The Precipice

anks. At midday the snowy clouds crept up, often piled one on another until the blue sky was hidden, and the cooling

Marfinka's friendliness, and the willing attention of the servants made up a pleasant, friendly environment. He even felt pleasure in the watchful guardianship that his aunt exerci

he was held, a survival from the last century. When he felt very good tempered he found even Paulina Karpovna's eccentricities amusing. She had induced

character. He watched his aunt, Leonti and his wife, and Marfinka, or looked at the villages and fields lying in an enchanted sleep along the banks of the

mb over the fence and jump down into the garden. Standing in the shadow of the fence, Raisky hesitated. He was afraid to sound the alarm until he knew whether it was a thief or an admirer of Julia

ssibly Mark," thought

pen! Quick!" cr

e," said Leonti's voice

nce, to wake

he opened the window Mark

om have you brought with yo

here's a ghost. Ah! there

to arrive together," he exclaime

rned to Leonti. "Give me another pair of

ed Leonti suddenly, who had just noticed that Mar

s quick," said Mark impatiently.

rank it all at dinner, when M

ou keep you

and I don't know; y

ill find t

, and went into

like," sighed Leonti

with the trousers and Leonti question

an fell asleep, and brought us right up into the reeds by the isl

ith his feet drawn up under him in the great armchair, so that his knees

is neck. The full beard was paler in colour. His open, bold, irregular, rather thin face was illuminated every now and then by a smile-of which it was hard to read the meaning; one could not tell whether it spelt vexation,

n the motionless attitude, as in that of a

"You will have brought some good cigars from St. P

se, and reminded Leonti tha

ion! You came in by the same way

from the scholar!

I wrote to you, don't yo

ed Mark, springing from the easy cha

Mark Volokov, under police surveilla

cigar, and again rolle

with yourself he

k, as y

t, are perha

you an

i, "and now he is writing a novel. Tak

ed to him t

"but of a different kind. Your Aunt w

ear your nam

a matter of a hundred apples or so

ne; you may take a

med to do everything in this life without permission. Therefore I

our acquaintance. I hear

do the

that i

m a thief, a monster, the t

s abou

you seek my acquaintance. I have torn your books

good sort at the bottom. If one is ill, he waits on one like a nurse, runs to the chemist

er so," inte

not abuse you. Tiet Nikonich Vatutin, for inst

pening his bedroom window. He is always fussing about his health, but in all the forty years since he came here no one remember

epartment of art,"

ist are you? It is y

raw, and make music, and just now I am

u are an artist of t

ll

and your like do. Others drive in the mornings to the courts or the government offices, others sit

ire to enter any of

on't know how to. Wh

e to me where I go. I had a letter summ

y idle, aimless person here. In this man there is something similar; he wanders about, reconciles himself to his fate, and does nothing. I at least draw and try to write my novel, while he does nothing. Is he the victim of secret discord like myself? Is he always struggling between two fires? Imagination striving upward to the

he said, "it's tim

I to do w

tay here

s leaving the goat loose

rk little room, and lock him in," thought Leont

of his dilemma by

bed, philosopher," he said to Leonti. "Don't sit up at nights. You ha

window. Raisky followed his example, and they went down the g

and Leonti has nothing to give me

the thing can be managed with

when it is known that I am in the case; consequently we must enter by storm

out into the

sible that I might be refused e

a row at

overnor would decide on in such a serious case, what Niel Andreevich would say, h

unt cannot, you say, bear to hear your name; only the other day

what

to supper, and stay

a bad plan

arkness. When they came to the fence of the Malinovka estate,

rd or from the precipice. Here we shall wake the house and

-into the gard

et ap

so long as Tatiana Mark

leaped over the fence, like us. Hi! Stop! Don't try

a few paces, an

at's eyes you have!" The man who was held fast by Mark's strong arms twisted r

another sneaking round in the

ut to spring down from the fe

not ruin me!" whispe

rina, what are

me by name. Savili will

ound you at the right moment. Can

ly, for God's sake

. Tell me what ther

not come, no one ate anything. There is

and what

oard, and the fruit liqueurs ar

ul not to

t me go now, Sir, for m

care you don'

es meet me now. I shall tell him

from hiding. "Savili Ilivich," the

now the voice

ich, thank God. I Sir, I am

e you do

lock has stopped, and I came here to

ark, and gave the man a p

the ditch, and vanis

o open the door, not wishing to knock for fear of awaking h

r with his foot. Before him stood-he recognised the

will make my reckoning wi

nds off, Savi

g his prisoner. "You were so good as to call Mari

e said untruthfully, by way of protecting the unfaithful wife. "She had alrea

went slowly to his quarters

"You sneak around at night, you might be twisting the manes of

dishes and plates in her hands, and vanished into the dark n

ation either, the sturgeon soon disappeared, and when

e something sweet,

them, "but I could get some preserv

ch," said Mark. "

ng glance from Raisky. "The cook was given a

flames, which lighted up the darkened room with their pale blue light. Mark stirred it with the spoon,

in our town?" asked Rais

two y

assuredly

t a glass for himself and emptying it. "Drin

politeness to his guest. "It must be essential for y

at do y

ou I am a

proof of

g except a trifling thing, a

van and uncovered M

that Raisky had talent. "And it would be excellent, but the hea

aight eye," t

the figure detaches itself light, gay, and transparent. You have found th

and comprehension, and wondered if h

w Marfinka?

es

d V

ra

my cousins? You do n

chur

y say you never loo

where I have seen them, in

ard, as he drunk down glass after glas

e and have no occupation. But don't be afraid that I shall set the house on fire or murder anyb

rselves whether w

a sensible individual, but now I see that you belong to

u fired on him?" as

been content with protesting I should merely have called him a fool, and there it would have ended. But he began to stamp and to threaten, 'I will have you put in prison, you ruffian, and

d h

y squatted on the ground and whimpered for f

tion," commented

usly. "There was more in it, a ba

then

n I should have been thrust into gaol without delay; but as I am an outlaw, the Governor inquired into the matter and advi

ot mean to read a moral. Yet when I see what your

hedge, shoot at a fool, eat and drink he

nd wondered uneasily

f the art you love

my mother's breast," sighed Raisky, "but

ll not," la

you believe in f

more than you have accomplished already-that is very little. We, and many like us, simply rot and die.

, malicious and heartless. But the last remark had disturbed him. Was he really only half a man? Had

't drink away my ta

her is susceptible to passion. Tell me, do you easily take fire? Ah! I have touched the spot," he went on as Raisky coloured. "That belongs to the artistic temperament, to whi

bt, who on a first acquaintance will drink

and prove its truth beyond doubt, lend me a hundred roubles. I will never pay th

y that

er, with whom I live, feeds me

in his pockets, produced his pocket

g," said Mark. "There

aunt keeps my money, and I will

enough for the moment a

l, and I will sleep on the

t," murmured Mark, already half asleep. "Lie

Raisky went to the window, raised the curtain, and looked out into the dark, starlit night. Now and then a flame

there?"

are you doing there," said the

nd saw his aunt before hi

through the window, and thought you we

um

he whispered, looking first at h

Grandmother. Som

?" she asked in new terror as

ther, don't wake

do with him? You have been drinking punch at night

were both hungry. So I brough

. Who served you, and w

did ever

Ah, Borushka,

plenty

t dish, without dessert. I w

nt anything, I can wa

oor. "How he sleeps, all rolled up like a little dog. I am ashamed, Boris Pavl

Cross over him, looked round the room once more, and went out on tiptoe. Just as he w

ves; then she brought a bed and two pil

rtily, and was alm