the wife and other stories-第46部分

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is　scepticism；　no　further　than　the　second　line　from　the　top；　his　eye　was　caught　by　the　figure　9；499！　Unable　to　believe　his　eyes；　he　hurriedly　dropped　the　paper　on　his　knees　without　looking　to　see　the　number　of　the　ticket；　and；　just　as　though　some　one　had　given　him　a　douche　of　cold　water；　he　felt　an　agreeable　chill　in　the　pit　of　the　stomach；　tingling　and　terrible　and　sweet！

〃Masha；　9；499　is　there！〃　he　said　in　a　hollow　voice。

His　wife　looked　at　his　astonished　and　panic…stricken　face；　and　realized　that　he　was　not　joking。

〃9；499？〃　she　asked；　turning　pale　and　dropping　the　folded　tablecloth　on　the　table。

〃Yes；　yes　。　。　。　it　really　is　there！〃

〃And　the　number　of　the　ticket？〃

〃Oh；　yes！　There's　the　number　of　the　ticket　too。　But　stay　。　。　。　wait！　No；　I　say！　Anyway；　the　number　of　our　series　is　there！　Anyway；　you　understand。　。　。　。〃

Looking　at　his　wife；　Ivan　Dmitritch　gave　a　broad；　senseless　smile；　like　a　baby　when　a　bright　object　is　shown　it。　His　wife　smiled　too；　it　was　as　pleasant　to　her　as　to　him　that　he　only　mentioned　the　series；　and　did　not　try　to　find　out　the　number　of　the　winning　ticket。　To　torment　and　tantalize　oneself　with　hopes　of　possible　fortune　is　so　sweet；　so　thrilling！

〃It　is　our　series；〃　said　Ivan　Dmitritch；　after　a　long　silence。　〃So　there　is　a　probability　that　we　have　won。　It's　only　a　probability；　but　there　it　is！〃

〃Well；　now　look！〃

〃Wait　a　little。　We　have　plenty　of　time　to　be　disappointed。　It's　on　the　second　line　from　the　top；　so　the　prize　is　seventy…five　thousand。　That's　not　money；　but　power；　capital！　And　in　a　minute　I　shall　look　at　the　list；　and　there　　26！　Eh？　I　say；　what　if　we　really　have　won？〃

The　husband　and　wife　began　laughing　and　staring　at　one　another　in　silence。　The　possibility　of　winning　bewildered　them；　they　could　not　have　said；　could　not　have　dreamed；　what　they　both　needed　that　seventy…five　thousand　for；　what　they　would　buy；　where　they　would　go。　They　thought　only　of　the　figures　9；499　and　75；000　and　pictured　them　in　their　imagination；　while　somehow　they　could　not　think　of　the　happiness　itself　which　was　so　possible。

Ivan　Dmitritch；　holding　the　paper　in　his　hand；　walked　several　times　from　corner　to　corner；　and　only　when　he　had　recovered　from　the　first　impression　began　dreaming　a　little。

〃And　if　we　have　won；〃　he　said　　〃why；　it　will　be　a　new　life；　it　will　be　a　transformation！　The　ticket　is　yours；　but　if　it　were　mine　I　should；　first　of　all；　of　course；　spend　twenty…five　thousand　on　real　property　in　the　shape　of　an　estate；　ten　thousand　on　immediate　expenses；　new　furnishing　。　。　。　travelling　。　。　。　paying　debts；　and　so　on。　。　。　。　The　other　forty　thousand　I　would　put　in　the　bank　and　get　interest　on　it。〃

〃Yes；　an　estate；　that　would　be　nice；〃　said　his　wife；　sitting　down　and　dropping　her　hands　in　her　lap。

〃Somewhere　in　the　Tula　or　Oryol　provinces。　。　。　。　In　the　first　place　we　shouldn't　need　a　summer　villa；　and　besides；　it　would　always　bring　in　an　income。〃

And　pictures　came　crowding　on　his　imagination；　each　more　gracious　and　poetical　than　the　last。　And　in　all　these　pictures　he　saw　himself　well…fed；　serene；　healthy；　felt　warm；　even　hot！　Here；　after　eating　a　summer　soup；　cold　as　ice；　he　lay　on　his　back　on　the　burning　sand　close　to　a　stream　or　in　the　garden　under　a　lime…tree。　。　。　。　It　is　hot。　。　。　。　His　little　boy　and　girl　are　crawling　about　near　him；　digging　in　the　sand　or　catching　ladybirds　in　the　grass。　He　dozes　sweetly；　thinking　of　nothing；　and　feeling　all　over　that　he　need　not　go　to　the　office　today；　tomorrow；　or　the　day　after。　Or；　tired　of　lying　still；　he　goes　to　the　hayfield；　or　to　the　forest　for　mushrooms；　or　watches　the　peasants　catching　fish　with　a　net。　When　the　sun　sets　he　takes　a　towel　and　soap　and　saunters　to　the　bathing…shed；　where　he　undresses　at　his　leisure；　slowly　rubs　his　bare　chest　with　his　hands；　and　goes　into　the　water。　And　in　the　water；　near　the　opaque　soapy　circles；　little　fish　flit　to　and　fro　and　green　water…weeds　nod　their　heads。　After　bathing　there　is　tea　with　cream　and　milk　rolls。　。　。　。　In　the　evening　a　walk　or　_vint_　with　the　neighbours。

〃Yes；　it　would　be　nice　to　buy　an　estate；〃　said　his　wife；　also　dreaming；　and　from　her　face　it　was　evident　that　she　was　enchanted　by　her　thoughts。

Ivan　Dmitritch　pictured　to　himself　autumn　with　its　rains；　its　cold　evenings；　and　its　St。　Martin's　summer。　At　that　season　he　would　have　to　take　longer　walks　about　the　garden　and　beside　the　river；　so　as　to　get　thoroughly　chilled；　and　then　drink　a　big　glass　of　vodka　and　eat　a　salted　mushroom　or　a　soused　cucumber；　and　then　　drink　another。　。　。　。　The　children　would　come　running　from　the　kitchen…garden；　bringing　a　carrot　and　a　radish　smelling　of　fresh　earth。　。　。　。　And　then；　he　would　lie　stretched　full　length　on　the　sofa；　and　in　leisurely　fashion　turn　over　the　pages　of　some　illustrated　magazine；　or；　covering　his　face　with　it　and　unbuttoning　his　waistcoat；　give　himself　up　to　slumber。

The　St。　Martin's　summer　is　followed　by　cloudy；　gloomy　weather。　It　rains　day　and　night；　the　bare　trees　weep；　the　wind　is　damp　and　cold。　The　dogs；　the　horses；　the　fowls　　all　are　wet；　depressed；　downcast。　There　is　nowhere　to　walk；　one　can't　go　out　for　days　together；　one　has　to　pace　up　and　down　the　room；　looking　despondently　at　the　grey　window。　It　is　dreary！

Ivan　Dmitritch　stopped　and　looked　at　his　wife。

〃I　should　go　abro　ad；　you　know；　Masha；〃　he　said。

And　he　began　thinking　how　nice　it　would　be　in　late　autumn　to　go　abroad　somewhere　to　the　South　of　France　。　。　。　to　Italy　。　。　。　。　to　India！

〃I　should　certainly　go　abroad　too；〃　his　wife　said。　〃But　look　at　the　number　of　the　ticket！〃

〃Wait；　wait！　。　。　。〃

He　walked　about　the　room　and　went　on　thinking。　It　occurred　to　him：　what　if　his　wife　really　did　go　abroad？　It　is　pleasant　to　travel　alone；　or　in　the　society　of　light；　careless　women　who　live　in　the　present；　and　not　such　as　think　and　talk　all　the　journey　about　nothing　but　their　children；　sigh；　and　tremble　with　dismay　over　every　farthing。　Ivan　Dmitritch　imagined　his　wife　in　the　train　with　a　multitude　of　parcels；　baskets；　and　bags；　she　would　be　sighing　over　something；　complaining　that　the　train　made　her　head　ache；　that　she　had　spent　so　much　money。　。　。　。　At　the　stations　he　would　continually　be　having　to　run　for　boiling　water；　bread　and　butter。　。　。　。　She　wouldn't　have　dinner　because　of　its　being　too　dear。　。　。　。

〃She　would　begrudge　me　every　farthing；〃　he　thought；　with　a　glance　at　his　wife。　〃The　lottery　ticket　is　hers；　not　mine！　Besides；　what　is　the　use　of　her　going　abroad？　What　does　she　want　there？　She　would　shut　herself　up　in　the　hotel；　and　not　let　me　out　of　her　sight。　。　。　。　I　know！〃

And　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　his　mind　dwelt　on　the　fact　that　his　wife　had　grown　elderly　and　plain；　and　that　she　was　saturated　through　and　through　with　the　smell　of　cooking；　while　he　was　still　young；　fresh；　and　healthy；　and　might　well　have　got　married　again。

〃Of　course；　all　that　is　silly　nonsense；〃　he　thought；　〃but　。　。　。　why　should　she　go　abroad？　What　would　she　make　of　it？　And　yet　she　would　go；　of　course。　。　。　。　I　can　fancy　。　。　。　In　reality　it　is　all　one　to　her；　whether　it　is　Naples　or　Klin。　She　would　only　be　in　my　way。　I　should　be　dependent　upon　her。　I　can　fancy　how；　like　a　regular　woman；　she　will　lock　the　money　up　as　soon　as　she　gets　it。　。　。　。　She　will　hide　it　from　me。　。　。　。　She　will　look　after　her　relations　and　grudge　me　every　farthing。〃

Ivan　Dmitritch　thought　of　her　relations。　All　those　wretched　brothers　and　sisters　and　aunts　and　uncles　would　come　crawling　about　as　soon　as　they　heard　of　the　winning　ticket；　would　begin　whining　like　beggars；　and　fawning　upon　them　with　oily；　hypocritical　smiles。　Wretched；　detestable　people！　If　they　were　given　anything；　they　would　ask　for　more；　while　if　they　were　refused；　they　would　swear　at　them；　slander　them；　and　wish　them　every　kind　of　misfortune。

Ivan　Dmitritch　remembered　his　own　relations；　and　their　faces；　at　which　he　had　looked　impartially　in　the　past；　struck　him　now　as　repulsive　and　hateful。

〃They　are　such　reptiles！〃　he　thought。

And　his　wife's　face；　too；　struck　him　as　repulsive　and　hateful。　Anger　surged　up　in　his　heart　against　her；　and　he　thought　malignantly：

〃She　knows　nothing　about　money；　and　so　she　is　stingy。　If　she　won　it　she　would　give　me　a　hundred　roubles；　and　put　the　rest　away　under　lock　and　key。〃

And　he　looked　at　his　wife；　not　with　a　smile　now；　but　with　hatred。　She　glanced　at　him　too；　and　also　with　hatred　and　anger。　She　had　her　own　daydreams；　her　own　plans；　her　own　reflections；　she　understood　perfectly　well　what　her　husband's　dreams　were。　She　knew　who　would　be　the　first　to　try　and　grab　her　winnings。

〃It's　very　nice　making　daydreams　at　other　people's　expense！〃　is　what　her　eyes　expressed。　〃No；　don't　you　dare！〃

Her　husband　understood　her　look；　hatred　began　stirring　again　in　his　breast；　and　in　order　to　annoy　his　wife　he　glanced　quickly；　to　spite　her　at　the　fourth　page　on　the　newspaper　and　read　out　triumphantly：

〃Series　9；499；　number　46！　Not　26！〃

Hatred　and　hope　both　disappeared　at　once；　and　it　began　immediately　to　seem　to　Ivan　Dmitritch　and　his　wife　that　their　rooms　were　dark　and　small　and　low…pitched；　that　the　supper　they　had　been　eating　was　not　doing　them　good；　but　lying　heavy　on　their　stomachs；　that　the　evenings　were　long　and　wearisome。　。　。　。

〃Wh