In the town of Vladimir lived a young merchant named Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov. He had two shops and a house of his own.
Aksionov was a handsome, fair-haired, curly-headed fellow, full of fun, and very fond of singing. When quite a young man he had been given to drink, and was riotous when he had had too much; but after he married he gave up drinking, except now and then.
One summer Aksionov was going to the Nizhny Fair, and as he bade good-bye to his family, his wife said to him, "Ivan Dmitrich, do not start to-day; I have had a bad dream about you."
Aksionov laughed, and said, "You are afraid that when I get to the fair I shall go on a spree."
His wife replied: "I do not know what I am afraid of; all I know is that I had a bad dream. I dreamt you returned from the town, and when you took off your cap I saw that your hair was quite grey."
Aksionov laughed. "That's a lucky sign," said he. "See if I don't sell out all my goods, and bring you some presents from the fair."
So he said good-bye to his family, and drove away.
When he had travelled half-way, he met a merchant whom he knew, and they put up at the same inn for the night. They had some tea together, and then went to bed in adjoining rooms.
It was not Aksionov's habit to sleep late, and, wishing to travel while it was still cool, he aroused his driver before dawn, and told him to put in the horses.
Then he made his way across to the landlord of the inn (who lived in a cottage at the back), paid his bill, and continued his journey.
When he had gone about twenty-five miles, he stopped for the horses to be fed. Aksionov rested awhile in the passage of the inn, then he stepped out into the porch, and, ordering a samovar to be heated, got out his guitar and began to play.
Suddenly a troika drove up with tinkling bells and an official alighted, followed by two soldiers. He came to Aksionov and began to question him, asking him who he was and whence he came. Aksionov answered him fully, and said, "Won't you have some tea with me?" But the official went on cross-questioning him and asking him. "Where did you spend last night? Were you alone, or with a fellow-merchant? Did you see the other merchant this morning? Why did you leave the inn before dawn?"
Aksionov wondered why he was asked all these questions, but he described all that had happened, and then added, "Why do you cross-question me as if I were a thief or a robber? I am travelling on business of my own, and there is no need to question me."
Then the official, calling the soldiers, said, "I am the police-officer of this district, and I question you because the merchant with whom you spent last night has been found with his throat cut. We must search your things."
They entered the house. The soldiers and the police-officer unstrapped Aksionov's luggage and searched it. Suddenly the officer drew a knife out of a bag, crying, "Whose knife is this?"
Aksionov looked, and seeing a blood-stained knife taken from his bag, he was frightened.
"How is it there is blood on this knife?"
Aksionov tried to answer, but could hardly utter a word, and only stammered: "I--don't know--not mine." Then the police-officer said: "This morning the merchant was found in bed with his throat cut. You are the only person who could have done it. The house was locked from inside, and no one else was there. Here is this blood-stained knife in your bag and your face and manner betray you! Tell me how you killed him, and how much money you stole?"
Aksionov swore he had not done it; that he had not seen the merchant after they had had tea together; that he had no money except eight thousand rubles of his own, and that the knife was not his. But his voice was broken, his face pale, and he trembled with fear as though he went guilty.
The police-officer ordered the soldiers to bind Aksionov and to put him in the cart. As they tied his feet together and flung him into the cart, Aksionov crossed himself and wept. His money and goods were taken from him, and he was sent to the nearest town and imprisoned there. Enquiries as to his character were made in Vladimir. The merchants and other inhabitants of that town said that in former days he used to drink and waste his time, but that he was a good man. Then the trial came on: he was charged with murdering a merchant from Ryazan, and robbing him of twenty thousand rubles.
His wife was in despair, and did not know what to believe. Her children were all quite small; one was a baby at her breast. Taking them all with her, she went to the town where her husband was in jail. At first she was not allowed to see him; but after much begging, she obtained permission from the officials, and was taken to him. When she saw her husband in prison-dress and in chains, shut up with thieves and criminals, she fell down, and did not come to her senses for a long time. Then she drew her children to her, and sat down near him. She told him of things at home, and asked about what had happened to him
ในเมืองวลาดิอาศัยอยู่มีพ่อค้าหนุ่มชื่อ Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov เขามีสองร้านและบ้านของเขาเองAksionov ถูกหล่อ ควย หยิกหัวเพื่อน เต็มไปด้วยความสนุกสนาน และรักการร้องเพลง ค่อนข้างหนุ่มเมื่อ เขาได้รับอาหารและเครื่องดื่ม และเป็น riotous เมื่อเขาได้มีมากเกินไป แต่หลังจากที่เขาแต่งงาน เขาให้ขึ้นดื่ม ยกเว้นขณะนี้แล้วฤดูร้อนหนึ่งจะไปเป็นธรรมนิจนีนอ Aksionov และเป็นเขา bade ลาครอบครัวของเขา ภรรยาของเขากล่าวว่า เขา "Ivan Dmitrich เริ่มต้นวันนี้ ฉันมีความฝันที่ไม่ดีเกี่ยวกับคุณ"Aksionov หัวเราะ และกล่าว ว่า "คุณจะกลัวว่า เมื่อถึงงาน ฉันจะไปสนุกสนานใน"ภรรยาตอบว่า: "ฉันไม่รู้สิ่งที่ฉันกลัว ทั้งหมดฉันรู้คือที่ผมฝันไม่ดี ไหร่คุณกลับจากเมือง และเมื่อคุณปิดฝาปิดของคุณ ผมเห็นว่า ผม ค่อนข้างเทานั้น "Aksionov หัวเราะ "ที่เป็นสัญลักษณ์นำโชค กล่าวว่า เขา "ดูถ้าผมไม่ขายออกสินค้าของฉัน และนำแสดงบางส่วนจากงาน"ดังนั้นเขาบอกลาครอบครัวของเขา และขับรถออกไปเมื่อเขาได้เดินทางครึ่ง เขาได้พบกับพ่อค้าที่เขารู้ และตั้งอินน์เดียวสำหรับกลางคืน พวกเขามีชากัน และจากนั้น ไปที่เตียงห้องมันไม่ Aksionov ของนิสัยการนอนดึก และ ประสงค์จะเดินทางในขณะที่มันยังเย็น เขากระตุ้นขับเขาก่อนรุ่งอรุณ และบอกเขาว่า ใส่ในม้าแล้วเขาทำของเขาทางข้ามที่เจ้าของอินน์ (ที่อาศัยอยู่ในกระท่อมด้านหลัง), จ่ายบิลของเขา และยังคงเดินทางของเขาเมื่อเขาได้ไปประมาณยี่สิบห้าไมล์ เขาหยุดสำหรับม้าจะเลี้ยง Aksionov วางในกาลอินน์ สักครู่ แล้วเขาก้าวเข้าสู่เฉลียง และ สั่งซื้อกาโลหะเพื่ออุ่น ได้ออกกีต้าร์ของเขา และเริ่มที่จะเล่นก็ร้านขับรถ ด้วยระฆัง tinkling และ จัดการอย่างเป็นทางการ ตาม ด้วยทหารสองนาย เขามาที่ Aksionov และเริ่มสอบถาม ถามเขาว่าเขาเป็นใครและเขามาไหน Aksionov ตรัสตอบอย่างสมบูรณ์ และกล่าวว่า "ไม่คุณ มีชากับฉัน" แต่อย่างเป็นทางการไป cross-questioning เขา และถามเขา "ที่ได้คุณใช้เวลาคืนสุดท้าย มีคุณคนเดียว หรือ กับเพื่อน-ร้านค้า น้อง ๆ ผู้ค้าอื่น ๆ เช้านี้ ทำไมคุณให้อินน์ก่อนรุ่งอรุณ"Aksionov สงสัยว่า ทำไมเขาถูกถามคำถามเหล่านี้ทั้งหมด แต่เขาอธิบายสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้น และจากนั้น เพิ่ม "ทำไมทำคุณ cross-question ฉันว่าฉันขโมยหรือโจรที่ เดินทางเพื่อธุรกิจของตัวเอง และไม่จำเป็นต้องถามฉัน"อย่างเป็นทางการ ทหาร เรียกว่า "ฉันเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจเขตนี้ และผมถามคุณ เพราะผู้ขายที่คุณใช้เมื่อคืนพบกับเขาตัดคอ เราต้องค้นหาสิ่งของ"พวกเขาเข้าไปในบ้าน ทหารและเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจ unstrapped กระเป๋าของ Aksionov และค้นหามัน จู่ ๆ เจ้าหน้าที่ดึงมีดออกจากถุง ร้องไห้ "มีดนี่"ดู Aksionov และเห็นมีดเปื้อนเลือดมาจากกระเป๋าของเขา เขาก็กลัว"How is it there is blood on this knife?"Aksionov tried to answer, but could hardly utter a word, and only stammered: "I--don't know--not mine." Then the police-officer said: "This morning the merchant was found in bed with his throat cut. You are the only person who could have done it. The house was locked from inside, and no one else was there. Here is this blood-stained knife in your bag and your face and manner betray you! Tell me how you killed him, and how much money you stole?"Aksionov swore he had not done it; that he had not seen the merchant after they had had tea together; that he had no money except eight thousand rubles of his own, and that the knife was not his. But his voice was broken, his face pale, and he trembled with fear as though he went guilty.The police-officer ordered the soldiers to bind Aksionov and to put him in the cart. As they tied his feet together and flung him into the cart, Aksionov crossed himself and wept. His money and goods were taken from him, and he was sent to the nearest town and imprisoned there. Enquiries as to his character were made in Vladimir. The merchants and other inhabitants of that town said that in former days he used to drink and waste his time, but that he was a good man. Then the trial came on: he was charged with murdering a merchant from Ryazan, and robbing him of twenty thousand rubles.His wife was in despair, and did not know what to believe. Her children were all quite small; one was a baby at her breast. Taking them all with her, she went to the town where her husband was in jail. At first she was not allowed to see him; but after much begging, she obtained permission from the officials, and was taken to him. When she saw her husband in prison-dress and in chains, shut up with thieves and criminals, she fell down, and did not come to her senses for a long time. Then she drew her children to her, and sat down near him. She told him of things at home, and asked about what had happened to him
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