Troekouroff came the next day to the scene of the conflagration3, and conducted the inquest himself. It was stated that the sheriff, the assessor of the land Court, the attorney and his clerk, as well as Vladimir Doubrovsky, the nurse Egorovna, the servant Grisha, the coachman Anton, and the blacksmith Arkhip had disappeared—nobody knew where. All the servants declared that the officials perished at the moment when the roof fell in. Their charred4 remains5 in fact were discovered. The women, Vassilissa and Loukeria, said that they had seen Doubrovsky and Arkhip the blacksmith a few minutes before the fire. The blacksmith Arkhip, according to the general showing, was alive, and was probably the principal, if not the sole author of the fire. Strong suspicions fell upon Doubrovsky. Kirila Petrovitch sent to the Governor a detailed6 account of all that had happened, and a new suit was commenced.
Soon other reports furnished fresh food for curiosity and gossip. Brigands8 appeared and spread terror throughout the whole neighbourhood. The measures taken against them proved unavailing. Robberies; each more daring than the other, followed one after another. There was no security either on the roads or in the villages. Several troikas, filled with brigands, traversed the whole province in open daylight, stopping travellers and the mail The villages were visited by them, and the manor-houses were attacked and set on fire. The chief of the band had acquired a great reputation for intelligence, daring, and a sort of generosity9. Wonders were related of him. The name of Doubrovsky was upon every lip. Everybody was convinced that it was he, and nobody else, who commanded the daring robbers. One thing was remarkable10: the domains11 and property of Troekouroff were spared. The brigands had not attacked a single barn of his, nor stopped a single load belonging to him. With his usual arrogance12, Troekouroff attributed this exception to the fear which he had inspired throughout the whole province, as well as to the excellent police which he had organized in his villages. At first the neighbours smiled at the presumption13 of Troekouroff, and everyone expected that the uninvited guests would visit Pokrovskoe, where they would find something worth having, but at last they were compelled to agree and confess that the brigands showed him unaccountable respect. Troekouroff triumphed, and at the news of each fresh exploit on the part of Doubrovsky, he indulged in ironical14 remarks at the expense of the Governor, the sheriffs, and the regimental commanders, who always allowed the brigand7 chief to escape with impunity15.
Meanwhile the 1st of October arrived, the day of the annual church festival in Troekouroff's village. But before we proceed to describe further events, we must acquaint the reader with some personages who are new to him, or whom we merely mentioned at the beginning of our story.
CHAPTER VIII.
The reader has probably already divined that the daughter of Kirila Petrovitch, of whom we have as yet said but very little, is the heroine of our story. At the period about which we are writing, she was seventeen years old, and in the full bloom of her beauty. Her father loved her to the verge16 of folly17, but treated her with his characteristic wilfulness18, at one time endeavouring to gratify her slightest whims19, at another terrifying her by his coarse and sometimes brutal20 behaviour. Convinced of her attachment21, he could yet never gain her confidence. She was accustomed to conceal22 from him her thoughts and feelings, because she never knew in what manner they would be received. She had no companions, and had grown up in solitude23. The wives and daughters of the neighbours rarely visited at the house of Kirila Petrovitch, whose usual conversation and amusements demanded the companionship of men, and not the presence of ladies. Our beauty rarely appeared among the guests who were invited to her father's house. The extensive library, consisting for the most part of works of French writers of the eighteenth century, was given over to her charge. Her father never read anything except the "Perfect Cook," and could not guide her in the choice of books, and Masha, after having dipped into works of various kinds, had naturally given her preference to romances. In this manner she went on completing her education, first begun under the direction of Mademoiselle Micheau, in whom Kirila Petrovitch reposed24 great confidence, and whom he was at last obliged to send away secretly to another estate, when the results of this friendship became too apparent.
Mademoiselle Micheau left behind her a rather agreeable recollection. She was a good-natured girl, and had never misused26 the influence which she evidently exercised over Kirila Petrovitch, in which she differed from the other confidants, whom he constantly kept changing. Kirila Petrovitch himself seemed to like her more than the others, and a dark-eyed, roguish-looking little fellow of nine, recalling the southern features of Mademoiselle Micheau, was being brought up by him and was recognized as his son, notwithstanding the fact that quite a number of bare-footed lads ran about in front of his windows, who were as like Kirila Petrovitch as one drop of water is to another, and who were inscribed28 as forming part of his household. Kirila Petrovitch had sent to Moscow for a French tutor for his little son, Sasha,[1] and this tutor came to Pokrovskoe at the time of the events that we are now describing.
This tutor, by his prepossessing appearance and simple manners, produced a very agreeable impression upon the mind of Kirila Petrovitch. He presented to the latter his credentials29, and a letter from one of Troekouroff's relations, with whom he had lived as tutor for four years. Kirila Petrovitch examined all these, and was dissatisfied only with the youthfulness of the Frenchman, not because he considered this agreeable defect incompatible30 with the patience and experience necessary for the unhappy calling of a tutor, but because he had doubts of his own, which he immediately resolved to have cleared up. For this purpose he ordered Masha to be sent to him. Kirila Petrovitch did not speak French, and she acted as interpreter for him.
"Come here, Masha: tell this Monsieur that I accept him only on condition that he does not venture to pay court to my girls, for if he should do so, the son of a dog, I'll... Translate that to him, Masha."
Masha blushed, and turning to the tutor, told him in French that her father counted upon his modesty31 and orderly conduct.
The Frenchman bowed to her, and replied that he hoped to merit esteem32, even if favour were not shown to him. Masha translated his reply word for word.
"Very well, very well," said Kirila Petrovitch, "he needs neither favour nor esteem. His business is to look after Sasha and teach him grammar and geography—translate that to him."
Maria Kirilovna softened33 the rude expressions of her father in translating them, and Kirila Petrovitch dismissed his Frenchman to the wing of the house in which his room was situated34.
Masha had not given a thought to the young Frenchman. Brought up with aristocratic prejudices, a tutor, in her eyes, was only a sort of servant or artizan; and servants or artizans did not seem to her to be men at all. Nor did she observe the impression that she had produced upon Monsieur Desforges, nor his confusion, nor his agitation35, nor the tremor36 in his voice. For several days afterwards, she met him very frequently, but without honouring him with much attention. In an unexpected manner, however, she received quite a new impression with respect to him.
In the courtyard of Kirila Petrovitch there were usually kept several young bears, and they formed one of the chief amusements of the master of Pokrovskoe. While they were young, they were brought every day into the parlour, where Kirila Petrovitch used to spend whole hours in amusing himself with them, setting them at cats and young dogs. When they were grown up, they were attached to a chain, to await being baited in earnest. Sometimes they were brought out in front of the windows of the manor-house, and an empty wine-cask, studded with nails, was put before them. The bear would sniff37 it, then touch it gently, and getting its paws pricked38, it would become angry and push the cask with greater force, and so wound itself still more. The beast would then work itself into a perfect frenzy39, and fling itself upon the cask, growling40 furiously, until they removed from the poor animal the object of its vain rage. Sometimes a pair of bears were harnessed to a telega, then, willingly or unwillingly41, guests were placed in it, and the bears were allowed to gallop42 wherever chance might direct them. But the best joke of Kirila Petrovitch's was as follows:
A starving bear used to be shut up in an empty room and fastened by a rope to a ring screwed into the wall. The rope was nearly the length of the room, so that only the opposite corner was out of the reach of the ferocious43 beast. A novice44 was generally brought to the door of this room, and, as if by accident, pushed in along with the bear; the door was then locked, and the unhappy victim was left alone with the shaggy hermit45. The poor guest, with torn skirts and scratched hands, soon sought the safe corner, but he was sometimes compelled to stand for three whole hours, pressed against the wall, watching the savage46 beast, two steps from him, leaping and standing27 on its hind25 legs, growling, tugging47 at the rope and endeavouring to reach him. Such were the noble amusements of a Russian gentleman!
Some days after the arrival of the French tutor, Troekouroff thought of him, and resolved to give him a taste of the bear's room. For this purpose, he summoned him one morning, and conducted him along several dark corridors; suddenly a side door opened—two servants pushed the Frenchman into the room and locked the door after him. Recovering from his surprise, the tutor perceived the chained bear. The animal began to snort and to sniff at his visitor from a distance, and suddenly raising himself upon his hind legs, he advanced towards him.... The Frenchman was not alarmed; he did not retreat but awaited the attack. The bear drew near; Desforges drew from his pocket a small pistol, inserted it in the ear of the hungry animal, and fired. The bear rolled over. Everybody was attracted to the spot by the report, the door was opened, and Kirila Petrovitch entered, astonished at the result of his joke.
Kirila Petrovitch wanted an explanation of the whole affair. Who had warned Desforges of the joke, or how came he to have a loaded pistol in his pocket? He sent for Masha. Masha came and interpreted her father's questions to the Frenchman.
"I never heard even of the existence of the bear," replied Desforges, "but I always carry a pistol about with me, because I do not intend to put up with an offence for which, on account of my calling, I cannot demand satisfaction."
Masha looked at him in astonishment48 and translated his words to Kirila Petrovitch. Kirila Petrovitch made no reply; he ordered the bear to be removed and its skin to be taken off; then turning to his people, he said:
"What a brave fellow! There is nothing of the coward about him. By the Lord, he is certainly no coward!"
From that moment he took a liking49 to Desforges, and never thought again of putting him to the proof.
But this incident produced a. still greater impression upon Maria Kirilovna. Her imagination had been struck: she had seen the dead bear, and Desforges standing calmly over it and talking tranquilly50 to her. She saw that bravery and proud self-respect did not belong exclusively to one class, and from that moment she began to show regard for the young tutor, and this regard increased from day to day. A certain intimacy51 sprang up between them. Masha had a beautiful voice and great musical ability; Desforges proposed to give her lessons. After that it will not be difficult for the reader to understand that Masha fell in love with him without acknowledging it to herself.
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1
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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brigand
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| n.土匪，强盗 | |
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brigands
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| n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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wilfulness
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| 任性；倔强 | |
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WHIMS
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| 虚妄，禅病 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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misused
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| v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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incompatible
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| adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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49
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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50
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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