第530章

第530章“lads！”hesaid,withametallicringinhisvoice,“thisman,vereshtchagin,isthewretchbywhosedoingmoscowislost.”

theyoungmaninthefox-linedcoatstoodinaresignedpose,claspinghishandstogetherinfrontofhisbody,andbendingalittleforward.hiswastedyoungface,withitslookofhopelessnessandthehideousdisfigurementofthehalf-shavenhead,wasturneddownwards.atthecount’sfirstwordsheslowlyliftedhisheadandlookedupfrombelowatthecount,asthoughhewantedtosaysomethingtohim,oratleasttocatchhiseye.butrastoptchindidnotlookathim.theblueveinbehindtheyoungman’searstoodoutlikeacordonhislong,thinneck,andallatoncehisfaceflushedcrimson.

alleyeswerefixeduponhim.hegazedatthecrowd,and,asthoughmadehopefulbytheexpressionhereadonthefacesthere,hesmiledatimid,mournfulsmile,anddroppinghisheadagain,shiftedhisfeetonthestep.

“heisatraitortohistsarandhiscountry;hedesertedtobonaparte;healoneofalltherussianshasdisgracedthenameofrussia,andthroughhimmoscowislost,”saidrastoptchininaharsh,monotonousvoice;butallatonceheglanceddownrapidlyatvereshtchagin,whostillstoodinthesamesubmissiveattitude.asthoughthatglancehaddrivenhimtofrenzy,flinginguphisarms,healmostyelledtothecrowd：

“youshalldealwithhimasyouthinkfit！ihandhimovertoyou！”

thepeopleweresilent,andonlypressedcloserandcloserononeanother.tobeareachother’sweight,tobreatheinthattaintedfoulness,tobeunabletostir,andtobeexpectingsomethingvague,uncomprehendedandawful,wasbecomingunbearable.themeninthefrontofthecrowd,whosawandheardallthatwaspassingbeforethem,allstoodwithwide-open,horror-struckeyesandgapingmouths,strainingalltheirstrengthtosupportthepressurefrombehindontheirbacks.

“beathim！…letthetraitorperishandnotshamethenameofrussia！”screamedrastoptchin.“cuthimdown！igivethecommand！”hearingnotthewords,butonlythewrathfultonesofrastoptchin’svoice,themobmoanedandheavedforward,butstoppedagain.

“count！”…thetimidandyettheatricalvoiceofvereshtchaginbrokeinuponthemomentarystillnessthatfollowed.“count,onegodisaboveus…”saidvereshtchagin,liftinghishead,andagainthethickveinswelledonhisthinneckandthecolourswiftlycameandfadedagainfromhisface.hedidnotfinishwhathewastryingtosay.

“cuthimdown！icommandit！…”criedrastoptchin,suddenlyturningaswhiteasvereshtchaginhimself.

“drawsabres！”shoutedtheofficertothedragoons,himselfdrawinghissabre.

anotherstillmoreviolentwavepassedoverthecrowd,andreachingthefrontrows,pushedthemforward,andthrewthemeringrightuptothesteps.thetallyoungman,withastonyexpressionoffaceandhisliftedarmrigidintheair,stoodclosebesidevereshtchagin.“strikeathim！”theofficersaidalmostinawhispertothedragoons;andoneofthesoldiers,hisfacesuddenlyconvulsedbyfury,struckvereshtchaginontheheadwiththeflatofhissword.

vereshtchaginutteredabrief“ah！”ofsurprise,lookingabouthiminalarm,asthoughhedidnotknowwhatthiswasdonetohimfor.asimilarmoanofsurpriseandhorrorranthroughthecrowd.

“olord！”someonewasheardtouttermournfully.aftertheexclamationofsurprisethatbrokefromvereshtchaginheutteredapiteouscryofpain,andthatcrywashisundoing.thebarrierofhumanfeelingthatstillheldthemobbackwasstrainedtotheutmostlimit,anditsnappedinstantaneously.thecrimehadbeenbegun,itscompletionwasinevitable.thepiteousmoanofreproachwasdrownedintheangryandmenacingroarofthemob.likethegreatseventhwavethatshattersaship,thatlast,irresistiblewavesurgedupatthebackofthecrowd,passedontotheforemostranks,carriedthemofftheirfeetandengulfedalltogether.thedragoonwhohadstruckthevictimwouldhaverepeatedhisblow.vereshtchagin,withascreamofterror,puttinghishandsupbeforehim,dashedintothecrowd.thetallyoungman,againstwhomhestumbled,grippedvereshtchagin’sslenderneckinhishands,andwithasavageshriekfellwithhimunderthefeetofthetrampling,roaringmob.somebeatandtoreatvereshtchagin,othersatthetallyoungman.andthescreamsofpersonscrushedinthecrowdandofthosewhotriedtorescuethetallyoungmanonlyincreasedthefrenzyofthemob.foralongwhilethedragoonswereunabletogetthebleeding,half-murderedfactoryworkmanaway.andinspiteofallthefeverishhastewithwhichthemobstrovetomakeanendofwhathadoncebeenbegun,themenwhobeatandstrangledvereshtchaginandtorehimtopiecescouldnotkillhim.thecrowdpressedonthemonallsides,heavedfromsidetosidelikeonemanwiththeminthemiddle,andwouldnotletthemkillhimoutrightorlethimgo.

“hithimwithanaxe,eh？…theyhavecrushedhim…traitor,hesoldchrist！…living…alive…servethethiefright.withabar！…ishealive？…”

onlywhenthevictimceasedtole,andhisshriekshadpassedintoalong-drawn,rhythmicdeath-rattle,themobbeganhurriedlytochangeplacesaboutthebleedingcorpseontheground.everyonewentuptoit,gazedatwhathadbeendone,andpressedbackhorror-stricken,surprised,andreproachful.

“olord,thepeople’slikeawildbeast;howcouldhebealive！”washeardinthecrowd.“andayoungfellowtoo…musthavebeenamerchant’sson,tobesure,thepeople…theydosayit’snottherightman…nottherightman！…olord！…theyhavenearlymurderedanotherman;theysayhe’salmostdead…ah,thepeople…whowouldn’tbeafraidofsin…”weresayingnowthesamepeople,lookingwithruefulpityatthedeadbody,withthebluefacefouledwithdustandblood,andthelong,slender,brokenneck.