第525章

第525章inanunfinishedhouseinvarvarka,thelowerpartofwhichwasapot-house,thereweresoundsofdrunkenbrawlingandsinging.sometenfactoryhandsweresittingonbenchesattablesinalittle,dirtyroom.tipsy,sweating,blear-eyed,withwide-gapingmouths,bloatedwithdrink,theyweresingingsomesortofasong.theyweresingingdiscordantly,withtoil,withlabour,notbecausetheywantedtosing,butsimplytobetokenthattheyweredrunk,andwereenjoyingthemselves.oneofthem,atall,flaxen-headedfellow,inaclean,bluelongcoatwasstandingovertherest.hisface,withitsstraight,finenose,wouldhavebeenhandsome,butforthethick,compressed,continuallytwitchinglipsandthelustreless,staring,andfrowningeyes.hewasstandingoverthesingers,and,obviouslywithsomenotioninhishead,wasmakingsolemnandangularpassesovertheirheadswithhisbare,whitearm,whilehetriedtospreadhisdirtyfingersoutunnaturallywideapart.thesleeveofhiscoatwasincessantlyslippingdown,andtheyoungfellowkeptcarefullytuckingitupagainwithhislefthand,asthoughtherewassomethingofspecialsignificancerequiringthatwhite,sinewy,wavingarmtobebare.inthemiddleofthesong,shoutsandblowswereheardinthepassageandtheporch.thetallfellowwavedhisarms.

“shutup！”heshoutedperemptorily.“afight,lads！”andstilltuckinguphissleeves,hewentouttotheporch.

thefactoryhandsfollowedhim.theyhadbroughtthetavern-keepersomeskinsthatmorningfromthefactory,hadhaddrinkgiventhemforthisservice,andhadbeendrinkingundertheleadershipofthetallyoungman.theblacksmithsworkinginasmithyhardbyheardthesoundsofrevelryinthepothouse,andsupposingthehousehadbeenforciblybrokeninto,wantedtobreakintoo.aconflictwasgoingonintheporch.

thetavern-keeperwasfightingwithablacksmithinthedoorway,andatthemomentwhenthefactoryhandsemerged,thesmithhadreeledawayfromthetavern-keeper,andfallenonhisfaceonthepavement.

anothersmithdashedinatthedoor,eringwithhischestagainstthetavern-keeper.

theyoungmanwiththesleevetuckedup,ashewent,dealtablowinthefaceofthesmithwhohaddashedinatthedoor,andshoutedwildly：

“lads！theyarebeatingourmates！”

meanwhile,thesmithgotupfromtheground,andwithbloodspurtingfromhisbruisedface,criedinawailingvoice：

“help！theyhavekilledme…！theyhavekilledaman！mates！…”

“oy,mercyonus,killedentirely,amankilled！”squealedawoman,comingoutofthegatesnextdoor.acrowdofpeoplegatheredroundtheblood-stainedsmith.

“haven’tyouruinedfolksenough,strippingtheshirtsofftheirbacks？”saidavoice,addressingthetavern-keeper;“andsonowyouhavemurderedaman！blackguard！”

thetallyoungmanstandingonthestepsturnedhisblearedeyesfromthetavern-keepertothesmiths,asthoughconsideringwithwhichtofight.

“cut-throat！”hecriedsuddenlyatthetavern-keeper.“lads,bindhim！”

“indeed,andyoutryandbindamanlikeme！”bawledthetavern-keeper,tearinghimselfawayfromthemenwhothrewthemselvesonhim,andtakingoffhiscap,heflungitontheground.asthoughthisacthadsomemysteriousandmenacingsignificance,thefactoryhands,whohadsurroundedthetavern-keeper,stoodstillinuncertainty.

“iknowthelaw,mate,verywell,ido.i’llgotothepolice.areyouthinkingiwon’tfindthem？robbery’snottheorderofthedayforanyone！”bawledthetavern-keeper,pickinguphiscap.

“andgowewill,sothere！”…“andgowewill…sothere！”thetavern-keeperandthetallfellowrepeatedafteroneanother,andbothtogethermovedforwardalongthestreet.theblood-bespatteredsmithwalkedonalevelwiththem.thefactory-handsandamobofoutsidersfollowedthemwithtalkandshouting.

atthecornerofmaroseyka,oppositeagreathousewithclosedshutters,andthesignboardofabootmaker,stoodagroupofsometwentybootmakers,thin,exhausted-lookingmen,withdejectedfaces,inloosesmocks,andtorncoats.

“heoughttopayfolksproperly！”athinboothand,withascantbeardandscowlingbrows,wassaying.“he’ssuckedthelife-bloodoutofus,andthenhe’squitofus.he’sbeenpromisingandpromisingusalltheweek.andnowhe’sdrivenustothelastpoint,andhe’smadeoff.”seeingthemobandtheblood-bespatteredsmith,themanpaused,andthebootmakerswithinquisitiveeagernessjoinedthemovingcrowd.

“wherearethefolksgoing？”