a hero of our time-第14章

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　rely　on！　。　。　。　　But；　indeed；　it　is　a　pity　that　he　should　come　to　a　bad　end　。　。　。　yet　it　can't　be　otherwise！　。　。　。　　I　always　did　say　that　there　is　no　good　to　be　got　out　of　a　man　who　forgets　his　old　friends！〃　。　。　。

Hereupon　he　turned　away　in　order　to　hide　his　agitation　and　proceeded　to　walk　about　the　court…　yard；　around　his　cart；　pretending　to　be　examining　the　wheels；　whilst　his　eyes　kept　filling　with　tears　every　moment。

〃Maksim　Maksimych；〃　I　said；　going　up　to　him；　〃what　papers　are　these　that　Pechorin　left　you？〃

〃Goodness　knows！　　Notes　of　some　sort〃　。　。　。

〃What　will　you　do　with　them？〃

〃What？　　I'll　have　cartridges　made　of　them。〃

〃Hand　them　over　to　me　instead。〃

He　looked　at　me　in　surprise；　growled　some…　thing　through　his　teeth；　and　began　to　rummage　in　his　portmanteau。　　Out　he　drew　a　writing…book　and　threw　it　contemptuously　on　the　ground；　then　a　second　　a　third　　a　tenth　shared　the　same　fate。　　There　was　something　childish　in　his　vexation；　and　it　struck　me　as　ridiculous　and　pitiable。　。　。

〃Here　they　are；〃　he　said。　　〃I　congratulate　you　on　your　find！〃　。　。　。

〃And　I　may　do　anything　I　like　with　them？〃

〃Yes；　print　them　in　the　newspapers；　if　you　like。　What　is　it　to　me？　　Am　I　a　friend　or　relation　of　his？　　It　is　true　that　for　a　long　time　we　lived　under　one　roof　。　。　。　but　aren't　there　plenty　of　people　with　whom　I　have　lived？〃　。　。　。

I　seized　the　papers　and　lost　no　time　in　carry…　ing　them　away；　fearing　that　the　staff…captain　might　repent　his　action。　　Soon　somebody　came　to　tell　us　that　the　〃Adventure〃　would　set　off　in　an　hour's　time。　　I　ordered　the　horses　to　be　put　to。

I　had　already　put　my　cap　on　when　the　staff…　captain　entered　the　room。　　Apparently　he　had　not　got　ready　for　departure。　　His　manner　was　somewhat　cold　and　constrained。

〃You　are　not　going；　then；　Maksim　Maksim…　ych？〃

〃No；　sir！〃

〃But　why　not？〃

〃Well；　I　have　not　seen　the　Commandant　yet；　and　I　have　to　deliver　some　Government　things。〃

〃But　you　did　go；　you　know。〃

〃I　did；　of　course；〃　he　stammered；　〃but　he　was　not　at　home　。　。　。　and　I　did　not　wait。〃

I　understood。　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　probably；　the　poor　old　man　had；　to　speak　by　the　book；　thrown　aside　official　business　'for　the　sake　of　his　personal　requirements'　。　。　。　and　how　he　had　been　rewarded！

〃I　am　very　sorry；　Maksim　Maksimych；　very　sorry　indeed；〃　I　said；　〃that　we　must　part　sooner　than　necessary。〃

〃What　should　we　rough　old　men　be　thinking　of　to　run　after　you？　　You　young　men　are　fashionable　and　proud：　under　the　Circassian　bullets　you　are　friendly　enough　with　us　。　。　。　but　when　you　meet　us　afterwards　you　are　ashamed　even　to　give　us　your　hand！〃

〃I　have　not　deserved　these　reproaches；　Maksim　Maksimych。〃

〃Well；　but　you　know　I'm　quite　right。　　How…　ever；　I　wish　you　all　good　luck　and　a　pleasant　journey。〃

We　took　a　rather　cold　farewell　of　each　other。　The　kind…hearted　Maksim　Maksimych　had　be…　come　the　obstinate；　cantankerous　staff…captain！　And　why？　　Because　Pechorin；　through　ab…　sent…mindedness　or　from　some　other　cause；　had　extended　his　hand　to　him　when　Maksim　Maksimych　was　going　to　throw　himself　on　his　neck！　　Sad　it　is　to　see　when　a　young　man　loses　his　best　hopes　and　dreams；　when　from　before　his　eyes　is　withdrawn　the　rose…hued　veil　through　which　he　has　looked　upon　the　deeds　and　feelings　of　mankind；　although　there　is　the　hope　that　the　old　illusions　will　be　replaced　by　new　ones；　none　the　less　evanescent；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　none　the　less　sweet。　　But　wherewith　can　they　be　replaced　when　one　is　at　the　age　of　Maksim　Maksimych？　　Do　what　you　will；　the　heart　hardens　and　the　soul　shrinks　in　upon　itself。

I　departed　　alone。



FOREWORD　TO　BOOKS　III；　IV；　AND　V

CONCERNING　PECHORIN'S　DIARY

I　LEARNED　not　long　ago　that　Pechorin　had　died　on　his　way　back　from　Persia。　　The　news　afforded　me　great　delight；　it　gave　me　the　right　to　print　these　notes；　and　I　have　taken　advantage　of　the　opportunity　of　putting　my　name　at　the　head　of　another　person's　productions。　　Heaven　grant　that　my　readers　may　not　punish　me　for　such　an　innocent　deception！

I　must　now　give　some　explanation　of　the　reasons　which　have　induced　me　to　betray　to　the　public　the　inmost　secrets　of　a　man　whom　I　never　knew。　　If　I　had　even　been　his　friend；　well　and　good：　the　artful　indiscretion　of　the　true　friend　is　intelligible　to　everybody；　but　I　only　saw　Pechorin　once　in　my　life　　on　the　high…road　　and；　consequently；　I　cannot　cherish　towards　him　that　inexplicable　hatred；　which；　hiding　its　face　under　the　mask　of　friendship；　awaits　but　the　death　or　misfortune　of　the　beloved　object　to　burst　over　its　head　in　a　storm　of　reproaches；　admonitions；　scoffs　and　regrets。

On　reading　over　these　notes；　I　have　become　convinced　of　the　sincerity　of　the　man　who　has　so　unsparingly　exposed　to　view　his　own　weaknesses　and　vices。　　The　history　of　a　man's　soul；　even　the　pettiest　soul；　is　hardly　less　interesting　and　useful　than　the　history　of　a　whole　people；　especially　when　the　former　is　the　result　of　the　observations　of　a　mature　mind　upon　itself；　and　has　been　written　without　any　egoistical　desire　of　arousing　sympathy　or　astonishment。　　Rous…　seau's　Confessions　has　precisely　this　defect　　he　read　it　to　his　friends。

And；　so；　it　is　nothing　but　the　desire　to　be　useful　that　has　constrained　me　to　print　fragments　of　this　diary　which　fell　into　my　hands　by　chance。　Although　I　have　altered　all　the　proper　names；　those　who　are　mentioned　in　it　will　probably　recog…　nise　themselves；　and；　it　may　be；　will　find　some　justification　for　actions　for　which　they　have　hitherto　blamed　a　man　who　has　ceased　henceforth　to　have　anything　in　common　with　this　world。　We　almost　always　excuse　that　which　we　under…　stand。

I　have　inserted　in　this　book　only　those　portions　of　the　diary　which　refer　to　Pechorin's　sojourn　in　the　Caucasus。　　There　still　remains　in　my　hands　a　thick　writing…book　in　which　he　tells　the　story　of　his　whole　life。　　Some　time　or　other　that；　too；　will　present　itself　before　the　tribunal　of　the　world；　but；　for　many　and　weighty　reasons；　I　do　not　venture　to　take　such　a　responsibility　upon　myself　now。

Possibly　some　readers　would　like　to　know　my　own　opinion　of　Pechorin's　character。　　My　answer　is：　the　title　of　this　book。　　〃But　that　is　malicious　irony！〃　they　will　say。　。　。　　I　know　not。



BOOK　III　THE　FIRST　EXTRACT　FROM　PECHORIN'S　DIARY

TAMAN

TAMAN　is　the　nastiest　little　hole　of　all　the　seaports　of　Russia。　I　was　all　but　starved　　there；　to　say　nothing　of　having　a　narrow　escape　of　being　drowned。

I　arrived　late　at　night　by　the　post…car。　The　driver　stopped　the　tired　troika＇1＇　at　the　gate　of　the　only　stone…built　house　that　stood　at　the　entrance　to　the　town。　The　sentry；　a　Cossack　from　the　Black　Sea；　hearing　the　jingle　of　the　bell；　cried　out；　sleepily；　in　his　barbarous　voice；　〃Who　goes　there？〃　An　under…officer　of　Cossacks　and　a　headborough＇2＇　came　out。　I　explained　that　I　was　an　officer　bound　for　the　active…service　detachment　on　Government　business；　and　I　proceeded　to　demand　official　quarters。　The　headborough　conducted　us　round　the　town。　Whatever　hut　we　drove　up　to　we　found　to　be　occupied。　The　weather　was　cold；　I　had　not　slept　for　three　nights；　I　was　tired　out；　and　I　began　to　lose　my　temper。

＇1＇　Team　of　three　horses　abreast。

＇2＇　Desyatnik；　a　superintendent　of　ten　（men　or　huts）；　i。e。　an　officer　like　the　old　English　tithing…man　or　headborough。

〃Take　me　somewhere　or　other；　you　scoundrel！〃　I　cried；　〃to　the　devil　himself；　so　long　as　there's　a　place　to　put　up　at！〃

〃There　is　one　other　lodging；〃　answered　the　headborough；　scratching　his　head。　〃Only　you　won't　like　it；　sir。　It　is　uncanny！〃

Failing　to　grasp　the　exact　signification　of　the　last　phrase；　I　ordered　him　to　go　on；　and；　after　a　lengthy　peregrination　through　muddy　byways；　at　the　sides　of　which　I　could　see　nothing　but　old　fences；　we　drove　up　to　a　small　cabin；　right　on　the　shore　of　the　sea。

The　full　moon　was　shining　on　the　little　reed…　thatched　roof　and　the　white　walls　of　my　new　dwelling。　In　the　courtyard；　which　was　sur…　rounded　by　a　wall　of　rubble…stone；　there　stood　another　miserable　hovel；　smaller　and　older　than　the　first　and　all　askew。　The　shore　descended　precipitously　to　the　sea；　almost　from　its　very　walls；　and　down　below；　with　incessant　murmur；　plashed　the　dark…blue　waves。　The　moon　gazed　softly　upon　the　w