Page:The Russian Review Volume 1.djvu/103

Rh

The train was going in the direction of Cheliabinsk. At one of the way stations, a pale, round-shouldered peasant, appearing abnormally short on account of his extreme thinness, entered, or rather slipped, into a car of the third class, treading stealthily, and casting furtive glances on all sides. Under his arm he held a small dirty bag, which must have been extremely light, since it did not hamper, in the slightest degree, its owner's movements. First the peasant tried the bench behind the door, but his glance met the stern face belonging to an individual of the retired Captain's rank, who filled two benches with himself and his personal belongings. The look with which the retired Captain greeted the peasant was so stern, that he hurried along through the crowded car. Pausing before another bench, he addressed a lady who was lounging on it comfortably, a shawl thrown over her shoulders, and a book in her hands.

"Lady, won't you please let a poor man sit down here? Won't you please move your feet away a little?"

"Oh! Oh!" exclaimed the lady nervously, dropping the book on the floor. "What do you want?"

"A little bit of room, lady."

"Oh, don't you touch me with your filthy hands! Isn't there a separate car for peasants? Get along, get along, now!"

She took out a lace handkerchief, and carried it to her pretty, little nose, as if she were being suffocated by some very unpleasant odor.

In the meantime, the peasant slipped along timidly, and suddenly rushed to a bench, on which he noticed a severe-looking, long-bearded peasant dressed in a new black coat with large collar, who sat there wrapt in thought, leaning against the back of the bench.

"Brother, brother," began the little peasant in a joyful, hoarse whisper, "won't you let me sit here with you? I don't have far to go. The conductor will first ask the ticket of the fellow who is standing up. And I want to go only a station or two."

The peasant looked at him in silence, measuring him from head to foot with a severe glance, and then moved quietly to one side.

"Haven't you got a ticket?" asked he, when the other had finally settled down and tucked away his bag.

"No, brother, that's the second thousand I'm traveling that way."

Suddenly he was seized by a violent fit of coughing that shook his whole frail body. An official, with black hair and beard, dressed in full uniform, who was sitting by the window smoking