Голод
Part I
"Weakness!"Icriedharshlytomyself,andIclenchedmyfistsandIrepeated"Weakness!"Ilaughedatmyself,forthisridiculousfeeling,madefunofmyself,withaperfectconsciousnessofdoingso,talkedveryseverelyandsensibly,andclosedmyeyesverytightlytogetridofthetears.
AsifIhadneverseenmyshoesbefore,Isetmyselftostudytheirlooks,theircharacteristics,and,whenIstirmyfoot,theirshapeandtheirwornuppers.Idiscoverthattheircreasesandwhiteseamsgivethemexpression—impartaphysiognomytothem.Somethingofmyownnaturehadgoneoverintotheseshoes;theyaffectedme,likeaghostofmyotherI—abreathingportionofmyveryself.
Isatandtoyedwiththesefanciesalongtime,perhapsanentirehour.Alittle,oldmancameandtooktheotherendoftheseat;asheseatedhimselfhepantedafterhiswalk,andmuttered:
"Ay,ay,ay,ay,ay,ay,ay,ay,ay,ay;verytrue!"
AssoonasIheardhisvoice,Ifeltasifawindhadsweptthroughmyhead.Iletshoesbeshoes,anditseemedtomethatthedistractedphaseofmindIhadjustexperienceddatedfromalong-vanishedperiod,maybeayearortwoback,andwasabouttobequietlyeffacedfrommymemory.Ibegantoobservetheoldfellow.
