a hero of our time-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rated　Azamat　to　such　an　extent　with　his　teasing　that　the　boy　was　ready　even　to　drown　himself。　　One　day　Pechorin　suddenly　broke　out　with：

〃'I　see；　Azamat；　that　you　have　taken　a　desperate　fancy　to　that　horse　of　Kazbich's；　but　you'll　no　more　see　him　than　you　will　the　back　of　your　neck！　　Come；　tell　me；　what　would　you　give　if　somebody　made　you　a　present　of　him？'

〃'Anything　he　wanted；'　answered　Azamat。

〃'In　that　case　I　will　get　the　horse　for　you；　only　on　one　condition　。　。　。　　Swear　that　you　will　fulfil　it？'

〃'I　swear。　　You　swear　too！'

〃'Very　well！　　I　swear　that　the　horse　shall　be　yours。　　But；　in　return；　you　must　deliver　your　sister　Bela　into　my　hands。　　Karagyoz　shall　be　her　bridegroom's　gift。　　I　hope　the　transaction　will　be　a　profitable　one　for　you。'

〃Azamat　remained　silent。

〃'Won't　you？　　Well；　just　as　you　like！　　I　thought　you　were　a　man；　but　it　seems　you　are　still　a　child；　it　is　early　for　you　to　be　riding　on　horseback！'

〃Azamat　fired　up。

〃'But　my　father　'　he　said。

〃'Does　he　never　go　away；　then？'

〃'True。'

〃'You　agree？'

〃'I　agree；'　whispered　Azamat；　pale　as　death。　'But　when？'

〃'The　first　time　Kazbich　rides　over　here。　He　has　promised　to　drive　in　half　a　score　of　rams；　the　rest　is　my　affair。　　Look　out；　then；　Azamat！'

〃And　so　they　settled　the　business　　a　bad　business；　to　tell　the　truth！　　I　said　as　much　to　Pechorin　afterwards；　but　he　only　answered　that　a　wild　Circassian　girl　ought　to　consider　herself　fortunate　in　having　such　a　charming　husband　as　himself　　because；　according　to　their　ideas；　he　really　was　her　husband　　and　that　Kazbich　was　a　scoundrel；　and　ought　to　be　punished。　　Judge　for　yourself；　what　could　I　say　to　that？　。　。　。　　At　the　time；　however；　I　knew　nothing　of　their　con…　spiracy。　　Well；　one　day　Kazbich　rode　up　and　asked　whether　we　needed　any　rams　and　honey；　and　I　ordered　him　to　bring　some　the　next　day。

〃'Azamat！'　said　Grigori　Aleksandrovich；　'to…morrow　Karagyoz　will　be　in　my　hands；　if　Bela　is　not　here　to…night　you　will　never　see　the　horse。'　。　。

〃'Very　well；'　said　Azamat；　and　galloped　to　the　village。

〃In　the　evening　Grigori　Aleksandrovich　armed　himself　and　rode　out　of　the　fortress。　　How　they　settled　the　business　I　don't　know；　but　at　night　they　both　returned；　and　the　sentry　saw　that　across　Azamat's　saddle　a　woman　was　lying；　bound　hand　and　foot　and　with　her　head　wrapped　in　a　veil。〃

〃And　the　horse？〃　I　asked　the　staff…captain。

〃One　minute！　　One　minute！　　Early　next　morning　Kazbich　rode　over；　driving　in　half　a　score　of　rams　for　sale。　　Tethering　his　horse　by　the　fence；　he　came　in　to　see　me；　and　I　regaled　him　with　tea；　for；　robber　though　he　was；　he　was　none　the　less　my　guest…friend。

〃We　began　to　chat　about　one　thing　and　another。　。　。　　Suddenly　I　saw　Kazbich　start；　change　countenance；　and　dart　to　the　window；　but　unfortunately　the　window　looked　on　to　the　back　courtyard。

〃'What　is　the　matter　with　you？'　I　asked。

〃'My　horse！　。　。　。　　My　horse！'　he　cried；　all　of　a　tremble。

〃As　a　matter　of　fact　I　heard　the　clattering　of　hoofs。

〃'It　is　probably　some　Cossack　who　has　ridden　up。'

〃'No！　　Urus　　yaman；　yaman！'＇1＇　he　roared；　and　rushed　headlong　away　like　a　wild　panther。　In　two　bounds　he　was　in　the　courtyard；　at　the　gate　of　the　fortress　the　sentry　barred　the　way　with　his　gun；　Kazbich　jumped　over　the　gun　and　dashed　off　at　a　run　along　the　road。　。　。　Dust　was　whirling　in　the　distance　　Azamat　was　galloping　away　on　the　mettlesome　Karagyoz。　Kazbich；　as　he　ran；　tore　his　gun　out　of　its　cover　and　fired。　　For　a　moment　he　remained　motion…　less；　until　he　had　assured　himself　that　he　had　missed。　　Then　he　uttered　a　shrill　cry；　knocked　the　gun　against　a　rock；　smashed　it　to　splinters；　fell　to　the　ground；　and　burst　out　sobbing　like　a　child。　。　。　　The　people　from　the　fortress　gathered　round　him；　but　he　took　no　notice　of　anyone。　　They　stood　there　talking　awhile　and　then　went　back。　　I　ordered　the　money　for　the　rams　to　be　placed　beside　him。　　He　didn't　touch　it；　but　lay　with　his　face　to　the　ground　like　a　dead　man。　　Would　you　believe　it？　　He　re…　mained　lying　like　that　throughout　the　rest　of　that　day　and　the　following　night！　　It　was　only　on　the　next　morning　that　he　came　to　the　fortress　and　proceeded　to　ask　that　the　name　of　the　thief　should　be　told　him。　　The　sentry　who　had　ob…　served　Azamat　untying　the　horse　and　galloping　away　on　him　did　not　see　any　necessity　for　con…　cealment。　　At　the　name　of　Azamat；　Kazbich's　eyes　flashed；　and　he　set　off　to　the　village　where　Azamat's　father　lived。〃

＇1＇　〃No！　　Russian　　bad；　bad！〃

〃And　what　about　the　father？〃

〃Ah；　that　was　where　the　trick　came　in！　Kazbich　could　not　find　him；　he　had　gone　away　somewhere　for　five　or　six　days；　otherwise；　how　could　Azamat　have　succeeded　in　carrying　off　Bela？

〃And；　when　the　father　returned；　there　was　neither　daughter　nor　son　to　be　found。　　A　wily　rogue；　Azamat！　　He　understood；　you　see；　that　he　would　lose　his　life　if　he　was　caught。　　So；　from　that　time；　he　was　never　seen　again；　probably　he　joined　some　gang　of　Abreks　and　laid　down　his　turbulent　life　on　the　other　side　of　the　Terek　or　the　Kuban。　　It　would　have　served　him　right！〃　。　。　。



　CHAPTER　V

〃I　CONFESS　that；　for　my　part；　I　had　trouble　enough　over　the　business。　　So　soon　as　ever　I　learned　that　the　Circassian　girl　was　with　Grigori　Aleksandrovich；　I　put　on　my　epaulettes　and　sword　and　went　to　see　him。

〃He　was　lying　on　the　bed　in　the　outer　room；　with　one　hand　under　his　head　and　the　other　holding　a　pipe　which　had　gone　out。　　The　door　leading　to　the　inner　room　was　locked；　and　there　was　no　key　in　the　lock。　　I　observed　all　that　in　a　moment。　。　。　　I　coughed　and　rapped　my　heels　against　the　threshold；　but　he　pretended　not　to　hear。

〃'Ensign！'　I　said；　as　sternly　as　I　could。　　'Do　you　not　see　that　I　have　come　to　you？'

〃'Ah；　good　morning；　Maksim　Maksimych！　Won't　you　have　a　pipe？'　he　answered；　without　rising。

〃'Excuse　me；　I　am　not　Maksim　Maksimych。　I　am　the　staff…captain。'

〃'It's　all　the　same！　　Won't　you　have　some　tea？　　If　you　only　knew　how　I　am　being　tortured　with　anxiety。'

〃'I　know　all；'　I　answered；　going　up　to　the　bed。

〃'So　much　the　better；'　he　said。　　'I　am　not　in　a　narrative　mood。'

〃'Ensign；　you　have　committed　an　offence　for　which　I　may　have　to　answer　as　well　as　you。'

〃'Oh；　that'll　do。　　What's　the　harm？　　You　know；　we've　gone　halves　in　everything。'

〃'What　sort　of　a　joke　do　you　think　you　are　playing？　　Your　sword；　please！'　。　。　。

〃'Mitka；　my　sword！'

〃'Mitka　brought　the　sword。　　My　duty　dis…　charged；　I　sat　down　on　the　bed；　facing　Pechorin；　and　said：　'Listen　here；　Grigori　Aleksandrovich；　you　must　admit　that　this　is　a　bad　business。'

〃'What　is？'

〃'Why；　that　you　have　carried　off　Bela。　。　。　Ah；　it　is　that　beast　Azamat！　。　。　。　　Come；　con…　fess！'　I　said。

〃'But；　supposing　I　am　fond　of　her？'　。　。　。

〃Well；　what　could　I　say　to　that？　。　。　。　　I　was　nonplussed。　　After　a　short　interval　of　silence；　however；　I　told　him　that　if　Bela's　father　were　to　claim　her　he　would　have　to　give　her　up。

〃'Not　at　all！'

〃'But　he　will　get　to　know　that　she　is　here。'

〃'How？'

〃Again　I　was　nonplussed。

〃'Listen；　Maksim　Maksimych；'　said　Pechorin；　rising　to　his　feet。　　'You're　a　kind…hearted　man；　you　know；　but；　if　we　give　that　savage　back　his　daughter；　he　will　cut　her　throat　or　sell　her。　　The　deed　is　done；　and　the　only　thing　we　can　do　now　is　not　to　go　out　of　our　way　to　spoil　matters。　Leave　Bela　with　me　and　keep　my　sword！'

〃'Show　her　to　me；　though；'　I　said。

〃'She　is　behind　that　door。　　Only　I　wanted；　myself；　to　see　her　to…day　and　wasn't　able　to。　She　sits　in　the　corner；　muffled　in　her　veil；　and　neither　speaks　nor　looks　up　　timid　as　a　wild　chamois！　　I　have　hired　the　wife　of　our　dukhan…　keeper：　she　knows　the　Tartar　language；　and　will　look　after　Bela　and　accustom　her　to　the　idea　that　she　belongs　to　me　　for　she　shall　belong　to　no　one　else！'　he　added；　banging　his　fist　on　the　table。

〃I　assented　to　that　too。　。　。　　What　could　I　do？　　There　are　some　people　with　whom　you　absolutely　have　to　agree。〃

〃Well？〃　I　asked　Maksim　Maksimych。　　〃Did　he　really　succeed　in　making　her　grow　accustomed　to　him；　or　did　she　pine　away　in　captivity　from　home…sickness？〃

〃Good　gracious！　how　could　she　pine　away　from　home…sickness？　　From　the　fortress　she　could　see　the　very　same　hills　as　she　could　from　the　village　　and　these