Viy — Страница 24

After dinner the philosopher was in the highest spirits. He managed to
walk about the whole village and make the acquaintance of nearly everybody;
he was even chased out of two cottages; one comely young wench gave him a
decent whack on the back with a shovel when he decided to feel and find out
what kind of material
her blouse and kirtle were made of. But the closer it came to evening,
the more pensive the philosopher grew. An hour before supper, almost all the
household people would gather to play kasha or kragli--a variety of skittles
in which long sticks are used instead of balls and the winner has the right
to ride on his partner's back. Then the game would become very interesting
for the spectator: often the cowherd, broad as a pancake, got astride the
swineherd, puny, short, consisting of nothing but wrinkles. Another time the
cowherd would bend his back and Dorosh would jump onto it, always saying:
"Hey, what a hefty bull!" Those who were more sober-minded sat by the
kitchen porch. They had an extremely serious air as they smoked their pipes,
even when the young people laughed heartily over some witticism of the
cowherd or Spirid. In vain did Khoma try to take part in this fun: some dark
thought, like a nail, was lodged in his head. Over supper, hard though he
tried to cheer himself up, fear kindled in him as darkness spread over the
sky.
"Well, our time has come, mister student!" the familiar gray-haired
Cossack said to him, getting up from his place together with Dorosh. "Let's
go to work."
Khoma was again taken to the church in the same way; again he was left
alone, and the door was locked on him. No sooner was he left alone than
timorousness began once more to creep into his breast. Again he saw the dark
icons, the gleaming frames, and the familiar black coffin standing in
menacing silence and immobility in the middle of the church.
"Well," he said, "this marvel doesn't make me marvel now. It's only
frightening the first time. Yes! it's only a little frightening the first
time, and then it's not frightening anymore, not frightening at all."
He hastened to the choir, drew a circle around himself, spoke several
incantations, and began reading loudly, resolved not to raise his eyes from
the book or pay attention to anything. He had been reading for about an hour
already, and had begun to weary and to cough a litde. He took a snuff bottle
from his pocket and, before taking a pinch, timorously turned his gaze to
the coffin. His heart went cold.
The corpse was already standing before him, right on the line, fixing
her dead green eyes on him. The student shuddered and felt a chill run
through all his veins. Dropping his eyes to the book, he began reading his
prayers and exorcisms louder and heard the corpse clack her teeth again and
wave her arm, wishing to seize him.