The Daughter of the Commandant

my conduct at the Simbirsk Inn had been most foolish, and I felt guilty toward Savéliitch. All this worried me. The old man sat, in sulky silence, in the forepart of the sledg

et us have done with all

But what could I do; the devil would have it so, else why did it occur to me to go and see my gossip the deacon's wife, and thus it happened, as the proverb says, 'I left the house and w

I would not spend a single kopek without his consent. Gradually he cal

ubles, it is

eep ravines. All was covered with snow. The sun was setting. My kibitka was following the narrow road, or rather

ff his cap, "will you no

hy

ready a little wind. Do you not see ho

t does tha

see what the

ointed east

than the white stepp

; look, that

of snow. Savéliitch was of the same opinion as the driver, and advised me to turn back, but the wind did not seem to me very violent, and hoping to reach in time the next posting station, I bid him try and get on quickly. He put his horses to a gallop, continually looking, however, towards the east. But the wind increase

ellency," cried the driv

and confusion. The wind blew with such ferocity tha

red us. The horses went at a wa

n?" I said, impatie

sledge. "Heaven only knows where we are now. Th

him, but Savéliit

t-house; you would have had some tea; you could have slept till morning; the storm would have

to fall-a heap was rising around the kibitka. The horses stood

avéliitch grumbled. I was looking all round in hopes of perceiving some indication of a

ght I distinguishe

laimed, "what is that

ntively in the directi

xcellency," replied h

is not a tree, and it se

e a wolf

object, which came also to meet us. In t

river hailed him, "tell us, d

veller. "I am on firm ground; but w

you know this part of the country? Can you gui

foot, far and wide. But just look at this weather! One cannot keep the road. Better stay here and wai

ht on the steppe, commending myself to the care of Providence, when

a house not far off. Turn

e right?" retorted my

ou are so ready to say, 'Other people's h

me the driv

ranger, "do you think a

," replied he, "and I smelt smoke,

shed. The horses ploughed their way through the deep snow. The kibitka advanced slowly, sometimes upraised on a dr

ching of the sledge. I had then a dream that I have never forgotten, and in which I still see something prophetic, as I recall the strange events of my life. The reader will forgive me

ng in the snowy desert. All at once I thought I saw a great gate, and we entered the courtyard of our house. My first thought was a fear that my father would be angry at my invol

me. "Your father is on his death-b

m is nearly dark. Near the bed some people were standing, looking sad and

e back; he came back having heard of

saw in the bed a black-bearded peasant, who regarded me with

"It is not my father. Why do you wan

my mother. "That person is your godfather

an to brandish it in all directions. I wished to fly, but I could not. The room seemed to be suddenly full of corps

me near; come and

stupifi

e horses had stopped; Savé

ncy," said he to

asked, rubb

chance right upon the hedge by the house. Get out, excel

as well been blind. The host received us near the entrance, holding a lantern beneath the skirt of his caftan, and led u

Savéliitch brought the tea canister, and asked for a fire that he might make me a cup or

ur guide? Where is he

lency," replied a

above the stove, and I saw a bl

are you

? I had a touloup, but, it's no good hiding it, I left it yesterday i

the boiling samovar.[20] I offered our g

was beginning to turn grey; his large quick eyes roved incessantly around. In his face there was an expression rather

of tea; he tasted it

he to me, "to give me a glass of brandy;

one of the shelves of the press a jug and a glass, a

"so here you are again

n's name, do yo

ning manner, and replied

eating hempseed; the grandmother threw a stone at him

n?" rejoined the host, st

the pope[22] forbid it; the pope went away on a v

find mushrooms you will find a basket to put them in. But now" (he winked a second time) "pu

cross, and swallowed his brandy at one gulp, then,

was only later on that I understood that they were talking about the army of the

iscontented manner, and cast suspicious glances,

be a robber resort. But what could we do? We could not dream of resuming our journey. Savéliitch's uneasiness amused me very much. I stretched myself on a bench. My ol

were already harnessed. I paid the host, who named such a mere trifle as my reckoning that Savéliitch did not bargain as he usually did. His suspicions of t

itch f

elf to the inn? I will obey you, excellency, but we have no half roubles to spar

tirely at his disposal. Nevertheless, I was annoyed that I was not able to reward a man who, if

sh to give him half a rouble give him one of my old coat

Savéliitch. "What need has he of your touloup? He will pawn

it or whether I do not. His excellency honours me with a coat off his own back.[26] It is

ll young and foolish, and you are quite ready to plunder him, thanks to his kind heart. What do y

e wit," I said to my follow

himself. "A touloup of hareskin, and still quite n

somewhat too small for me, was really too tight for him. Still, with some trouble, he succeeded in getting it on

bow, "Thanks, your excellency; may Heaven reward you for your goodness; I shall never forget, as long as I

wstorm, the guide, an

hair was quite white; his old uniform reminded one of a soldier of Tzarina Anne's[27] time, and he spoke with a

Petróvitch was your age, and now he has got a

gan reading it half aloud, w

omrade? 'Your excellency will not have forgotten'-Humph! 'And when under the late Field Marshal Münich during the campaign, as well as little Caroline'-Eh! eh! bruder! So he still reme

th gloves of porcupine-skin?

, "to treat someone kindly, not too strictly, to leave him plenty of

I unde

ssion'-Where is it then? Ah! here it is!-'in the roll of the Séménofsky Regiment'-All right; everything necessary shall be done

Regiment, and you shall go to-morrow to Fort Bélogorsk, where you will serve under the orders of Commandant Mironoff, a brave and worthy man. There you w

a sergeant in the Guard from my cradle? Where has it brought me? To the --th

my was the rule at his table, and I think that the dread of a frequent guest at his bachelo

e of the General, and st