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'Master, master! cried Kassyan suddenly in his musical voice. I raised myself in surprise: up till then he had scarcely replied to my questions, and now he suddenly addressed me of himself. 'What is it? I asked. 'What did you kill the bird for? he began, looking me straight in the face. 'What for? Corncrake is game; one can eat it.
Slowly but perceptibly their fringed edges, soft and fluffy as cotton-wool, changed at every moment; they were melting away, even these clouds, and no shadow fell from them. I strolled about the clearing for a long while with Kassyan.
Kassyan preserved an obstinate silence the whole way, and made abrupt and unwilling answers to my questions. We quickly reached the clearing, and then made our way to the counting-house, a lofty cottage, standing by itself over a small gully, which had been dammed up and converted into a pool.
'Oh, I can do that. Here you have a well-trained dog and a good one, but he could do nothing. When you think of it, what are men? what are they? Here's a beast; what have they made of him? It would have been useless for me to try to convince Kassyan of the impossibility of 'casting a spell' on game, and so I made him no reply. Meantime we had turned into the yard.
For a long time I did not come upon a single bird; at last a corncrake flew out of a thick clump of young oak across the wormwood springing up round it. I fired; it turned over in the air and fell. At the sound of the shot, Kassyan quickly covered his eyes with his hand, and he did not stir till I had reloaded the gun and picked up the bird.
No righteousness in man it's that. These last words Kassyan uttered quickly, almost unintelligibly; then he said something more which I could not catch at all, and such a strange expression passed over his face that I involuntarily recalled the epithet 'cracked. He looked down, cleared his throat, and seemed to come to himself again. 'What sunshine! he murmured in a low voice.
His language did not sound like the language of a peasant; the common people do not speak like that, nor those who aim at fine speaking. His speech was meditative, grave, and curious.... I had never heard anything like it. 'Tell me, please, Kassyan, I began, without taking my eyes off his slightly flushed face, 'what is your occupation? He did not answer my question at once.
Meantime the heat had somewhat abated; but my ill-success, or, as they say among us, my 'ill-luck, continued, and I returned to the settlement with nothing but one corncrake and the new axle. Just as we were driving into the yard, Kassyan suddenly turned to me. 'Master, master, he began, 'do you know I have done you a wrong; it was I cast a spell to keep all the game off. 'How so?
'Well, have you picked any mushrooms? he asked. 'Yes, she answered with a shy smile. 'Did you find many? 'Are they white ones? 'Yes. Well done, Annushka! 'She's your daughter, Kassyan, isn't she? I asked. 'No, well, a relative, replied Kassyan with affected indifference. 'Come, Annushka, run along, he added at once, 'run along, and God be with you! And take care.
In this counting-house I found two young merchants' clerks, with snow-white teeth, sweet and soft eyes, sweet and subtle words, and sweet and wily smiles. I bought an axle of them and returned to the clearing. I thought that Kassyan would stay with the horse and await my return; but he suddenly came up to me. 'Are you going to shoot birds, eh? he said. 'Yes, if I come across any.
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