Making his way out into the fresh air, Dutlof turned off from the road
to the lindens, unloosed his belt so the more conveniently to get at
his purse, and then began to put away the money. He moved his lips,
sucking them in and pushing them out again, though he made no sound.
After he had stowed away the money, and buckled his girdle again, he
crossed himself, and went roiling along the path as though he were
drunk; so absorbed was he by the thoughts rushing through his brain.
Suddenly he saw before him the form of a muzhík, coming to meet him.
He screamed. It was Yefím, who with a club was acting as guard on the
outside of the wing.
"Ah, uncle Sem'yón," said Yefímka joyfully as he came nearer. [It
was rather gloomy for him to be all alone.] "Well, have you got the
recruits off?"
"Yes. What are you doing?"
"They stationed me here to guard Ilyitch, who hung himself."
"But where is Ilyitch?"
"Here in the loft: they say he's hanging there," replied Yefímka,
pointing with his stick through the darkness, to the roof of the _wing._
Dutlof looked in the direction indicated; and though he saw nothing, he
blinked his eyes and shook his head.
"The police inspector has come," said Yefímka. "The coachman told
me. They are going to take him right down. Kind of a fearful night,
uncle.[29] I wouldn't go in there to-night, not even if orders had come
from the _upper_ house. Not if Yégor Mikhaluitch beat me to death would
I go in there."
"What a terrible misfortune!" said Dutlof, evidently from a sense of
propriety; for in reality he was not thinking of what he was saying,
and was anxious to go his way. But the overseer's voice chained him to
the spot.
"Hey, guard, come here!" cried Yégor Mikháilovitch, from the steps.
Yefímka responded to the call.
"What muzhík was standing there with you?"
"Dutlof."
"You too, Sem'yón, come here."
As Dutlof drew near, he saw, by the light of the lantern carried by the
coachman, not only the overseer, but a strange man in a uniform cap
with a cockade, and wearing a cloak: this was the police inspector.
"Here is an old man will go with us," said the overseer, pointing to
him.
The old man winced, but there was nothing to be done.
"And you, Yefímka, you're only a young man; just run on ahead to the
loft where he's hanging, and clear away the stairs so that his honor
can get up."
Yefímka, although he would not for any thing go into the _wing,_
started off, tramping with his feet as though they were beams.
The police inspector struck a light, and began to smoke his pipe. He
lived two versts away; and he had just been engaged in receiving from
the captain of police[30] a sharp dressing for drunkenness, and was,
consequently, still suffering from an attack of ill humor. The overseer
asked Dutlof why he was there. Dutlof told him in a straightforward way
about the finding of the money, and what the bárinya had done. Dutlof
said that he was going to ask the overseer's permission. The overseer,
to Dutlof's horror, asked for the envelope, and looked at it. The
police inspector also took the envelope, and asked, in a few dry words,
about the particulars.
"Now, good-by to my money," thought Dutlof, and began already to excuse
himself. But the police inspector gave him the money.
"That's luck for the rascal!" he said.
"Comes in good time," said the overseer. "He's just taken his nephew to
camp. Now he can buy him off."
"Ah!" said the police inspector, and started on.
"Are you going to get Ilyushka a substitute?" inquired the overseer.
"How get him a substitute? Is there money enough? And, besides, it's
too late."
"You know best," said the overseer, and both followed the police
inspector.
They went into the wing, at the entry of which the ill-smelling guards
were waiting with a lantern. Dutlof followed them. The guards had a
guilty look, which was to be attributed only to the odor arising from
them, because they had been doing nothing wrong. All were silent.
"Where?" asked the police inspector.
"Here," whispered the overseer. "Yefímka," he added, "you're a fine
young man, go ahead with the lantern."
Yefímka straightened his forelock; it seemed as if he had lost all
his fear. Going up two or three steps, he kept turning round, with a
glad countenance, and throwing the light on the police inspector's
way. Behind the inspector followed the overseer. When they were out of
sight, Dutlof, resting one foot on the step, sighed and stopped. In the
course of two minutes, the sound of the steps ceased; evidently they
were approaching the body.
"Uncle! you're wanted," cried Yefímka, in the skylight.
Dutlof went up. The police inspector and the overseer could be seen in
the light of the lantern, but the beam partly hid them from sight. Near
them stood some one with back toward them. It was Polikéï. Dutlof went
beyond the beam, and, crossing himself, halted.
"Turn him round, boys," commanded the coroner. No one stirred.
"Yefímka, you're a fine young man," said the overseer.
The "fine young man" walked up to the beam, and turning Ilyitch's body
round stood by him, looking with the same pleased expression, now at
Ilyitch, now at the officer, just as a showman exhibiting an albino, or
some monstrosity,[31] looks now at the public, now at the object of his
exhibition, and is ready to fulfil all the desires of his spectators.
"Turn him round again."
The body turned around once more, waved its hands slightly, and the leg
made a circle on the sanded floor.
"Come now, take him down."
"Do you order him cut down, Vasíli Borisovitch?" demanded the overseer.
"Bring an axe, friends!"
Twice the order had to be given to Dutlof and the guards to lift him
up. But the "fine young man" handled Ilyitch as he would the carcass
of a sheep. Finally they cut the rope, took down the body, and threw a
cloth over it. The police inspector said that the doctor would come on
the next day, and sent the people away.
[Footnote 29: _d'yadiushka,_ diminutive of _d'yád'ya._]
[Footnote 30: _ispravnik._]
[Footnote 31: Tulia Pastrana: a girl like a monkey, with hairy arms and
face, exhibited all over Europe, some years ago.]