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Updated: May 2, 2025
"'Your opinion is not asked," Volodka mimicked him. "We don't want to drive anywhere; what do we want with a bridge? If we have to, we can cross by the boat." Someone from the yard outside knocked at the window so violently that it seemed to shake the whole hut. "Is Volodka at home?" he heard the voice of the younger Lytchkov. "Volodka, come out, come along."
"Of course we thank you humbly, lady," said Lytchkov the father, looking at the ground; "you are educated people; it is for you to know best. Only, you see, Voronov, a rich peasant at Eresnevo, promised to build a school; he, too, said, 'I will do this for you, 'I will do that for you, and he only put up the framework and refused to go on.
Leave them free, and they will ruin all the meadows! You've no sort of right to ill-treat people! We are not serfs now!" "We are not serfs now!" repeated Volodka. "We got on all right without a bridge," said the elder Lytchkov gloomily; "we did not ask for it. What do we want a bridge for? We don't want it!" "Brothers, good Christians, we cannot leave it like this!"
"Show the Divine mercy, protect me... my son makes my life a misery... your honour..." Lytchkov the son walked up, too; he, too, was bareheaded and had a stick in his hand; he stopped and fixed his drunken senseless eyes on the verandah. "It is not my business to settle your affairs," said the engineer. "Go to the rural captain or the police officer."
First Lytchkov the father went into the yard with a long ashen stick in his hands. He stopped irresolutely and took off his hat. Just at that moment the engineer and his family were sitting on the verandah, drinking tea. "What do you want?" shouted the engineer. "Your honour..." Lytchkov began, and burst into tears.
"All right, let 'em!" said Kozov, winking. "Let them get out of it if they can! Landowners, indeed!" They went back to the village, and as they walked the younger Lytchkov beat himself on the breast with his fist and shouted all the way, and Volodka shouted, too, repeating his words. And meanwhile quite a crowd had gathered in the village round the thoroughbred bull-calf and the horses.
On getting the five roubles the Lytchkovs, father and son, the village elder and Volodka, punted over the river in a boat and went to a hamlet on the other side where there was a tavern, and there had a long carousal. Their singing and the shouting of the younger Lytchkov could be heard from the village. Their women were uneasy and did not sleep all night. Rodion did not sleep either.
Let them get out of it if they can, the engineers! Do you think there is no such thing as law? All right! Send for the police inspector, draw up a statement!..." "Draw up a statement," repeated Volodka. "I don't want to let this pass!" shouted the younger Lytchkov. He shouted louder and louder, and his beardless face seemed to be more and more swollen. "They've set up a nice fashion!
"I have been everywhere.... I have lodged a petition..." said Lytchkov the father, and he sobbed. "Where can I go now? He can kill me now, it seems. He can do anything. Is that the way to treat a father? A father?" He raised his stick and hit his son on the head; the son raised his stick and struck his father just on his bald patch such a blow that the stick bounced back.
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