a hero of our time-第18节

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I　alone　understood　the　dark　significance　of　those　words：　they　referred　to　me。　　I　had　involuntarily　foretold　his　fate　to　poor　Vulich。　My　instinct　had　not　deceived　me；　I　had　indeed　read　on　his　changed　countenance　the　signs　of　approaching　death。

The　murderer　had　locked　himself　up　in　an　empty　hut　at　the　end　of　the　village；　and　thither　we　went。　　A　number　of　women；　all　of　them　weeping；　were　running　in　the　same　direction；　at　times　a　belated　Cossack；　hastily　buckling　on　his　dagger；　sprang　out　into　the　street　and　overtook　us　at　a　run。　　The　tumult　was　dreadful。

At　length　we　arrived　on　the　scene　and　found　a　crowd　standing　around　the　hut；　the　door　and　shutters　of　which　were　locked　on　the　inside。　Groups　of　officers　and　Cossacks　were　engaged　in　heated　discussions；　the　women　were　shrieking；　wailing　and　talking　all　in　one　breath。　　One　of　the　old　women　struck　my　attention　by　her　meaning　looks　and　the　frantic　despair　expressed　upon　her　face。　　She　was　sitting　on　a　thick　plank；　leaning　her　elbows　on　her　knees　and　supporting　her　head　with　her　hands。　　It　was　the　mother　of　the　murderer。　　At　times　her　lips　moved。　。　。　　Was　it　a　prayer　they　were　whispering；　or　a　curse？

Meanwhile　it　was　necessary　to　decide　upon　some　course　of　action　and　to　seize　the　criminal。　Nobody；　however；　made　bold　to　be　the　first　to　rush　forward。

I　went　up　to　the　window　and　looked　in　through　a　chink　in　the　shutter。　　The　criminal；　pale　of　face；　was　lying　on　the　floor；　holding　a　pistol　in　his　right　hand。　　The　blood…stained　sabre　was　beside　him。　　His　expressive　eyes　were　rolling　in　terror；　at　times　he　shuddered　and　clutched　at　his　head；　as　if　indistinctly　recalling　the　events　of　yesterday。　I　could　not　read　any　sign　of　great　determination　in　that　uneasy　glance　of　his；　and　I　told　the　major　that　it　would　be　better　at　once　to　give　orders　to　the　Cossacks　to　burst　open　the　door　and　rush　in；　than　to　wait　until　the　murderer　had　quite　recovered　his　senses。

At　that　moment　the　old　captain　of　the　Cossacks　went　up　to　the　door　and　called　the　murderer　by　name。　　The　latter　answered　back。

〃You　have　committed　a　sin；　brother　Ephi…　mych！〃　said　the　captain；　〃so　all　you　can　do　now　is　to　submit。〃

〃I　will　not　submit！〃　answered　the　Cossack。

〃Have　you　no　fear　of　God！　　You　see；　you　are　not　one　of　those　cursed　Chechenes；　but　an　honest　Christian！　　Come；　if　you　have　done　it　in　an　unguarded　moment　there　is　no　help　for　it！　You　cannot　escape　your　fate！〃

〃I　will　not　submit！〃　exclaimed　the　Cossack　menacingly；　and　we　could　hear　the　snap　of　the　cocked　trigger。

〃Hey；　my　good　woman！〃　said　the　Cossack　captain　to　the　old　woman。　　〃Say　a　word　to　your　son　　perhaps　he　will　lend　an　ear　to　you。　。　。　You　see；　to　go　on　like　this　is　only　to　make　God　angry。　　And　look；　the　gentlemen　here　have　already　been　waiting　two　hours。〃

The　old　woman　gazed　fixedly　at　him　and　shook　her　head。

〃Vasili　Petrovich；〃　said　the　captain；　going　up　to　the　major；　〃he　will　not　surrender。　　I　know　him！　　If　it　comes　to　smashing　in　the　door　he　will　strike　down　several　of　our　men。　　Would　it　not　be　better　if　you　ordered　him　to　be　shot？　　There　is　a　wide　chink　in　the　shutter。〃

At　that　moment　a　strange　idea　flashed　through　my　head　　like　Vulich　I　proposed　to　put　fate　to　the　test。

〃Wait；〃　I　said　to　the　major；　〃I　will　take　him　alive。〃

Bidding　the　captain　enter　into　a　conversation　with　the　murderer　and　setting　three　Cossacks　at　the　door　ready　to　force　it　open　and　rush　to　my　aid　at　a　given　signal；　I　walked　round　the　hut　and　approached　the　fatal　window。　　My　heart　was　beating　violently。

〃Aha；　you　cursed　wretch！〃　cried　the　captain。　〃Are　you　laughing　at　us；　eh？　　Or　do　you　think　that　we　won't　be　able　to　get　the　better　of　you？〃

He　began　to　knock　at　the　door　with　all　his　might。　　Putting　my　eye　to　the　chink；　I　followed　the　movements　of　the　Cossack；　who　was　not　expecting　an　attack　from　that　direction。　　I　pulled　the　shutter　away　suddenly　and　threw　myself　in　at　the　window；　head　foremost。　　A　shot　rang　out　right　over　my　ear；　and　the　bullet　tore　off　one　of　my　epaulettes。　　But　the　smoke　which　filled　the　room　prevented　my　adversary　from　finding　the　sabre　which　was　lying　beside　him。　　I　seized　him　by　the　arms；　the　Cossacks　burst　in；　and　three　minutes　had　not　elapsed　before　they　had　the　criminal　bound　and　led　off　under　escort。

The　people　dispersed；　the　officers　congratulated　me　　and　indeed　there　was　cause　for　congratula…　tion。

After　all　that；　it　would　hardly　seem　possible　to　avoid　becoming　a　fatalist？　　But　who　knows　for　certain　whether　he　is　convinced　of　anything　or　not？　　And　how　often　is　a　deception　of　the　senses　or　an　error　of　the　reason　accepted　as　a　conviction！　。　。　。　　I　prefer　to　doubt　everything。　Such　a　disposition　is　no　bar　to　decision　of　character；　on　the　contrary；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned；　I　always　advance　more　boldly　when　I　do　not　know　what　is　awaiting　me。　　You　see；　nothing　can　happen　worse　than　death　　and　from　death　there　is　no　escape。

On　my　return　to　the　fortress　I　related　to　Maksim　Maksimych　all　that　I　had　seen　and　experienced；　and　I　sought　to　learn　his　opinion　on　the　subject　of　predestination。

At　first　he　did　not　understand　the　word。　　I　explained　it　to　him　as　well　as　I　could；　and　then　he　said；　with　a　significant　shake　of　the　head：

〃Yes；　sir；　of　course！　　It　was　a　very　ingenious　trick！　　However；　these　Asiatic　pistols　often　miss　fire　if　they　are　badly　oiled　or　if　you　don't　press　hard　enough　on　the　trigger。　　I　confess　I　don't　like　the　Circassian　carbines　either。　　Some…　how　or　other　they　don't　suit　the　like　of　us：　the　butt　end　is　so　small；　and　any　minute　you　may　get　your　nose　burnt！　　On　the　other　hand；　their　sabres；　now　　well；　all　I　need　say　is；　my　best　respects　to　them！〃

Afterwards　he　said；　on　reflecting　a　little：

〃Yes；　it　is　a　pity　about　the　poor　fellow！　　The　devil　must　have　put　it　into　his　head　to　start　a　conversation　with　a　drunken　man　at　night！　However；　it　is　evident　that　fate　had　written　it　so　at　his　birth！〃

I　could　not　get　anything　more　out　of　Maksim　Maksimych；　generally　speaking；　he　had　no　liking　for　metaphysical　disputations。



BOOK　V　THE　THIRD　EXTRACT　FROM　PECHORIN'S　DIARY

PRINCESS　MARY

CHAPTER　I

11th　May。

YESTERDAY　I　arrived　at　Pyatigorsk。　I　have　engaged　lodgings　at　the　extreme　end　of　the　town；　the　highest　part；　at　the　foot　of　Mount　Mashuk：　during　a　storm　the　clouds　will　descend　on　to　the　roof　of　my　dwelling。

This　morning　at　five　o'clock；　when　I　opened　my　window；　the　room　was　filled　with　the　fra…　grance　of　the　flowers　growing　in　the　modest　little　front…garden。　　Branches　of　bloom…laden　bird…　cherry　trees　peep　in　at　my　window；　and　now　and　again　the　breeze　bestrews　my　writing…table　with　their　white　petals。　　The　view　which　meets　my　gaze　on　three　sides　is　wonderful：　westward　towers　five…peaked　Beshtau；　blue　as　〃the　last　cloud　of　a　dispersed　storm；〃＇1＇　and　northward　rises　Mashuk；　like　a　shaggy　Persian　cap；　shutting　in　the　whole　of　that　quarter　of　the　horizon。　　Eastward　the　outlook　is　more　cheery：　down　below　are　dis…　played　the　varied　hues　of　the　brand…new；　spotlessly　clean；　little　town；　with　its　murmuring；　health…　giving　springs　and　its　babbling；　many…tongued　throng。　　Yonder；　further　away；　the　mountains　tower　up　in　an　amphitheatre；　ever　bluer　and　mistier；　and；　at　the　edge　of　the　horizon；　stretches　the　silver　chain　of　snow…clad　summits；　begin…　ning　with　Kazbek　and　ending　with　two…peaked　Elbruz。　。　。　　Blithe　is　life　in　such　a　land！　　A　feeling　akin　to　rapture　is　diffused　through　all　my　veins。　The　air　is　pure　and　fresh；　like　the　kiss　of　a　child；　the　sun　is　bright；　the　sky　is　blue　　what　more　could　one　possibly　wish　for？　　What　need；　in　such　a　place　as　this；　of　passions；　desires；　regrets？

＇1＇　Pushkin。　　Compare　Shelley's　Adonais；　xxxi。　3：　〃as　the　last　cloud　of　an　expiring　storm。〃

However；　it　is　time　to　be　stirring。　　I　will　go　to　the　Elizaveta　spring　　I　am　told　that　the　whole　society　of　the　watering…place　assembles　there　in　the　morning。

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Descending　into　the　middle　of　the　town；　I　walked　along　the　boulevard；　on　which　I　met　a　few　melancholy　groups　slowly　ascending　the　moun…　tain。　　These；　for　the　most　part；　were　the　families　of　landed…gentry　from　the　steppes　　as　could　be　guessed　at　once　from　the　threadbare；　old…　fashioned　frock…coats　of　the　husbands　and　the　exquisite　attire　of　the　wives　and　daughters。　Evidently　they　already　had　all　the　young　men　of　the　watering…place　at　their　fingers'　ends；　because　they　looked　at　me　with　a　tender　curiosity。　　The　Petersburg　cut　of　my　coat　misled　them；　but　they　soon　recognised　the　military　epaulettes；　and　turned　away　with　indignation。

The　wives　of　the　local　authorities　　the　host…　esses；　so　to　speak；　of　the　waters　　were　more　graciously　inclined。　　They　carry　lorgnettes；　and　they　pay　less　attention　to　a　uniform　　they　have　grown　accustomed　in　the　Caucasus　to　meeting　a　fervid　heart　beneath　a　numbered　button　and　a　cultured　intellect　beneath　a　white　forage…cap。　These　ladies　are　very　charming；　and　long　continue　to　be　charming。　　Each　year　their　adorers　are　exchanged　for　new　ones；　and　in　that　very　fact；　it　may　be；　lies　the　secret　of　their　unwearying　amiability。

Ascending　by　the　narrow　path　to　the　Elizaveta　spring；　I　overtook　a　crowd　of　officials　and　military　men；　who；　as　I　subsequently　learned；　compose　a　class　apart　amongst　those　wh