The Daughter of the Commandant: Ch. 9 - The Parting

Ch. 9 - The Parting

The drum awoke me very early, and I went to the Square. There the troops
of Pugatch�f were beginning to gather round the gallows where the
victims of the preceding evening still hung. The Cossacks were on
horseback, the foot-soldiers with their arms shouldered, their colours
flying in the air.

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

At last Pugatch�f came out of the house. All the crowd uncovered.
Pugatch�f 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 pick
them up, fighting for them with blows.

The principal confederates of Pugatch�f surrounded him. Among them was
Chvabrine. Our eyes met; he could read contempt in mine, and he looked
away with an expression of deep hatred and pretended mockery. Seeing me
in the crowd Pugatch�f beckoned to me and called me up to him.

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

Then turning to the people, he pointed out Chvabrine.

"There, children," said he, "is your new Commandant; obey him in all
things; 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?
Pugatch�f came down the steps, his horse was brought round, he sprang
quickly into the saddle, without waiting for the help of the Cossacks
prepared to aid him.

At this moment I saw my Sav�liitch come out of the crowd, approach
Pugatch�f, and present him with a sheet of paper. I could not think what
it all meant.

"What is it?" asked Pugatch�f, with dignity.

"Deign to read it, and you will see," replied Sav�liitch.

Pugatch�f took the paper and looked at it a long time with an air of
importance. 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 Pugatch�f.

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

I was extremely curious to know on what account my retainer had thought
of writing to Pugatch�f. 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 Pugatch�f, frowning.

"Tell him to read further," rejoined Sav�liitch, 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, with
cuffs, ten roubles; one box with tea service, two-and-a-half roubles."

"What is all this nonsense?" cried Pugatch�f. "What do these tea-boxes
and breeches with cuffs matter to me?"

Sav�liitch cleared his throat with a cough, and set to work to explain
matters.

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

"What rascals?" quoth Pugatch�f, in a fierce and terrible manner.

"Beg pardon, my tongue played me false," replied Sav�liitch. "Rascals,
no they are not rascals; but still your fellows have well harried and
well 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 Pugatch�f.

The Secretary continued--

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

"What's that?" cried Pugatch�f, whose eyes suddenly sparkled.

I confess I was in fear for my poor follower. He was about to embark on
new explanations when Pugatch�f interrupted him.

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

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

Pugatch�f was apparently in a fit of high-mindedness. He turned aside
his head, and went off without another word. Chvabrine and the chiefs
followed him. All the band left the fort in order. The people escorted
it.

I remained alone in the square with Sav�liitch. My follower held in his
hand the memorandum, and was contemplating it with an air of deep
regret. Seeing my friendly understanding with Pugatch�f, he had thought
to turn it to some account. But his wise hope did not succeed. I was
going to scold him sharply for his misplaced zeal, and I could not help
laughing.

"Laugh, sir, laugh," said Sav�liitch; "but when you are obliged to fit
up your household anew, we shall see if you still feel disposed to
laugh."

I ran to the pope's house to see Marya Iv�nofna. The pope's wife came to
meet me with a sad piece of news. During the night high fever had set
in, and the poor girl was now delirious. Akoulina Pamphilovna brought me
to her room. I gently approached the bed. I was struck by the frightful
change in her face. The sick girl did not know me. Motionless before
her, it was long ere I understood the words of Father Garasim and his
wife, who apparently were trying to comfort me.

Gloomy thoughts overwhelmed me. The position of a poor orphan left
solitary 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 by
the usurper, and left master in the fort, with the unhappy girl, the
object of his hatred, he was capable of anything. What should I do? How
could 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 the
recapture of B�logorsk, and to aid in it if possible.

I took leave of the pope and of Akoulina Pamphilovna, recommending
warmly to them her whom I already regarded as my wife. I seized the hand
of 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' Andr�j�tch; perhaps we may meet again in happier times. Don't
forget us, and write often to us. Except you, poor Marya Iv�nofna has no
longer stay or comforter."

Out in the Square I stopped a minute before the gallows, which I
respectfully saluted, and I then took the road to Orenburg, accompanied
by Sav�liitch, who did not forsake me.

As I thus went along, deep in thought, I heard all at once a horse
galloping behind me. I turned round, and saw a Cossack coming up from
the fort, leading a Bashkir horse, and making signs to me from afar to
wait 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 plain
sheepskin "_touloup_." "And, besides," added he, hesitatingly, "he gives
you a half-rouble, but I have lost it by the way; kindly excuse it."

Sav�liitch looked askance at him.

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

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

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

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

With these words, he started off at a gallop, keeping one hand on his
pocket, and was soon out of sight. I put on the "_touloup_" and mounted
the horse, taking up Sav�liitch behind me.

"Don't you see, your lordship," said the old man, "that it was not in
vain that I presented my petition to the robber? The robber was ashamed
of himself, although this long and lean Bashkir hoss and this peasant's
'_touloup_' be not worth half what those rascals stole from us, nor what
you 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.'"

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