’They’re books of no value; not written
for the gentlemen of these days.’
‘Have you read them?’
’If I hadn’t read them, I wouldn’t
have spoken about them. A dream-book, for instance
... that’s not much of a book, is it? There
are others too, of course ... only you won’t
read them either.’
‘Why?’
‘They are religious books.’
I was silent for a space.... Narkiz was silent
too.
‘What vexes me most,’ I began, ’is
staying in the house in such weather.’
’Take a walk in the garden; or go into the copse.
We’ve a copse here beyond the threshing-floor.
Are you fond of fishing?’
‘Are there fish here?’
’Yes, in the pond. Loaches, sand-eels,
and perches are caught there. Now, to be sure,
the best time is over; July’s here. But
anyway, you might try.... Shall I get the tackle
ready?’
‘Yes, do please.’
’I’ll send a boy with you ... to put on
the worms. Or maybe I ’d better come myself?’
Narkiz obviously doubted whether I knew how to set
about things properly by myself.
‘Come, please, come along.’
Narkiz, without a word, grinned from ear to ear, then
suddenly knitted his brows ... and went out of the
room.
Half an hour later we set off to catch fish.
Narkiz had put on an extraordinary sort of cap with
ears, and was more dignified than ever. He walked
in front with a steady, even step; two rods swayed
regularly up and down on his shoulders; a bare-legged
boy followed him carrying a can and a pot of worms.
’Here, near the dike, there’s a seat,
put up on the floating platform on purpose,’
Narkiz was beginning to explain to me, but he glanced
ahead, and suddenly exclaimed: ’Aha! but
our poor folk are here already ... they keep it up,
it seems.’
I craned my head to look from behind him, and saw
on the floating platform, on the very seat of which
he had been speaking, two persons sitting with their
backs to us; they were placidly fishing.
‘Who are they?’ I asked.
‘Neighbours,’ Narkiz responded, with displeasure.
’They’ve nothing to eat at home, and so
here they come to us.’
‘Are they allowed to?’
’The old master allowed them.... Nikolai
Petrovitch maybe won’t give them permission....
The long one is a superannuated deacon—quite
a silly creature; and as for the other, that’s
a little stouter—he’s a brigadier.’
‘A brigadier?’ I repeated, wondering.
This ‘brigadier’s’ attire was almost
worse than the deacon’s.
’I assure you he’s a brigadier. And
he did have a fine property once. But now he
has only a corner given him out of charity, and he
lives ... on what God sends him. But, by the
way, what are we to do? They’ve taken the
best place.... We shall have to disturb our precious
visitors.’
’No, Narkiz, please don’t disturb them.
We’ll sit here a little aside; they won’t
interfere with us. I should like to make acquaintance
with the brigadier.’
