with a sigh Elizar told, closing the book – conquered all countries, except ours!. When went before army on a horse, in the sky over it the star shone day and night. And here he decided to conquer Russia. Took Moscow, and inhabitants lit it. It was necessary in the winter, in severe frosts when crows on the fly fell the dead, to run back with all the army. Took him prisoner, took out to the sea, landed on the desert island and there naked chained to the rock, the black raven began to peck to it heart. Then its star was gone and did not ascend any more.
– I vtepor a boy was when still you and did not exist – the grandfather unexpectedly declared. – Slightly I remember when the Frenchman came… The people about Moscow cried… I remember, dreamily… Brought to spend the night prisoners: brought – were slightly live, and thawed – good fellows from themselves! One and remained with our mistress – the painter appeared good, in Dubrov then the house new was built, so he painted with pictures of a wall – and now is whole!
All got out because of a table and began to lay beds. Children got in the habitual way on a bar on polat, also Elizar went there, the grandfather laid down on the edge. Vukol as if was stuck to the father. The laurels timidly and wildly continued to consider it frowningly.
Babushka and Nastya spread a koshma on a floor. The splinter lit a log hut with the flickering light for a long time.
– Well, how you lived here? – Elizar asked the son – missed?
– No, we with Laurels always together… in the field take us in the summer, and that in the wood we run, companions are… Nobody ever scolds me, nevertheless…
– What?
– Heart hurt always… Why you threw me?
Elizar sighed.
– Thought – it will be better for you at the grandmother! In Siberia, the brother, life thin!. here so will violently send there – at the other end of the world, behind the woods, behind mountains, behind swamps – and live as you want!
– Why violently? For what? The grandfather told – for the earth? for what?
– And you know Dubrova? happened there?
– Happened! for a Trinity, with little girls! to look for cuckoo slezk!
– There now! Well there? You love the Oak grove?
– I love!
– And her merchant took away from our village and one lives in it! Here men gathered for a descent and sent me to the city, to strive for Dubrova because competent I! and when it was turned back in the spring – you remember, to a mozha when the bear-hunter with a she-bear came and the fire was?
– I remember! The sky burned!.
– We then lived in Shackles! Soon after that sent me to the city, and then – to Siberia… Mother went voluntarily…
– It when we went with a hand bell?
– You remember unless? Coachmen Romanev really nearby and now live! On the road we came around here and you sleepy the grandfather and the grandmother were given! And your heart, perhaps, you speak about us, was ill?
– Yes! – quietly Vukol whispered.
– And hear – the grandfather interfered – hearing goes whether lie, whether is not present – I do not know as if and on Zaymishche our forest are angry too! Someone like the successor’s pomeshchikov! Whether tell, please, soon from swindlers the earth will be taken away?
Elizar laughed.
– I speak to you, we will inevitably select when at once we move to select everything!
The old man sighed.
The grandmother put out svetets, and everything calmed down in a dark log hut.
At last, all fell asleep, except the grandfather. Having convinced that all sleep, he began to think, and the grandfather always in a whisper thought at night, silently was not able to think. Its favourite word “swindler” vysheptyvatsya most often at it.
– Whether soon from swindlers the earth will be taken away?
And itself answered himself with a low whisper:
– Not soon!.
On walls cockroaches rustled; in the afternoon they were not visible, and there was the whole army at night. It seemed, they whispered to the grandfather ominous.
He loved the earth and country work, was severe and avaricious in expenses, maltreated a family and for it was respected by all in the village. Saved money in a jug, but to hint perish the thought about it to the grandfather: will become angry.
It seemed to it that the earth from year to year will give rise worse, rains drops out less and the sun does not heat in the summer as strongly any more as before when it was young and even went to the river at night to bathe. The earth at men becomes just barely enough as if it crumbles at them under the feet. Fists increased rent for the state site many times over…
The grandfather about the younger son, about the grandson whispered:
– That хрестьянин, and this not хрестьянин will be!.
Thought of the son-in-law: it was painfully changed from Siberia by this…
In life approached from where unclear. There were in log huts samovars and at whom and a lamp instead of a splinter. Maids – frantikh. Began to wear print dresses, there and Nastka puffs up, and here became honesty less in the people!
– Razorenye will be! Yafimk should marry! To marry the swindler!
The grandfather calmed down, ceased to whisper. One cockroaches whispered. Mysterious whispers rustled in darkness.
Over the sleeping dark village the first roosters sang. Flew over it terrible fairy tales, sad songs and gloomy beliefs. Till the dawn it was still far.
III
To Yafim usvatat the bride on Petty-bourgeois Farms: there the people lived purely, on city manners, and the bride was from a prosperous family; calculation inclined the grandfather to stop on this choice, though he did not love farm for a frantovstvo and city manners.
At first there went the grandfather with the old woman to shows there. Also the bride’s parents visited on a visit at Matvei: the serious business petty bourgeois in a long-skirted frock coat, with curly, in streaks of gray hair, with a comely beard, similar to the dealer or a prasol, and stocky, wrinkled, vostry on language, the fierce old woman.
Right there over a cup of tea and an entertainment there was a handshake. Only after that carried on the Farm of Yafima.
Took out full dresses from the storeroom: blue cloth long-skirted caftans, red belts, merlushkovy caps and leather boots with copper horseshoes. The grandmother put on a new blue sundress from brilliant matter with a braid and the same buttons in two ranks: from a breast to a hem. Took out rasshivny a headdress in the form of a half moon, threw from above with a big Turkish shawl. Ded and Yafim in the cloth caftans girded by red belts in the sheepskin coats covered by cloth wide open, with wide collars on shoulders, in suits of that breed which remained in the peasantry since ancient centuries as if turned into boyars. These expensive suits sewed at grandfathers and great-grandfathers, remaining from generation to generation were put on only in the most solemn occasions, only, maybe, several times in life.
New big sledge of own work with a high carved back, there are a lot of years standing in a barn, brought on the yard; harnessed the three in a new festive harness with copper set, with metal plates, jingles and long brushes, with the abrupt, high arch painted in motley flowers, on the ends fettered by copper. This harness was taken out from the storeroom only for ceremonial cases too.
In a root there was Chalka, a shirokogrudy roan gelding with a white