第1章

Theyearwastheyear’92——theyearofleanness——thesceneaspotbetweenSukhumandOtchenchiri，ontheriverKodor，aspotsoneartotheseathatamidthejoyousbabbleofasparklingrivulettheocean’sdeep-voicedthunderwasplainlydistinguishable。

Also，theseasonbeingautumn，leavesofwildlaurelwereglisteningandgyratingonthewhitefoamoftheKodorlikeaquantityofmercurialsalmonfry。AndasIsatonsomerocksoverlookingtheriverthereoccurredtomethethoughtthat，aslikelyasnot，thecauseofthegulls’andcormorants’fretfulcrieswherethesurflaymoaningbehindabeltoftreestotherightwasthat，likemyself，theykeptmistakingtheleavesforfish，andasoftenfindingthemselvesdisappointed。

Overmyheadhungchestnuttreesdeckedwithgold；atmyfeetlayamassofchestnutleaveswhichresembledtheamputatedpalmsofhumanhands；ontheoppositebank，wheretherewaved，tanglewise，thestrippedbranchesofahornbeam，anorange-tintedwoodpeckerwasdartingtoandfro，asthoughcaughtinthemeshoffoliage，and，incompanywithatroupeofnimbletitmiceandbluetree-creepers(visitorsfromthefar-distantNorth)，tappingthebarkofthestemwithablackbeak，andhuntingforinsects。

Totheleft，thetopsofthemountainshungfringedwithdense，fleecycloudsofthekindwhichpresagesrain；andthesecloudsweresendingtheirshadowsglidingoverslopesgreenandovergrownwithboxwoodandthatpeculiarspeciesofhollowbeech-stumpwhichoncecameneartoeffectingthedownfallofPompey’shost，throughdeprivinghisiron-builtlegionsoftheuseoftheirlegsastheyrevelledintheintoxicatingsweetnessofthe“mead“orhoneywhichwildbeesmakefromtheblossomsofthelaurelandtheazalea，andtravellersstillgatherfromthosehollowstemstokneadintolavashiorthincakesofmilletflour。

OnthepresentoccasionItoo(aftersufferingsundrystingsfrominfuriatedbees)wasthusengagedasIsatontherocksbeneaththechestnuts。Dippingmorselsofbreadintoapotfulofhoney，Iwasmunchingthemforbreakfast，andenjoying，atthesametime，theindolentbeamsofthemoribundautumnsun。

InthefalloftheyeartheCaucasusresemblesagorgeouscathedralbuiltbygreatcraftsmen(alwaysgreatcraftsmenaregreatsinners)toconcealtheirpastfromthepryingeyesofconscience。Whichcathedralisasortofintangibleedificeofgoldandturquoiseandemerald，andhasthrownoveritshillsrarecarpetssilk-embroideredbyTurcomanweaversofShemiandSamarkand，andcontains，heapedeverywhere，plunderbroughtfromallthequartersoftheworldforthedelectationofthesun。

Yes，itisasthoughmensoughttosaytotheSunGod:“Allthingsherearethine。Theyhavebeenbroughthitherfortheebythypeople。“

Yes，mentallyIseelong-bearded，grey-headedsupermen，beingspossessedoftheroundedeyesofhappychildren，descendingfromthehills，anddeckingtheearth，andsowingitwithsheerlykaleidoscopictreasures，andcoatingthetopsofthemountainswithmassivelayersofsilver，andtheloweredgeswithalivingweboftrees。Yes，Iseethosebeingsdecoratingandfashioningthesceneuntil，thankstotheirlabours，thisgraciousmorseloftheearthhasbecomefairbeyondallconception。

Andwhataprivilegeitistobehuman！Howmuchthatiswonderfulleapstotheeye-howthepresenceofbeautycauses。

thehearttothrobwithavoluptuousrapturethatisalmostpain！

Andthoughthereareoccasionswhenlifeseemshard，andthebreastfeelsfilledwithfieryrancour，andmelancholydriesandrendersathirsttheheart’sblood，thisisnotamoodsentusinperpetuity。Forattimeseventhesunmayfeelsadashecontemplatesmen，andseesthat，despiteallthathehasdoneforthem，theyhavedonesolittleinreturn……

No，itisnotthatgoodfolkarelacking。Itisthattheyneedtoberoundedoff——betterstill，tobemadeanew。

Suddenlytherecameintoviewoverthebushestomyleftafileofdarkheads，whilethroughthesurgingofthewavesandthebabbleofthestreamIcaughtthesoundofhumanvoices，asoundemanatingfromapartyof“faminepeople“orfolkwhowerejourneyingfromSukhumtoOtchenchiritoobtainworkonalocalroadtheninprocessofconstruction。

TheownersofthevoicesIknewtobeimmigrantsfromtheprovinceofOrlov。IknewthemtobesoforthereasonthatI

myselfhadlatelybeenworkingincompanywiththemalemembersoftheparty，andhadtakenleaveofthemonlyyesterdayinorderthatImightsetoutearlierthanthey，and，afterwalkingthroughthenight，greetthesunwhenheshouldariseabovethesea。

Themembersofthepartycomprisedfourmenandawoman——thelatterayoungfemalewithhighcheek-bones，afigureswollenwithmanifestpregnancy，andapairofgreyish-blueeyesthathadfixedinthemastareofapprehension。Atthepresentmomentherheadandyellowscarfwerejustshowingoverthetopsofthebushes；andwhileInotedthatnowitwasswayingfromsidetosidelikeasunflowershakenbythewind，IrecalledthefactthatshewasawomanwhosehusbandhadbeencarriedoffatSukhumbyasurfeitoffruit——thisfactbeingknowntomethroughthecircumstancethatintheworkmen’sbarraquewherewehadsharedquartersthesefolkhadobservedthegoodoldRussiancustomofconfidingtoastrangerthewholeoftheirtroubles，andhaddonesointonesofsuchamplitudeandpenetrationthatthequerulouswordsmusthavebeenaudibleforfiveverstsaround。

AndasIhadtalkedtotheseforlornpeople，thesehumanbeingswholaycrushedbeneaththemisfortunewhichhaduprootedthemfromtheirbarrenandexhaustedlands，andblownthem，likeautumnleaves，towardstheCaucasuswherenature’sluxuriant，butunfamiliar，aspecthadblindedandbewilderedthem，andwithitsonerousconditionsoflabourquenchedtheirlastsparkofcourage；asIhadtalkedtothesepoorpeopleIhadseenthemglancingaboutwithdull，troubled，despondenteyes，andheardthemsaytooneanothersoftly，andwithpitifulsmiles:

“Whatacountry！“

“Aye，——thatitis！——acountrytomakeonesweat！“

“Ashardasastoneitis！“

“Aye，anevilcountry！“

Afterwhichtheyhadgoneontospeakoftheirnativehaunts，whereeveryhandfulofsoilhadrepresentedtothemthedustoftheirancestors，andeverygrainofthatsoilhadbeenwateredwiththesweatoftheirbrows，andbecomechargedwithdearandintimaterecollections。

Previouslytherehadjoinedthepartyawomanwho，tallandstraight，hadhadbreastsasflatasaboard，andjawboneslikethejawbonesofahorse，andaglanceinherdull，sidelongblackeyeslikeagleaming，smoulderingfire。

Andeveryeveningthiswomanhadbeenwonttostepoutsidethebarraquewiththewomanintheyellowscarfandtoseatherselfonarubbishheap，and，restinghercheeksonthepalmsofherhands，andincliningherheadsideways，tosinginahighandshrewishvoice:

Behindthegraveyardwall，Wherefairgreenbushesstand。

I’llspreadmeonthesandAshroudaswhiteassnow。

AndnotlongwillitbeBeforemyheart’sadored，Mymasterandmylord，Shallanswermycurtseylow。

Usuallyhercompanion，thewomanintheyellowscarf，had，withheadbentforwardandeyesfixeduponherstomach，remainedsilent；butonrare，unexpectedoccasionsshehad，inthehoarse，sluggishvoiceofapeasant，sungasongwiththesobbingrefrain:

Ah，mybeloved，sweetheartofmine，Neveragainwilltheseeyesseekthine！

NoramidthestiflingblacknessofthesouthernnighthadthesevoiceseverfailedtobringbacktomymemorythesnowywastesoftheNorth，andtheicy，wailingstorm-wind，andthedistanthowlingofunseenwolves。

Intime，thesquint-eyedwomanhadbeentakenillofafever，andremovedtothetowninatiltedambulance；andasshehadlainquiveringandmoaningonthestretchershehadseemedstilltobesingingherlittledittyaboutthegraveyardandthesand。

Theheadwiththeyellowscarfrose，dipped，anddisappeared。

AfterIhadfinishedmybreakfastIthatchedthehoney-potwithsomeleaves，fasteneddownthelid，andindolentlyresumedmywayinthewakeoftheparty，myblackthornstafftiptappingagainstthehardtreadofthetrackasIproceeded。

Thetrackloomed——agrey，narrowstrip——beforeme，whileonmyrighttherestless，darkblueseahadtheairofbeingceaselesslyplanedbythousandsofinvisiblecarpenters；soregularlydidthestressofawindasmoistandsweetandwarmasthebreathofahealthywomancauseever-rustlingcurlsoffoamtodrifttowardsthebeach。Also，careeningontoitsportquarterunderafullsetofbellyingsails，aTurkishfeluccawasglidingtowardsSukhum；and，asitheldonitscourse，itputmeinmindofacertainpompousengineerofthetownwhohadbeenwonttoinflatehisfatcheeksandsay:“Bequiet，you，orIwillhaveyoulockedup！“Thismanhad，forsomereasonoranother，anextraordinaryweaknessforcausingarreststobemade；and，exceedinglydoIrejoicetothinkthatbynowthewormsofthegraveyardmusthaveconsumedhimdowntotheverymarrowofhisbones。Wouldthatcertainotheracquaintancesofmineweresimilarlyreceivingbeneficentattention！

Walkingprovedaneasyenoughtask，forIseemedtobeborneonair，whileachorusofpleasantthoughts，ofmany-colouredrecollections，keptsinginggentlyinmybreast——achorusresembling，indeed，thewhite-manedbillowsintheregularitywithwhichnowitrose，andnowitfell，torevealin，asitwere，soft，peacefuldepthsthebright，supplehopesofyouth，likesomanysilverfishcradledinthebosomoftheocean。

Suddenly，asittrendedseawards，theroadexecutedahalf-turn，andskirtedastripofthesandymargintowhichthewaveskeptrollinginsuchhaste。Andinthatspoteventhebushesseemedtohaveamindtolookthewavesintheeyes——sostrenuouslydidtheyleanacrosstheriband-likepath，andnodinthedirectionoftheblue，waterywaste，whilefromthehillsawindwasblowingthatpresagedrain。

Buthark！Fromsomepointamongthebushesalowmoanarose——thesoundwhichneverfailstothrillthesoulandmoveittoresponsivequivers！

Thrustingasidethefoliage，Ibeheldbeforemethewomanintheyellowscarf。Seatedwithherbackrestingagainstthestemofahazel-bush，shehadherheadsunkendeeplybetweenhershoulders，hermouthhideouslyagape，hereyesstaringvaguelybeforeher，herhandspressedtoherswollenstomach，herbreathissuingwithunnaturalvehemence，andherabdomenconvulsively，spasmodicallyrisingandfalling。Meanwhilefromherthroatwereissuingmoanswhichattimescausedheryellowteethtoshowbarelikethoseofawolf。

“Whatisthematter？“IsaidasIbentoverher。“Hasanyoneassaultedyou？“

Theonlyresultwasthat，shufflingbarefeetinthesandlikeafly，sheshookhernervelesshand，andgasped:

“Away，villain！Awaywithyou！“