暗网禁区

Now, when everyone is fleeing from the towns, as if they鈥檇 been stricken by an epidemic, I鈥檝e also come to spend the summer in the village. Actually, my intention is to ensnare some villager or other, as I鈥檝e failed to find a聽husband in town, despite there being no shortage of philanderers.

I鈥檝e already lost all patience, being twenty-five years old, and therefore I shall put all I have into desperately snatching at this last hope.

My uncle, the village priest, has been inviting me to visit them every summer, but I have always scorned the idea, saying: 鈥淲hat do I care for the village? How can you hope to find a gentleman there?!鈥� Now, disappointed with gentlemen who only court you, but are unwilling to be caught, I鈥檝e begun to daydream of na茂ve villagers, who do not court, do not woo, do not fall in love, but 鈥� allow themselves to be caught.

I noticed that my uncle was not exactly overjoyed at my arrival in his home. He shook his head doubtfully. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know whether you鈥檒l like it here,鈥� he told me. 鈥淗ere the intelligentsia is me, two teachers and the Jew who sells spirits. You鈥檒l run away!鈥�

Aunt Tereza, uncle鈥檚 sister, who had looked after him ever since he was a child 鈥� he being a bachelor 鈥� cheered me up, saying that the teachers were both single young men and that I could let them court me, to make the time pass quicker.

鈥淥h, no!鈥� I thought, 鈥渃ourting鈥檚 the last thing I want! I鈥檝e had quite enough of that. It鈥檚 a wedding I want, a wedding!!鈥� But otherwise Auntie鈥檚 news filled me with pleasure and I immediately imagined one man of slight build with an innocent face and inexperienced 鈥� the other half-wild, fiery, but also 鈥� inexperienced.

In the evening, when my aunt had shown me to the room that was to be my bedroom, I wrote a letter home with the question: 鈥淲ould you let me marry a village schoolmaster, or wouldn鈥檛 you?鈥�

Today my uncle introduced me to the teachers. They both arrived at the same time for a game of cards, as was their custom every afternoon. They bowed politely when Uncle introduced me and immediately sat down at the table. We were sitting out here in the courtyard in the shade of a tree, in the company of Auntie鈥檚 ducks and hens. I was sitting to one side, reading a novel 鈥� so I had time to observe both the teachers. One, named Rudolf Mi拧ov, was tall and thin; he had black hair combed down over his forehead and sharp, restless eyes. He had brought with him a bottle of beer in each of his jacket pockets 鈥� he said little and looked very serious. That was the choirmaster.

The other one, Samuel B煤t by name, was a fat, round-cheeked young man with a handsome face, but otherwise absolutely nondescript; he walked with a stoop as if he鈥檇 been carrying heavy knapsacks ever since childhood. He ate the sour cream Auntie had brought them and spoke in sudden spurts, as if chopping each word off from the next, while recounting how his neighbour, the herdsman鈥檚 wife, beat her husband and how his other neighbour, the Jew, had thrown the blacksmith out of the grocery store for insulting him by calling him Aaron and Moses. Although he chatted on endlessly, B煤t ate and drank the most, while my uncle and the schoolmaster just looked at him admiringly and laughed at his tales. It could be seen that all three of them got on very well together. They played for about three hours. Then B煤t left first, without saying a word to me 鈥� maybe he didn鈥檛 want to interrupt while I was reading 鈥� so I laid my book down in my lap, so that at least Mi拧ov could address me. Sure enough, after a moment or two he asked me how long I was going to be here.

鈥淔or as long as I like it here,鈥� I answered, taking B煤t鈥檚 place at the table.

鈥淭hat won鈥檛 be long!鈥� my uncle鈥檚 responded with a sigh, which surprised me. He propped up his fat chin with his palm and stared at the ducks and hens in the courtyard. It was a pleasant evening. Swallows flew in circles around us, twittering cheerfully. I, too, felt overcome with good will and began to twitter as if competing with them, so that Mi拧ov would see what an agreeable city girl I was and would admire me. From time to time I looked warmly into his eyes, expecting him to drop his gaze in confusion. But no! He watched me, sitting quietly, saying nothing, and studying my face. But the merrier I spoke, light-heartedly arguing with my uncle about the better writers and music, the more suspicious the expression in his eyes seemed to me. In the end, I sensed that he was not in fact gazing in admiration, but staring, as if he condemned my boastful, self-confident behaviour and wanted to silence me with his eyes and perhaps even expected me to lower my eyes before him!

Well, I wasn鈥檛 going to do that! I didn鈥檛 want to give in to him. Was some village schoolmaster to have intellectual superiority over me? So I defiantly prattled on about Victor Hugo鈥檚 novels; in fact I mentioned works by writers from all over the world, to the delight of my uncle, who was glad to see how well educated I am. After about an hour, Mi拧ov left. I boldly kept going to the end and neither he nor I lowered our eyes, but I was not satisfied with myself. 鈥淎 fine state of affairs,鈥� I thought, feeling disgruntled, 鈥渢o be examined by such a teacher. I gave away more than if I鈥檇 lowered my eyes before him.鈥�

鈥淲hat kind of people are these teachers?鈥� I asked my uncle, rousing him just as he was beginning to nod off. When he鈥檇 yawned, rubbed his eyes, stretched out both arms and folded them, he finally said: 鈥淏煤t is the assistant schoolmaster 鈥� he used to be a聽cobbler, but as we didn鈥檛 get anyone else, we asked him to come here. And we haven鈥檛 regretted it. B煤t is a聽good teacher, and what鈥檚 more he mends our shoes, so we don鈥檛 have to send them to town. In the summer he studies hard to pass the exams and get a聽teaching diploma.鈥�

鈥淎nd Mi拧ov?鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 the son of the teacher from the next village. He wanted to be a doctor, but he didn鈥檛 have the money to study, so the state trained him to be a teacher, but he hasn鈥檛 stopped dreaming of being a doctor. He teaches children in the winter as well and during the summer he goes looking for herbs in the fields to make poultices and ointments for ordinary folk. So they鈥檝e nicknamed him the quack. But people wouldn鈥檛 exchange him for anything in the world. Three times he鈥檚 been offered a job elsewhere and three times they鈥檝e raised his salary; it鈥檒l soon be more than mine 鈥� that鈥檚 how ordinary folks show their gratitude to those who help them.鈥�

鈥淥rdinary folk! 鈥� but he鈥檚 making himself ridiculous in the eyes of the educated world 鈥� doesn鈥檛 that worry him?鈥�

鈥淲hat educated world? I鈥檓 the educated world here and I don鈥檛 scorn him for it. You do?鈥� my uncle asked, scrutinizing me through the darkness.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 it to me? He doesn鈥檛 interest me!鈥� I claim without blushing.

Life goes on quietly and peacefully, one day like the next, today like yesterday. In the morning Uncle keeps an eye on the swarm of bees and catches the queen in a glass jar to stop her from settling in a tree, so he doesn鈥檛 have to strain his fat body on her account. Auntie doesn鈥檛 set foot out of the kitchen; she spends the whole day cooking, baking and working hard with the servants. Mi拧ov walks through the fields with his stick in search of herbs and makes poultices and ointments, while B煤t sews shoes and boots for the intelligentsia in the area. In the afternoon, however, they both come to play cards and I now play with them, but neither of them is courting me. B煤t might want to, but he doesn鈥檛 know how, so he just tells us stories about his neighbours. Mi拧ov knows how, but doesn鈥檛 want to; he is unusually serious, says little and is deliberately being as phlegmatic as possible. He holds his head high and straightens himself up 鈥� as if he wasn鈥檛 tall enough as it is! 鈥� I don鈥檛 like that. We鈥檝e been together for two weeks already and we are where we were at the start. In town they鈥檇 have got down on their knees and declared they loved me long ago and maybe they鈥檇 have already left me!

Another two weeks have passed. I鈥檓 beginning to find the teachers agreeable; both of them are in love! Mi拧ov has been neglecting his walks in search of herbs and instead he leans up against the grey pillars of his house, gazing in the direction of the parsonage. B煤t is now ashamed to make and mend shoes, and instead of this he spends the whole morning walking around his garden and casting glances at my window. After lunch, I鈥檝e hardly risen from the table when they both arrive and are here until dusk. First we go and have a look at the bees, until the heat of the sun has cooled, then we have tea. Auntie prepares the table, while I fill Uncle鈥檚 pipe with tobacco, and so we play around like this, looking into each other鈥檚 eyes. Auntie suspects something and is glad she鈥檒l have a relative in the village if I marry one of the teachers. Uncle teases me and is tickled beyond words when I call them silly things, but today, when he caught me in my room secretly looking one moment at B煤t鈥檚 garden through the window facing south and the next at Mi拧ov鈥檚 school through the window facing west, he got cross and stopped teasing me. When we were taking a walk in the evening, he then talked to me about youth, which passes, about beauty, which passes, about love, which also passes. 鈥� While he was talking, the thought that was going through my head was: 鈥淲hich of these teachers should I choose?鈥�

After pondering the matter for three days, I鈥檝e made up my mind to marry the one who loves me best.聽 In order to find this out, I have determined to make them jealous. So when Mi拧ov arrived in the morning 鈥� there was to be a funeral with verses 鈥� and he brought me a large bunch of mountain flowers, I set to work. Hardly glancing at the unusual, rarely seen flowers, I put the bouquet on the window sill and began diligently admiring B煤t鈥檚 garden. Mi拧ov sat down at a distance from me 鈥� he has never sat close 鈥� and I saw he鈥檇 noticed my indifference, but ignored it; only when I 鈥渄idn鈥檛 hear鈥� his questions did he get up from the table and, coming up behind me, he looked out of the window.

鈥淪amuel B煤t,鈥� he said and calmly went and sat down again in his former place.

鈥淚s he coming here?鈥� Uncle asked.

鈥淣o, he鈥檚 just walking around his garden,鈥� he replied and asked Uncle something about the funeral. I had thought he would hurry off immediately, but he made no move and I couldn鈥檛 detect the slightest trace of agitation in his face. I 鈥渁ccidentally鈥� knocked the bouquet off the sill, then accidentally trod on it, looked down 鈥� what鈥檚 that? 鈥� and pushed it aside with the tip of my shoe. 鈥淲ill that make him angry now?鈥� I wondered.

All in vain! He noticed that, too, but instead of giving a mocking smile, he asked me to accompany them to the church to hear his verses, 鈥渟o at least one sensible ear 鈥� apart from the priest鈥檚 鈥� would hear him.鈥� Then he yawned and as time passed did so more and more frequently, as if he was terribly bored. 鈥淒id you write the verses last night?鈥� I asked him, put out by his indifference. 鈥淥h, they were done ages ago. My grandfather wrote them thirty years ago!鈥� was his reply, followed by a yawn. Uncle, in spite of being absorbed in holy thoughts 鈥� he was reading the Bible 鈥� laughed, and I couldn鈥檛 help laughing too, but he remained grave and continued to yawn discreetly 鈥� which surprised me, because with him I had never yet noticed such indecorum.

I went to the church to hear his verses, but I didn鈥檛 like them; I was angry because he didn鈥檛 care even though I had insulted him and also because he didn鈥檛 make a single mistake when reciting in front of the pews and when I looked at him, he calmly returned my gaze, as if I meant nothing to him.

I began to doubt his love for me and couldn鈥檛 wait for the afternoon, when B煤t would come and cheer me up.

At about three in the afternoon B煤t came to call me to play cards 鈥� I聽had deliberately retired to my room, knowing they would send him for me. I聽didn鈥檛 go until I鈥檇 spent a聽good while praising Mi拧ov鈥檚 verses; I fondled the bouquet and showed B煤t the gift of rare flowers, all the time examining the expression on his face.

鈥淥f course, I know,鈥� he said, but in an unchanged voice, 鈥渢hat you have quite fallen in love with him!鈥�

鈥淭hat goes without saying!鈥� I declare jokingly, to see his reaction. But his expression was just the same 鈥� calm. His cheeks weren鈥檛 flushed with anger, and there was no spark of jealousy in his eyes.

鈥淣either of them is jealous! 鈥� They don鈥檛 love me!鈥� I thought in despair. However, when we were playing cards I noticed that today these inseparable friends and colleagues, who have lived in complete harmony, could not bear each other鈥檚 presence. They quarrelled over every trifle like two cocks on the same dunghill and B煤t often turned to me with the question, 鈥淲ell, I鈥檓 right, don鈥檛 you think?鈥�

Mi拧ov didn鈥檛 even look in my direction and took himself off home earlier than usual.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to have a look at the rye beyond the poppy field!鈥� he excused himself to my uncle.聽

鈥淗erbs! Not rye. He鈥檚 run out of poultices and has nothing to make his herbal remedies from,鈥� B煤t joked at first, when Mi拧ov had left. But a while later he also departed 鈥� perhaps to mend shoes. I ran up to my room to watch them out of the window. Mi拧ov was waiting for B煤t at the point where the paths crossed.

鈥淵ou know what?鈥� Mi拧ov said, 鈥淚t鈥檇 be a pity to start a quarrel on account of some woman! She came and she鈥檒l go. We鈥檒l just be left to regret she鈥檚 gone. Is it worth sacrificing our friendship for that heartache? Be sensible and leave her be!鈥�

鈥淵ou can leave her be!鈥� B煤t retorted. Mi拧ov looked B煤t in the eye, turned round and strode off uphill through the village to the school, whistling to himself.

Uncle came to invite me to go for a walk and as I was very quiet, he may have thought I was sorry the teachers had hurried away so early, because he began to tell me how depraved young people are nowadays, that they are not 鈥渓ike we were鈥� and that they didn鈥檛 deserve the notice of a self-respecting girl. I listened to him patiently, but no sooner had we reached the house than I escaped to my room to look out of the window. It was already getting dark, but I could still see that B煤t was walking around his garden with his dog and Mi拧ov was leaning against a pillar; he was not looking here, but had turned his head away in the opposite direction, gazing at the evening sky shimmering beyond the village backyards. I watched him for a long time and he didn鈥檛 look downhill. Angry at this, I threw the bouquet out of the window into the street and sat down on the sofa in the corner, intending to daydream about the elegant dandies in town, just to spite him. At that moment, however, I heard footsteps and immediately hurried over to the window. Mi拧ov was coming downhill, B煤t uphill and they met below my window.

鈥淲here are you going, cobbler?鈥� Mi拧ov asked, stopping in front of B煤t. At first B煤t was taken aback, but the next moment he dealt his colleague a clout over the ear. Mi拧ov paid him back with two, thrust both hands into his coat pockets and walked on, whistling, as if nothing had happened. B煤t stood there for a minute, rubbing both his cheeks, then shook his fist at the departing man, muttering, 鈥淛ust you wait, you quack! You haven鈥檛 heard the last of this!鈥� and set off home.

鈥淎 village duel!鈥� I clapped my hands in delight. 鈥淭hey are both jealous! 鈥� But which of them loves me more?鈥� That I still did not know.

Translated by Heather Trebatick谩