" Give it here!"
" Stuff this in somehow into the trunk, it's been forgotten to the last," said another, jumping on the steps and handing in a brush and comb.
" Where can one stuff it now ?" cried the stout valet angrily to her. " Get away with you, you see the trunk is at the very bottom."
" It's the mistress's orders; doesn't matter a straw to me!"
" Well, give it here, look sharp; we can put it here in the pocket at the side."
The shaft horse continually lifted and shook his head. The bell every time gave a shrill tinkle, reminding one of partings, but the trace horses stood thoughtfully, their heads lowered, as though they understood all the charms of the journey which lay before them, and sometimes lashed their tails or thrust out an underlip at the shaft horse. At last the fatal minute came. There was another little prayer offered up.
" Be seated, be seated, all of you !" was Anton Ivanitch's order. " Pray sit down, Alexandr Fedoritch; and you, Yevsay, sit down. Sit down, sit down !" And he himself just sat for a second on the edge of a chair. 4< Now let us go, in God's name."
At this point Anna Pavlovna broke down and fell upon Alexandr's neck.
"Farewell, farewell, my dear," was heard among her sobs. " Shall I see you again ?" Nothing more could be distinguished. At this moment the tinkle of another troika-bell was heard; a telega flew into the court, drawn by three horses. From the telega leaped out a young man, covered with dust, who rushed into the room and threw himself on Alexandr's neck.
" Pospveloffl" —" Adouev!" they exclaimed, at the same instant clasping each other in an embrace.
"From where—how—have you come?"
U"
" From home. I have been galloping day and night) on purpose to say good-bye to you/'
" Friend, friend ! true friend !" said Adouev with tears in his eyes. "To journey 150 miles to say good-bye ! Oh, there is friendship in the world ! For life, isn't it ? " said Alexandr, passionately clasping his friend's hand and falling into his arms.
"Till death," he replied, pressing his hand still more warmly as he returned his embrace.
" Write to me !"
" Yes, and you too write."
Anna Pavlovna did not know how to make enough of Pospyeloff. The departure was delayed for half an hour. At last they were ready.
All went on foot as far as the wood. Sophia and Alexandr seized their chance, while passing through a dark passage, to throw themselves in each other's arms.
"Sasha, dear Sasha!" " Sonitchka!" they stammered, and their words were lost in a kiss.
" You will forget me there ? " she said tearfully.
" Oh, how little you know me! I shall come back; believe me, and never another "
" Here take this quickly; it is my hair and a ring."
He quickly put both in his pocket.
First walked Anna Pavlovna with her son and Pospyeloff, then Maria Karpovna and her daughter, and lastly the priest and Anton Ivanitch. At some distance followed the carriage. The coachman could scarcely hold in the horses. All the servants surrounded Yevsay at the gates.
" Good-bye, Yevsay Ivanitch; good-bye, old boy, don't forget us !" was heard on all sides.
" Good-bye, brothers, good-bye, don't remember ill against me."
" Good-bye, Yevsushka, good-bye, my darling," said his mother, hugging him. " Here is a holy image for you; it is my blessing. Remember the faith, Yevsay. Don't give way to drink or thieving; serve the master faithfully and well. Good-bye, good-bye!"
She hid her face in her apron and went away.
" Good-bye, mother," said Yevsay lazily.
A little girl of twelve rushed up to him.
" Say good-bye to your little sister!" said an old woman.
A COMMON STORY
23
" And where have you come from ?" said Yevsay, kissing her, " well, good-bye, good-bye! Run home now to the hut, bare-legs/'
Agrafena stood last of all, apart from the others. Her face was livid.
"Good-bye, Agrafena Ivanovna!" said Yevsay, slowly, raising his voice and holding out his hand to her.
She let him embrace her, but did not respond to his embrace, only her face worked.
" Here's something for you!" she said, taking a little bag of something from under her apron and thrusting it upon him. " Well of course you will walk out with the Petersburg girls, there!" she said, with a side-long glance at him. And in that glance was apparent all her suffering and her jealousy.
" I walk out, I ? " began Yevsay. " God blast me, strike me blind, may I sink into the earth, if I do any such thing there."
" All right, all right!" muttered Agrafena, incredulously, " but inside you—ugh !"
" All I'd almost f fr r &flttflP 1 " sa 'd Y 5 vs fl v i joking from his pock et a greasy pack of cards. " Fo r a keej)sake^"Xgrafen|i IvanQyjiajZLyflu ) you, know you cc^TTnoJ^get any here." *
She stretched QuLher- haad.
" Give it to me, Yevsay Ivanitch!" screamed Proshka out o f the crow d.
r ouj_ Til j?e damned frefore I^ive it to you,'' and h? put the-€a*ds into bin pooket.
" But givfijLhfimJp me, stupid!" said^Agrafiena^
" No ^Agrafena Ivano vn^ 'yfiTTmay do as you like , but I
™ nnV ffiy*y™ 1 fV )frn; ypn^"^JLlifiZ^!^^"^""XS>od-bye!" Without looking round he waved his Tiand and slowly moved off to the carriage which he looked as if he could have carried off on his shoulders—Alexandr, coachman and horses and all.
" Cursed fellow!" said Agrafena, looking after him and wiping away her falling tears with a corner of her apron.
At the forest a halt was made. While Anna Pavlovna was sobbing and saying good-by to her son, Anton Ivanitch patted one of the horses on the neck, then took him by the nose and shook him backwards and forwards, with which the horse seemed rather displeased, snorting and showing his teeth.
li Tighten the girth on the off-horse," said he to the coachman, " you see the pad is on one side."
The coachman looked at the pad and seeing that it was in its place did not get off the box but only straightened the breach a little with his whip.
" Well, it's time to start, God be with you !" said Anton Ivanitch. " Leave off tormenting yourself, Anna Pavlovna ! And you take your seat, Alexandr Fedoritch; you must reach Shishkov in daylight. Farewell, farewell! God give you happiness, rank, honours, all things good and happy, every kind of wealth and blessing! Now, in God's name, whip up the horses, but see you drive quietly along the slope!'' he added turning to the coachman.
Alexandr took his seat in the carriage dissolved in tears, but Yevsay went up to his mistress, knelt down at her feet and kissed her hand. She gave him a five-rouble note.
" See, Yevsay, remember, be a good servant and I will
^ marry you to Agrafena, but if not " She could say no
more. Yevsay got on to the box. The coachman wearied with the long delay, seemed to revive; he grasped his hat, set it straight on his head and took the reins ; the horses set off at first at a slight trot. He whipped the trace horses in turn one after the other, with a bound they began to draw and the troika flew along the road to the forest. The crowd of escorting friends stood silent and motionless till the carriage had passed altogether out of sight.
Anton Ivanitch was the first to recover himself.
" Well, now we must go home," he said.
Alexandr looked back from the carriage as long as anything was to be seen, then fell with his face hidden in the cushions.
" Do not leave me in my trouble, Anton Ivanitch," said Anna Pavlovna; " dine here."
" Very good, ma'am, I am ready; if you like I will sup here too."
" Yes, and you might stay the night as well."
" How can that be ? the funeral is to-morrow."
" Ah yes; well, I must not keep you. Remember me to Fedosia Petrovna; tell her that I grieve from my heart for her affliction, and I should have visited her myself, but God has sent, tell her, sorrow upon me—I have just parted with my son."