a hero of our time-第15章

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and　down　below；　with　incessant　murmur；　plashed　the　dark…blue　waves。　The　moon　gazed　softly　upon　the　watery　element；　restless　but　obedient　to　it；　and　I　was　able　by　its　light　to　distinguish　two　ships　lying　at　some　distance　from　the　shore；　their　black　rigging　motionless　and　standing　out；　like　cobwebs；　against　the　pale　line　of　the　horizon。

〃There　are　vessels　in　the　harbour；〃　I　said　to　myself。　〃To…morrow　I　will　set　out　for　Gelen…　jik。〃

I　had　with　me；　in　the　capacity　of　soldier…　servant；　a　Cossack　of　the　frontier　army。　Order…　ing　him　to　take　down　the　portmanteau　and　dis…　miss　the　driver；　I　began　to　call　the　master　of　the　house。　No　answer！　I　knocked　　all　was　silent　within！　。　。　。　What　could　it　mean？　At　length　a　boy　of　about　fourteen　crept　out　from　the　hall。

〃Where　is　the　master？〃

〃There　isn't　one。〃

〃What！　No　master？〃

〃None！〃

〃And　the　mistress？〃

〃She　has　gone　off　to　the　village。〃

〃Who　will　open　the　door　for　me；　then？〃　I　said；　giving　it　a　kick。

The　door　opened　of　its　own　accord；　and　a　breath　of　moisture…laden　air　was　wafted　from　the　hut。　I　struck　a　lucifer　match　and　held　it　to　the　boy's　face。　It　lit　up　two　white　eyes。　He　was　totally　blind；　obviously　so　from　birth。　He　stood　stock…still　before　me；　and　I　began　to　examine　his　features。

I　confess　that　I　have　a　violent　prejudice　against　all　blind；　one…eyed；　deaf；　dumb；　legless；　armless；　hunchbacked；　and　such…like　people。　I　have　observed　that　there　is　always　a　certain　strange　connection　between　a　man's　exterior　and　his　soul；　as；　if　when　the　body　loses　a　limb；　the　soul　also　loses　some　power　of　feeling。

And　so　I　began　to　examine　the　blind　boy's　face。　But　what　could　be　read　upon　a　face　from　which　the　eyes　are　missing？。　。　。　For　a　long　time　I　gazed　at　him　with　involuntary　compassion；　when　suddenly　a　scarcely　perceptible　smile　flitted　over　his　thin　lips；　producing；　I　know　not　why；　a　most　unpleasant　impression　upon　me。　I　began　to　feel　a　suspicion　that　the　blind　boy　was　not　so　blind　as　he　appeared　to　be。　In　vain　I　endeavoured　to　convince　myself　that　it　was　impossible　to　counterfeit　cataracts；　and　besides；　what　reason　could　there　be　for　doing　such　a　thing？　But　I　could　not　help　my　sus…　picions。　I　am　easily　swayed　by　prejudice。　。　。

〃You　are　the　master's　son？〃　I　asked　at　length。

〃No。〃

〃Who　are　you；　then？〃

〃An　orphan　　a　poor　boy。〃

〃Has　the　mistress　any　children？〃

〃No；　her　daughter　ran　away　and　crossed　the　sea　with　a　Tartar。〃

〃What　sort　of　a　Tartar？〃

〃The　devil　only　knows！　A　Crimean　Tartar；　a　boatman　from　Kerch。〃

I　entered　the　hut。　Its　whole　furniture　con…　sisted　of　two　benches　and　a　table；　together　with　an　enormous　chest　beside　the　stove。　There　was　not　a　single　ikon　to　be　seen　on　the　wall　　a　bad　sign！　The　sea…wind　burst　in　through　the　broken　window…pane。　I　drew　a　wax　candle…end　from　my　portmanteau；　lit　it；　and　began　to　put　my　things　out。　My　sabre　and　gun　I　placed　in　a　corner；　my　pistols　I　laid　on　the　table。　I　spread　my　felt　cloak　out　on　one　bench；　and　the　Cossack　his　on　the　other。　In　ten　minutes　the　latter　was　snoring；　but　I　could　not　go　to　sleep　　the　image　of　the　boy　with　the　white　eyes　kept　hovering　before　me　in　the　dark。

About　an　hour　passed　thus。　The　moon　shone　in　at　the　window　and　its　rays　played　along　the　earthen　floor　of　the　hut。　Suddenly　a　shadow　flitted　across　the　bright　strip　of　moonshine　which　intersected　the　floor。　I　raised　myself　up　a　little　and　glanced　out　of　the　window。　Again　somebody　ran　by　it　and　disappeared　　goodness　knows　where！　It　seemed　impossible　for　anyone　to　descend　the　steep　cliff　overhanging　the　shore；　but　that　was　the　only　thing　that　could　have　happened。　I　rose；　threw　on　my　tunic；　girded　on　a　dagger；　and　with　the　utmost　quietness　went　out　of　the　hut。　The　blind　boy　was　coming　towards　me。　I　hid　by　the　fence；　and　he　passed　by　me　with　a　sure　but　cautious　step。　He　was　carrying　a　parcel　under　his　arm。　He　turned　towards　the　harbour　and　began　to　descend　a　steep　and　narrow　path。

〃On　that　day　the　dumb　will　cry　out　and　the　blind　will　see；〃　I　said　to　myself；　following　him　just　close　enough　to　keep　him　in　sight。

Meanwhile　the　moon　was　becoming　overcast　by　clouds　and　a　mist　had　risen　upon　the　sea。　The　lantern　alight　in　the　stern　of　a　ship　close　at　hand　was　scarcely　visible　through　the　mist；　and　by　the　shore　there　glimmered　the　foam　of　the　waves；　which　every　moment　threatened　to　submerge　it。　Descending　with　difficulty；　I　stole　along　the　steep　declivity；　and　all　at　once　I　saw　the　blind　boy　come　to　a　standstill　and　then　turn　down　to　the　right。　He　walked　so　close　to　the　water's　edge　that　it　seemed　as　if　the　waves　would　straight…　way　seize　him　and　carry　him　off。　But；　judging　by　the　confidence　with　which　he　stepped　from　rock　to　rock　and　avoided　the　water…channels；　this　was　evidently　not　the　first　time　that　he　had　made　that　journey。　Finally　he　stopped；　as　though　listening　for　something；　squatted　down　upon　the　ground；　and　laid　the　parcel　beside　him。　Concealing　myself　behind　a　projecting　rock　on　the　shore；　I　kept　watch　on　his　movements。　After　a　few　minutes　a　white　figure　made　its　appearance　from　the　opposite　direction。　It　came　up　to　the　blind　boy　and　sat　down　beside　him。　At　times　the　wind　wafted　their　conversation　to　me。

〃Well？〃　said　a　woman's　voice。　〃The　storm　is　violent；　Yanko　will　not　be　here。〃

〃Yanko　is　not　afraid　of　the　storm！〃　the　other　replied。

〃The　mist　is　thickening；〃　rejoined　the　woman's　voice；　sadness　in　its　tone。

〃In　the　mist　it　is　all　the　easier　to　slip　past　the　guardships；〃　was　the　answer。

〃And　if　he　is　drowned？〃

〃Well；　what　then？　On　Sunday　you　won't　have　a　new　ribbon　to　go　to　church　in。〃

An　interval　of　silence　followed。　One　thing；　however；　struck　me　　in　talking　to　me　the　blind　boy　spoke　in　the　Little　Russian　dialect；　but　now　he　was　expressing　himself　in　pure　Russian。

〃You　see；　I　am　right！〃　the　blind　boy　went　on；　clapping　his　hands。　〃Yanko　is　not　afraid　of　sea；　nor　winds；　nor　mist；　nor　coastguards！　Just　listen！　That　is　not　the　water　plashing；　you　can't　deceive　me　　it　is　his　long　oars。〃

The　woman　sprang　up　and　began　anxiously　to　gaze　into　the　distance。

〃You　are　raving！〃　she　said。　〃I　cannot　see　anything。〃

I　confess　that；　much　as　I　tried　to　make　out　in　the　distance　something　resembling　a　boat；　my　efforts　were　unsuccessful。　About　ten　minutes　passed　thus；　when　a　black　speck　appeared　between　the　mountains　of　the　waves！　At　one　time　it　grew　larger；　at　another　smaller。　Slowly　rising　upon　the　crests　of　the　waves　and　swiftly　de…　scending　from　them；　the　boat　drew　near　to　the　shore。

〃He　must　be　a　brave　sailor；〃　I　thought；　〃to　have　determined　to　cross　the　twenty　versts　of　strait　on　a　night　like　this；　and　he　must　have　had　a　weighty　reason　for　doing　so。〃

Reflecting　thus；　I　gazed　with　an　involuntary　beating　of　the　heart　at　the　poor　boat。　It　dived　like　a　duck；　and　then；　with　rapidly　swinging　oars　　like　wings　　it　sprang　forth　from　the　abyss　amid　the　splashes　of　the　foam。　〃Ah！〃　I　thought；　〃it　will　be　dashed　against　the　shore　with　all　its　force　and　broken　to　pieces！〃　But　it　turned　aside　adroitly　and　leaped　unharmed　into　a　little　creek。　Out　of　it　stepped　a　man　of　medium　height；　wearing　a　Tartar　sheepskin　cap。　He　waved　his　hand；　and　all　three　set　to　work　to　drag　something　out　of　the　boat。　The　cargo　was　so　large　that；　to　this　day；　I　cannot　understand　how　it　was　that　the　boat　did　not　sink。

Each　of　them　shouldered　a　bundle；　and　they　set　off　along　the　shore；　and　I　soon　lost　sight　of　them。　I　had　to　return　home；　but　I　confess　I　was　rendered　uneasy　by　all　these　strange　happenings；　and　I　found　it　hard　to　await　the　morning。

My　Cossack　was　very　much　astonished　when；　on　waking　up；　he　saw　me　fully　dressed。　I　did　not；　however；　tell　him　the　reason。　For　some　time　I　stood　at　the　window；　gazing　admiringly　at　the　blue　sky　all　studded　with　wisps　of　cloud；　and　at　the　distant　shore　of　the　Crimea；　stretching　out　in　a　lilac…coloured　streak　and　ending　in　a　cliff；　on　the　summit　of　which　the　white　tower　of　the　lighthouse　was　gleaming。　Then　I　betook　myself　to　the　fortress；　Phanagoriya；　in　order　to　ascertain　from　the　Commandant　at　what　hour　I　should　depart　for　Gelenjik。

But　the　Commandant；　alas！　could　not　give　me　any　definite　information。　The　vessels　lying　in　the　harbour　were　all　either　guard…ships　or　merchant…vessels　which　had　n