The Daughter of the Commandant: Ch. 8 - The Unexpected Visit

Ch. 8 - The Unexpected Visit

The square remained empty. I stood in the same place, unable to collect
my thoughts, disturbed by so many terrible events.

My uncertainty about Marya Iv�nofna's fate tormented me more than I can
say. Where was she? What had become of her? Had she had time to hide
herself? Was her place of refuge safe and sure? Full of these oppressive
thoughts, I went to the Commandant's house. All was empty. The chairs,
the tables, the presses were burned, and the crockery in bits; the
place was in dreadful disorder. I quickly ran up the little stair which
led to Marya's room, where I was about to enter for the first time in my
life.

Her bed was topsy-turvy, the press open and ransacked. A lamp still
burned before the "_kivott_"[56] equally empty; but a small
looking-glass hanging between the door and window had not been taken
away. What had become of the inmate of this simple maiden's cell? A
terrible apprehension crossed my mind. I thought of Marya in the hands
of the robbers. My heart failed me; I burst into tears and murmured the
name of my loved one. At this moment I heard a slight noise, and
Polashka, very pale, came out from behind the press.

"Oh, Petr' Andr�j�tch," said she, wringing her hands; "what a day, what
horrors!"

"Marya Iv�nofna," cried I, impatiently, "where is Marya Iv�nofna?"

"The young lady is alive," replied Polashka; "she is hidden at Akoulina
Pamphilovna's."

"In the pope's house!" I exclaimed, affrighted. "Good God! Pugatch�f is
there!"

I rushed out of the room, in two jumps I was in the street and running
wildly towards the pope's house. From within there resounded songs,
shouts, and bursts of laughter; Pugatch�f was at the table with his
companions. Polashka had followed me; I sent her secretly to call aside
Akoulina Pamphilovna. The next minute the pope's wife came out into the
ante-room, an empty bottle in her hand.

"In heaven's name where is Marya Iv�nofna?" I asked, with indescribable
agitation.

"She is in bed, the little dove," replied the pope's wife, "in my bed,
behind the partition. Ah! Petr' Andr�j�tch, a misfortune very nearly
happened. But, thank God, all has passed happily over. The villain had
scarcely sat down to table before the poor darling began to moan. I
nearly died of fright. He heard her."

"'Who is that moaning, old woman?' said he.

"I saluted the robber down to the ground.

"'My niece, Tzar; she has been ill and in bed for more than a week.'

"'And your niece, is she young?'

"'She is young, Tzar.'

"'Let us see, old woman; show me your niece.'

"I felt my heart fail me; but what could I do?

"'Very well, Tzar; but the girl is not strong enough to rise and come
before your grace.'

"'That's nothing, old woman; I'll go myself and see her.'

"And, would you believe it, the rascal actually went behind the
partition. He drew aside the curtain, looked at her with his hawk's
eyes, and nothing more; God helped us. You may believe me when I say the
father and I were already prepared to die the death of martyrs. Luckily
the little dove did not recognize him. O, Lord God! what have we lived
to see! Poor Iv�n Kouzmitch! who would have thought it! And Vassilissa
Igorofna and Iw�n Ignatiitch! Why him too? And you, how came it that you
were spared? And what do you think of Chvabrine, of Alexy Iv�nytch? He
has cut his hair short, and he is there having a spree with them. He is
a sly fox, you'll agree. And when I spoke of my sick niece, would you
believe it, he looked at me as if he would like to run me through with
his knife. Still, he did not betray us, and I'm thankful to him for
that!"

At this moment up rose the vinous shouts of the guests and the voice of
Father Garasim. The guests wanted more wine, and the pope was calling
his wife.

"Go home, Petr' Andr�j�tch," she said to me, in great agitation, "I have
something else to do than chatter to you. Some ill will befall you if
you come across any of them now. Good-bye, Petr' Andr�j�tch. What must
be, must be; and it may be God will not forsake us."

The pope's wife went in; a little relieved, I returned to my quarters.
Crossing the square I saw several Bashkirs crowding round the gallows in
order to tear off the high boots of the hanged men. With difficulty I
forbore showing my anger, which I knew would be wholly useless.

The robbers pervaded the fort, and were plundering the officers'
quarters, and the shouts of the rebels making merry were heard
everywhere. I went home. Sav�liitch met me on the threshold.

"Thank heaven!" cried he, upon seeing me, "I thought the villains had
again laid hold on you. Oh! my father, Petr' Andr�j�tch, would you
believe it, the robbers have taken everything from us: clothes, linen,
crockery and goods; they have left nothing. But what does it matter?
Thank God that they have at least left you your life! But oh! my master,
did you recognize their '_atam�n_?'"[57]

"No, I did not recognize him. Who is he?"

"What, my little father, you have already forgotten the drunkard who
did you out of your '_touloup_' the day of the snowstorm, a hareskin
'_touloup_,' brand new. And he, the rascal, who split all the seams
putting it on."

I was dumbfounded. The likeness of Pugatch�f to my guide was indeed
striking. I ended by feeling certain that he and Pugatch�f were one and
the same man, and I then understood why he had shown me mercy. I was
filled with astonishment at the extraordinary connection of events. A
boy's "_touloup_," given to a vagabond, saved my neck from the hangman,
and a drunken frequenter of pothouses besieged forts and shook the
Empire.

"Will you not eat something?" asked Sav�liitch, faithful to his old
habits. "There is nothing in the house, it is true; but I shall look
about everywhere, and I will get something ready for you."

Left alone, I began to reflect. What could I do? To stay in the fort,
which was now in the hands of the robber, or to join his band were
courses alike unworthy of an officer. Duty prompted me to go where I
could still be useful to my country in the critical circumstances in
which it was now situated.

But my love urged me no less strongly to stay by Marya Iv�nofna, to be
her protector and her champion. Although I foresaw a new and inevitable
change in the state of things, yet I could not help trembling as I
thought of the dangers of her situation.

My reflections were broken by the arrival of a Cossack, who came running
to tell me that the great Tzar summoned me to his presence.

"Where is he?" I asked, hastening to obey.

"In the Commandant's house," replied the Cossack. "After dinner our
father went to the bath; now he is resting. Ah, sir! you can see he is a
person of importance--he deigned at dinner to eat two roast
sucking-pigs; and then he went into the upper part of the vapour-bath,
where it was so hot that Tarass Kurotchkin himself could not stand it;
he passed the broom to Bikbaieff, and only recovered by dint of cold
water. You must agree; his manners are very majestic, and in the bath,
they say, he showed his marks of Tzar--on one of his breasts a
double-headed eagle as large as a p�tak,[58] and on the other his own
face."

I did not think it worth while to contradict the Cossack, and I followed
him into the Commandant's house, trying to imagine beforehand my
interview with Pugatch�f, and to guess how it would end.

The reader will easily believe me when I say that I did not feel wholly
reassured.

It was getting dark when I reached the house of the Commandant.

The gallows, with its victims, stood out black and terrible; the body of
the Commandant's poor wife still lay beneath the porch, close by two
Cossacks, who were on guard.

He who had brought me went in to announce my arrival. He came back
almost directly, and ushered me into the room where, the previous
evening, I had bidden good-bye to Marya Iv�nofna.

I saw a strange scene before me. At a table covered with a cloth and
laden with bottles and glasses was seated Pugatch�f, surrounded by ten
Cossack chiefs, in high caps and coloured shirts, heated by wine, with
flushed faces and sparkling eyes. I did not see among them the new
confederates lately sworn in, the traitor Chvabrine and the
"_ouriadnik_."

"Ah, ah! so it is you, your lordship," said Pugatch�f, upon seeing me.
"You are welcome. All honour to you, and a place at our feast."

The guests made room. I sat down in silence at the end of the table.

My neighbour, a tall and slender young Cossack, with a handsome face,
poured me out a bumper of brandy, which I did not touch. I was busy
noting the company.

Pugatch�f was seated in the place of honour, his elbows on the table,
and resting his black beard on his broad fist. His features, regular and
agreeable, wore no fierce expression. He often addressed a man of about
fifty years old, calling him sometimes Count, sometimes Timofeitsh,
sometimes Uncle.

Each man considered himself as good as his fellow, and none showed any
particular deference to their chief. They were talking of the morning's
assault, of the success of the revolt, and of their forthcoming
operations.

Each man bragged of his prowess, proclaimed his opinions, and freely
contradicted Pugatch�f. And it was decided to march upon Orenburg, a
bold move, which was nearly crowned with success. The departure was
fixed for the day following.

The guests drank yet another bumper, rose from table, and took leave of
Pugatch�f. I wished to follow them, but Pugatch�f said--

"Stay there, I wish to speak to you!"

We remained alone together, and for a few moments neither spoke.

Pugatch�f looked sharply at me, winking from time to time his left eye
with an indefinable expression of slyness and mockery. At last he gave
way to a long burst of laughter, and that with such unfeigned gaiety
that I myself, regarding him, began to laugh without knowing why.

"Well, your lordship," said he, "confess you were afraid when my fellows
cast the rope about your neck. I warrant the sky seemed to you the size
of a sheepskin. And you would certainly have swung beneath the
cross-beam but for your old servant. I knew the old owl again directly.
Well, would you ever have thought, sir, that the man who guided you to a
lodging in the steppe was the great Tzar himself?" As he said these
words he assumed a grave and mysterious air. "You are very guilty as
regards me," resumed he, "but I have pardoned you on account of your
courage, and because you did me a good turn when I was obliged to hide
from my enemies. But you shall see better things; I will load you with
other favours when I shall have recovered my empire. Will you promise to
serve me zealously?"

The robber's question and his impudence appeared to be so absurd that I
could not restrain a smile.

"Why do you laugh?" he asked, frowning. "Do you not believe me to be the
great Tzar? Answer me frankly."

I did not know what to do. I could not recognize a vagabond as Emperor;
such conduct was to me unpardonably base. To call him an impostor to his
face was to devote myself to death; and the sacrifice for which I was
prepared on the gallows, before all the world, and in the first heat of
my indignation, appeared to me a useless piece of bravado. I knew not
what to say.

Pugatch�f awaited my reply in fierce silence. At last (and I yet recall
that moment with satisfaction) the feeling of duty triumphed in me over
human weakness, and I made reply to Pugatch�f--

"Just listen, and I will tell you the whole truth. You shall be judge.
Can I recognize in you a Tzar? You are a clever man; you would see
directly that I was lying."

"Who, then, am I, according to you?"

"God alone knows; but whoever you be, you are playing a dangerous game."

Pugatch�f cast at me a quick, keen glance.

"You do not then think that I am the Tzar Peter? Well, so let it be. Is
there no chance of success for the bold? In former times did not
Grischka Otr�pieff[59] reign? Think of me as you please, but do not
leave me. What does it matter to you whether it be one or the other? He
who is pope is father. Serve me faithfully, and I will make you a
field-marshal and a prince. What do you say to this?"

"No," I replied, firmly. "I am a gentleman. I have sworn fidelity to Her
Majesty the Tzarina; I cannot serve you. If you really wish me well,
send me back to Orenburg."

Pugatch�f reflected.

"But if I send you away," said he, "will you promise me at least not to
bear arms against me?"

"How can you expect me to promise you that?" replied I. "You know
yourself that that does not depend upon me. If I be ordered to march
against you I must submit. You are a chief now--you wish your
subordinates to obey you. How can I refuse to serve if I am wanted? My
head is at your disposal; if you let me go free, I thank you; if you
cause me to die, may God judge you. Howbeit, I have told you the truth."

My outspoken candour pleased Pugatch�f.

"E'en so let it be," said he, clapping me on the shoulder; "either
entirely punish or entirely pardon. Go to the four winds and do what
seems good in your eyes, but come to-morrow and bid me good-bye; and now
begone to bed--I am sleepy myself."

I left Pugatch�f, and went out into the street. The night was still and
cold, the moon and stars, sparkling with all their brightness, lit up
the square and the gallows. All was quiet and dark in the rest of the
fort. Only in the tavern were lights still to be seen, and from within
arose the shouts of the lingering revellers.

I threw a glance at the pope's house. The doors and the shutters were
closed; all seemed perfectly quiet there. I went home and found
Sav�liitch deploring my absence. The news of my regained liberty
overwhelmed him with joy.

"Thanks be to Thee, O Lord!" said he, making the sign of the cross. "We
will leave the fort to-morrow at break of day and we will go in God's
care. I have prepared something for you; eat, my father, and sleep till
morning quietly, as though in the pocket of Christ!"

I took his advice, and, after having supped with a good appetite, I went
to sleep on the bare boards, as weary in mind as in body.

Back to chapter list of: The Daughter of the Commandant