The company turned their faces toward him in startled surprise, but no one moved. All continued to stand in close order round the table.
"Health to you, eaglets! honorable men of Vilna! What are you up to? What are you busy at?" cried the newcomer, swiftly approaching the table and taking the chair that Pacomius Borisovitch had just been knocked out of.
"What is all this?" he continued, with one hand seizing the vial of colorless liquid and with the other the photograph of the college assessor's widow. "So this is hydrochloric acid for erasing2 ink? Very good! And this is a photo! So we are fabricating passports? Very fine! Business is business! Hey! Witnesses!"
And the fair-haired man whistled sharply. From the outer door appeared two faces, set on shoulders of formidable proportions.
The red-headed man silently went up to the newcomer and fiercely seized him by the collar. At the same moment the rest seized chairs or logs or bars to defend themselves.
The fair-haired man meanwhile, not in the least changing his expression of cool self-confidence, quickly slipped his hands into his pockets and pulled out a pair of small double-barreled pistols. In the profound silence in which this scene took place they could distinctly hear the click of the hammers as he cocked them. He raised his right hand and pointed3 the muzzle4 at the breast of his opponent.
The red-headed man let go his collar, and glancing contemptuously at him, with an expression of hate and wrath5, silently stepped aside.
"Oho! that's better. You should have begun by asking that!" answered the newcomer, settling himself comfortably on his chair and toying with his pistols. "How much do you earn?"
"We get little enough! Just five rubles," answered the red-headed man.
"That's too little. I need a great deal more. But you are lying, brother! You would not stir for less than twenty rubles!"
"Thanks for the compliment!" interrupted Pacomius Borisovitch.
The fair-haired man nodded to him satirically. "I need a lot more," he repeated firmly and impressively; "and if you don't give me at least twenty-five rubles I'll denounce you this very minute to the police—and you see I have my witnesses ready."
"Sergei Antonitch! Mr. Kovroff! Have mercy on us! Where can we
get so much from? I tell you as in the presence of the Creator!
There are ten of us, as you see. And there are three of you. And
I, Yuzitch, and Gretcka deserve double shares!" added Pacomius
Borisovitch persuasively7.
"Gretcka deserves nothing at all for catching8 me by the throat," decided9 Sergei Antonitch Kovroff.
"Mr. Kovroff!" began Pacomius again. "You and I are gentlemen—"
"What! What did you say?" Kovroff contemptuously interrupted him. "You put yourself on my level? Ha! ha! ha! No, brother; I am still in the Czar's service and wear my honor with my uniform! I, brother, have never stained myself with theft or crime, Heaven be praised. But what are you?"
"Hm! And the Golden Band? Who is its captain?" muttered Gretcka angrily, half to himself.
"Who is its captain? I am—I, Lieutenant10 Sergei Antonitch Kovroff, of the Chernovarski Dragoons! Do you hear? I am captain of the Golden Band," he said proudly and haughtily11, scrutinizing12 the company with his confident gaze. "And you haven't yet got as far as the Golden Band, because you are COWARDS! Chuproff," he cried to one of his men, "go and take the mask off Finch13, or the poor boy will suffocate14, and untie15 his arms—and give him a good crack on the head to teach him to keep watch better."
The "mask" that Kovroff employed on such occasions was nothing but a piece of oilcloth cut the size of a person's face, and smeared16 on one side with a thick paste. Kovroff's "boys" employed this "instrument" with wonderful dexterity17; one of them generally stole up behind the unconscious victim and skillfully slapped the mask in his face; the victim at once became dumb and blind, and panted from lack of breath; at the same time, if necessary, his hands were tied behind him and he was leisurely18 robbed, or held, as the case might be.
The Golden Band was formed in the middle of the thirties, when the first Nicholas had been about ten years on the throne. Its first founders19 were three Polish nobles. It was never distinguished20 by the number of its members, but everyone of them could honestly call himself an accomplished21 knave22, never stopping at anything that stood in the way of a "job." The present head of the band was Lieutenant Kovroff, who was a thorough-paced rascal23, in the full sense of the word. Daring, brave, self-confident, he also possessed24 a handsome presence, good manners, and the worldly finish known as education. Before the members of the Golden Band, and especially before Kovroff, the small rascals25 stood in fear and trembling. He had his secret agents everywhere, following every move of the crooks26 quietly but pertinaciously27. At the moment when some big job was being pulled off, Kovroff suddenly appeared unexpectedly, with some of his "boys," and demanded a contribution, threatening instantly to inform the police if he did not get it—and the rogues28, in order to "keep him quiet," had to give him whatever share of their plunder29 he graciously deigned30 to indicate. Acting31 with extraordinary skill and acumen32 in all his undertakings33 he always managed so that not a shadow of suspicion could fall on himself and so he got a double share of the plunder: robbing the honest folk and the rogues at the same time. Kovroff escaped the contempt of the crooks because he did things on such a big scale and embarked34 with his Golden Band on the most desperate and dangerous enterprises that the rest of roguedom did not even dare to consider.
The rogues, whatever their rank, have a great respect for daring, skill, and force—and therefore they respected Kovroff, at the same time fearing and detesting35 him.
"Who are you getting that passport for?" he asked, calmly taking the paper from the table and slipping it into his pocket. Gretcka nodded toward Bodlevski.
"Aha! for you, is it? Very glad to hear it!" said Kovroff, measuring him with his eyes. "And so, gentlemen, twenty-five rubles, or good-by—to our happy meeting in the police court!"
"Mr. Kovroff! Allow me to speak to you as a man of honor!" Pacomius Borisovitch again interrupted. "We are only getting twenty rubles for the job. The whole gang will pledge their words of honor to that. Do you think we would lie to you and stain the honor of the gang for twenty measly rubles?"
"That is business. That was well said. I love a good speech, and am always ready to respect it," remarked Sergei Antonitch approvingly.
"Very well, then, see for yourself," went on the red-nosed Pacomius, "see for yourself. If we give you everything, we are doing our work and not getting a kopeck!"
"Let him pay," answered Kovroff, turning his eyes toward Bodlevski.
Bodlevski took out his gold watch, his only inheritance from his father, and laid it down on the table before Kovroff with the five rubles that remained.
Kovroff again measured him with his eyes and smiled.
And he warmly pressed the engraver's hand. "But you must know for the future," he added in a friendly but impressive way, "that I never take anything but money when I am dealing37 with these fellows. Ho, you!" he went on, turning to the company, "some one go to uncle's and get cash for this watch; tell him to pay conscientiously38 at least two thirds of what it is worth; it is a good watch. It would cost sixty rubles to buy. And have a bottle of champagne39 got ready for me at the bar, quick! And if you don't, it will be the worse for you!" he called after the departing Yuzitch, who came back a few minutes later, and gave Kovroff forty rubles. Kovroff counted them, and put twenty in his pocket, returning the remainder in silence, but with a gentlemanly smile, to Bodlevski.
"Fair exchange is no robbery," he said, giving Bodlevski the passport of the college assessor's widow. "Now that old rascal Pacomius may get to work."
"What is there to do?" laughed Pacomius; "the passport will do very well. So let us have a little glass, and then a little game of cards."
"We are going to know each other better; I like your face, so I hope we shall make friends," said Kovroff, again shaking hands with Bodlevski. "Now let us go and have some wine. You will tell me over our glasses what you want the passport for, and on account of your frankness about the watch, I am well disposed to you. Lieutenant Sergei Kovroff gives you his word of honor on that. I also can be magnanimous," he concluded, and the new friends accompanied by the whole gang went out to the large hall.
There began a scene of revelry that lasted till long after midnight. Bodlevski, feeling his side pocket to see if the passport was still there, at last left the hall, bewildered, as though under a spell. He felt a kind of gloomy satisfaction; he was possessed by this satisfaction, by the uncertainty40 of what Natasha could have thought out, by the question how it would all turn out, and by the conviction that his first crime had already been committed. All these feelings lay like lead on his heart, while in his ears resounded41 the wild songs of the Cave.
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1
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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erasing
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| v.擦掉( erase的现在分词 )；抹去；清除 | |
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3
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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7
persuasively
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| adv.口才好地；令人信服地 | |
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8
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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haughtily
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| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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12
scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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finch
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| n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等) | |
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14
suffocate
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| vt.使窒息，使缺氧，阻碍；vi.窒息，窒息而亡，阻碍发展 | |
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15
untie
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| vt.解开，松开；解放 | |
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smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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founders
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| n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
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20
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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21
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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22
knave
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| n.流氓；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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24
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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25
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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crooks
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| n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 ) | |
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pertinaciously
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| adv.坚持地；固执地；坚决地；执拗地 | |
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28
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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29
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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30
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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32
acumen
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| n.敏锐，聪明 | |
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33
undertakings
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| 企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务 | |
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34
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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35
detesting
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的现在分词 ) | |
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36
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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37
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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38
conscientiously
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| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
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39
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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40
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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41
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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