Early that morning, soon after sunrise, Ivanoff and Sanine walked forthfrom the town. The dew sparkled in the sunlight, and the damp grassseen in shadow appeared grey. Along the side of the road flanked bygnarled willows, pilgrims were slowly wending their way to themonastery. The red and white kerchiefs covering their heads and theirbright-hued coats and shirts gave colour and picturesqueness to thescene. The monastery bells rang out in the cool morning air, and thesound floated across the steppe, away to the dreaming woods in the dimblue distance. A troika came jingling along the highroad, and therough voices of the pilgrims as they talked could be distinctly heard.
"We've come out a little too early," said Ivanoff.
Sanine looked round about him, contented and happy.
"Well, let us wait a while," he replied.
They sat down on the sand, close to the hedge, and lit theircigarettes.
Peasants walking along behind their carts turned to look at them, andmarket-women and girls as they rattled past in rickety traps pointed atthe wayfarers amid bursts of merry, mocking laughter. Ivanoff took notthe slightest notice of them, but Sanine smiled and nodded in response.
At last there appeared on the steps of a little white house with abright green roof the proprietor of the "Crown" tavern, a tall man inhis shirt-sleeves who noisily unlocked the door, while yawningincessantly. A woman wearing a red kerchief on her head slipped inafter him.
"The very thing!" cried Ivanoff. "Let's go there."
So they went to the little inn and bought vodka and fresh gherkins fromthe woman with the red kerchief.
"Aha! you seem to be pretty flush of money, my friend," said Ivanoff,as Sanine produced his purse.
"I've had an advance," replied the latter, smiling. "Much to mymother's annoyance, I have accepted the secretaryship of an assuranceagency. In this way I was able to get a little cash as well as maternalcontempt."
When they regained the high-road, Ivanoff exclaimed:
"Oh! I feel ever so much better now!"
"So do I. Suppose we take off our boots?"
"All right."
Having taken off their boots and socks, they walked barefoot throughthe warm, moist sand, which was a delightful experience after trudgingalong in heavy boots.
"Jolly, isn't it?" said Sanine, as he drew a deep breath.
The sun's rays had now become far hotter. The town lay well in theirrear as the two wayfarers plodded bravely on towards the blue, nebuloushorizon. Swallows sat in rows on the telegraph-wires. A passenger-trainwith its blue, yellow and green carriages rolled past on the adjacentline, and the faces of drowsy travellers could be seen at the windows.
Two saucy-looking girls in white hats stood on the platform at the endof the train and watched the two bare-footed men with astonishment.Sanine laughed at them, and executed a wild impromptu dance.
Before them lay a meadow where walking barefoot in the long lush grasswas an agreeable relief.
"How delightful!" cried Ivanoff.
"Life's worth living to-day," rejoined his companion. Ivanoff glancedat Sanine; he thought those words must surely remind him of Sarudineand the recent tragedy. Yet seemingly it was far from Sanine'sthoughts, which surprised Ivanoff somewhat, yet did not displease him.
After crossing the meadow, they again got on to the main road which wasthronged as before with peasants in their carts, and giggling girls.Then they came to trees, and reeds, and glittering water, while abovethem, at no great distance on the hill-side, stood the monastery,topped by a cross that shone like some golden star.
Painted rowing-boats lined the shore, where peasants in bright-colouredshirts and vests lounged. After much haggling and good-humoured banter,Sanine hired one of the little boats. Ivanoff was a deft and powerfuloarsman, and the boat shot forward across the water like a livingthing. Sometimes the oars touched reeds or low-hanging branches whichfor a long while after such contact trembled above the deep, darkstream. Sanine steered with so much erratic energy that the waterfoamed and gurgled round the rudder. They reached a narrow backwaterwhere it was shady and cool. So transparent was the stream that onecould see the bottom covered with yellow pebbles, where shoals oflittle pink fish darted backwards and forwards.
"Here's a good place to land," said Ivanoff, and his voice soundedcheery beneath the dark branches of the overhanging trees. As the boatwith a grating sound touched the bank, he sprang lightly ashore.Sanine, laughing, did likewise.
"You won't find a better," he cried, plunging knee-deep through thelong grasses.
"Anywhere's good in the sun, I say," replied Ivanoff, as from the boathe fetched the vodka, the bread, the cucumbers, and a little packet ofhors d'oeuvres. All these he placed on a mossy slope in the shade ofthe trees, and here he lay down at full length.
"Lucullus dines with Lucullus," he said.
"Lucky man!" replied Sanine.
"Not entirely," added Ivanoff, with a droll expression of discontent,"for he's forgotten the glasses."
"Never mind! We can manage, somehow."
Full of the sheer joy of living in this warm sunlight and green shade,Sanine climbed up a tree and began cutting off a bough with his knife,while Ivanoff watched him as the little white chips kept falling on tothe turf below. At last the bough fell, too, when Sanine climbed down,and began to scoop it out, leaving the bark intact.
In a short time he had made a pretty little drinking-cup.
"Let's have a dip afterwards, shall we?" said Ivanoff, who was watchingSanine's craftsmanship with interest.
"Not a bad idea," replied Sanine, as he tossed the newly-made cup intothe air and caught it.
Then they sat down on the grass and did ample justice to theirappetising little meal.
"I can't wait any longer. I'm going to bathe."
So saying, Ivanoff hastily stripped, and, as he could not swim, heplunged into shallow water where the even sandy bottom was clearlyvisible.
"It's lovely!" he cried, jumping about, and splashing wildly.
Sanine watched him and then in leisurely fashion he also undressed, andtook a header into the deeper part of the stream.
"You'll be drowned," cried Ivanoff,
"No fear!" was the laughing rejoinder, when Sanine, gasping, had risento the surface.
The sound of their merry voices rang out across the river, and thegreen pasture-land. After a time they left the cool water, and lyingdown, naked in the grass, rolled over and over in it.
"Jolly, isn't it?" said Ivanoff, as he turned to the sun his broad backon which little drops of water glistened.
"Here let us build tabernacles!"
"Deuce take your tabernacles," cried Sanine merrily; "No tabernaclesfor me!"
"Hurrah!" shouted Ivanoff, as he began dancing a wild, barbaric dance.Sanine burst out laughing, and leaped about in the same way. Their nudebodies gleamed in the sun, every muscle showing beneath the tense skin.
"Ouf!" gasped Ivanoff.
Sanine went on dancing by himself, and finished up by turning asomersault, head foremost.
"Come along, or I shall drink up all the vodka," cried his companion.
Having dressed, they ate the remainder of their provisions, whileIvanoff sighed ruefully for a draught of ice-cold beer.
"Let's go, shall we?" he said.
"Right!"
They raced at full speed to the river-bank, jumped into their boat, andpushed off.
"Doesn't the sun sting!" said Sanine, who was lying at full length inthe bottom of the boat.
"That means rain," replied Ivanoff. "Get up and steer, for God's sake!"
"You can manage quite well by yourself," was the reply.
Ivanoff struck the water with his oars, so that Sanine got thoroughlysplashed.
"Thank you," said the latter, coolly.
As they passed a green spot they heard laughter and the sound of merrygirlish voices. It being a holiday, townsfolk had come thither to enjoythemselves.
"Girls bathing," said Ivanoff.
"Let's go and look at them," suggested Sanine.
"They would see us."
"No they wouldn't. We could land here, and go through the reeds."
"Leave them alone," said Ivanoff, blushing slightly.
"Come on."
"No, I don't like to...."
"Don't like to?"
"Well, but ... they're girls ... young ladies ... I don't think it'squite proper."
"You're a silly fool!" laughed Sanine, "Do you mean to say that youwouldn't like to see them?"
"Perhaps I should, but ..."
"Very well, then, let's go. No mock modesty! What man wouldn't do thesame, if he had the chance?"
"Yes, but if you reason like that, you ought to watch them openly. Whyhide yourself?"
"Because it's so much more exciting," said Sanine gaily.
"I dare say, but I advise you not to--"
"For chastity's sake, I suppose?"
"If you like."
"But chastity is the very thing that we don't possess!"
"If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out!" said Ivanoff.
"Oh! please don't talk nonsense, like Yourii Svarogitsch! God didn'tgive us eyes that we might pluck out."
Ivanoff smiled, and shrugged his shoulders.
"Look here, my boy," said Sanine, steering towards the bank, "if thesight of girls bathing were to rouse in you no carnal desire, then youwould have a right to be called chaste. Indeed, though I should be thelast to imitate it, such chastity on your part would win my admiration.But, having these natural desires, if you attempt to suppress them,then I say that your so-called chastity is all humbug."
"That's right enough, but, if no check were placed upon desires, greatharm might result."
"What harm, pray? Sensuality, I grant you, sometimes has evil results,but it's not the fault of sensuality."
"Perhaps not, but...."
"Very well, then, are you coming?"
"Yes, but I'm--"
"A fool, that's what you are! Gently! Don't make such a noise," saidSanine, as they crept along through the fragrant grass and rustlingreeds.
"Look there!" whispered Ivanoff, excitedly.
From the smart frocks, hats and petticoats lying on the grass, it wasevident that the party of bathers had come out from the town. Some weremerrily splashing about in the water which dripped in silver beads fromtheir round, soft limbs. One stood on the bank, erect and lithe, andthe sunlight enhanced the plastic beauty of her form that quivered asshe laughed.
"Oh! I say!" exclaimed Sanine, fascinated by the sight.
Ivanoff started backwards as in alarm.
"What's the matter?"
"Hush! It's Sina Karsavina!"
"So it is!" said Sanine aloud. "I didn't recognize her. How charmingshe looks!"
"Yes, doesn't she?" said the other, chuckling.
At that moment laughter and loud cries told them that they had beenoverheard. Karsavina, startled, leaped into the clear water from whichalone her rosy face and shining eyes emerged. Sanine and Ivanoff fledprecipitately, stumbling back through the tall rushes to their boat.
"Oh! how good it is to be alive!" said Sanine, stretching himself.
Down the river, floating onward, Ever onward, to the sea.
So he sang in his clear, resonant voice, while behind the trees thesound of girlish laughter could still be heard. Ivanoff looked at thesky.
"It's going to rain," he said.
The trees had become darker, and a deep shadow passed swiftly acrossthe meadow.
"We shall have to run for it!"
"Where? There's no escape, now," cried Sanine cheerfully.
Overhead a leaden-hued cloud floated nearer and nearer. There was nowind; the stillness and gloom had increased.
"We shall get soaked to the skin," said Ivanoff, "so do give me acigarette, to console me."
Faintly the little yellow flame of the match flickered in the gloom. Asudden gust of wind swept it away. One big drop of rain splashed theboat, and another fell on to Sanine's brow. Then came the downpour.Pattering on the leaves, the rain hissed as it touched the surface ofthe water. All in a moment from the dark heaven it fell in torrents,and only the rush and the splash of it could be heard.
"Nice, isn't it?" said Sanine, moving his shoulders to which his wetshirt was sticking.
"Not so bad," replied Ivanoff, who had crouched at the bottom of theboat.
Very soon the rain ceased, though the clouds had not dispersed, butwere massed behind the woods where flashes of lighting could be seen atintervals.
"We ought to be getting back," said Ivanoff.
"All right. I'm ready."
They rowed out into the current. Black, heavy clouds hung overhead, andthe flashes of lightning became incessant; white scimitars that smotethe sullen sky. Though now it did not rain, a feeling of thunder was inthe air. Birds with wet and ruffled plumage skimmed the surface of theriver, while the trees loomed darkly against the blue-grey heavens.
"Ho! ho!" cried Ivanoff.
When they had landed and were plodding through the wet sand, the gloombecame more intense.
"We're in for it, now."
Nearer, ever nearer to earth the huge cloud approached, like somedreadful grey-bellied monster. There was a sudden gust of wind, andleaves and dust were whirled round and round. Then, a deafening crash,as if the heavens were cleft asunder, when the lightning blazed and thethunder broke.
"Oho--ho--ho!" shouted Sanine, trying to outvie the clamour of thestorm. But his voice, even to himself, was inaudible.
When they reached the fields, it was quite dark. Their pathway was litby vivid flashes, and the thunder never ceased.
"Oh! Ha! Ho!" shouted Sanine.
"What's that?" cried Ivanoff.
At that moment a vivid flash revealed to him Sanine's radiant face, theonly answer to his question. Then, a second flash showed Sanine, witharms outstretched, gleefully apostrophizing the tempest.