The Daughter of the Commandant Read online

  CHAPTER IX.

  THE PARTING.

  The drum awoke me very early, and I went to the Square. There the troopsof Pugatchef were beginning to gather round the gallows where thevictims of the preceding evening still hung. The Cossacks were onhorseback, the foot-soldiers with their arms shouldered, their coloursflying in the air.

  Several cannons, among which I recognized ours, were placed on field-guncarriages. All the inhabitants had assembled in the same place, awaitingthe usurper. Before the door of the Commandant's house a Cossack held bythe bridle a magnificent white horse of Kirghiz breed. I sought with myeyes the body of the Commandant's wife; it had been pushed aside andcovered over with an old bark mat.

  At last Pugatchef came out of the house. All the crowd uncovered.Pugatchef stopped on the doorstep and said good-morning to everybody.One of the chiefs handed him a bag filled with small pieces of copper,which he began to throw broadcast among the people, who rushed to pickthem up, fighting for them with blows.

  The principal confederates of Pugatchef surrounded him. Among them wasChvabrine. Our eyes met; he could read contempt in mine, and he lookedaway with an expression of deep hatred and pretended mockery. Seeing mein the crowd Pugatchef beckoned to me and called me up to him.

  "Listen," said he, "start this very minute for Orenburg. You will tellthe governor and all the generals from me that they may expect me in aweek. Advise them to receive me with submission and filial love; if not,they will not escape a terrible punishment. A good journey, to yourlordship."

  Then turning to the people, he pointed out Chvabrine.

  "There, children," said he, "is your new Commandant; obey him in allthings; he answers to me for you and the fort."

  I heard these words with affright. Chvabrine become master of the place!Marya remained in his power! Good God! what would become of her?Pugatchef came down the steps, his horse was brought round, he sprangquickly into the saddle, without waiting for the help of the Cossacksprepared to aid him.

  At this moment I saw my Saveliitch come out of the crowd, approachPugatchef, and present him with a sheet of paper. I could not think whatit all meant.

  "What is it?" asked Pugatchef, with dignity.

  "Deign to read it, and you will see," replied Saveliitch.

  Pugatchef took the paper and looked at it a long time with an air ofimportance. At last he said--

  "You write very illegibly; our lucid[60] eyes cannot make out anything.Where is our Chief Secretary?"

  A youth in a corporal's uniform ran up to Pugatchef.

  "Read it aloud," the usurper said to him, handing him the paper.

  I was extremely curious to know on what account my retainer had thoughtof writing to Pugatchef. The Chief Secretary began in a loud voice,spelling out what follows--

  "Two dressing gowns, one cotton, the other striped silk, six roubles."

  "What does that mean?" interrupted Pugatchef, frowning.

  "Tell him to read further," rejoined Saveliitch, quite unmoved.

  The Chief Secretary continued to read--

  "One uniform of fine green cloth, seven roubles; one pair trousers,white cloth, five roubles; twelve shirts of Holland shirting, withcuffs, ten roubles; one box with tea service, two-and-a-half roubles."

  "What is all this nonsense?" cried Pugatchef. "What do these tea-boxesand breeches with cuffs matter to me?"

  Saveliitch cleared his throat with a cough, and set to work to explainmatters.

  "Let my father condescend to understand that that is the bill of mymaster's goods which have been taken away by the rascals."

  "What rascals?" quoth Pugatchef, in a fierce and terrible manner.

  "Beg pardon, my tongue played me false," replied Saveliitch. "Rascals,no they are not rascals; but still your fellows have well harried andwell robbed, you must agree. Do not get angry; the horse has four legs,and yet he stumbles. Bid him read to the end."

  "Well, let us see, read on," said Pugatchef.

  The Secretary continued--

  "One chintz rug, another of wadded silk, four roubles; one pelisse foxskin lined with red ratteen, forty roubles; and lastly, a small hareskin'_touloup_,' which was left in the hands of your lordship in the waysidehouse on the steppe, fifteen roubles."

  "What's that?" cried Pugatchef, whose eyes suddenly sparkled.

  I confess I was in fear for my poor follower. He was about to embark onnew explanations when Pugatchef interrupted him.

  "How dare you bother me with such nonsense?" cried he, snatching thepaper out of the hands of the Secretary and throwing it in Saveliitch'sface. "Foolish old man, you have been despoiled; well, what does itsignify. But, old owl, you should eternally pray God for me and my ladsthat you and your master do not swing up there with the other rebels. Ahareskin '_touloup!_' Hark ye, I'll have you flayed alive that'_touloups_' may be made of your skin."

  "As it may please you!" replied Saveliitch. "But I am not a free man,and I must answer for my lord's goods."

  Pugatchef was apparently in a fit of high-mindedness. He turned asidehis head, and went off without another word. Chvabrine and the chiefsfollowed him. All the band left the fort in order. The people escortedit.

  I remained alone in the square with Saveliitch. My follower held in hishand the memorandum, and was contemplating it with an air of deepregret. Seeing my friendly understanding with Pugatchef, he had thoughtto turn it to some account. But his wise hope did not succeed. I wasgoing to scold him sharply for his misplaced zeal, and I could not helplaughing.

  "Laugh, sir, laugh," said Saveliitch; "but when you are obliged to fitup your household anew, we shall see if you still feel disposed tolaugh."

  I ran to the pope's house to see Marya Ivanofna. The pope's wife came tomeet me with a sad piece of news. During the night high fever had setin, and the poor girl was now delirious. Akoulina Pamphilovna brought meto her room. I gently approached the bed. I was struck by the frightfulchange in her face. The sick girl did not know me. Motionless beforeher, it was long ere I understood the words of Father Garasim and hiswife, who apparently were trying to comfort me.

  Gloomy thoughts overwhelmed me. The position of a poor orphan leftsolitary and friendless in the power of rascals filled me with fear,while my own powerlessness equally distressed me; but Chvabrine,Chvabrine above all, filled me with alarm. Invested with all power bythe usurper, and left master in the fort, with the unhappy girl, theobject of his hatred, he was capable of anything. What should I do? Howcould I help her? How deliver her? Only in one way, and I embraced it.It was to start with all speed for Orenburg, so as to hasten therecapture of Belogorsk, and to aid in it if possible.

  I took leave of the pope and of Akoulina Pamphilovna, recommendingwarmly to them her whom I already regarded as my wife. I seized the handof the young girl and covered it with tears and kisses.

  "Good-bye," the pope's wife said to me, as she led me away. "Good-bye,Petr' Andrejitch; perhaps we may meet again in happier times. Don'tforget us, and write often to us. Except you, poor Marya Ivanofna has nolonger stay or comforter."

  Out in the Square I stopped a minute before the gallows, which Irespectfully saluted, and I then took the road to Orenburg, accompaniedby Saveliitch, who did not forsake me.

  As I thus went along, deep in thought, I heard all at once a horsegalloping behind me. I turned round, and saw a Cossack coming up fromthe fort, leading a Bashkir horse, and making signs to me from afar towait for him. I stopped, and soon recognized our "_ouriadnik_."

  After joining us at a gallop, he jumped from the back of his own horse,and handing me the bridle of the other--

  "Your lordship," said he, "our father makes you a present of a horse,and a pelisse from his own shoulder." On the saddle was slung a plainsheepskin "_touloup_." "And, besides," added he, hesitatingly, "he givesyou a half-rouble, but I have lost it by the way; kindly excuse it."

  Saveliitch looked askance at him.

  "You have lost it by the way," said he, "and pray what is that whichjingles in your pocket
, barefaced liar that you are?"

  "Jingling in my pocket?" replied the "_ouriadnik_," not a whitdisconcerted; "God forgive you, old man, 'tis a bridlebit, and never ahalf rouble."

  "Well! well!" said I, putting an end to the dispute. "Thank from me hewho sent you: and you may as well try as you go back to find the losthalf rouble and keep it for yourself."

  "Many thanks, your lordship," said he, turning his horse round; "I willpray God for ever for you."

  With these words, he started off at a gallop, keeping one hand on hispocket, and was soon out of sight. I put on the "_touloup_" and mountedthe horse, taking up Saveliitch behind me.

  "Don't you see, your lordship," said the old man, "that it was not invain that I presented my petition to the robber? The robber was ashamedof himself, although this long and lean Bashkir hoss and this peasant's'_touloup_' be not worth half what those rascals stole from us, nor whatyou deigned to give him as a present, still they may be useful to us.'From an evil dog be glad of a handful of hairs.'"