nekhludoff and katusha.
and so the evening passed and night came. the doctor went to bed. nekhludoff's aunts had also retired, and he knew that matrona pavlovna was now with them in their bedroom so that katusha was sure to be alone in the maids' sitting-room. he again went out into the porch. it was dark, damp and warm out of doors, and that white spring mist which drives away the last snow, or is diffused by the thawing of the last snow, filled the air. from the river under the hill, about a hundred steps from the front door, came a strange sound. it was the ice breaking. nekhludoff came down the steps and went up to the window of the maids' room, stepping over the puddles on the bits of glazed snow. his heart was beating so fiercely in his breast that he seemed to hear it, his laboured breath came and went in a burst of long-drawn sighs. in the maids' room a small lamp was burning, and katusha sat alone by the table, looking thoughtfully in front of her. nekhludoff stood a long time without moving and waited to see what she, not knowing that she was observed, would do. for a minute or two she did not move; then she lifted her eyes, smiled and shook her head as if chiding herself, then changed her pose and dropped both her arms on the table and again began gazing down in front of her. he stood and looked at her, involuntarily listening to the beating of his own heart and the strange sounds from the river. there on the river, beneath the white mist, the unceasing labour went on, and sounds as of something sobbing, cracking, dropping, being shattered to pieces mixed with the tinkling of the thin bits of ice as they broke against each other like glass.
there he stood, looking at katusha's serious, suffering face, which betrayed the inner struggle of her soul, and he felt pity for her; but, strange though it may seem, this pity only confirmed him in his evil intention.
he knocked at the window. she started as if she had received an electric shock, her whole body trembled, and a look of horror came into her face. then she jumped up, approached the window and brought her face up to the pane. the look of terror did not leave her face even when, holding her hands up to her eyes like blinkers and peering through the glass, she recognised him. her face was unusually grave; he had never seen it so before. she returned his smile, but only in submission to him; there was no smile in her soul, only fear. he beckoned her with his hand to come out into the yard to him. but she shook her head and remained by the window. he brought his face close to the pane and was going to call out to her, but at that moment she turned to the door; evidently some one inside had called her. nekhludoff moved away from the window. the fog was so dense that five steps from the house the windows could not be seen, but the light from the lamp shone red and huge out of a shapeless black mass. and on the river the same strange sounds went on, sobbing and rustling and cracking and tinkling. somewhere in the fog, not far off, a cock crowed; another answered, and then others, far in the village took up the cry till the sound of the crowing blended into one, while all around was silent excepting the river. it was the second time the cocks crowed that night.
nekhludoff walked up and down behind the corner of the house, and once or twice got into a puddle. then again came up to the window. the lamp was still burning, and she was again sitting alone by the table as if uncertain what to do. he had hardly approached the window when she looked up. he knocked. without looking who it was she at once ran out of the room, and he heard the outside door open with a snap. he waited for her near the side porch and put his arms round her without saying a word. she clung to him, put up her face, and met his kiss with her lips. then the door again gave the same sort of snap and opened, and the voice of matrona pavlovna called out angrily, "katusha!"
she tore herself away from him and returned into the maids' room. he heard the latch click, and then all was quiet. the red light disappeared and only the mist remained, and the bustle on the river went on. nekhludoff went up to the window, nobody was to be seen; he knocked, but got no answer. he went back into the house by the front door, but could not sleep. he got up and went with bare feet along the passage to her door, next matrona pavlovna's room. he heard matrona pavlovna snoring quietly, and was about to go on when she coughed and turned on her creaking bed, and his heart fell, and he stood immovable for about five minutes. when all was quiet and she began to snore peacefully again, he went on, trying to step on the boards that did not creak, and came to katusha's door. there was no sound to be heard. she was probably awake, or else he would have heard her breathing. but as soon as he had whispered "katusha" she jumped up and began to persuade him, as if angrily, to go away.
"open! let me in just for a moment! i implore you!" he hardly knew what he was saying.
* * * * * * *
when she left him, trembling and silent, giving no answer to his words, he again went out into the porch and stood trying to understand the meaning of what had happened.
it was getting lighter. from the river below the creaking and tinkling and sobbing of the breaking ice came still louder and a gurgling sound could now also be heard. the mist had begun to sink, and from above it the waning moon dimly lighted up something black and weird.
"what was the meaning of it all? was it a great joy or a great misfortune that had befallen him?" he asked himself.
整个黄昏就这样过去，黑夜降临了。医生去睡觉了。两位姑妈也安歇了。聂赫留朵夫知道玛特廖娜此刻在姑妈卧室里，女仆屋里只有卡秋莎一人。他又走到台阶上。户外漆黑，潮湿，温暖。空中弥漫着白茫茫的迷雾。春天里，这样的雾能化开残雪，也许雾本身就是由残雪融化而成的。房子前面百步开外的峭壁下有条小河，从那边传来一种古怪的响声，那是冰层破裂的声音。
聂赫留朵夫走下台阶，踩着冰雪覆盖的水塘，来到女仆屋子窗口。他的心在胸膛里怦怦直跳，跳得他自己都能听见。他时而屏住呼吸，时而长叹一声。女仆屋里点着一盏小灯。卡秋莎独自坐在桌旁沉思，眼睛瞪着前方。聂赫留朵夫一动不动地瞧了她好一阵，很想看看在她认为没人看见的时候她会做些什么。她木然不动地坐了两分钟光景，这才抬起眼睛，微微一笑，摆摆头，仿佛在责备自己，然后换了个姿势，突然把双臂往桌上一搁，眼睛呆呆地望着前方。
他站在那里瞧着她，不自觉地同时听着自己的心跳和从小河那边传来的古怪响声。那里，在雾蒙蒙的河上，正在发生持续不断的缓慢的变化：一会儿是什么东西在呼哧呼哧喘气，一会儿是咔嚓一声裂开，一会儿是哗啦一下崩塌，一会儿是薄冰象玻璃一样互相碰撞，发出清脆的响声。
他站在那里，瞧着卡秋莎由于内心斗争激烈而显得苦恼的沉思的脸，他很可怜她，但说来奇怪，这种怜悯心反而加强了他对她的欲念。
他被欲念完全控制了。
他敲了敲窗子。她象触电似的浑身打了个哆嗦，脸上露出恐怖的神色。接着她跳起来，走到窗前，把脸贴到窗玻璃上。她用双手在眼睛上搭了个凉棚，认出是他，但她脸上的恐惧神色并没有消失。她的神态异常严肃，他从来没有看见过她这种模样。直到他微微一笑，她也才笑了笑，仿佛只是为了迎合他才笑的。她心里根本不想笑，有的只是恐惧。他对她做了个手势，要她出来。她摇摇头，表示不出来，可是依旧站在窗边。他又一次把脸凑近玻璃窗，想喊她出来，但就在这当儿她向房门口转过身去，显然有人在叫她。聂赫留朵夫离开了窗口。雾很浓，离开房子五步就看不见窗子，只剩下一团漆黑的影子，中间现出一个似乎很大的红色灯光。河那边仍旧传来古怪的喘气、崩塌、坼裂和冰块相撞的声音。在附近浓雾弥漫的院子里，有一只公鸡啼起来，附近几只公鸡响应它，然后从远处村子里也传来互相呼应、汇成一片的鸡鸣。不过，除了河那边，四下里还是一片宁静。这时鸡已啼第二遍了。
聂赫留朵夫在房子转角处来回走了两下，好几次踩在水塘里，又回到女仆屋子窗边。灯依旧亮着，卡秋莎依旧坐在桌旁，仿佛有什么事拿不定主意。他一走到窗口，她对他望了一眼。他敲了敲窗子。她没有看是谁在敲，就从屋里跑出来。他听见门钩嗒地响了一声，接着外道门吱地一声开了。他在门廊里等她，立刻默默地把她搂住了。她紧偎着他，抬起头，嘴唇凑过去迎接他的吻。他们站在门廊转角处干燥的地方，他全身被没有满足的欲望煎熬着。突然外道门又发出咯吱吱的响声，又传来玛特廖娜怒气冲冲的声音：
“卡秋莎！”
她从他的怀抱中挣脱出来，回到女仆屋里。他听见门钩又嗒地一声扣上。接着一切又归于寂静，窗里的灯火不见了，只剩下一片迷雾和河上的响声。
聂赫留朵夫走到窗口，一个人也看不见。他敲敲窗子，没有人答应。聂赫留朵夫从前门台阶回到房子里，但睡不着觉。他脱下靴子，光着脚板从过道走到她的房门口，旁边就是玛特廖娜的房间。起初他只听见玛特廖娜平静的鼾声，他刚要进去，忽然听见她咳嗽起来，翻了个身，弄得床铺嘎吱发响。他屏住呼吸，一动不动地站了五分钟光景。等到一切又安静下来，又听到平静的鼾声，他就竭力从那些不会吱嘎发响的地板上往前走去，一直走到她的房门口。什么声音也没有。她显然没有睡着，因为听不见她的鼾声。他刚低声唤了一下“卡秋莎”，她就霍地跳起来，走到房门边，生气地——他有这样的感觉——劝他走开。
“这象什么话？唉，这怎么行？姑妈她们会听见的，”她嘴里这样说，但整个身子却仿佛在说：“我整个人都是你的。”
这一点只有聂赫留朵夫懂得。
“喂，你开一开。我求求你，”他语无伦次地说。
她不作声，接着他听见一只手摸索门钩的响声。门钩嗒地一声拉开了，他钻进打开的门里。
他一把抓住她，她只穿着一件又粗又硬的衬衣，露着两条胳膊。他把她抱起来，走出房门。
“哎呀！您这是干什么？”她喃喃地说。
但他不理她，一直把她抱到自己房里。
“哎呀！别这样，您放手，”她嘴里这么说，身子却紧紧地偎着他。
等她浑身哆嗦，一言不发，也不答理他的话，默默地从他房里走出去，他这才来到台阶上，站在那里，竭力思索刚才发生的事的意义。
房子外面亮了一些。河那边冰块的坼裂声、撞击声和呼呼声更响了。除了这些响声，如今又增加了潺潺的流水声。迷雾开始下沉，从雾幕后面浮出一钩残月，凄凉地照着黑漆漆、阴森森的地面。
“我这是怎么啦，是交了好运还是倒了大楣？”他问自己。
“这种事是常有的，人人都是这样的，”他自己回答，接着就到房间里睡觉去了。
