gentleman with the sid

hey’re drown

ht; the raft rocked under their feet, floated faster on account of this, and the agitated water was loudly splashing against and under it. The screams

a felt more and more cheerful and relieved in p

faint, but sober voice, “look out, this i

You may complain!” an

and became as though petrified. Then rang out the wild, deafening shrieks of the women, and the terror-stricken screams of men, and all the figures on the raft remained petri

stretched out his hands, his head hanging down over the water. Several incredibly long seconds passed.

g dragged the woman out of the water, he grasped her by the waist, clasped her to his breast, and, no

sha, softly, and qui

, almost running, dashed across the rafts to the shore. She was wet and cold, but

e, firmly, pressing close to him.

done it,” muttere

your device wasn’t bad, either, th

still roaring

woman, as though she wanted to console and encourage him by this. She began t

d in the twilight a small island, withdrawing from the shore toward the stream of the ma

losing down