"Listen," said he to me, "set off at once for Orenburg and tell the governor and all the generals from me, that they may expect me in about a week. Advise them to receive me with filial love and submission13; otherwise they shall not escape a terrible punishment. A pleasant journey, your lordship!"
Then turning round to the crowd and pointing to Shvabrin, he said:
"There, children, is your new Commandant. Obey him in everything; he is answerable to me for you and for the fortress14."
I heard these words with alarm: Shvabrin being made governor of the fortress, Maria Ivanovna remained in his power! Great God! what would become of her!
Pougatcheff descended15 the steps. His horse was brought to him. He vaulted16 nimbly into the saddle, without waiting for the Cossacks, who were going to help him to mount.
At that moment I saw my Savelitch emerge from the midst of the crowd; he approached Pougatcheff and gave him a sheet of paper. I could not imagine what was the meaning of this proceeding17 on his part.
"What is this?" asked Pougatcheff, with an air of importance.
"Read it, then you will see," replied Savelitch. Pougatcheff took the paper and examined it for a long time with a consequential18 look.
"Why do you write so illegibly19?" said he at last. "Our lucid20 eyes[1] cannot decipher a word. Where is my chief secretary?"
A young man, in the uniform of a corporal, immediately ran up to Pougatcheff.
"Read it aloud," said the usurper, giving him the paper.
I was exceedingly curious to know what my follower2 could have written to Pougatcheff about. The chief secretary, in a loud voice, began to spell out as follows:
"What does this mean?" said Pougatcheff, frowning.
"Order him to read on," replied Savelitch coolly.
The chief secretary continued:
"One uniform coat of fine green cloth, seven roubles.
"One pair of white cloth breeches, five roubles.
"A chest and tea-service, two roubles and a half...."
"What is all this nonsense?" exclaimed Pougatcheff. "What are these chests and breeches with ruffles to do with me?"
Savelitch cleared his throat and began to explain.
"This, my father, you will please to understand is a list of my master's goods that have been stolen by those scoundrels——"
"What scoundrels?" said Pougatcheff, threateningly.
"I beg your pardon, that was a slip on my part," replied Savelitch. "They were not scoundrels, but your fellows, who have rummaged23 and plundered24 everything. Do not be angry: the horse has got four legs, and yet he stumbles. Order him to read to the end."
"Read on to the end," said Pougatcheff.
The secretary continued:
"One chintz counterpane, another of taffety quilted with cotton wool, four roubles.
"Likewise a hare-skin morning-gown, presented to your Grace at the inn on the steppe, fifteen roubles."
"What's that'!" exclaimed Pougatcheff, his eyes flashing fire.
I confess that I began to feel alarmed for my poor servant. He was about to enter again into explanations, but Pougatcheff interrupted him.
"How dare you pester26 me with such nonsense!" he cried, snatching the paper out of the secretary's hands and flinging it in Savelitch's face. "Stupid old man! You have been robbed; what a misfortune! Why, old greybeard, you ought to be eternally praying to God for me and my lads, that you and your master are not hanging yonder along with the other traitors27 to me.... A hare-skin morning-gown! Do you know that I could order you to be flayed28 alive and have your skin made into a morning-gown?"
"As you please," replied Savelitch; "but I am not a free man, and must be answerable for my lord's goods."
Pougatcheff was evidently in a magnanimous humour. He turned round and rode off without saying another word. Shvabrin and the chiefs followed him. The troops marched out of the fortress in order. The crowd pressed forward to accompany Pougatcheff. I remained in the square alone with Savelitch. My servant held in his hand the list of my things and stood looking at it with an air of deep regret.
Seeing me on such good terms with Pougatcheff, he thought that he might take advantage of the circumstance; but his sage29 scheme did not succeed. I was on the point of scolding him for his misplaced zeal30, but I could not restrain myself from laughing.
"Laugh away, my lord," replied Savelitch: "laugh away; but when the time comes for you to procure31 a new outfit32, we shall see if you will laugh then."
I hastened to the priest's house to see Maria Ivanovna. The priest's wife met me with sad news. During the night Maria Ivanovna had been seized with a violent attack of fever. She lay unconscious and in a delirium33. The priest's wife conducted me into her room. I softly approached her bed. The change in her face startled me. She did not recognize me. For a long time I stood beside her without paying any heed34 either to Father Gerasim or to his good wife, who endeavoured to console me. Gloomy thoughts took possession of me. The condition of the poor defenceless orphan35, left alone in the midst of the lawless rebels, as well as my own powerlessness, terrified me. But it was the thought of Shvabrin more than anything else that filled my imagination with alarm. Invested with power by the usurper, and entrusted36 with the command of the fortress, in which the unhappy girl—the innocent object of his hatred—remained, he was capable of any villainous act. What was I to do? How should I help her? How could I rescue her out of the hands of the brigands37? There remained only one way. I resolved to set out immediately for Orenburg, in order to hasten the deliverance of Bailogorsk, and, as far as possible, to co-operate in the undertaking38. I took leave of the priest and of Akoulina Pamphilovna, recommending to their care her whom I already considered as my wife. I seized the hand of the poor girl and kissed it, bedewing it with my tears.
"Farewell," said the pope's wife to me, accompanying me to the door "farewell, Peter Andreitch. Perhaps we shall see each other again in happier times. Do not forget us, and write to us often. Poor Maria Ivanovna has nobody now, except you, to console and protect her."
On reaching the square, I stopped for a moment and looked at the gibbet, then, bowing my head before it, I quitted the fortress and took the road to Orenburg, accompanied by Savelitch, who had not left my side.
I was walking on, occupied with my reflections, when suddenly I heard behind me the trampling39 of horses' feet. Looking round, I saw, galloping40 out of the fortress, a Cossack, holding a Bashkir horse by the rein41 and making signs to me from afar. I stopped and soon recognized our orderly. Galloping up to us, he dismounted from his own horse, and giving me the rein of the other, said:
"Your lordship! our father sends you a horse, and a pelisse from his own shoulders." (To the saddle was attached a sheepskin pelisse.) "Moreover," continued the orderly with some hesitation42, "he sends you—half-a-rouble—but I have lost it on the road; be generous and pardon me."
"What is that chinking in my pocket?" replied the orderly, without being in the least confused. "God be with you, old man! It is a horse's bit, and not half-a-rouble."
"Very well," said I, putting an end to the dispute. "Give my thanks to him who sent you; and as you go back, try and find the lost half-rouble and keep it for drink-money."
"Many thanks, your lordship," replied he, turning his horse round; "I will pray to God for you without ceasing." With these words he galloped45 back again, holding one hand to his pocket, and in about a minute he was hidden from sight.
I put on the pelisse and mounted the horse, taking Savelitch up behind me.
"Now do you see, my lord," said the old man, "that I did not give the petition to the rascal in vain? The robber felt ashamed of himself. Although this lean-looking Bashkir jade46 and this sheepskin pelisse are not worth half of what the rascals47 stole from us, and what you chose to give him yourself, they may yet be of some use to us; from a vicious dog, even a tuft of hair."
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1
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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3
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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usurper
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| n. 篡夺者, 僭取者 | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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8
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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10
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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11
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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12
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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18
consequential
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| adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的 | |
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19
illegibly
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| adv.难读地，暧昧地 | |
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20
lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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21
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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ruffles
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| 褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 ) | |
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23
rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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24
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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26
pester
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| v.纠缠，强求 | |
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27
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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28
flayed
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| v.痛打( flay的过去式和过去分词 )；把…打得皮开肉绽；剥（通常指动物）的皮；严厉批评 | |
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29
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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30
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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31
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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32
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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33
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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34
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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36
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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brigands
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| n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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38
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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39
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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40
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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41
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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42
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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43
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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44
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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45
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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46
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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47
rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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