The Witch Page #7

"The Witch" by Aleksandr Kuprin is a haunting novella that explores the themes of love, obsession, and the supernatural. Set in a small Russian village, the story follows the enigmatic figure of a beautiful woman rumored to be a witch. As the protagonist becomes entranced by her mysterious allure, he navigates the boundaries between desire and despair, grappling with the darker aspects of human emotion and the consequences of his actions. Kuprin's lyrical prose and psychological depth create a compelling narrative that delves into the complexities of passion and the fear of the unknown.

• Novel

								

and, seeing that I gave a cautious glance behind me, she added: ‘It’s
quite all right, she’s rather deaf. She won’t hear. It’s only my voice
she understands well.’

‘Yes, she did. Why?’

‘I just asked ... nothing more.... And do you believe in it?’ She gave
a quick, stealthy glance.

‘Believe what? The fortune your granny told me, or generally?’

‘I mean generally.’

‘I don’t quite know. It would be truer to say, I don’t believe in it,
but still who knows? They say there are cases.... They write about it
in clever books even. But I don’t believe what your granny told me at
all. Any village woman could tell me as much.’

Olyessia smiled.

‘Yes, nowadays she tells fortunes badly, it’s true. She’s old, and
besides she’s very much afraid. But what did the cards say?’

‘Nothing interesting. I can’t even remember it now. The usual kind
of thing: a distant journey, something with clubs.... I’ve quite
forgotten.’

‘Yes, she’s a bad fortune-teller now. She’s grown so old that she has
forgotten a great many words.... How could she? And she’s scared as
well. It’s only the sight of money makes her consent to tell.’

‘What’s she scared of?’

‘The authorities, of course.... The village policeman comes, and
threatens her every time. “I can have you put away at any minute,”
he says. “You know what people like you get for witchcraft? Penal
servitude for life on Hawk Island.” Tell me what you think. Is it true?’

‘It’s not altogether a lie. There is some punishment for doing it, but
not so bad as all that.... And you, Olyessia, can you tell fortunes?’

It was as though she were perplexed, but only for a second.

‘I can.... But not for money,’ she added hastily.

‘You might put out the cards for me?’

‘No,’ she answered with quiet resolution, shaking her head.

‘Why won’t you? Very well, some other time.... Somehow I believe you
will tell me the truth.’

‘No. I will not. I won’t do it for anything.’

‘Oh, that’s not right, Olyessia. For first acquaintance’ sake you can’t
refuse.... Why don’t you want to?’

‘Because I’ve put out the cards for you already. It’s wrong to do it
twice.’

‘Wrong? But why? I don’t understand it.’

‘No, no, it’s wrong, wrong,’ she began to whisper with superstitious
dread. ‘It’s forbidden to ask twice of Fate. It’s not right. Fate will
discover, overhear.... She does not like to be asked. That’s why all
fortune-tellers are unhappy.’

I wanted to make a jesting reply to Olyessia; but I could not. There
was too much sincere conviction in her words; and when she turned her
head to the door in a strange fear as she uttered the word Fate, in
spite of myself I turned with her.

‘Well, if you won’t want to tell me my fortune now, tell me what the
cards have told you already,’ I begged.

Olyessia suddenly gave a turn to the spinning-wheel, and with her hand
touched mine.

‘No!... better not,’ she said. A childlike, imploring look came into
her eyes. ‘Please, don’t ask me.... There was nothing good in it....
Better not ask.’

But I insisted. I could not understand whether her refusal and her dark
allusions to Fate were the deliberate trick of a fortune-teller, or
whether she herself really believed what she said. But I became rather
uneasy; what was almost a dread took hold of me.

‘Well, I’ll tell you, perhaps,’ Olyessia finally consented. ‘But
listen; a bargain’s better than money; don’t be angry if you don’t like
what I say. The cards said that though you are a good man, you are
only a weak one.... Your goodness is not sound, nor quite sincere. You
are not master of your word. You love to have the whip-hand of people,
and yet, though you yourself do not want to, you submit to them. You
are fond of wine and---- Well, if I’ve got to say, I’ll say everything
right to the last.... You are very fond of women, and because of that
you will have much evil in your life.... You do not value money and you
cannot save. You will never be rich.... Shall I go on?’

‘Go on, go on, say everything you know!’

‘The cards said too that your life will not be a happy one. You will
never love with your heart, because your heart is cold and dull, and
you will cause great sorrow to those who love you. You will never
marry; you will die a bachelor. There will be no great joys in your
life, but much weariness and depression.... There will come a time
when you will want to put an end to your life.... That will come to
you, but you will not dare, you will go on enduring. You will suffer
great poverty, but towards the end your fate will be changed through
the death of some one near you, quite unexpected. But all this will be
in years to come; but this year ... I don’t know exactly when ... the
cards say very soon ... maybe this very month----’

‘What will happen this year?’ I asked when she stopped again.

‘I’m afraid to tell you any more.... A great love will come to you
through the queen of clubs. Only I can’t see whether she is married or
a girl, but I know that she has dark hair....’

Involuntarily I gave a swift glance to Olyessia’s head.

‘Why are you looking at me?’ she blushed suddenly, feeling my glance,
with the sensitiveness peculiar to some women. ‘Well, yes, something
like mine,’ she continued, mechanically arranging her hair, and
blushing still more.

‘So you say, a great love from clubs?’ I laughed.

‘Don’t laugh. It’s no use laughing,’ Olyessia said seriously, almost
sternly. ‘I’m only telling you the truth.’

‘Well, I won’t laugh any more, I promise. What is there more?’

‘More.... Oh! Evil will come upon the queen of clubs, worse than death.
She will suffer a great disgrace through you, one that she will never
be able to forget; she will have an everlasting sorrow.... In her
planet no harm comes to you.’

‘Tell me, Olyessia. Couldn’t the cards deceive you? Why should I do so
many unpleasant things to the queen of clubs? I am a quiet unassuming
fellow, yet you’ve said so many awful things about me.’

‘I don’t know that.... The cards showed that it’s not you will do it--I
mean, not on purpose--but all this misfortune will come through you....
You’ll remember my words, when they come true.’

‘The cards told you all this, Olyessia?’

She did not answer at once, and then as though evasive and reluctant:

‘The cards as well.... But even without them I learn a great deal, just
by the face alone. If, for instance, some one is going to die soon by
an ugly death, I can read it immediately in his face. I need not speak
to him, even.’

‘What do you see in his face?’

‘I don’t know myself. I suddenly feel afraid, as though he were a
dead man standing before me. Just ask granny, she will tell you that
it’s the truth I’m saying. The year before last, Trophim the miller
hung himself in his mill. Only two days before I saw him and said to
granny: “Just look, granny, Trophim will die an ugly death soon.” And
so it was. Again, last Christmas Yashka the horse thief came to us and
asked granny to tell his fortune. Granny put out the cards for him and
began. He asked, joking: “Tell me what sort of death will I have?” and
								Rate this book:0.0 / 0 votes