第343章

第343章anatolelaydownonthesofainthestudy,and,proppedonhiselbows,smiledpensivelyandmurmuredsomethingferventlytohimself.

“comeandhavesomethingtoeat.here,haveadrink！”dolohovshoutedtohimfromtheotherroom.

“idon’twantto,”answeredanatole,stillsmiling.

“come,balagaishere.”

anatolegotup,andwentintothedining-room.balagawasawell-knowndriver,whohadknowndolohovandanatoleforthelastsixyears,anddriventheminhisthree-horsesledges.morethanonce,whenanatole’sregimenthadbeenstationedattver,hehaddrivenhimoutoftverintheevening,reachedmoscowbydawn,anddrivenhimbackthenextnight.morethanoncehehaddrivendolohovsafeawaywhenhewasbeingpursued.manyatimehehaddriventhemaboutthetownwithgypsiesand“gayladies,”ashecalledthem.morethanonehorsehadheruinedindrivingthem.morethanoncehehaddrivenoverpeopleandupsetvehiclesinmoscow,andalwayshis“gentlemen,”ashecalledthem,hadgothimoutoftrouble.manyatimehadtheybeatenhim,manyatimemadehimdrunkwithchampagneandmadeira,awineheloved,andmorethanoneexploitheknewofeachofthem,whichwouldlongagohavesentanyordinarymantosiberia.theyoftencalledbalagaintotheircarousals,madehimdrinkanddancewiththegypsies,andmanyathousandroublesoftheirmoneyhadpassedthroughhishands.intheirservice,twentytimesayear,heriskedhislifeandhisskin,andworeoutmorehorsesthantheyrepaidhimforinmoney.buthelikedthem,likedtheirfuriousdriving,eighteenverstsanhour,likedupsettingcoachmen,andrunningdownpeopleonfootinmoscow,andalwaysflewfullgallopalongthemoscowstreets.helikedtohearbehindhimthewildshoutofdrunkenvoices,“geton;geton！”whenitwasimpossibletodrivefaster;likedtogivealashonthenecktoapassingpeasantwhowasalreadyhasteningoutofhiswaymoredeadthanalive.“realgentlemen！”hethought.

anatoleanddolohovlikedbalaga,too,forhisspiriteddriving,andbecausehelikedthesamethingsthattheyliked.withotherpeoplebalagadrovehardbargains;hewouldtakeasmuchastwenty-fiveroublesforatwohours’drive,andrarelydrovehimself,generallysendingoneofhisyoungmen.butwithhisowngentlemen,ashecalledthem,healwaysdrovehimself,andneveraskedforanythingforthejob.

onlyafterlearningthroughtheirvaletswhenmoneywasplentiful,hewouldturnuponceeveryfewmonthsinthemorning;andsober,andbowinglow,wouldaskthemtohelphimoutofhisdifficulties.thegentlemenalwaysmadehimsitdown.

“please,helpmeoutofascrape,fyodorivanovitch,oryourexcellency,”hewouldsay.“i’mquiterunoutofhorses;lendmewhatyoucantogotothefair.”

andwhenevertheywereflushofmoneyanatoleanddolohovwouldgivehimathousandortwo.

balagawasaflaxen-headed,squat,snub-nosedpeasantofsevenandtwenty,witharedfaceandaparticularlyred,thickneck,littlesparklingeyes,andalittlebeard.heworeafinebluesilk-linedfullcoat,putonoverafurpelisse.

hecrossedhimself,facingtheoppositecorner,andwentuptodolohov,holdingouthisblack,littlehand.

“respectstofyodorivanovitch！”saidhe,bowing

“good-daytoyou,brother.well,herehecomes！”

“good-morning,yourexcellency！”hesaidtoanatoleashecameinandtohim,too,heheldouthishand.

“isay,balaga,”saidanatole,layinghishandsonhisshoulders,“doyoucareformeornot？eh？now’sthetimetodomegoodservice.…whatsortofhorseshaveyoucomewith？eh？”

“asthemessengerbademe;yourfavouritebeasts,”saidbalaga.

“come,balaga,doyouhear？youmaykillallthreeofthem;onlygetthereinthreehours.eh？”

“ifikillthem,howarewetogetthere？”saidbalaga,winking.

“noneofyourjokesnow.i’llsmashyourfacein！”criedanatolesuddenly,rollinghiseyes.

“jokes！”saidthedriver,laughing.“doigrudgeanythingformygentlemen？asfastaseverthehorsescangallopweshallgetthere.”

“ah！”saidanatole.“well,sitdown.”

“come,sitdown,”saiddolohov.

“oh,i’llstand,fyodorivanovitch.”

“sitdown;nonsense！haveadrink,”saidanatole,andhepouredhimoutabigglassofmadeira.thedriver’seyessparkledatthesightofthewine.refusingitatfirstformanners’sake,hetosseditoff,andwipedhismouthwitharedsilkhandkerchiefthatlayinhiscap.

“well,andwhenarewetostart,yourexcellency？”

“oh…”anatolelookedathiswatch.“wemustsetoffatonce.nowmind,balaga.eh？you’llgetthereintime？”

“tobesure,ifwe’veluckingettingoff.whyshouldn’twedoitinthetime？”saidbalaga.“wegotyoutotver,andgotthereinsevenhours.youremember,ibet,yourexcellency！”

“doyouknow,ioncedrovefromtveratchristmastime,”saidanatole,withasmileattherecollection,addressingmakarin,whowasgazingadmiringlyathim.“wouldyoubelieveit,makarka,onecouldhardlybreatheweflewsofast.wedroveintoatrainofwagonsandroderightovertwoofthem！eh？”

“theywerehorses,too,”balagawenton.“i’dputtwoyounghorsesinthetraceswiththebayintheshafts”—heturnedtodolohov—“and,wouldyoubelieveme,fyodorivanovitch,sixtyverststhosebeastsgalloped.therewasnoholdingthem,formyhandswerenumb;itwasafrost.iflungdownthereins.“youholdthemyourself,yourexcellency,”saidi,andirolledupinsidethesledge.noneedofdrivingthem.why,wecouldn’tholdtheminwhenwegotthere.inthreehoursthedevilsbroughtus.onlytheleftonediedofit.”