a hero of our time-第9章

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mpart　of　the　fortress。　　At　length　she　sat　down　on　the　sward；　and　I　sat　beside　her。　　In　truth；　now；　it　is　funny　to　think　of　it　all！　　I　used　to　run　after　her　just　like　a　kind　of　children's　nurse！

〃Our　fortress　was　situated　in　a　lofty　position；　and　the　view　from　the　rampart　was　superb。　　On　one　side；　the　wide　clearing；　seamed　by　a　few　clefts；　was　bounded　by　the　forest　which　stretched　out　to　the　very　ridge　of　the　mountains。　　Here　and　there；　on　the　clearing；　villages　were　to　be　seen　sending　forth　their　smoke；　and　there　were　droves　of　horses　roaming　about。　　On　the　other　side　flowed　a　tiny　stream；　and　close　to　its　banks　came　the　dense　undergrowth　which　covered　the　flinty　heights　joining　the　principal　chain　of　the　Caucasus。　　We　sat　in　a　corner　of　the　bastion；　so　that　we　could　see　everything　on　both　sides。　Suddenly　I　perceived　someone　on　a　grey　horse　riding　out　of　the　forest；　nearer　and　nearer　he　approached　until　finally　he　stopped　on　the　far　side　of　the　river；　about　a　hundred　fathoms　from　us；　and　began　to　wheel　his　horse　round　and　round　like　one　possessed。　　'Strange！'　I　thought。

〃'Look；　look；　Bela；'　I　said；　'you've　got　young　eyes　　what　sort　of　a　horseman　is　that？　　Who　is　it　he　has　come　to　amuse？'　。　。　。

〃'It　is　Kazbich！'　she　exclaimed　after　a　glance。

〃'Ah；　the　robber！　　Come　to　laugh　at　us；　has　he？'

〃I　looked　closely；　and　sure　enough　it　was　Kazbich；　with　his　swarthy　face；　and　as　ragged　and　dirty　as　ever。

〃'It　is　my　father's　horse！'　said　Bela；　seizing　my　arm。

〃She　was　trembling　like　a　leaf　and　her　eyes　were　sparkling。

〃'Aha！'　I　said　to　myself。　　'There　is　robber's　blood　in　your　veins　still；　my　dear！'

〃'Come　here；'　I　said　to　the　sentry。　　'Look　to　your　gun　and　unhorse　that　gallant　for　me　　and　you　shall　have　a　silver　ruble。'

〃'Very　well；　your　honour；　only　he　won't　keep　still。'

〃'Tell　him　to！'　I　said；　with　a　laugh。

〃'Hey；　friend！'　cried　the　sentry；　waving　his　hand。　　'Wait　a　bit。　　What　are　you　spinning　round　like　a　humming…top　for？'

〃Kazbich　halted　and　gave　ear　to　the　sentry　　probably　thinking　that　we　were　going　to　parley　with　him。　　Quite　the　contrary！　。　。　。　　My　grena…　dier　took　aim。　。　。　　Bang！　。　。　。　　Missed！　。　。　。　Just　as　the　powder　flashed　in　the　pan　Kazbich　jogged　his　horse；　which　gave　a　bound　to　one　side。　He　stood　up　in　his　stirrups；　shouted　something　in　his　own　language；　made　a　threatening　gesture　with　his　whip　　and　was　off。

〃'Aren't　you　ashamed　of　yourself？'　I　said　to　the　sentry。

〃'He　has　gone　away　to　die；　your　honour；'　he　answered。　　'There's　no　killing　a　man　of　that　cursed　race　at　one　stroke。'

〃A　quarter　of　an　hour　later　Pechorin　returned　from　hunting。　　Bela　threw　herself　on　his　neck　without　a　single　complaint；　without　a　single　reproach　for　his　lengthy　absence！　。　。　。　　Even　I　was　angry　with　him　by　this　time！

〃'Good　heavens！'　I　said；　'why；　I　tell　you；　Kazbich　was　here　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　just　a　moment　ago；　and　we　shot　at　him。　　How　easily　you　might　have　run　up　against　him；　you　know！　　These　mountaineers　are　a　vindictive　race！　　Do　you　suppose　he　does　not　guess　that　you　gave　Azamat　some　help？　　And　I　wager　that　he　recognised　Bela　to…day！　　I　know　he　was　desper…　ately　fond　of　her　a　year　ago　　he　told　me　so　himself　　and；　if　he　had　had　any　hope　of　getting　together　a　proper　bridegroom's　gift；　he　would　certainly　have　sought　her　in　marriage。'

〃At　this　Pechorin　became　thoughtful。

〃'Yes；'　he　answered。　　'We　must　be　more　cautious　　Bela；　from　this　day　forth　you　mustn't　walk　on　the　rampart　any　more。'

〃In　the　evening　I　had　a　lengthy　explanation　with　him。　　I　was　vexed　that　his　feelings　towards　the　poor　girl　had　changed；　to　say　nothing　of　his　spending　half　the　day　hunting；　his　manner　towards　her　had　become　cold。　　He　rarely　caressed　her；　and　she　was　beginning　perceptibly　to　pine　away；　her　little　face　was　becoming　drawn；　her　large　eyes　growing　dim。

〃'What　are　you　sighing　for；　Bela？'　I　would　ask　her。　　'Are　you　sad？'

〃'No！'

〃'Do　you　want　anything？'

〃'No！'

〃'You　are　pining　for　your　kinsfolk？'

〃'I　have　none！'

〃Sometimes　for　whole　days　not　a　word　could　be　drawn　from　her　but　'Yes'　and　'No。'

〃So　I　straightway　proceeded　to　talk　to　Pechorin　about　her。〃



CHAPTER　IX

〃'LISTEN；　Maksim　Maksimych；'　said　Pech…　orin。　　'Mine　is　an　unfortunate　dis…　position；　whether　it　is　the　result　of　my　up…　bringing　or　whether　it　is　innate　　I　know　not。　I　only　know　this；　that　if　I　am　the　cause　of　un…　happiness　in　others　I　myself　am　no　less　unhappy。　Of　course；　that　is　a　poor　consolation　to　them　　only　the　fact　remains　that　such　is　the　case。　In　my　early　youth；　from　the　moment　I　ceased　to　be　under　the　guardianship　of　my　relations；　I　began　madly　to　enjoy　all　the　pleasures　which　money　could　buy　　and；　of　course；　such　pleasures　became　irksome　to　me。　　Then　I　launched　out　into　the　world　of　fashion　　and　that；　too；　soon　palled　upon　me。　　I　fell　in　love　with　fashionable　beauties　and　was　loved　by　them；　but　my　imagina…　tion　and　egoism　alone　were　aroused；　my　heart　remained　empty。　。　。　　I　began　to　read；　to　study　　but　sciences　also　became　utterly　wearisome　to　me。　I　saw　that　neither　fame　nor　happiness　depends　on　them　in　the　least；　because　the　happiest　people　are　the　uneducated；　and　fame　is　good　fortune；　to　attain　which　you　have　only　to　be　smart。　　Then　I　grew　bored。　。　。　　Soon　after…　wards　I　was　transferred　to　the　Caucasus；　and　that　was　the　happiest　time　of　my　life。　　I　hoped　that　under　the　bullets　of　the　Chechenes　boredom　could　not　exist　　a　vain　hope！　　In　a　month　I　grew　so　accustomed　to　the　buzzing　of　the　bullets　and　to　the　proximity　of　death　that；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　paid　more　attention　to　the　gnats　　and　I　became　more　bored　than　ever；　because　I　had　lost　what　was　almost　my　last　hope。　　When　I　saw　Bela　in　my　own　house；　when；　for　the　first　time；　I　held　her　on　my　knee　and　kissed　her　black　locks；　I；　fool　that　I　was；　thought　that　she　was　an　angel　sent　to　me　by　sympathetic　fate。　。　。　　Again　I　was　mistaken；　the　love　of　a　savage　is　little　better　than　that　of　your　lady　of　quality；　the　barbaric　ignorance　and　simplicity　of　the　one　weary　you　as　much　as　the　coquetry　of　the　other。　I　am　not　saying　that　I　do　not　love　her　still；　I　am　grateful　to　her　for　a　few　fairly　sweet　moments；　I　would　give　my　life　for　her　　only　I　am　bored　with　her。　。　。　　Whether　I　am　a　fool　or　a　villain　I　know　not；　but　this　is　certain；　I　am　also　most　deserving　of　pity　　perhaps　more　than　she。　　My　soul　has　been　spoiled　by　the　world；　my　imagination　is　unquiet；　my　heart　insatiate。　　To　me　everything　is　of　little　moment。　　I　become　as　easily　accus…　tomed　to　grief　as　to　joy；　and　my　life　grows　emptier　day　by　day。　　One　expedient　only　is　left　to　me　　travel。

〃'As　soon　as　I　can；　I　shall　set　off　　but　not　to　Europe。　　Heaven　forfend！　　I　shall　go　to　America；　to　Arabia；　to　India　　perchance　I　shall　die　some…　where　on　the　way。　　At　any　rate；　I　am　convinced　that；　thanks　to　storms　and　bad　roads；　that　last　consolation　will　not　quickly　be　exhausted！'

〃For　a　long　time　he　went　on　speaking　thus；　and　his　words　have　remained　stamped　upon　my　memory；　because　it　was　the　first　time　that　I　had　heard　such　things　from　a　man　of　five…and…twenty　　and　Heaven　grant　it　may　be　the　last。　　Isn't　it　astonishing？　　Tell　me；　please；〃　continued　the　staff…captain；　appealing　to　me。　　〃You　used　to　live　in　the　Capital；　I　think；　and　that　not　so　very　long　ago。　　Is　it　possible　that　the　young　men　there　are　all　like　that？〃

I　replied　that　there　were　a　good　many　people　who　used　the　same　sort　of　language；　that；　prob…　ably；　there　might　even　be　some　who　spoke　in　all　sincerity；　that　disillusionment；　moreover；　like　all　other　vogues；　having　had　its　beginning　in　the　higher　strata　of　society；　had　descended　to　the　lower；　where　it　was　being　worn　threadbare；　and　that；　now；　those　who　were　really　and　truly　bored　strove　to　conceal　their　misfortune　as　if　it　were　a　vice。　　The　staff…captain　did　not　under…　stand　these　subtleties；　shook　his　head；　and　smiled　slyly。

〃Anyhow；　I　suppose　it　was　the　French　who　introduced　the　fashion？〃

〃No；　the　English。〃

〃Aha；　there　you　are！〃　he　answered。　　〃They　always　have　been　arrant　drunkards；　you　know！〃

Involuntarily　I　recalled　to　mind　a　certain　lady；　living　in　Moscow；　who　used　to　maintain　that　Byron　was　nothing　more　nor　less　than　a　drunkard。　However；　the　staff…captain's　observation　was　more　excusable；