“And the train?” I thought. “The train has come in long ago.”
Waiting a little longer, I went back to the shanty. Savka was sitting
motionless, his legs crossed like a Turk, and was softly, scarcely
audibly humming a song consisting of words of one syllable something
like: “Out on you, fie on you... I and you.” Agafya, intoxicated by the
vodka, by Savka’s scornful caresses, and by the stifling warmth of the
night, was lying on the earth beside him, pressing her face convulsively
to his knees. She was so carried away by her feelings that she did not
even notice my arrival.
“Agasha, the train has been in a long time,” I said.
“It’s time--it’s time you were gone,” Savka, tossing his head, took up
my thought. “What are you sprawling here for? You shameless hussy!”
Agafya started, took her head from his knees, glanced at me, and sank
down beside him again.
“You ought to have gone long ago,” I said.
Agafya turned round and got up on one knee.... She was unhappy.... For
half a minute her whole figure, as far as I could distinguish it through
the darkness, expressed conflict and hesitation. There was an instant
when, seeming to come to herself, she drew herself up to get upon her
feet, but then some invincible and implacable force seemed to push her
whole body, and she sank down beside Savka again.
“Bother him!” she said, with a wild, guttural laugh, and reckless
determination, impotence, and pain could be heard in that laugh.
I strolled quietly away to the copse, and from there down to the
river, where our fishing lines were set. The river slept. Some soft,
fluffy-petalled flower on a tall stalk touched my cheek tenderly like a
child who wants to let one know it’s awake. To pass the time I felt
for one of the lines and pulled at it. It yielded easily and hung
limply--nothing had been caught.... The further bank and the village
could not be seen. A light gleamed in one hut, but soon went out. I felt
my way along the bank, found a hollow place which I had noticed in the
daylight, and sat down in it as in an arm-chair. I sat there a long
time.... I saw the stars begin to grow misty and lose their brightness;
a cool breath passed over the earth like a faint sigh and touched the
leaves of the slumbering osiers....
“A-ga-fya!” a hollow voice called from the village. “Agafya!”
It was the husband, who had returned home, and in alarm was looking
for his wife in the village. At that moment there came the sound of
unrestrained laughter: the wife, forgetful of everything, sought in
her intoxication to make up by a few hours of happiness for the misery
awaiting her next day.