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Listen. Hey, Hey, I'm

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evening. Welcome to

1:35

the Just Sleep podcast. I'm

1:40

Tayshia, your host. Every

1:45

week, I will read you

1:47

an old story To

1:49

help you relax, put the

1:51

stressful day behind you, and

1:53

drift off to sleep. Thank.

2:05

You to the latest supporters of

2:08

the podcast. Mara.

2:11

Jade. Connie.

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Jennifer. A Jack.

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I hope your exams are going well. If

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you and I to support the podcast he can

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buy me a coffee. At. Buy

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me a coffee.com/just sleep

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pod. Tonight.

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And will be meeting. A kiss.

2:34

My. And onto them. So.

2:37

Lie down. Close. Your

2:39

eyes. And let me

2:41

read you. A story. At

2:47

eight o'clock on the evening of the twentieth

2:50

of me. All the

2:52

six batteries the reserve Artillery

2:54

brigade. Halted for the night.

2:57

In the village. Of best as.

3:01

Underway. To can't. When.

3:04

The general commotion was at it's height. While.

3:06

Some officers were busily occupied around

3:08

the guns. While. Others.

3:11

Daughter. Together in the square know the

3:14

church and closure. For. listening to

3:16

the quartermaster as. A

3:18

man and civilian dress. Writing.

3:20

A strange horse. Came into

3:22

site on the church. A

3:25

little done colored horse with a good neck.

3:28

And. Ashore detail. Came. Moving.

3:31

Not straightforward. But.

3:33

As it were sideways. The. Sort

3:36

of dance stuff. Though

3:38

it were being last about the legs. When.

3:41

He reached the officers. The man on the horse took

3:43

off his hat and said. His

3:45

excellency Lieutenant General Von Reback.

3:48

Advice: The gentlemen to drink tea with him

3:50

his minute. The.

3:53

Horse turned danced and

3:55

retired sideways. The

3:57

messenger raised his hat once more. leninist

3:59

disappeared with a strange horse

4:02

behind the church. What

4:04

the devil doesn't mean, grumbled some of

4:06

the officers, dispersing to their quarters.

4:11

One is sleepy, and here is this

4:13

von Rabach with his tea. We

4:16

know what tea means. The

4:19

officers of the six batteries

4:22

remembered vividly an incident

4:25

of the previous year when

4:27

during maneuvers they, together with

4:29

the officers of a Cossack regiment, were

4:31

in the same way invited to tea by a

4:33

Count who had an estate in

4:36

the neighborhood and was a retired army officer.

4:39

The hospitable and genial Count made

4:41

much of them, fed them, and

4:43

gave them drink, refused to let

4:46

them go to their quarters in the village and made

4:48

them stay the night. All

4:51

that, of course, was very nice, nothing better

4:53

could be desired. But

4:55

the worst of it was, the old army

4:57

officer was so carried away by

4:59

the pleasure of the young men's company

5:01

that till sunrise he was telling

5:03

the officers anecdotes of his glorious

5:05

past, taking them over the

5:08

house, showing them expensive

5:10

pictures, old engravings, rare

5:12

guns, reading them autographed

5:14

letters from great people while

5:17

the weary and exhausted officers looked

5:19

and listened, longing for their

5:21

beds and yawning in their sleeves.

5:26

When at last the host let them go, it was

5:29

too late to sleep. Might

5:32

this von Rabach be just another? Whether

5:35

he were or not, there was no help for it. The

5:38

officers changed their uniforms, brushed

5:40

themselves, and went all together in

5:42

search of the gentleman's house. In

5:45

the square by the church they were told they could

5:47

get to his excellencies by the lower path, going

5:50

down behind the church to the river,

5:53

going along the bank to the garden, and

5:56

there an avenue would take them to

5:59

the house. Or

6:01

by the upper way, straight from the

6:03

church by the road, which

6:05

half a mile from the village led right

6:07

up to His Excellency's granaries. The

6:11

officers decided to go by the upper way. What,

6:15

Von Rebeck, is it? They

6:17

wandered on the way. Surely

6:20

not the one who was in command

6:22

of the cavalry division at Plevna. No,

6:26

that was not Von Rebeck, but simply, Rabi.

6:30

And no, Von. What

6:32

lovely weather. At

6:35

the first of the granaries, the road divided into two.

6:39

One branch went straight on and vanished in

6:41

the evening darkness. The other led

6:43

to the owner's house on the right. The

6:46

officers turned to the right and began to

6:48

speak more softly. On

6:50

both sides of the road stretched stone

6:52

granaries with red roofs, heavy

6:55

and sullen-looking, very much like

6:57

barracks of a district town. Ahead

7:00

of them gleamed the windows of

7:02

the manor house. A

7:05

good omen, gentlemen, said one of the officers. Our

7:08

setter is the foremost of all. No

7:10

doubt he sends game ahead of us. Lieutenant

7:15

Lubitko, who was

7:17

walking in front, a tall and

7:19

stalwart fellow, though entirely

7:22

without mustache. He

7:24

was over five and twenty, yet

7:26

for some reason there was no sign of hair

7:28

on his round, well-fed face. Renowned

7:31

in the brigade for his peculiar faculty

7:33

for divining the presence of women at

7:36

a distance, turned round

7:38

and said, Yes,

7:41

there must be women here. I

7:43

feel that by instinct. On

7:46

the threshold, the officers were met by Von Rebeck

7:49

himself, a comely-looking man

7:51

of sixty in civilian dress. Shaking

7:54

hands with his guests, he said that he was

7:56

very glad and happy to see them, but

7:59

begged them earnestly. for God's sake, to excuse

8:01

him for not asking them to stay

8:03

the night. Two sisters

8:05

with their children, some brothers and some

8:08

neighbors, had come to visit him so

8:10

that he had not one spare room left.

8:14

The general, Chacans with everyone, made

8:17

his apologies and smiled, but it

8:19

was evident by his face that he was

8:21

by no means so delighted as their last

8:23

year's count, and that he

8:25

had invited to the officers simply because, in his

8:27

opinion, it was a social obligation

8:30

to do so. And the

8:32

officers themselves, as they

8:34

walked up the softly carpeted stairs, as

8:37

they listened to him, felt that

8:39

they had been invited to this house simply because

8:42

it would have been awkward not to invite them, and

8:45

at the sight of the footmen, who

8:47

hastened to light the lamps in the entrance

8:49

below and in the anti-room above.

8:52

They began to feel as though they had

8:54

brought uneasiness and discomfort into the

8:56

house with them. In

8:59

a house in which two sisters and their

9:01

children, brothers and neighbors, were

9:04

gathered together, probably on account

9:06

of some family, festivity, or event, how

9:09

could the presence of nineteen unknown

9:11

officers possibly be welcome? At

9:15

the entrance to the drawing room, the officers were

9:18

met by a tall, graceful old lady with

9:20

black eyebrows and a long face, very

9:23

much like Empress Eugenie. Smiling,

9:28

graciously and majestically, she

9:30

said she was glad and happy to see her

9:32

guests, and apologized that her husband

9:34

and she were on this occasion unable

9:37

to invite Monsieur

9:39

Léo-Fecier to stay the

9:41

night. From

9:43

her beautiful majestic smile, which instantly vanished

9:46

from her face every time she turned

9:48

away from her guests, it

9:51

was evident that she had seen numbers of officers in

9:53

her day, that she was in no

9:55

humor for them now, and

9:57

as she invited them to her house and apologized for

9:59

not doing so. more. It

10:01

was only because her breeding and position in

10:03

society required it of her. When

10:07

the officers went into the big dining room, there

10:09

were about a dozen people, men

10:11

and ladies, young and old, sitting

10:13

at tea at the end of a long table. A

10:17

group of men was dimly visible, behind

10:19

their chairs, wrapped in a

10:21

haze of cigar smoke, and in

10:23

the midst of them stood a lanky young man with red

10:26

whiskers, talking loudly with a

10:28

lisp in English. Through

10:30

a door beyond the group could be seen

10:33

a light room with pale blue furniture. Gentlemen,

10:37

there are so many of you that it is impossible

10:39

to introduce you all, said the general, in a loud

10:41

voice, trying to sound very cheerful.

10:45

Make each other's acquaintance, gentlemen, without

10:47

any ceremony. The

10:49

officers, some with very serious and

10:51

even stern faces, others

10:54

with forced smiles, and

10:57

all feeling extremely awkward, somehow

10:59

made their bows and sat down to tea. The

11:03

most ill at ease of them all

11:05

was Rybovich, a

11:08

little officer in spectacles with sloping shoulders

11:11

and whiskers like a lynx. While

11:14

some of his comrades assumed a serious

11:16

expression, while others wore

11:18

forced smiles, his face,

11:21

his lynx-like whiskers and speckles seemed to say,

11:24

I am the shyest, most modest, and most undistinguished

11:26

officer in the whole brigade. At

11:30

first, on going into the room and sitting down

11:32

to the table, he could

11:34

not fix his attention on any one face or object.

11:38

The faces, the dresses, the

11:40

cut-glass decanters of brandy, the

11:43

steam from the glasses, the molded

11:45

cornices, all blended

11:47

in one general impression that

11:49

inspired in Rybovich alarm and a desire

11:52

to hide his head. Like

11:55

a lecturer making his first appearance before the public,

11:58

he saw everything that was before his head. Nice.

12:01

But. Apparently only had a dim understanding of

12:03

it. Some. Physiologists,

12:06

Call. This condition. Cyclical.

12:09

Linus. After

12:12

little while growing accustomed to the

12:14

surroundings. Privacy. So clearly

12:16

and begun to observe. The

12:19

shy man on used to society. But.

12:22

Struck him first with that in which. He'd.

12:24

Always been deficient. namely. Extraordinary

12:27

boldness of his new acquaintances. Varner

12:31

back his wife. To

12:33

elderly ladies. A young lady

12:35

and I'll I'll address. And

12:37

the young man with read whiskers who was it

12:40

appeared. A younger son of fun. We're

12:42

back! Very. Cleverly. As

12:45

though they had rehearsed it beforehand. Took

12:48

seats between the officers. And.

12:50

At once caught up a heated discussion. Who.

12:53

Should visitors cannot help taking part. The.

12:56

Lilac young lady hotly asserted. That.

12:59

The artillery had a much better time than

13:01

the cavalry. And the infantry. While.

13:04

On my back and the elderly

13:06

ladies maintained the opposite. A.

13:10

Brisk interchange of talk followed. Ravitch

13:13

watched the like young lady who

13:15

are he's so hotly. About

13:17

what was unfamiliar and utterly uninteresting

13:19

to her. And watched

13:22

artificial smiles come and go on

13:24

her face. Phone.

13:27

Or back in his family skillfully to the

13:29

officers into the discussion. And

13:31

meanwhile kept a sharp lookout. Over

13:33

their glasses and mouths. To. See whether

13:35

all of them are drinking. Either all

13:37

had enough sugar. By. Someone was

13:39

not eating cakes are not drinking brandy.

13:43

And. The longer arrive of it's watched and

13:45

listened. The. More He was

13:47

attracted by this insincere. That.

13:49

Splendidly discipline, family,

13:55

After. T. V. Officers went into

13:57

the drawing room. Lieutenant.

14:00

A bit cause instinct had not deceived him.

14:03

There. Were great number of girls and

14:05

young married ladies. The.

14:07

Setter Lieutenant was soon standing by a

14:10

very young fair girl and a black

14:12

dress. And. Bending down to

14:14

her jauntily. As liberal leaning

14:16

on an unseen sword. Smiled.

14:19

And shrugged his shoulders for courtesy. He

14:23

probably talks very interesting nonsense. A fair

14:25

girl looked at his well fed face

14:27

condescendingly. An Ast and differently. Really?

14:31

Of. I'm that uninterested, really. The.

14:33

Center. Had he been

14:36

intelligent? Might. Have concluded that she.

14:38

Would. Never call him to heal. The

14:42

piano struck up. The. Melancholy

14:44

strains of allows sorted out of

14:46

the wide open windows. And

14:49

every one for some reason. Remember. That

14:51

it was spring. A May evening. Everyone

14:54

was conscious of the. Fragrance

14:56

of Roses supply look and of the

14:58

young leaves of the Poplar. Five.

15:02

Of which. And. Whom the brandy here drunk

15:04

made to sell felt. Under

15:06

the influence of the music stole a

15:08

glass doors window. Smiled. And

15:12

began watching the movements of the women. And.

15:14

It seemed to him at the smell of roses,

15:16

poplars and lol it. Came. Not from

15:18

the garden. Of. From the

15:21

lady faces addresses. Phone.

15:24

Of X son invited to scraggy looking young

15:27

lady she dance and wants to run the

15:29

rule twice with her. A

15:31

bit co. Gliding. Over the parquet

15:33

floor. Flew. Up to the Lyla can

15:36

lady the world her way. Dancing

15:38

began, Private.

15:41

Stood near the door among those who are

15:43

not dancing and looked on. He.

15:46

Never once danced in his whole life. And.

15:48

He never once this life put his arm around

15:50

the least of respectable woman. He

15:53

was highly delighted that a man. Should.

15:56

And the site of all take a girl he

15:58

did not know run the waist. I'm

16:00

all for her his shoulder to put her hand

16:02

on. It. He cannot imagine

16:04

himself in the position of such a man.

16:08

There. Were times when he envied the boldness

16:10

a swag of his companions. And. Was

16:12

inwardly reached. The consciousness

16:15

that he was timid. That

16:17

he was wrong shouldered and an interesting. And.

16:19

He had a long waists and the link said with

16:21

this. A deeply more had him.

16:25

Over the years he grew nice to the

16:27

feeling A now. Looking. At

16:29

his comrades dancing or allow the talking.

16:32

He. No longer envied them. But.

16:34

Only felt touched a mournful. When.

16:38

The quadro began. Young loner back came up

16:40

to those who are not dancing. And

16:43

invited to offices to have a game of billiards.

16:46

The. Offices except his and went with amount of

16:48

the drawing room. Why?

16:51

The fish having nothing to do and wishing

16:53

to take part in the general movement, slouched

16:55

after them. From.

16:57

The big join room. They went into the little

16:59

dry room, then into a narrow corridor with a

17:02

glass roof. and then

17:04

center room in which on their

17:06

entrance three sleepy looking for men.

17:08

Jumped. Up quickly from the sofa. Avast.

17:12

After passing through along succession of rooms.

17:14

Young. On her back the

17:17

officers. Came. Into a small room

17:19

or there was a billiard table. He.

17:21

Began to play. Bribe.

17:24

Of it should never played any game accords.

17:27

Stood. Near the billiard table and looked and

17:29

differently of the players. Are

17:32

the in unbutton coats with cues? In

17:35

their hands stepped about. Made. Puns:

17:38

And. Kept shouting out unintelligible words.

17:42

The. Players took no notice of him. And

17:44

only now and then one of them shoving it

17:46

was his elbow or accidently touching him, the end

17:48

of his q. Who. Turn

17:50

around and see pardon. The.

17:53

For the first game was over, he was weary of it. And.

17:56

began to feel he was not wanted in the way

18:00

He felt disposed to return to the drawing room, and

18:02

he went out. On

18:05

his way back he met with a little adventure. When

18:09

he had gone halfway he noticed he had taken

18:11

wrong turning. He

18:13

distinctly remembered that he ought to meet three sleepy

18:15

footmen on his way, but

18:17

he had passed five or six rooms and

18:19

those sleepy figures seemed to have vanished into

18:21

the earth. Noticing

18:23

his mistake he walked back a little way and

18:26

turned to the right. He found

18:28

himself in a little dark room, which

18:31

he had not seen on his way to the billiard room. After

18:35

standing there for a while he resolutely

18:37

opened the first door that met his eyes

18:40

and walked into an absolutely dark room. Straight

18:43

in front could be seen the crack in the doorway through

18:46

which there was a gleam of vivid light. From

18:49

the other side of the door came the muffled sound

18:51

of a melancholy mazurka. Here

18:54

too is in the drawing room. The

18:56

windows were wide open and there was

18:59

a smell of poplars, lilac, and roses.

19:03

Rybovich stood still in hesitation. At

19:07

that moment to his surprise he heard hurried footsteps

19:09

and the rustling of a dress, a

19:12

breathless feminine voice whispered at last. And

19:15

two soft, fragrant, unmistakably feminine

19:18

arms were clasped round his

19:20

neck. A

19:22

warm cheek was pressed to his cheek, and

19:25

simultaneously there was the sound of a kiss. But

19:29

at once the bestower of the kiss uttered a

19:31

faint shriek and skipped back from him, as

19:34

it seemed to Rybovich with aversion.

19:38

He too almost shrieked and

19:40

rushed towards the gleam of light at the door. When

19:43

he went back into the drawing room his heart was

19:45

beating and his hands were trembling so noticeably that

19:48

he made haste to hide them behind his back. At

19:52

first he was tormented by shame and dread

19:55

that the whole drawing room knew that he

19:57

had just been kissed and embraced by a woman. He

20:00

shrank into himself and looked uneasily about

20:02

him, but as he

20:05

became convinced that people were dancing and talking

20:07

as calmly as ever, he

20:10

gave himself up entirely to the new sensation

20:12

which he had never experienced before in his

20:14

life. Something

20:17

strange was happening to him. His

20:20

neck, round which

20:22

soft, fragrant arms had

20:24

so lately been pleased, seemed

20:26

to him to be anointed with oil. On

20:30

his left cheek there is mustache where the

20:32

unknown had kissed him. There

20:35

was a faint, chilly, tingling

20:37

sensation as from peppermint drops,

20:40

and the more he rubbed the place the more

20:43

distinct was the chilly sensation. All

20:45

over from head to foot, he was

20:47

full of a strange new feeling which grew stronger

20:49

and stronger. He

20:52

wanted to dance, to talk, to run into

20:54

the garden, to laugh aloud.

20:57

He quite forgot that he was round-shouldered

20:59

and uninteresting, that he had

21:02

links like whiskers and an undistinguished

21:04

appearance. That was how

21:06

his appearance had been described by some ladies whose

21:08

conversation he had accidentally overheard. When

21:12

Von Rebeck's wife happened to pass by, he gave

21:15

her such a broad and friendly smile that

21:18

she stood still and looked at him inquirely.

21:23

I like your house immensely, he said, setting

21:25

his spectacle straight. The

21:28

general's wife smiled and said that the

21:30

house had belonged to her father. Then

21:33

she asked whether his parents were living, whether

21:35

he had long been in the army, why

21:37

he was so thin, and so on. After

21:40

receiving answers to her questions, she went on, and

21:44

after his conversation with her, his

21:46

smiles were more friendly than ever, and

21:48

he thought he was surrounded by splendid people. At

21:52

supper, B what

22:00

had just happened to him. The

22:02

adventure was of a mysterious and romantic character,

22:05

but it was not difficult to explain. No

22:08

doubt some girl or young married lady

22:10

had arranged a tryst with someone in

22:12

the dark room, had waited a long

22:14

time, and being nervous and

22:16

excited had taken Rybovich for her hero. This

22:20

was more probable as Rybovich had stood

22:22

still hesitating in the dark room, so

22:25

that he too had seemed like a person

22:27

expecting something. This

22:30

was how Rybovich explained to himself

22:33

the kiss he had received. And

22:36

who is she, he wondered, looking round

22:38

at the women's faces. She

22:41

must be young, for elderly ladies

22:43

don't give rendezvous. That

22:45

she was a lady one could tell by the rustle

22:47

of her dress, her perfume, her

22:50

voice. His

22:52

eyes rested on the lilac young lady, and

22:55

he thought her very attractive. She

22:57

had beautiful shoulders and arms, a clever

22:59

face and a delightful voice. Rybovich

23:02

looked at her, hoped that

23:05

she and no one else was his unknown. But

23:09

she laughed somehow artificially and

23:11

wrinkled up her long nose which seemed to him to

23:13

make her look old. Then

23:15

he turned his eyes upon the fair girl in a black

23:17

dress. She was

23:20

younger, simpler and more genuine,

23:22

had a charming brow, and

23:24

drank very daintily out of her wine glass.

23:27

Rybovich now hoped that it was she. But

23:30

soon he began to think her face flat and

23:32

fixed his eyes upon the one next to her.

23:36

It's difficult to guess, he thought, musing.

23:39

If one takes the shoulders and arms of the lilac

23:42

one only, adds the brow of the fair one and

23:44

the eyes of the one on the left of Lubitko

23:46

then. He

23:49

made a combination of these things in his mind and

23:51

so formed the image of the girl who had kissed

23:53

him, the image that he wanted her

23:55

to have, but could not find at

23:57

the table. supper

24:00

replete and exhilarated, the officers

24:02

began to take leave and say thank you. Von-Rabec

24:06

and his wife began again apologizing

24:08

that they could not ask them to stay the night. Very,

24:12

very glad to have met you, gentlemen, said Ron-Rabec.

24:15

And this time, sincerely, probably

24:18

because people are far more sincere and

24:20

consumerated, speeding their parting guests than on

24:22

meeting them. Delighted.

24:26

I hope you will come on your way back. Don't

24:29

stand on ceremony. Where

24:31

are you going? Do

24:33

you want to go by the upper way? No,

24:35

go across the garden. It's an area

24:37

here by the lower way. The

24:40

officers went out into the garden. After

24:43

the bright light and the noise, the garden seemed

24:45

very dark and quiet. They

24:47

walked in silence all the way to the gate. They

24:50

were a little drunk, pleased, and in good spirits.

24:54

But the darkness and silence made them thoughtful for a

24:56

minute. Probably the

24:58

same idea occurred to each one of them as

25:00

to Rybovich. Would there

25:02

ever come a time for them when, like

25:04

Von-Rabec, they would have a

25:07

large house, a family, a garden, when

25:09

they, too, would be able to welcome people,

25:11

even though insincerely, feed them,

25:14

make them drunk and contented? Going

25:18

out of the garden gate, they all began talking

25:20

at once and laughing loudly about nothing. They

25:23

were walking now along the little path that

25:25

led down to the river and

25:28

then ran along the water's edge, winding

25:30

around the bushes on the bank, the

25:32

pools and the willows that hung over

25:35

the water. The

25:37

bank and the path were scarcely visible,

25:39

and the other bank was entirely plunged in darkness.

25:44

Stars were reflected here and there on the dark water.

25:47

They quivered and were broken up on the

25:49

surface, and from that alone it

25:51

could be seen that the river was flowing rapidly. It

25:54

was still. Drowsy curlews

25:57

cried plaintively on the further bank.

26:00

and in one of the bushes on the

26:02

nearest side a nightingale was trilling loudly, taking

26:04

no notice of the crowd of officers. The

26:08

officers stood round the bush, touched it, but

26:10

the nightingale went on singing. What

26:13

a fellow, they exclaimed approvingly.

26:15

He stand beside him and he takes not a

26:18

bit of notice. What a rascal.

26:21

At the end of the way the path went uphill and

26:24

skirting the church enclosure turned into the road.

26:27

Here the officers, tired with walking

26:30

uphill, sat down and lighted their

26:32

cigarette. On

26:35

the other side of the river a murky

26:37

red fire came into sight, and

26:39

having nothing better to do, they spent a

26:41

long time discussing whether it was a campfire or

26:43

a light in a window or something

26:46

else. Riebevich

26:48

looked at those lights and fancied that the

26:50

light looked and winked at him, as

26:53

though it knew about the kiss. On

26:57

reaching his quarters Riebevich undressed as quickly as

26:59

possible and got into bed. Lubitko

27:02

and Lieutenant Merslyakov,

27:06

a peaceable silent fellow, was

27:08

considered in his own circle a

27:10

highly educated officer, and was

27:12

always whenever it was possible, reading

27:15

the jestnik of Ropey, which

27:17

he carried about with him everywhere, were

27:19

quartered in the same hut with Riebevich. Lubitko

27:23

undressed, walked

27:25

up and down the room for a while with the ear of a man

27:28

who has not been satisfied, and

27:30

sent his orderly for bear. Merslyakov

27:34

got into bed, put a

27:36

candle by his pillow, and plunged

27:38

into reading. Who

27:41

was she, Riebevich wondered, looking

27:43

at the smoky ceiling. His

27:47

neck still felt as though he had been anointed

27:49

with oil, and there was still

27:51

the chilly sensation near his mouth as though from

27:54

peppermint drops. The

27:57

shoulders and arms of the young lady in lilac

28:00

the brow and the truthful eyes of the fair

28:02

girl in black, waists, dresses,

28:04

and brooches, floated through

28:06

his imagination. He

28:09

tried to fix his attention on these images,

28:11

but they danced about, broke up, and flickered.

28:14

When these images vanished altogether from

28:17

the broad, dark background, which

28:19

every man sees when he closes his eyes, he

28:22

began to hear hurried footsteps, the rustle

28:25

of skirts, the sound of a kiss,

28:28

and an intense, groundless joy took

28:30

possession of him. Abandoned

28:33

himself to his joy, he heard

28:35

the orderly return and announced that

28:38

there was no bear. Bobidko was

28:40

terribly indignant and began pacing up and

28:42

down again. Well,

28:45

isn't he an idiot, he kept saying, stopping

28:48

first before Rybovich and then

28:50

before Murslyakov? What

28:53

a fool and a dummy a man must be not

28:55

to get hold of any bear. Isn't

28:58

he a scoundrel? Of

29:00

course you can't get bear here, said Murslyakov. Oh,

29:04

is that your opinion, Lebidko persisted. Lord

29:08

have mercy upon us. If you dropped

29:10

me on the moon, I'd find you bear and women

29:12

directly. I'll go

29:14

and find some at once. You

29:16

may call me an imposter if I don't. He

29:20

spent a long time in dressing and pulling on his high

29:22

boots, then finished smoking his

29:24

cigarette in silence and went out. Rebecca,

29:28

Rebecca, Rebecca, he muttered, stopping

29:31

in the outer room. I

29:33

don't care to go alone, damn it all. Rybovich,

29:37

wouldn't you like to go for a walk? Receiving

29:40

no answer, he

29:43

returned, undressed and

29:45

got into bed. Murslyakov

29:47

sighed and put

29:49

out the light. Hmm,

29:51

much of Lebidko, lighting a

29:53

cigarette in the dark. Rybovich

29:56

pulled the bedclothes over

29:58

his head. curled himself up in

30:01

bed, and tried to gather together

30:03

the floating images in his mind, and

30:05

to combine them into one whole.

30:07

But nothing came of it. He

30:10

soon fell asleep, and his last thought was

30:12

that someone had caressed him and made him

30:14

happy, but something extraordinary,

30:17

foolish, but joyful and delightful had come

30:19

into his life. The

30:21

thought did not leave him, even in his sleep.

30:25

When he woke up the sensations of oil on his

30:27

neck and the chill of prepperment about his lips

30:30

had gone, but joy flooded

30:32

his heart just as the day before. He

30:35

looked enthusiastically at the window frames, gilded

30:38

by the light of the rising sun, and

30:40

listened to the movement of the passerby's in the street.

30:43

People were talking loudly, close to the

30:45

window. Alebadeski,

30:49

the commander of Rybovich's battery,

30:52

who had only just taken over the brigade,

30:55

was talking to his sergeant at the top of

30:57

his voice, being always accustomed to shout. What

31:01

else shouted the commander? When

31:04

they were shoeing yesterday your high nobility, they

31:06

drove a nail into Pigeon's hoof. The

31:09

vet put clay and vinegar. They

31:13

are leading them apart now. And

31:16

also, your honor, Artemyev

31:18

got drunk yesterday, and

31:21

the lieutenant ordered him to be put in

31:23

the limber of a spare gun carriage. The

31:27

sergeant reported that Karpov had forgotten the new cords

31:29

for the trumpets and the rings for the tents,

31:32

and that their honors, the officers,

31:35

had spent the previous evening visiting General

31:37

Konradek. In

31:40

the middle of this conversation, the red-bearded face

31:42

of Alebadeski appeared in the

31:44

window. He screwed up

31:46

his short-sighted eyes, looking at the

31:48

sleepy faces of the officers, and said

31:50

good morning to them. Is

31:53

everything all right? he asked. One

31:56

of the horses has a snore neck, from the

31:58

new collar, answered the bitco. yawning. The

32:02

commander sighed, thought a moment, and

32:04

said in a loud voice, I'm

32:07

thinking of going to see Alexandra. I

32:09

must call on her. Well,

32:12

goodbye. I will catch you up in

32:14

the evening. A

32:17

quarter of an hour later the brigade set off on its way.

32:21

When it was moving along the road by the

32:23

granaries, Rybovitch looked at the house on the

32:25

right. The blinds were

32:27

down in all the windows, evidently

32:29

the household was still asleep. The

32:32

one who had kissed Rybovitch the day before was

32:34

asleep, too. He tried

32:36

to imagine her asleep. The wide

32:39

open windows of the bedroom, the green

32:41

branches peeping in, the morning

32:43

freshness, the scent of the poplars,

32:45

the lilac and roses, the

32:48

bed, a chair, and on

32:50

it the skirts that had rustled the day before, the little

32:53

slippers, a little watch on

32:55

the table. All this

32:58

he pictured to himself clearly

33:00

and distinctly. For the features of the face,

33:02

the sweet, sleepy smile, just

33:05

what was characteristic and important, slipped

33:08

through his imagination like a quickslover

33:10

through the fingers. When

33:14

he had ridden all in half a mile, he looked back. The

33:17

yellow church, the house, of the river were

33:19

all bathed in light. The

33:21

river with its bright green banks, with

33:23

the blue sky reflected in it, a

33:25

glimpse of silver in the sunshine here and there.

33:28

It was really

33:30

beautiful. Rybovitch

33:32

gazed for the last time and felt

33:37

as sad as though he were parting with

33:39

something very near and dear to him. And

33:43

before him on the road lay nothing

33:45

but long, familiar, uninteresting pictures. To

33:48

the right and to the left, fields of

33:51

young rye and buckwheat, with rooks hopping

33:53

about in them. If

33:55

one looked ahead, one saw dust and the

33:58

backs of men's heads. If one looked back

34:00

he saw the same dust and faces. Foremost

34:03

of all marched four men with

34:06

sabres. This was the

34:08

vanguard. Next behind the

34:10

crowd of singers and behind

34:12

them the trumpeters on horseback. The

34:16

vanguard and the chorus of singers often

34:19

forgot to keep the regulation distance and

34:21

pushed a long way ahead. Rybovich

34:25

was the first cannon of fifth battery.

34:28

He could see all the four batteries moving in front

34:30

of him. For

34:33

anyone not a military man this long

34:35

tedious procession of a moving brigade seems

34:38

an intricate and unintelligible model.

34:41

One cannot understand why there are

34:43

so many people around one cannon

34:45

and why it is drawn by so many horses in

34:49

such a strange network of harness as

34:51

though it really were so terrible and heavy. To Rybovich

34:55

it was all perfectly comprehensible

34:58

and therefore uninteresting. He

35:01

had known forever so long why the

35:03

head of each battery there rode

35:05

a stalwart bombardier and why

35:07

he was called a bombardier. Immediately

35:10

behind this bombardier could be seen the

35:12

horsemen of the first and then of

35:14

the middle units. Rybovich

35:16

knew that the horses on which they rode, those

35:19

on the left, were called one name while

35:22

those on the right were called another. It

35:25

was extremely uninteresting. Behind

35:28

the horsemen came two shaft

35:30

horses. On one of them set a rider

35:33

with the dust of yesterday on his back and

35:36

a clumsy and funny looking piece of wood on his

35:38

leg. Rybovich

35:40

knew the object of this piece of wood and

35:43

it did not think it funny. All

35:46

the riders waved their whips mechanically and shouted

35:48

from time to time. The

35:51

cannon itself was ugly. On

35:54

the four-partly sacks of oats covered with

35:56

canvas and the cannon itself was

35:58

hung all over with kettles. soldiers'

36:00

knapsacks, bags, and

36:03

looked like some small harmless animal surrounded

36:05

for some unknown reason by men and

36:08

horses. To the

36:10

leeward of it marched six men, the gunners,

36:12

swinging their arms. After

36:15

the cannon there came again more bombardiers,

36:17

riders, shaft horses, and

36:19

behind them another cannon, as

36:21

ugly and unimpressive as the first. After

36:25

the second followed a third, a fourth, a

36:28

mare the fourth, an officer, and so on.

36:32

There were six batteries in all in the brigade

36:34

and four cannons in each misery. A

36:37

procession covered half a mile. It

36:39

ended in a string of wagons near

36:41

which an extremely attractive creature, the

36:43

donkey, brought by a

36:46

battery commander from Turkey, paced

36:48

pensively with his long-eared head

36:50

drooping. Rybovich

36:53

looked indifferently before and behind

36:55

at the backs of heads and at the faces. At

36:59

any other time he would have been

37:01

half asleep, but now he

37:03

was entirely absorbed in his new agreeable

37:05

thoughts. At

37:07

first when the brigade was setting off on the march

37:09

he tried to persuade himself that the

37:12

incident of the kiss could only be

37:14

interesting as a mysterious little adventure,

37:17

that it was in reality trivial, and

37:19

to think of it seriously, to say the least of

37:21

it, was stupid. But now

37:23

he bade farewell to logic and

37:25

gave himself up to dreams. At

37:28

one moment he imagined himself in

37:30

Von Rybex drawing room beside a

37:32

girl who was like the lady in lilac and

37:35

the fair girl in black. Then

37:37

he would close his eyes and see himself

37:39

with another, entirely unknown girl whose

37:42

features were very vague. In

37:44

his imagination he talked, caressed her, leaned

37:47

on our shoulder, pictured war,

37:49

separation, and meeting again, suffered

37:52

with his wife, children.

37:54

Freaks on, the

37:56

word of command rang out every time they went

37:58

downhill. He too shouted

38:01

breaks on and was afraid

38:03

this shout would disturb his reverie and bring him

38:05

back to reality. As

38:09

they passed some land owners

38:11

estate, Pribovitch looked

38:13

over the fence into the garden. A

38:15

long avenue straight as a ruler, strewn with

38:17

yellow sand and bordered with young birch trees

38:20

met his eyes. With

38:22

the eagerness of a man given up to dreaming, he

38:25

pictured to himself little feminine feet

38:27

tripping along yellow sand. And

38:29

quite unexpectedly had a clear vision in

38:32

his imagination of the girl who had kissed

38:34

him and whom he had succeeded

38:36

in picturing to himself the evening before

38:38

his supper. This image

38:40

remained in his brain and did not desert him again.

38:44

At midday there was a shout in the rear

38:46

near the string of wagons. Easy

38:48

eyes to the left officers. The

38:51

general of the brigade drove by in a carriage with

38:54

a pair of white horses. He

38:56

stopped near the second battery and

38:58

shouted something which no one understood. Several

39:01

officers, among them Ribervitch, glalloped up to

39:03

them. Well asked

39:06

the general, blinking his red eyes, are

39:08

there any sick? Receiving

39:11

an answer, the general, a little skinny man,

39:13

chewed, thought for a moment

39:15

and said, addressing one of the officers, one

39:18

of your drivers of the third cannon has taken

39:20

off his leg guard and

39:22

hung it on the four parts of the cannon, the rascal. Repomant

39:26

him. He

39:28

raised his eyes to Ribervitch and went on, it

39:30

seems to me your front strap is too long. Making

39:34

a few other tedious remarks, the

39:36

general looked at Lubitko and grinned. You

39:39

look very melancholy today, Lieutenant Lubitko, he

39:41

said. Are you

39:43

pining for Madame Lupov? Judgment,

39:47

is he pining for her? The

39:50

lady in question was a very stout and tall person who had

39:52

long passed her fortieth year. The

39:56

general, who had a predilection for solid ladies, whatever

39:58

their age, suspected

40:00

a similar taste in his officers. The

40:04

officers smiled respectfully, the general,

40:07

delighted at having said something very amusing and

40:09

biting. Laughed loudly,

40:12

touched his coachman's back and

40:14

saluted. The carriage rolled on. All

40:19

I am dreaming about now, which seems to

40:21

me so impossible, and unearthly,

40:24

is really quite an ordinary thing,

40:26

thought Rybovich, looking at

40:28

the clouds of dust racing after the general's

40:31

carriage. It's all very ordinary,

40:33

and everyone goes through it. That

40:36

general, for instance, has once been in love. Now

40:38

he is married and has children. Captain

40:41

Varter, too, is married and beloved, though

40:44

the nape of his neck is very red

40:46

and ugly, and he has no waste. Slaanenov

40:49

is coarse, but

40:51

he's had a love affair that has ended in marriage.

40:55

I am the same as everyone else, and

40:57

I too shall have the same experience as

40:59

everyone else, sooner or later. And

41:03

the thought that he was an ordinary person, and

41:06

that his life was ordinary, delighted him and

41:08

gave him courage. He

41:11

pictured her in his happiness as he pleased,

41:14

and put no rein on his imagination.

41:19

When the brigade reached their halting place in the

41:21

evening, and the officers were resting in

41:23

their tents, Rybovich, Murslyakov,

41:26

and Libitko were

41:29

sitting round a box having supper. Murslyakov

41:31

ate without haste, and

41:33

as he munched deliberately, read

41:35

the yestnic for a rope, which

41:38

he held on his knees. Libitko

41:41

talked incessantly and kept filling up

41:43

his glass with beer, and

41:45

Rybovich, whose head was confused from dreaming

41:48

all day long, drank and said nothing.

41:52

After three glasses, he got a little drunk,

41:55

felt weak, and had an irresistible

41:57

desire to impart his new sensations to his

41:59

comrades. A

42:02

strange thing happened to me at those Von Rebeks,

42:04

he began, trying to put an

42:06

indifferent and ironical tone into his voice. You

42:10

know I went into the billiard room. He

42:12

began describing very minutely the incident of

42:15

the kiss, and a moment later, relapsed

42:17

into silence. In

42:19

the course of that moment, he had told everything,

42:22

and it surprised him dreadfully to find how short a

42:24

time it took him to tell it. He

42:27

had imagined that he could have

42:29

been telling the story of the kiss till next morning.

42:33

Listening to him, Labitko, who was a great

42:35

liar, and consequently believed no one, looked at

42:38

him sceptically and laughed. Smirnley

42:42

cuffed which his eyebrows, and said,

42:45

That's an odd thing, how strange. Throws

42:48

herself on a man's neck without addressing him by

42:50

name. She must be some

42:52

sort of hysterical neurotic. Yes,

42:55

she must, Rybovich agreed. A

42:59

similar thing once happened to me, said Labitko,

43:01

assuming a scared expression. I

43:03

was going last year to Kovno. I took

43:05

a second class ticket. The

43:08

train was crammed, and it was impossible to sleep.

43:11

I gave the guard half a ruble. He took

43:13

my luggage and led me to another compartment. I

43:16

laid down and covered myself with a rug. It

43:18

was dark, you understand. Suddenly

43:21

I felt someone touch me on the shoulder and breathe in

43:23

my face. I made a

43:25

movement with my hand and felt somebody's elbow. I

43:28

opened my eyes and only imagined. A

43:31

woman. Black eyes, lips,

43:34

red as a prime salmon, nostrils

43:36

breathing passionately. A bosom

43:38

like a buffer. Excuse

43:41

me, Mervly Akov interrupted calmly.

43:44

I understand about the bosom, but how could

43:46

you see the lips if it was dark? Mervly

43:50

began trying to put himself right and

43:52

laughed at Mervly Akov's unimaginativeness. I

43:55

made Rybovich wince. He

43:58

walked away from the box, gutted. bed and

44:01

vowed never to confide again. Camp

44:05

life began. The days flowed by,

44:07

one very much like another. All

44:10

those days Rybovich felt, thought and behaved

44:12

as though he were in love. Every

44:16

morning when his orderly handed him some water to

44:18

wash with and he sleuced his head

44:20

with cold water. He

44:22

thought there was something warm and delightful

44:25

in his life. In

44:28

the evenings when his comrades began talking of love

44:30

and women, he would listen and

44:32

draw up closer and more the expression

44:34

of a soldier when he hears

44:37

the description of a battle in which he has taken part.

44:40

And on the evenings when the officers, out on

44:43

the spree with the setter, Lubitko at their head,

44:45

made dawn-won excursions to the

44:47

suburb and Rybovich took

44:50

part in such excursions. He

44:52

was always sad, felt profoundly

44:54

guilty and inwardly begged her forgiveness.

44:58

In hours of leisure or on sleepless nights

45:01

when he felt moved to recall his childhood,

45:03

his father and his mother, everything

45:06

dear and mere. In

45:08

fact, he invariably thought

45:11

of the strange horse, Von

45:13

Rebeck, his wife, who

45:15

was like the empress, the dark room, the

45:18

crack of light at the door. On

45:21

the 31st of August he went back from the camp,

45:24

not with a whole brigade, but with only

45:26

two batteries of it. He

45:29

was dreaming and excited all the way, as

45:32

though he were going back to his native place. He

45:35

had an intense longing to see again the strange

45:37

horse, the church, the

45:39

insincere family of the Von Rebeck's, the dark

45:41

room. The inner

45:43

voice which so often deceives lovers

45:46

whispered to him for some reason that he

45:48

would be sure to see her, and he

45:51

was tortured by the questions. How

45:53

he should meet her, what he would

45:55

talk to her about, whether she had

45:57

forgotten the kiss. If

46:00

the worst came to the worst, he thought, even

46:02

if he did not meet her, it would be a

46:05

pleasure to him merely to go through the dark room and

46:07

recall the past. Towards

46:10

the evening there appeared on the horizon the

46:12

familiar church and white granaries, Rybovich's

46:15

heartbeat. He did

46:18

not hear the officer who was riding beside him and saying

46:20

something to him. He forgot everything

46:22

and looked eagerly at the river shining in the

46:24

distance, at the roof of the

46:27

house, at the dove coat round

46:29

which the pigeons were circling in the

46:31

light of the setting sun. When

46:34

they reached the church and were listening to the billeting orders,

46:38

he expected every second that a man on horseback

46:40

would come round the church in closure and invite

46:42

the officers to tea. But

46:45

the billeting orders were read, the officers

46:47

were in haste to go to the village,

46:49

and the man on horseback did not appear. Some

46:53

were back well heard once from the peasants that we have come

46:55

and were sent for us, not Rybovich,

46:57

as he went into the hut, unable

46:59

to understand why a comrade was lighting a

47:03

candle, and why the orderlies were hurriedly setting

47:05

some of ours. A

47:08

painful uneasiness took possession of him. He

47:11

lay down, then got up and

47:14

looked out of the window to see whether the

47:16

messenger is becoming, for there

47:18

was no sign of him. He

47:22

lay down again, but half an hour later

47:24

he got up, and, unable to restrain

47:26

his uneasiness, went into

47:28

the street and strode towards the church. It

47:31

was dark and deserted in the square near the

47:33

church. Three soldiers

47:36

were standing silent in a row, where the

47:38

road began to go downhill. Seeing

47:41

Rybovich, they roused themselves unsoluted. He

47:44

returned the salute, and began to

47:46

go down the familiar path. On

47:49

the further side of the river, the whole sky

47:51

was flooded with crimson, and the moon

47:53

was rising. Two

47:55

women talking loudly were picking cabbage

47:57

in the kitchen garden, behind the kitchen

48:00

kitchen garden, there were some dark

48:02

huts. And

48:04

everything on the nearest side of the river was

48:06

just as it had been in May. The

48:09

path, the bushes, the

48:11

willows overhanging the water. There

48:13

was no sound of the brave nightingale and

48:16

no scent of poplar and fresh grass. Reaching

48:19

the garden, Rybovitch looked in at the gate.

48:22

The garden was dark and still. He

48:25

could see nothing but the white stems of the nearest

48:27

birch trees and a little bit of the

48:29

avenue, all the rest melted together

48:31

in a dark blur. Rybovitch

48:35

looked and listened eagerly. But

48:38

after waiting for a quarter of an hour without

48:40

hearing a sound or catching a glimpse of a

48:42

light, he trudged back. He

48:45

went down to the river. The general's

48:47

bathhouse and the bath sheets on

48:50

the rail of the little bridge showed white before

48:52

him. He went on to

48:54

the bridge, stood a little, and

48:56

quite unnecessarily touched the sheets.

48:59

They felt rough and cold. He

49:02

looked down at the water. The

49:05

river ran rapidly and with a

49:07

faintly audible gurgle round the piles

49:09

of the bathhouse. The red moon

49:11

was reflected near the left bank. Little

49:14

ripples ran over the reflection, stretching

49:16

it out, breaking it into bits, and

49:19

seemed trying to carry it away. How

49:23

stupid, how stupid, thought Rybovitch,

49:26

looking at the running water, how

49:28

unintelligent it all is. Now

49:32

that he expected nothing, the incident

49:34

of the kiss was impatient. His

49:36

vague hopes and disappointment presented

49:38

themselves in a clear light. It

49:41

no longer seemed to him as strange that he had

49:43

not seen the general's messenger, and

49:46

that he would never see the girl who had accidentally

49:48

kissed him instead of someone else. On

49:51

the contrary, it would have been strange if

49:53

he had seen her. The

49:55

water was running. She knew not

49:57

where or why, just it

50:00

did in May. In May

50:02

it had flowed into the Great River, from

50:05

the Great River into the sea. Then

50:07

it had risen into vapor, turned into rain,

50:10

and perhaps the very same water was

50:12

running now before Rybovitch's eyes again. What

50:16

for? Why? And

50:19

the whole world, the whole life,

50:22

seemed to Rybovitch an unintelligible, aimless

50:24

jest. And

50:26

turning his eyes from the water and looking at the sky,

50:29

he remembered again how fate, and

50:32

the person of an unknown woman, had

50:34

by chance caressed him. He

50:36

remembered his summer dreams and fancies,

50:39

and his life struck him as extraordinarily

50:41

meager, poverty-stricken, and

50:44

countless. When

50:47

he went back to his hut, he did not find

50:49

one of his comrades. The

50:51

orderly informed him that they had all gone

50:53

to General von Rebechts, who had

50:55

sent a messenger and horseback to invite them. For

50:59

an instant there was a flash of joy in Rybovitch's

51:02

heart, but he quenched

51:04

it at once, got

51:06

into bed, and in his wrath

51:09

was his fate, as though

51:11

to spite it did not go

51:13

to the generals. Good

51:19

night.