“ALL is for the best,” I said, sitting down close by the fire. “Now you will finish telling me your story about Bela. I am certain that what you have already told me was not the end of it.”
“Why are you so certain?” answered the staff-captain, winking1 and smiling slyly.
“Because things don’t happen like that. A story with such an unusual beginning must also have an unusual ending.”
“You have guessed, of course”...
“I am very glad to hear it.”
“It is all very well for you to be glad, but, indeed, it makes me sad when I think of it. Bela was a splendid girl. In the end I grew accustomed to her just as if she had been my own daughter, and she loved me. I must tell you that I have no family. I have had no news of my father and mother for twelve years or so, and, in my earlier days, I never thought of providing myself with a wife—and now, you know, it wouldn’t do. So I was glad to have found someone to spoil. She used to sing to us or dance the Lezginka. 17.. And what a dancer she was! I have seen our own ladies in provincial2 society; and on one occasion, sir, about twenty years ago, I was even in the Nobles’ Club at Moscow—but was there a woman to be compared with her? Not one! Grigori Aleksandrovich dressed her up like a doll, petted and pampered3 her, and it was simply astonishing to see how pretty she grew while she lived with us. The sunburn disappeared from her face and hands, and a rosy4 colour came into her cheeks... What a merry girl she was! Always making fun of me, the little rogue5!... Heaven forgive her!”
“And when you told her of her father’s death?”
“We kept it a secret from her for a long time, until she had grown accustomed to her position; and then, when she was told, she cried for a day or two and forgot all about it.
“For four months or so everything went on as well as it possibly could. Grigori Aleksandrovich, as I think I have already mentioned, was passionately6 fond of hunting; he was always craving7 to be off into the forest after boars or wild goats—but now it would be as much as he would do to go beyond the fortress8 rampart. All at once, however, I saw that he was beginning again to have fits of abstraction, walking about his room with his hands clasped behind his back. One day after that, without telling anyone, he set off shooting. During the whole morning he was not to be seen; then the same thing happened another time, and so on—oftener and oftener...
“‘This looks bad!’ I said to myself. ‘Something must have come between them!’
“One morning I paid them a visit—I can see it all in my mind’s eye, as if it was happening now. Bela was sitting on the bed, wearing a black silk jacket, and looking rather pale and so sad that I was alarmed.
“‘Where is Pechorin?’ I asked.
“‘Hunting.’
“‘When did he go—to-day?’
“‘She was silent, as if she found a difficulty in answering.
“‘No, he has been gone since yesterday,’ she said at length, with a heavy sigh.
“‘Surely nothing has happened to him!’
“‘Yesterday I thought and thought the whole day,’ she answered through her tears; ‘I imagined all sorts of misfortunes. At one time I fancied that he had been wounded by a wild boar, at another time, that he had been carried off by a Chechene into the mountains... But, now, I have come to think that he no longer loves me.’
“‘In truth, my dear girl, you could not have imagined anything worse!’
“She burst out crying; then, proudly raising her head, she wiped away the tears and continued:
“‘If he does not love me, then who prevents him sending me home? I am not putting any constraint9 on him. But, if things go on like this, I will go away myself—I am not a slave, I am a prince’s daughter!’...
“I tried to talk her over.
“‘Listen, Bela. You see it is impossible for him to stop in here with you for ever, as if he was sewn on to your petticoat. He is a young man and fond of hunting. Off he’ll go, but you will find that he will come back; and, if you are going to be unhappy, you will soon make him tired of you.’
“‘True, true!’ she said. ‘I will be merry.’
“And with a burst of laughter, she seized her tambourine10, began to sing, dance, and gambol11 around me. But that did not last long either; she fell upon the bed again and buried her face in her hands.
“What could I do with her? You know I have never been accustomed to the society of women. I thought and thought how to cheer her up, but couldn’t hit on anything. For some time both of us remained silent... A most unpleasant situation, sir!
“At length I said to her:
“‘Would you like us to go and take a walk on the rampart? The weather is splendid.’
“This was in September, and indeed it was a wonderful day, bright and not too hot. The mountains could be seen as clearly as though they were but a hand’s-breadth away. We went, and walked in silence to and fro along the rampart of the fortress. At length she sat down on the sward, and I sat beside her. In truth, now, it is funny to think of it all! I used to run after her just like a kind of children’s nurse!
“Our fortress was situated12 in a lofty position, and the view from the rampart was superb. On one side, the wide clearing, seamed by a few clefts13, was bounded by the forest which stretched out to the very ridge14 of the mountains. Here and there, on the clearing, villages were to be seen sending forth15 their smoke, and there were droves of horses roaming about. On the other side flowed a tiny stream, and close to its banks came the dense16 undergrowth which covered the flinty heights joining the principal chain of the Caucasus. We sat in a corner of the bastion, so that we could see everything on both sides. Suddenly I perceived someone on a grey horse riding out of the forest; nearer and nearer he approached until finally he stopped on the far side of the river, about a hundred fathoms17 from us, and began to wheel his horse round and round like one possessed18. ‘Strange!’ I thought.
“‘Look, look, Bela,’ I said, ‘you’ve got young eyes—what sort of a horseman is that? Who is it he has come to amuse?’...
“‘It is Kazbich!’ she exclaimed after a glance.
“‘Ah, the robber! Come to laugh at us, has he?’
“I looked closely, and sure enough it was Kazbich, with his swarthy face, and as ragged19 and dirty as ever.
“‘It is my father’s horse!’ said Bela, seizing my arm.
“She was trembling like a leaf and her eyes were sparkling.
“‘Aha!’ I said to myself. ‘There is robber’s blood in your veins20 still, my dear!’
“‘Come here,’ I said to the sentry21. ‘Look to your gun and unhorse that gallant22 for me—and you shall have a silver ruble.’
“‘Very well, your honour, only he won’t keep still.’
“‘Tell him to!’ I said, with a laugh.
“‘Hey, friend!’ cried the sentry, waving his hand. ‘Wait a bit. What are you spinning round like a humming-top for?’
“Kazbich halted and gave ear to the sentry—probably thinking that we were going to parley23 with him. Quite the contrary!... My grenadier took aim... Bang!... Missed!... Just as the powder flashed in the pan Kazbich jogged his horse, which gave a bound to one side. He stood up in his stirrups, shouted something in his own language, made a threatening gesture with his whip—and was off.
“‘Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?’ I said to the sentry.
“‘He has gone away to die, your honour,’ he answered. ‘There’s no killing24 a man of that cursed race at one stroke.’
“A quarter of an hour later Pechorin returned from hunting. Bela threw herself on his neck without a single complaint, without a single reproach for his lengthy25 absence!... Even I was angry with him by this time!
“‘Good heavens!’ I said; ‘why, I tell you, Kazbich was here on the other side of the river just a moment ago, and we shot at him. How easily you might have run up against him, you know! These mountaineers are a vindictive26 race! Do you suppose he does not guess that you gave Azamat some help? And I wager27 that he recognised Bela to-day! I know he was desperately28 fond of her a year ago—he told me so himself—and, if he had had any hope of getting together a proper bridegroom’s gift, he would certainly have sought her in marriage.’
“At this Pechorin became thoughtful.
“‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘We must be more cautious—Bela, from this day forth you mustn’t walk on the rampart any more.’
“In the evening I had a lengthy explanation with him. I was vexed29 that his feelings towards the poor girl had changed; to say nothing of his spending half the day hunting, his manner towards her had become cold. He rarely caressed30 her, and she was beginning perceptibly to pine away; her little face was becoming drawn31, her large eyes growing dim.
“‘What are you sighing for, Bela?’ I would ask her. ‘Are you sad?’
“‘No!’
“‘Do you want anything?’
“‘No!’
“‘You are pining for your kinsfolk?’
“‘I have none!’
“Sometimes for whole days not a word could be drawn from her but ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’
“So I straightway proceeded to talk to Pechorin about her.”
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1
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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2
provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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3
pampered
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| adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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5
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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6
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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7
craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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8
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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9
constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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10
tambourine
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| n.铃鼓，手鼓 | |
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11
gambol
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| v.欢呼，雀跃 | |
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12
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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13
clefts
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| n.裂缝( cleft的名词复数 )；裂口；cleave的过去式和过去分词；进退维谷 | |
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14
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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15
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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16
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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17
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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18
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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19
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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20
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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21
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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22
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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23
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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24
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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25
lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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26
vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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27
wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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28
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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29
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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30
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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