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010 - 10 Chapter 10 The Siege · Daughter of the Commandant

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  Speaker 1: Chapter ten of the Daughter of the Commandant by Alexander Pushkin,
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  Speaker 1: translated by Missus Milner Home. This LibriVox recording is in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. Recording by Kevin Davidson the Siege. As
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  Speaker 1: we approached Orenburg, we saw a crowd of convicts with
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  Speaker 1: cropped heads and faces disfigured by the pincers of the executioner.
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  Speaker 1: They were working on the fortifications of the place under
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  Speaker 1: the pensioners of the garrison. Some were taking away in
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  Speaker 1: wheelbarrows the rubbish which filled the ditch. Others were hollowing
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  Speaker 1: out the earth with spades. Masons were bringing bricks and
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  Speaker 1: repairing walls. The sentry stopped us at the gates to
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  Speaker 1: demand our passports. When the sergeant learned that we came
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  Speaker 1: from Fort Bilagorsk, he took us direct to the General.
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  Speaker 1: I found him in his garden. He was examining the
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  Speaker 1: apple trees, which the breath of autumn had already deprived
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  Speaker 1: of their leaves, and with the help of an old gardener,
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  Speaker 1: he was enveloping them in straw. His face expressed calm,
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  Speaker 1: good humor, and health. He seemed very pleased to see me,
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  Speaker 1: and began to question me on the terrible events which
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  Speaker 1: I had witnessed. I related them. The old man heard
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  Speaker 1: me with attention, and while listening, cut the dead branches.
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  Speaker 1: Poor Mironov, he said, when I had done my sad story,
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  Speaker 1: tis a pity. He was a good officer, and Madame Mironov,
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  Speaker 1: she was a good lady and first rate at pickled mushrooms.
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  Speaker 1: And what became of Masha, the captain's daughter. I replied
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  Speaker 1: that she had stayed in the fort at the Pope's house.
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  Speaker 1: Aye ya yai, said the general. That's bad, very bad.
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  Speaker 1: It is quite impossible to count on the discipline of robbers.
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  Speaker 1: I drew his attention to the fact that Fort Blagorsk
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  Speaker 1: was not very far away, and that probably his excellency
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  Speaker 1: would not delay dispatching a detachment of troops to deliver
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  Speaker 1: the poor inhabitants. The General shook his head with an
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  Speaker 1: air of indecision. We shall see, we shall see, said he.
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  Speaker 1: We have plenty of time to talk about it. I
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  Speaker 1: beg you will come and take tea with me this evening.
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  Speaker 1: There will be a council of war. You can give
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  Speaker 1: us exact information about that rascal Pugatchov in his army.
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  Speaker 1: Now in the meantime, go and rest. I went away
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  Speaker 1: to the lodging that had been assigned me, and where
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  Speaker 1: Savilitch was already installed. There, I impatiently awaited the hour fixed.
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  Speaker 1: The reader may well believe I was anxious not to
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  Speaker 1: miss this council of War, which was to have so
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  Speaker 1: great an influence on my life. I went at the
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  Speaker 1: appointed hour to the generals, where I found one of
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  Speaker 1: the civil officers of Orrenburg, the head of the customs,
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  Speaker 1: if I recollect right, a little old man, fat and
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  Speaker 1: red faced, dressed in a coat of watered silk. He
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  Speaker 1: began questioning me on the fate of Ivan Kuzmitch, whom
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  Speaker 1: he called his gossip, and he often interrupted me by
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  Speaker 1: many questions and sententious remarks, which, if they did not
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  Speaker 1: show a man versed in the conduct of war, yet
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  Speaker 1: showed that he was possessed of natural wit and intelligence.
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  Speaker 1: During this time the other guests had assembled. When all
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  Speaker 1: were seated and each one had been offered a cup
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  Speaker 1: of tea, the general explained lengthily and minutely, what was
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  Speaker 1: the affair at hand? Now, gentlemen, we must decide how
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  Speaker 1: we mean to act against the rebels. Shall it be
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  Speaker 1: offensively or defensively. Each way has its disadvantages and its advantages.
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  Speaker 1: Offensive warfare offers more hope of the enemy being speedily crushed,
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  Speaker 1: but a defensive war is surer and less dangerous. Consequently,
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  Speaker 1: we will collect the votes according to the proper order,
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  Speaker 1: that is to say, begin in first consulting the junior's
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  Speaker 1: in respect of rank. Now, mister ensign, continued he addressing me,
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  Speaker 1: be so good as to give us your opinion. I rose, and,
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  Speaker 1: after having depicted in a few words Huguchov in his band,
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  Speaker 1: I declared that the usurper was not in a state
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  Speaker 1: to resist disciplined troops. My opinion was received by the
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  Speaker 1: civil officials with visible discontent. They saw in it the
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  Speaker 1: headstrong impertinence of youth. A murmur arose, and I distinctly heard, said,
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  Speaker 1: half aloud, the words beardless boy. The general turned towards
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  Speaker 1: me and smilingly said, mister Ensign, the early votes in
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  Speaker 1: a council of war are generally for offensive measures. Now
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  Speaker 1: we will proceed, mister college counselor, tell us your opinion.
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  Speaker 1: The little old man in the watered silk coat made
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  Speaker 1: haste to swallow his third cup of tea, which he
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  Speaker 1: had mixed with a good help of rum. I think
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  Speaker 1: your excellency, said he. We must neither act on the defensive,
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  Speaker 1: nor yet on the offensive. How so, mister Councilor, replied
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  Speaker 1: the General, astounded, there is nothing else open to us
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  Speaker 1: in tactics. One must act either on the defensive or
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  Speaker 1: the offensive. Your excellency, endeavor to suborn aheat. Your opinion
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  Speaker 1: is very judicious. The act of corruption is one admitted
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  Speaker 1: by the rules of war, and we will profit. By
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  Speaker 1: your counsel. We might offer for the rascal's head seventy
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  Speaker 1: or even a hundred roubles and take them from the
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  Speaker 1: secret funds. And then interrupted the head of the Customs,
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  Speaker 1: I am a kirkeys instead of a college councilor. These
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  Speaker 1: robbers do not deliver up their ataman, chain, hand and foot.
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  Speaker 1: We will think of it and talk of it again,
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  Speaker 1: rejoined the General. Still, in any case, we must also
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  Speaker 1: take military measures. Gentlemen, give your votes in the proper order.
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  Speaker 1: Every one's opinion was contrary to mine. Those present vied
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  Speaker 1: with each other about the untrustworthiness of the troops, the
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  Speaker 1: uncertainty of success, the necessity of prudence, and so forth.
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  Speaker 1: All were of the opinion that it was better to
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  Speaker 1: stay behind a strong wall, their safety assured by cannon,
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  Speaker 1: than to attempt the fortune of war in the open field.
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  Speaker 1: At last, when all the opinions had been given, the
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  Speaker 1: General shook the ashes out of his pipe and made
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  Speaker 1: the following speech. Gentlemen, I must tell you for my part,
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  Speaker 1: I am entirely of the opinion of our friend. The
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  Speaker 1: ensign for this opinion is based on the precepts of
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  Speaker 1: good tactics, in which nearly always offensive movements are preferable
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  Speaker 1: to defensive ones. Here he paused a moment and filled
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  Speaker 1: his pipe. My self, love is triumphant. And I cast
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  Speaker 1: a proud glance at the civil officials, who were whispering
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  Speaker 1: among themselves with an air of disquiet and discontent. But gentlemen,
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  Speaker 1: resumed the general with a sigh and puffing out a
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  Speaker 1: cloud smoke. I dare not take upon myself such a
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  Speaker 1: great responsibility when the safety is in question of the
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  Speaker 1: provinces entrusted to my care by her Imperial Majesty, my
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  Speaker 1: gracious Sovereign. Therefore, I see I am obliged to abide
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  Speaker 1: by the advice of the majority, which has ruled that
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  Speaker 1: prudence as well as reason declares that we should await
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  Speaker 1: in the town the siege which threatens us, and that
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  Speaker 1: we should defeat the attacks of the enemy by the
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  Speaker 1: force of artillery, and if the possibility present itself, by
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  Speaker 1: well directed sorties. It was now the turn of the
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  Speaker 1: officials to look mockingly at me. The council broke up.
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  Speaker 1: I could not help deploring the weakness of the honest soldier, who,
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  Speaker 1: against his own judgment, had decided to abide by the
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  Speaker 1: council of ignorant and inexperienced people. Several days after this
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  Speaker 1: memorable council of War, Pugachov, true to his word, approached
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  Speaker 1: Orenberg from the top of the city wall. I took
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  Speaker 1: note of the army of the rebels, and it seemed
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  Speaker 1: to me that their number had increased tenfold since the
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  Speaker 1: last assault I had witnessed. They also had artillery which
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  Speaker 1: had been taken from the little forts which had fallen
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  Speaker 1: before Pugachov. As I recollected the decision of the Council
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  Speaker 1: of War, I foresaw a long imprisonment within the walls
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  Speaker 1: of Orenburgg, and I was ready to cry with vexation.
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  Speaker 1: Far be from me any intention of describing the siege Orrenburg,
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  Speaker 1: which belongs to history and not to a family memoir.
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  Speaker 1: In a few words, therefore, I shall say that, in
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  Speaker 1: consequence of the bad arrangements of the authorities, the siege
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  Speaker 1: was disastrous for the inhabitants, who were forced to suffer
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  Speaker 1: hunger and privation of all kinds. Life at Orenburg was
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  Speaker 1: becoming unendurable. Each one awaited in anxiety the fate that
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  Speaker 1: should befall him. All complained of the famine, which was
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  Speaker 1: indeed awful. The inhabitants ended by becoming accustomed to the
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  Speaker 1: shells falling on their houses. Even the assaults of Pugatchov
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  Speaker 1: no longer excited great disturbance. I was dying of Anu.
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  Speaker 1: The time passed but slowly. I could not get any
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  Speaker 1: letter from Bilagorsk, for all the roads were blocked, and
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  Speaker 1: the separation from Marya became unbearable. My only occupation consisted
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  Speaker 1: in my military rounds. Thanks to Pugachov, I had a
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  Speaker 1: pretty good horse with which I shared my scanty rations.
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  Speaker 1: Every day I passed beyond the ramparts, and I went
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  Speaker 1: and fired away against the scouts of Pugachov. In these
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  Speaker 1: sort of skirmishes, the rebels generally got the better of us,
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  Speaker 1: as they had plenty of food and were capitally mounted.
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  Speaker 1: Our thin starved cavalry was unable to stand against them.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes our famished infantry took the field, but the depth
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  Speaker 1: of the snow prevented action with any success. Against the
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  Speaker 1: flying cavalry of the enemy. The artillery thundered vainly from
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  Speaker 1: the heights of the ramparts, and in the field guns
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  Speaker 1: could not work because of the weakness of the worn
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  Speaker 1: out horses. This is how we made war, and this
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  Speaker 1: is what the officials of Orenburg called prudence and foresight.
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  Speaker 1: One day, when we had succeeded in dispersing and driving
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  Speaker 1: before us rather numerous band I came up with one
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  Speaker 1: of the hindmost Cossacks, and I was about to st
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  Speaker 1: him with my Turkish saber when he took off his
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  Speaker 1: cap and cried, good day, Portranrovitch. Howish your health? I recognized,
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  Speaker 1: are you Radnik? I cannot say how glad I was
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  Speaker 1: to see him. Good day, Maxim said, I is it
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  Speaker 1: long since you left Bilagorsk. No, not long, my little father, Pyotranrovitch.
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  Speaker 1: I only came back yesterday. I have a letter for
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  Speaker 1: you where is it, I cried, overjoyed I have got it,
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  Speaker 1: rejoined Maximitch, putting his hand into his breast. I promised
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  Speaker 1: Plashka to give it to you. He handed me a
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  Speaker 1: folded paper and immediately darted off at full gallop. I
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  Speaker 1: opened it and read with emotion the following lines. It
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  Speaker 1: has pleased God to deprive me at once of my
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  Speaker 1: father and my mother. I have no longer on earth,
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  Speaker 1: either parents or protectors. I have recourse to you because
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  Speaker 1: I know you have always wished me well, and also
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  Speaker 1: that you are ever ready to help those in need.
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  Speaker 1: I pray God this letter may reach you. Maksimitch as
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  Speaker 1: promised me he will insure it reaching you. Palashka has
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  Speaker 1: also heard Maksimitch say that he often sees you from
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  Speaker 1: Afar in the sorties, and that you do not take
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  Speaker 1: care of yourself nor think of those who pray God
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  Speaker 1: for you. With tears. I was long ill, and when
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  Speaker 1: I last recovered, Alexey Ignatych, who commands here in the
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  Speaker 1: room of my late father, forced father Gharasim to hand
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  Speaker 1: me over to him by threatening him with Pukuchov. I
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  Speaker 1: live under his guardianship in our house. Alexey Ignatyitch tries
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  Speaker 1: to oblige me to marry him. He avers that he
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  Speaker 1: saved my life by not exposing Akulina Panfilovna's stratagem when
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  Speaker 1: she spoke of me to the robbers as her niece.
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  Speaker 1: But it would be easier to me to die than
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  Speaker 1: to become the wife of a man like Schwabdin. He
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  Speaker 1: treats me with great cruelty and threatens if I do
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  Speaker 1: not change my mind, to bring me to the robber camp,
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  Speaker 1: or I should suffer the fate of Elizabeth Kharlov. I
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  Speaker 1: have begged Elikh say Ignatych to give me some time
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  Speaker 1: to think it over. He has given me three days.
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  Speaker 1: If at the end of that time I do not
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  Speaker 1: become his wife, I need expect no more consideration at
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  Speaker 1: his hands. Oh, my father, Pyotrendrotch, you are my only stay.
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  Speaker 1: Defend me a poor girl. Beg the General and all
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  Speaker 1: your superiors to send us help as soon as possible,
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  Speaker 1: and come yourself if you can. I remain your submissive
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  Speaker 1: orphan Marya Mironov I almost went mad when I read
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  Speaker 1: this letter. I rushed to the town, spurring without pity
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  Speaker 1: my poor horse. During the ride, I turned over in
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  Speaker 1: my mind a thousand projects for rescuing the poor girl,
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  Speaker 1: without being able to decide on any. Arrived in the town,
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  Speaker 1: I went straight to the general's and I actually ran
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  Speaker 1: into his room. He was walking up and down smoking
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  Speaker 1: his Mercham pipe. Upon seeing me, he stood still. My
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  Speaker 1: appearance doubtless struck him, for he questioned me with a
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  Speaker 1: kind of anxiety, on the cause of my abrupt entry,
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  Speaker 1: Your excellency said I. I come to you as I
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  Speaker 1: would to my poor father. Do not reject my request.
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  Speaker 1: The happiness of my whole life is in question. What
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  Speaker 1: is all this, my father asked the astounded general. What
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  Speaker 1: can I do for you? Speak, Your excellency, Allow me
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  Speaker 1: to take a battalion of soldiers and fifty cossacks and
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  Speaker 1: go and clear out Fort Belagorsk. The General stared, thinking
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  Speaker 1: probably that I was out of my senses, and he
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  Speaker 1: was not far from wrong. How what what clear out
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  Speaker 1: forte Belagorsk? He said, At last, I'll answer for success.
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  Speaker 1: I rejoined hotly. Only let me go, no, young man,
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  Speaker 1: he said, shaking his head. It is so far away.
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  Speaker 1: The enemy would easily block all communication with the principal
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  Speaker 1: strategic point, which would quickly enable him to defeat you
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  Speaker 1: utterly and decisively the blocked communication. Do you see, I
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  Speaker 1: took fright when I saw he was getting involved in
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  Speaker 1: a military dissertation, and I made haste to interrupt him.
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  Speaker 1: The daughter of Captain Mironov, I said, has just written
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  Speaker 1: me a letter asking for help. Chabrin is obliging her
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  Speaker 1: to become his wife. Indeed, oh, this Chabrin is a
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  Speaker 1: great rascal. If he falls into my hands, I'll have
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  Speaker 1: him tried in twenty four hours, and we will shoot
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  Speaker 1: him on the glasses of the fort. But in the
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  Speaker 1: meantime we must have patience. Have patience, I cried beside myself.
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  Speaker 1: Between this and then he will ill treat Maatya, oh,
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  Speaker 1: replied the general. Still, that would not be such a
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  Speaker 1: terrible misfortune for her. It would be better for her
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  Speaker 1: to be the wife of Chabrin, who can now protect her.
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  Speaker 1: And when we shall have shot him, then with Heaven's help,
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  Speaker 1: the betrothed will come together again. Pretty little widows do
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  Speaker 1: not long remain single. I mean to say, a widow
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  Speaker 1: more easily finds a husband. I'd rather die, I cried
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  Speaker 1: furiously than leave her to Chabrin. Ah Bah said the
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  Speaker 1: old man. I understand now probably you're in love with
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  Speaker 1: marya Ivanov. Then it is another thing, poor boy. But
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  Speaker 1: still it is not possible for me to give you
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  Speaker 1: a battalion in fifty Cossacks. This expedition is unreasonable, and
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  Speaker 1: I cannot take it upon my own responsibility. I bowed
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  Speaker 1: my head. Despair overwhelmed me all at once. An idea
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  Speaker 1: flashed across me, and what it was the reader will
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  Speaker 1: see in the next chapter, as the old novelists used
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  Speaker 1: to say. End of Chapter ten. Reading by Kevin Davidson
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  Speaker 1: w w W dot Blog, Ordie dot Com