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009 - 09 Chapter 9 The Parting · Daughter of the Commandant

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  Speaker 1: Chapter nine of the Daughter of the Commandant by Alexander Pushkin,
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  Speaker 1: translated by Missus Milne Home. This LibriVox recording is in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain recording by Kevin Davidson. The parting the
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  Speaker 1: drum awoke me very early, and I went to the square.
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  Speaker 1: There the troops of Pugatchov were beginning to gather round
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  Speaker 1: the gallows where the victims of the preceding evening still hung.
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  Speaker 1: The Cossacks were on horseback, the foot soldiers with their
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  Speaker 1: arms shouldered, their colors flying in the air. Several cannons,
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  Speaker 1: among which I recognized hours were placed on field gunned carriages.
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  Speaker 1: All the inhabitants had assembled in the same place awaiting
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  Speaker 1: the usurper. Before the door of the commandant's house, a
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  Speaker 1: Cossack held by the bridle a magnificent white horse of
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  Speaker 1: Kirge's breed. I saw it with my eyes, the body
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  Speaker 1: of the Commandant's wife. It had been pushed aside, covered
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  Speaker 1: over with an old bark mat. At last Pugatchov came
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  Speaker 1: out of the house. All the crowd uncovered. Pugachov stopped
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  Speaker 1: on the door step and said good morning to everybody.
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  Speaker 1: One of the chiefs handed him a bag filled with
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  Speaker 1: small pieces of copper, which he began to throw broadcast
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  Speaker 1: among the people, who rushed to pick them up, fighting
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  Speaker 1: for them with blows. The principal confederates of Pugachov surrounded him.
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  Speaker 1: Among them was Schrabrin. Our eyes met. He could read
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  Speaker 1: contempt in mine, and he looked away with an expression
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  Speaker 1: of deep hatred and pretended mockery. Seeing me in the crowd,
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  Speaker 1: Pugachov beckoned to me and called me up to him. Listen,
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  Speaker 1: He said, start this very minute for Orenburg. You will
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  Speaker 1: tell the governor and all the generals from me that
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  Speaker 1: they may expect me in a week. Advised them to
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  Speaker 1: receive me with submission and filial love. If not, they
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  Speaker 1: will not escape a terrible punishment. A good journey to
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  Speaker 1: your lordship. Then, turning to the people, he pointed out
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  Speaker 1: to Schwabrin there children, said he is your new commandant.
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  Speaker 1: Obey him in all things he answers to be for
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  Speaker 1: you and the fort. I heard these words with affright.
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  Speaker 1: Schwabrin become master of the place. Marya remained in his power.
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  Speaker 1: Good God, what would become of her. Pugatchov came down
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  Speaker 1: the steps. His horse was brought round, He sprang quickly
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  Speaker 1: into the saddle, without waiting for the help of the
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  Speaker 1: Cossacks prepared to aid him. At this moment, I saw
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  Speaker 1: my Saviyelitch come out of the crowd, approach Pugatchov and
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  Speaker 1: present him with a sheet of paper. I could not
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  Speaker 1: think what it meant. What is it, asked Pugatchov, with dignity,
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  Speaker 1: deign to read it and you will see, replied Savielitch.
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  Speaker 1: Pogatchov took the paper and looked at it a long
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  Speaker 1: time with an air of importance. At last he said,
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  Speaker 1: you write very illegibly. Our lucid eyes cannot make out anything.
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  Speaker 1: Where is our chief secretary? A youth in a corporal's
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  Speaker 1: uniform ran up to Pukuchov. Read it aloud, the usurper
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  Speaker 1: said to him, handing him the paper, I was extremely
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  Speaker 1: curious to know on what account my retainer had thought
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  Speaker 1: of riding to Pukachov. The chief secretary began in a
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  Speaker 1: loud voice, spelling out what follows. Two dressing gowns, one cotton,
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  Speaker 1: the other striped silk. Six rubles. What does that mean?
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  Speaker 1: Interrupted Pugachov, frowning, tell him to read further. Rejoined savelyitch.
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  Speaker 1: Quite unmoved, the Chief Secretary continued to read one uniform
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  Speaker 1: of fine green cloth seven rubles, one pear trousers white cloth,
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  Speaker 1: five rubles, twelve shirts of Holland shirting with cuffs ten roubles.
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  Speaker 1: One box with tea service two and a half rubles.
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  Speaker 1: What is all this nonsense, cried Pugachov. What are these
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  Speaker 1: tea boxes and breeches and cuffs matter to me? Severely
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  Speaker 1: cleared his throat with a cough, and set to work
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  Speaker 1: to explain matters. Let my father condescend to understand that
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  Speaker 1: this is the bill of my master's goods which have
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  Speaker 1: been taken away by the rascals. What rascals, quoth Pugatchov,
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  Speaker 1: in a fierce and terrible manner. Beg pardon my tongue,
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  Speaker 1: plain me, false, replied Savitch. Rascals, No, they are not rascals.
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  Speaker 1: But still your fellows have well harried and well rob
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  Speaker 1: you must agree. Do not get angry. The horse has
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  Speaker 1: four legs, and yet he stumbles. Bid him to read
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  Speaker 1: to the end. Well, let's see, read on, said Pugachov.
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  Speaker 1: The secretary continued, one chintz rug, another of wadded silk,
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  Speaker 1: four roubles, one police fox's skin lined with red ratten
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  Speaker 1: forty roubles, and lastly a small hair skin to loop,
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  Speaker 1: which was left in the hands of your lordship in
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  Speaker 1: the wayside house on the step fifteen roubles. What's that,
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  Speaker 1: cried Pugachov, whose eyes suddenly sparkled. I confess I was
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  Speaker 1: in fear for my poor follower. He was about to
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  Speaker 1: embark on new explanations when Pogatrov interrupted him. How dare
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  Speaker 1: you bother me with such nonsense, cried he, snatching the
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  Speaker 1: paper out of the hands of the secretary and throwing
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  Speaker 1: it in Sevilitch's face. Foolish, old man, you have been despoiled. Well,
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  Speaker 1: what does it signify, but old owl, you should eternally
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  Speaker 1: pray God for me and my lads, that you and
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  Speaker 1: your master do not swing up there with the other rebels.
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  Speaker 1: A hair skinned tuloup. Hark ye, I'll have you flayed
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  Speaker 1: alive that teloops may be made of your skin, as
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  Speaker 1: it may please you, replied Savilitch. But I am not
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  Speaker 1: a free man, and I must answer for my lord's goods.
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  Speaker 1: Pugatchov was apparently in a fit of high mindedness. He
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  Speaker 1: turned aside his head and went off without another word,
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  Speaker 1: Shrabden and the chiefs followed him. All the band left
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  Speaker 1: the fort in order. The people escorted it. I remained
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  Speaker 1: alone in the square with Sevielitch. My follower held in
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  Speaker 1: his hand the memorandum and was contemplating it with an
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  Speaker 1: air of deep regret. Seeing my friendly understanding with Pugatchov,
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  Speaker 1: he had thought to turn it to some account, but
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  Speaker 1: his wise hope did not succeed. I was going to
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  Speaker 1: scold him sharply for his misplaced zeal and I could
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  Speaker 1: not help laughing. Laugh, sir, laugh, said Sevielitch. But when
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  Speaker 1: you are obliged to fill up your household anew, we
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  Speaker 1: shall see if you still feel disposed to laugh. I
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  Speaker 1: ran to the Pope's house to see Marty Ivanovna. The
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  Speaker 1: Pope's wife, came to meet me with the sad piece
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  Speaker 1: of news. During the night, high fever had set in
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  Speaker 1: and the poor girl was now delirious. Akulina Panfilovna brought
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  Speaker 1: me to her room. I gently approached the bed. I
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  Speaker 1: was struck by the frightful change in her face. The
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  Speaker 1: sick girl did not know me motionless before her. It
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  Speaker 1: was long ere I a nderstood the words of father
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  Speaker 1: Gharsim and his wife, who apparently were trying to comfort me.
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  Speaker 1: Gloomy thoughts overwhelmed me. The position of a poor orphan,
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  Speaker 1: left solitary and friendless in the power of rascals filled
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  Speaker 1: me with fear, while my own powerlessness secretly distressed me.
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  Speaker 1: But Schabrin Shavrim of all filled me with alarm, invested
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  Speaker 1: with all power by the usurper, and left master in
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  Speaker 1: the fort with the unhappy girl, the object of his hatred.
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  Speaker 1: He was capable of anything. What should I do? How
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  Speaker 1: could I help her? How deliver her? Only in one way,
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  Speaker 1: and I was embracing it. It was to start with
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  Speaker 1: all speed for Uremburg, so as to hasten the recapture
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  Speaker 1: of Belogorsk, and to aid in it if possible. I
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  Speaker 1: took leave of the Pope and of Akulina Pamphilovna, recommending
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  Speaker 1: warmly to them, her whom I already regarded as my wife.
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  Speaker 1: I seized the hand of the younger Earl and covered
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  Speaker 1: it with tears and kisses. Good Bye, the Pope's wife
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  Speaker 1: said to me as she led me away. Goodbye, Pyortrandrovitch.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps we may meet again in happier times. Don't forget
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  Speaker 1: us and ride often to us, except you, poor Marty Ivanovna,
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  Speaker 1: has no longer stay or comforter out in the square.
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  Speaker 1: I stopped a minute before the gallows, which I respectfully saluted,
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  Speaker 1: and then I took the road to Orenburg, accompanied by Savilitch,
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  Speaker 1: who did not forsake me. As I thus went along
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  Speaker 1: deep in thought, I heard all at once a horse
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  Speaker 1: galloping behind me. I turned round and saw Cossack coming
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  Speaker 1: up from the fort, reading a bashkir horse and making
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  Speaker 1: signs to me from Afar to wait for him. I
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  Speaker 1: stopped and soon recognized Ar Yuryadnik. After joining us at
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  Speaker 1: a gallop. He jumped from the back of his own
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  Speaker 1: horse and had to be the bridle of the other.
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  Speaker 1: Your lordship, said he. Our father makes you a present
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  Speaker 1: of a horse and a pelisse. From his own shoulder.
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  Speaker 1: On the saddle was slung a plain sheepskin tuloup, and
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  Speaker 1: besides added he hesitatingly, he gives you a half ruble.
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  Speaker 1: But I have lost it by the way. Kindly excuse it.
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  Speaker 1: Sevielitch looked askance at him. You have lost it, by
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  Speaker 1: the way, said he, And pray, what is that which
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  Speaker 1: jingles in your pocket, bare face, liar that you are
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  Speaker 1: jingling in my pocket, replied the Uradnik. Not a witnessconcerted
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  Speaker 1: God forgive you, old man. Tis a bridle bit and
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  Speaker 1: never half a rouble. Oh well, said I, putting it
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  Speaker 1: end to the dispute. Thank from me he who sent you.
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  Speaker 1: And you may as well try as you go back
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  Speaker 1: to find the lost half ruble and keep it for yourself.
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  Speaker 1: Many thinks your lordship, said he, turning his horse round.
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  Speaker 1: I will pray God forever for you. With these words.
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  Speaker 1: He started off at a gallop, keeping one hand on
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  Speaker 1: his pocket, and was soon out of sight. I put
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  Speaker 1: on the tuloop and mounted the horse, taking up seviech
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  Speaker 1: behind me. Don't you see, your lordship, said the old man,
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  Speaker 1: that was not in vain that I presented by petition
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  Speaker 1: to the robber. The robber was ashamed of himself. Although
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  Speaker 1: this long and lean bashkir hoss and this peasant's touloup
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  Speaker 1: be not worth half what those rascals stole from us,
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  Speaker 1: nor what you deign to give him as the present,
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  Speaker 1: still they may be useful to us from an evil dog.
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  Speaker 1: Be glad the handful of hairs. End of chapter nine
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  Speaker 1: recording by Kevin Davidson Told you w W dot Blog
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  Speaker 1: or die dot com.