Part 1 Chapter 30

THE CELL.

The cell in which Maslova was imprisoned was a large room 21 feet long and 10 feet broad; it had two windows and a large stove. Two-thirds of the space were taken up by shelves used as beds. The planks they were made of had warped and shrunk. Opposite the door hung a dark-coloured icon with a wax candle sticking to it and a bunch of everlastings hanging down from it. By the door to the right there was a dark spot on the floor on which stood a stinking tub. The inspection had taken place and the women were locked up for the night.

The occupants of this room were 15 persons, including three children. It was still quite light. Only two of the women were lying down: a consumptive woman imprisoned for theft, and an idiot who spent most of her time in sleep and who was arrested because she had no passport. The consumptive woman was not asleep, but lay with wide open eyes, her cloak folded under her head, trying to keep back the phlegm that irritated her throat, and not to cough.

Some of the other women, most of whom had nothing on but coarse brown holland chemises, stood looking out of the window at the convicts down in the yard, and some sat sewing. Among the latter was the old woman, Korableva, who had seen Maslova off in the morning. She was a tall, strong, gloomy-looking woman; her fair hair, which had begun to turn grey on the temples, hung down in a short plait. She was sentenced to hard labour in Siberia because she had killed her husband with an axe for making up to their daughter. She was at the head of the women in the cell, and found means of carrying on a trade in spirits with them. Beside her sat another woman sewing a coarse canvas sack. This was the wife of a railway watchman, [There are small watchmen's cottages at distances of about one mile from each other along the Russian railways, and the watchmen or their wives have to meet every train.] imprisoned for three months because she did not come out with the flags to meet a train that was passing, and an accident had occurred. She was a short, snub-nosed woman, with small, black eyes; kind and talkative. The third of the women who were sewing was Theodosia, a quiet young girl, white and rosy, very pretty, with bright child's eyes, and long fair plaits which she wore twisted round her head. She was in prison for attempting to poison her husband. She had done this immediately after her wedding (she had been given in marriage without her consent at the age of 16) because her husband would give her no peace. But in the eight months during which she had been let out on bail, she had not only made it up with her husband, but come to love him, so that when her trial came they were heart and soul to one another. Although her husband, her father-in-law, but especially her mother-in-law, who had grown very fond of her, did all they could to get her acquitted, she was sentenced to hard labour in Siberia. The kind, merry, ever-smiling Theodosia had a place next Maslova's on the shelf bed, and had grown so fond of her that she took it upon herself as a duty to attend and wait on her. Two other women were sitting without any work at the other end of the shelf bedstead. One was a woman of about 40, with a pale, thin face, who once probably had been very handsome. She sat with her baby at her thin, white breast. The crime she had committed was that when a recruit was, according to the peasants' view, unlawfully taken from their village, and the people stopped the police officer and took the recruit away from him, she (an aunt of the lad unlawfully taken) was the first to catch hold of the bridle of the horse on which he was being carried off. The other, who sat doing nothing, was a kindly, grey-haired old woman, hunchbacked and with a flat bosom. She sat behind the stove on the bedshelf, and pretended to catch a fat four-year-old boy, who ran backwards and forwards in front of her, laughing gaily. This boy had only a little shirt on and his hair was cut short. As he ran past the old woman he kept repeating, "There, haven't caught me!" This old woman and her son were accused of incendiarism. She bore her imprisonment with perfect cheerfulness, but was concerned about her son, and chiefly about her "old man," who she feared would get into a terrible state with no one to wash for him. Besides these seven women, there were four standing at one of the open windows, holding on to the iron bars. They were making signs and shouting to the convicts whom Maslova had met when returning to prison, and who were now passing through the yard. One of these women was big and heavy, with a flabby body, red hair, and freckled on her pale yellow face, her hands, and her fat neck. She shouted something in a loud, raucous voice, and laughed hoarsely. This woman was serving her term for theft. Beside her stood an awkward, dark little woman, no bigger than a child of ten, with a long waist and very short legs, a red, blotchy face, thick lips which did not hide her long teeth, and eyes too far apart. She broke by fits and starts into screeching laughter at what was going on in the yard. She was to be tried for stealing and incendiarism. They called her Khoroshavka. Behind her, in a very dirty grey chemise, stood a thin, miserable-looking pregnant woman, who was to be tried for concealment of theft. This woman stood silent, but kept smiling with pleasure and approval at what was going on below. With these stood a peasant woman of medium height, the mother of the boy who was playing with the old woman and of a seven-year-old girl. These were in prison with her because she had no one to leave them with. She was serving her term of imprisonment for illicit sale of spirits. She stood a little further from the window knitting a stocking, and though she listened to the other prisoners' words she shook her head disapprovingly, frowned, and closed her eyes. But her seven-year-old daughter stood in her little chemise, her flaxen hair done up in a little pigtail, her blue eyes fixed, and, holding the red-haired woman by the skirt, attentively listened to the words of abuse that the women and the convicts flung at each other, and repeated them softly, as if learning them by heart. The twelfth prisoner, who paid no attention to what was going on, was a very tall, stately girl, the daughter of a deacon, who had drowned her baby in a well. She went about with bare feet, wearing only a dirty chemise. The thick, short plait of her fair hair had come undone and hung down dishevelled, and she paced up and down the free space of the cell, not looking at any one, turning abruptly every time she came up to the wall.

玛丝洛娃那间牢房长九俄尺，宽七俄尺，有两扇窗子，靠墙有一座灰泥剥落的火炉，还有几张木板干裂的板一床一，占去三分之二的地位。牢房一中央，正对房门挂着乌黑的圣像，旁边插着一支蜡烛，下面挂着一束积满灰尘的蜡菊。房门左边有一块发黑的地板，上面放着一个臭气熏天的木桶。看守刚点过名，女犯们就被锁在牢房里过夜。

这里总共关着十五个人：十二个女人和三个孩子。

天色还很亮，只有两个女人躺在板铺上：一个是因没有身份一证而被捕的傻婆一娘一，她差不多一直用囚袍蒙住头睡觉，另一个害有痨病，因犯盗窃罪而判刑。这个女人用囚袍枕着头，睁大一双眼睛躺在那里没有睡着，勉强忍着咳嗽，压下一口涌上喉咙而感到发一痒的粘痰。其余的女人都披着头发，只穿一件粗布衬衫。有的坐在板铺上缝补，有的站在窗边望着院子里走过的男犯。三个做针线活的女人当中，有一个就是今天早晨玛丝洛娃去受审时送别她的老太婆，名字叫柯拉勃列娃。她神色忧郁，蹙着眉头，满脸皱纹，下巴底下皮肉松一弛，象挂着一个口袋。她身材高大，淡褐色头发编成一根短小的辫子，两鬓花白，脸颊上有一个疣子，上面长着汗一毛一。这个老太婆因为用斧头砍死亲夫，被判处苦役。她之所以杀死他，是因为他纠缠她的女儿。她是这个牢房里的犯人头，但她还偷卖私酒。她戴着眼镜做针线活，那双做惯粗活的大手象一般农妇那样用三个手指捏着针，针尖对着自己的身一子。她旁边坐着一个皮肤黝一黑、个儿不高的女人。她生着狮子鼻和一双乌黑的小眼睛，模样和善，喜欢唠叨，在缝一个帆布口袋。她是铁路上的道口工，被判处三个月徒刑，因为火车来的时候她没有举起旗子，结果出了车祸。第三个做针线活的女人是费多霞，同伴们都叫她费尼奇卡。她是一个脸色白一里一透一红、模样可一爱一的年轻女人，生有一双孩子般纯净的浅蓝色眼睛，两条淡褐色长辫子盘在小小的脑袋上。她被关押是因为蓄意毒死丈夫。她出嫁时还是个十六岁的小姑一娘一，结婚后就想毒死丈夫。在她一交一保出狱，等候审讯的八个月里，她不仅跟丈夫和好了，而且深深地一爱一上了他。当法院开庭的时候，她跟丈夫已经十分恩一爱一了。尽管做丈夫的和公公，特别是十分疼一爱一她的婆婆，在法庭上竭力替她开脱，但她还是被判流放到西伯利亚服苦役。这个善良乐观、总是笑眯眯的费多霞就睡在玛丝洛娃旁边。她不仅很喜一爱一玛丝洛娃，而且认为关心她、替她做事是自己的本分。板铺上还有两个女人坐着不干活。一个四十岁光景，面黄肌瘦，年轻时一定长得很美，如今可变得又黄又瘦了。她手里抱着一个娃娃，露出又长又白的一乳一房给他喂一奶一。她犯的罪是：她的村子里被押走一名新兵，老百姓认为这样不合法，就拦住警察局长，把新兵夺回来。她就是那个被非法押走的小伙子的姑一妈一，带头抓住新兵所骑的马的缰绳。板铺上还闲坐着一个矮小的老太婆，相貌和善，满脸皱纹，头发花白，背有点驼。这个老太婆坐在火炉旁边的板铺上。一个短头发、大肚子的四岁男孩，嘻嘻哈哈地从她旁边跑过，她装出要捉他的样子。那孩子只穿一件小小的衬衫，在她面前跑来跑去，嘴里一直嚷着：“哈哈，老婆婆，你抓不住我的，你抓不住我的！”这个老太婆和她的儿子一起被控犯纵火罪。她心平气和地忍受着监禁生活，只是为同时入狱的儿子难过，但她最放心不下的还是她的老头子，唯恐她不在，他会生满一身虱子，因为儿媳妇跑掉了，没有人招呼他洗澡。

除了这七个，还有四个女人站在一扇打开的窗子前面，双手握住铁栅栏，同刚才在门口撞见玛丝洛娃、此刻正从院子里走过的男犯搭话，又是比手势，又是叫嚷。其中有个因犯偷窃罪而被判刑的女人，生得高大笨重，一身是肉，头发火红色，白里透黄的脸上和手上生满雀斑，粗一大的脖子从敞开的衣领里露了出来。她对着窗口声音嘶哑地拚命嚷着一些不堪入耳的粗话。她旁边站着一个皮肤发黑、相貌难看的女犯，上身很长，两一腿短得出奇，身材象十岁的小姑一娘一。她脸色发红，长满面疱，两只黑眼睛之间的距离很宽，嘴唇又厚又短，遮不住她那暴出的白牙齿。她看到院子里的景象，发出一阵阵尖利的笑声。这个女犯喜欢打扮，大家都叫她“俏一娘一们”。她因犯盗窃和纵火罪而受审。她们后面站着一个模样可怜的孕妇。她身穿一件肮脏的灰色衬衫，挺着大肚子，形容憔悴，青筋毕露。她被控犯了窝藏贼赃罪。这个女人沉默不语，但看到院子里的情景，一直露出赞许和亲切的微笑。站在窗口的第四个女人因贩卖私酒而判刑。她是个矮壮的乡下女人，生有一双圆圆的暴眼睛，相貌很和善。这个女人就是老太婆逗着玩的小男孩的母亲。她还有一个七岁的女孩，因为没有人照管，也跟她一起坐牢。她也瞧着窗外，但手里不停地织袜子。听到院子里走过的男犯们的话，她不以为然地皱起眉头，闭上眼睛。她那个七岁的女儿，披着一头浅色头发，只穿一件衬衫，站在那个火红色头发的女人旁边，用一只瘦瘦的小手拉住她的裙子，眼神呆滞，用心听着男一女囚犯对骂，低声学着说，伤佛要把它们记住似的。第十二个女犯是教堂诵经士的女儿。她把她的私生子丢在井里活活淹死了。这是一个身材修长的姑一娘一，浅褐色头发扎成一根不长的粗辫子，但辫子松了，披散开来。她那双暴眼睛呆滞无神。她对周围的一切漠不关心，只穿一件肮脏的灰色衬衫，光着脚板，在牢房的空地上来回踱步，每次走到墙跟前又急促地转过身来。