Master and Man.docx

Master and Man.docx

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MasterandMan

MasterandManbyLeoTolstoyTranslatedbyLouiseandAylmerMaudeI

Ithappenedinthe'seventiesinwinter,onthedayafterSt.

Nicholas'sDay.Therewasafeteintheparishandtheinnkeeper,VasiliAndreevichBrekhunov,aSecondGuildmerchant,beingachurchelderhadtogotochurch,andhadalsotoentertainhisrelativesandfriendsathome.

Butwhenthelastofthemhadgoneheatoncebegantopreparetodriveovertoseeaneighbouringproprietoraboutagrovewhichhehadbeenbargainingoverforalongtime.Hewasnowinahurrytostart,lestbuyersfromthetownmightforestallhiminmakingaprofitablepurchase.

TheyouthfullandownerwasaskingtenthousandrublesforthegrovesimplybecauseVasiliAndreevichwasofferingseventhousand.Seventhousandwas,however,onlyathirdofitsrealvalue.VasiliAndreevichmightperhapshavegotitdowntohisownprice,forthewoodswereinhisdistrictandhehadalong-standingagreementwiththeothervillagedealersthatnooneshouldrunupthepriceinanother'sdistrict,buthehadnowlearntthatsometimber-dealersfromtownmeanttobidfortheGoryachkingrove,andheresolvedtogoatonceandgetthemattersettled.Soassoonasthefeastwasover,hetooksevenhundredrublesfromhisstrongbox,addedtothemtwothousandthreehundredrublesofchurchmoneyhehadinhiskeeping,soastomakeupthesumtothreethousand;carefullycountedthenotes,andhavingputthemintohispocket-bookmadehastetostart.

Nikita,theonlyoneofVasiliAndreevich'slabourerswhowasnotdrunkthatday,rantoharnessthehorse.Nikita,thoughanhabitualdrunkard,wasnotdrunkthatdaybecausesincethelastdaybeforethefast,whenhehaddrunkhiscoatandleatherboots,hehadswornoffdrinkandhadkepthisvowfortwomonths,andwasstillkeepingitdespitethetemptationofthevodkathathadbeendrunkeverywhereduringthefirsttwodaysofthefeast.

Nikitawasapeasantofaboutfiftyfromaneighbouringvillage,'notamanager'asthepeasantssaidofhim,meaningthathewasnotthethriftyheadofahouseholdbutlivedmostofhistimeawayfromhomeasalabourer.Hewasvaluedeverywhereforhisindustry,dexterity,andstrengthatwork,andstillmoreforhiskindlyandpleasanttemper.Butheneversettleddownanywhereforlongbecauseabouttwiceayear,orevenoftener,hehadadrinkingbout,andthenbesidesspendingallhisclothesondrinkhebecameturbulentandquarrelsome.VasiliAndreevichhimselfhadturnedhimawayseveraltimes,buthadafterwardstakenhimbackagain--valuinghishonesty,hiskindnesstoanimals,andespeciallyhischeapness.VasiliAndreevichdidnotpayNikitatheeightyrublesayearsuchamanwasworth,butonlyaboutforty,whichhegavehimhaphazard,insmallsums,andeventhatmostlynotincashbutingoodsfromhisownshopandathighprices.

Nikita'swifeMartha,whohadoncebeenahandsomevigorouswoman,managedthehomesteadwiththehelpofhersonandtwodaughters,anddidnoturgeNikitatoliveathome:

firstbecauseshehadbeenlivingforsometwentyyearsalreadywithacooper,apeasantfromanothervillagewholodgedintheirhouse;andsecondlybecausethoughshemanagedherhusbandasshepleasedwhenhewassober,shefearedhimlikefirewhenhewasdrunk.Oncewhenhehadgotdrunkathome,Nikita,probablytomakeupforhissubmissivenesswhensober,brokeopenherbox,tookoutherbestclothes,snatchedupanaxe,andchoppedallherundergarmentsanddressestobits.AllthewagesNikitaearnedwenttohiswife,andheraisednoobjectiontothat.Sonow,twodaysbeforetheholiday,MarthahadbeentwicetoseeVasiliAndreevichandhadgotfromhimwheatflour,tea,sugar,andaquartofvodka,thelotcostingthreerubles,andalsofiverublesincash,forwhichshethankedhimasforaspecialfavour,thoughheowedNikitaatleasttwentyrubles.

'Whatagreementdidweeverdrawupwithyou?

'saidVasiliAndreevichtoNikita.'Ifyouneedanything,takeit;youwillworkitoff.I'mnotlikeotherstokeepyouwaiting,andmakingupaccountsandreckoningfines.Wedealstraight-forwardly.YouservemeandIdon'tneglectyou.'

AndwhensayingthisVasiliAndreevichwashonestlyconvincedthathewasNikita'sbenefactor,andheknewhowtoputitsoplausiblythatallthosewhodependedonhimfortheirmoney,beginningwithNikita,confirmedhimintheconvictionthathewastheirbenefactoranddidnotoverreachthem.

'Yes,Iunderstand,VasiliAndreevich.YouknowthatIserveyouandtakeasmuchpainsasIwouldformyownfather.I

understandverywell!

'Nikitawouldreply.HewasquiteawarethatVasiliAndreevichwascheatinghim,butatthesametimehefeltthatitwasuselesstotrytoclearuphisaccountswithhimorexplainhissideofthematter,andthataslongashehadnowheretogohemustacceptwhathecouldget.

Now,havingheardhismaster'sordertoharness,hewentasusualcheerfullyandwillinglytotheshed,steppingbrisklyandeasilyonhisratherturned-infeet;tookdownfromanailtheheavytasselledleatherbridle,andjinglingtheringsofthebitwenttotheclosedstablewherethehorsehewastoharnesswasstandingbyhimself.

'What,feelinglonely,feelinglonely,littlesilly?

'saidNikitainanswertothelowwhinnywithwhichhewasgreetedbythegood-tempered,medium-sizedbaystallion,witharatherslantingcrupper,whostoodaloneintheshed.'Nowthen,nowthen,there'stimeenough.Letmewateryoufirst,'hewenton,speakingtothehorsejustastosomeonewhounderstoodthewordshewasusing,andhavingwhiskedthedusty,groovedbackofthewell-fedyoungstallionwiththeskirtofhiscoat,heputabridleonhishandsomehead,straightenedhisearsandforelock,andhavingtakenoffhishalterledhimouttowater.

Pickinghiswayoutofthedung-strewnstable,Mukhortyfrisked,andmakingplaywithhishindlegpretendedthathemeanttokickNikita,whowasrunningatatrotbesidehimtothepump.

'Nowthen,nowthen,yourascal!

'Nikitacalledout,wellknowinghowcarefullyMukhortythrewouthishindlegjusttotouchhisgreasysheepskincoatbutnottostrikehim--atrickNikitamuchappreciated.

Afteradrinkofthecoldwaterthehorsesighed,movinghisstrongwetlips,fromthehairsofwhichtransparentdropsfellintothetrough;thenstandingstillasifinthought,hesuddenlygavealoudsnort.

'Ifyoudon'twantanymore,youneedn't.Butdon'tgoaskingforanylater,'saidNikitaquiteseriouslyandfullyexplaininghisconducttoMukhorty.Thenheranbacktotheshedpullingtheplayfulyounghorse,whowantedtogambolallovertheyard,bytherein.

Therewasnooneelseintheyardexceptastranger,thecook'shusband,whohadcomefortheholiday.

'Goandaskwhichsledgeistobeharnessed--thewideoneorthesmallone--there'sagoodfellow!

'

Thecook'shusbandwentintothehouse,whichstoodonanironfoundationandwasiron-roofed,andsoonreturnedsayingthatthelittleonewastobeharnessed.BythattimeNikitahadputthecollarandbrass-studdedbelly-bandonMukhortyand,carryingalight,paintedshaft-bowinonehand,wasleadingthehorsewiththeotheruptotwosledgesthatstoodintheshed.

'Allright,letitbethelittleone!

'hesaid,backingtheintelligenthorse,whichallthetimekeptpretendingtobitehim,intotheshafts,andwiththeaidofthecook'shusbandheproceededtoharness.Wheneverythingwasnearlyreadyandonlythereinshadtobeadjusted,Nikitasenttheothermantotheshedforsomestrawandtothebarnforadrugget.

'There,that'sallright!

Now,now,don'tbristleup!

'saidNikita,pressingdownintothesledgethefreshlythreshedoatstrawthecook'shusbandhadbrought.'Andnowlet'sspreadthesackinglikethis,andthedruggetoverit.There,likethatitwillbecomfortablesitting,'hewenton,suitingtheactiontothewordsandtuckingthedruggetallroundoverthestrawtomakeaseat.

'Thankyou,dearman.Thingsalwaysgoquickerwithtwoworkingatit!

'headded.Andgatheringuptheleatherreinsfastenedtogetherbyabrassring,Nikitatookthedriver'sseatandstartedtheimpatienthorseoverthefrozenmanurewhichlayintheyard,towardsthegate.

'UncleNikita!

Isay,Uncle,Uncle!

'ahigh-pitchedvoiceshouted,andaseven-year-oldboyinablacksheepskincoat,newwhitefeltboots,andawarmcap,ranhurriedlyoutofthehouseintotheyard.'Takemewithyou!

'hecried,fasteninguphiscoatasheran.

'Allright,comealong,darling!

'saidNikita,andstoppingthesledgehepickedupthemaster'spalethinlittleson,radiantwithjoy,anddroveoutintotheroad.

Itwaspasttwoo'clockandthedaywaswindy,dull,andcold,withmorethantwentydegreesFahrenheitoffrost.Halftheskywashiddenbyaloweringdarkcloud.Intheyarditwasquiet,butinthestreetthewindwasfeltmorekeenly.Thesnowsweptdownfromaneighbouringshedandwhirledaboutinthecornernearthebath-house.

HardlyhadNikitadrivenoutoftheyardandturnedthehorse'sheadtothehouse,beforeVasiliAndreevichemergedfromthehighporchinfrontofthehousewithacigaretteinhismouthandwearingacloth-coveredsheep-skincoattightlygirdledlowathiswaist,andsteppedontothehard-troddensnowwhichsqueakedundertheleathersolesofhisfeltboots,andstopped.Takingalastwhiffofhiscigarettehethrewitdown,steppedonit,andlettingthesmokeescapethroughhismoustacheandlookingaskanceatthehorsethatwascomingup,begantotuckinhissheepskincollaronbothsidesofhisruddyface,clean-shavenexceptforthemoustache,sothathisbreathshouldnotmoistenthecollar.

'Seenow!

Theyoungscampistherealrea