a hero of our time-第6节

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n；　Heaven　knows！

〃He　had　scarcely　touched　the　door；　however；　when　Bela　sprang　to　her　feet；　burst　out　sobbing；　and　threw　herself　on　his　neck！　　Would　you　believe　it？　　I；　standing　there　behind　the　door；　fell　to　weeping　too；　that　is　to　say；　you　know；　not　exactly　weeping　　but　just　　well；　something　foolish！〃

The　staff…captain　became　silent。

〃Yes；　I　confess；〃　he　said　after　a　while；　tugging　at　his　moustache；　〃I　felt　hurt　that　not　one　woman　had　ever　loved　me　like　that。〃

〃Was　their　happiness　lasting？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes；　she　admitted　that；　from　the　day　she　had　first　cast　eyes　on　Pechorin；　she　had　often　dreamed　of　him；　and　that　no　other　man　had　ever　pro…　duced　such　an　impression　upon　her。　　Yes；　they　were　happy！〃

〃How　tiresome！〃　I　exclaimed；　involuntarily。

In　point　of　fact；　I　had　been　expecting　a　tragic　ending　　when；　lo！　he　must　needs　disappoint　my　hopes　in　such　an　unexpected　manner！　。　。　。

〃Is　it　possible；　though；〃　I　continued；　〃that　her　father　did　not　guess　that　she　was　with　you　in　the　fortress？〃

〃Well；　you　must　know；　he　seems　to　have　had　his　suspicions。　　After　a　few　days；　we　learned　that　the　old　man　had　been　murdered。　　This　is　how　it　happened。〃　。　。　。

My　attention　was　aroused　anew。

〃I　must　tell　you　that　Kazbich　imagined　that　the　horse　had　been　stolen　by　Azamat　with　his　father's　consent；　at　any　rate；　that　is　what　I　suppose。　　So；　one　day；　Kazbich　went　and　waited　by　the　roadside；　about　three　versts　beyond　the　village。　　The　old　man　was　returning　from　one　of　his　futile　searches　for　his　daughter；　his　re…　tainers　were　lagging　behind。　　It　was　dusk。　Deep　in　thought；　he　was　riding　at　a　walking　pace　when；　suddenly；　Kazbich　darted　out　like　a　cat　from　behind　a　bush；　sprang　up　behind　him　on　the　horse；　flung　him　to　the　ground　with　a　thrust　of　his　dagger；　seized　the　bridle　and　was　off。　　A　few　of　the　retainers　saw　the　whole　affair　from　the　hill；　they　dashed　off　in　pursuit　of　Kazbich；　but　failed　to　overtake　him。〃

〃He　requited　himself　for　the　loss　of　his　horse；　and　took　his　revenge　at　the　same　time；〃　I　said；　with　a　view　to　evoking　my　companion's　opinion。

〃Of　course；　from　their　point　of　view；〃　said　the　staff…captain；　〃he　was　perfectly　right。〃

I　was　involuntarily　struck　by　the　aptitude　which　the　Russian　displays　for　accommodating　himself　to　the　customs　of　the　people　in　whose　midst　he　happens　to　be　living。　　I　know　not　whether　this　mental　quality　is　deserving　of　censure　or　commendation；　but　it　proves　the　incredible　pliancy　of　his　mind　and　the　presence　of　that　clear　common　sense　which　pardons　evil　wherever　it　sees　that　evil　is　inevitable　or　im…　possible　of　annihilation。



CHAPTER　VII

IN　the　meantime　we　had　finished　our　tea。　The　horses；　which　had　been　put　to　long　before；　were　freezing　in　the　snow。　　In　the　west　the　moon　was　growing　pale；　and　was　just　on　the　point　of　plunging　into　the　black　clouds　which　were　hanging　over　the　distant　summits　like　the　shreds　of　a　torn　curtain。　　We　went　out　of　the　hut。　　Contrary　to　my　fellow…traveller's　pre…　diction；　the　weather　had　cleared　up；　and　there　was　a　promise　of　a　calm　morning。　　The　dancing　choirs　of　the　stars　were　interwoven　in　wondrous　patterns　on　the　distant　horizon；　and；　one　after　another；　they　flickered　out　as　the　wan　resplendence　of　the　east　suffused　the　dark；　lilac　vault　of　heaven；　gradually　illumining　the　steep　mountain　slopes；　covered　with　the　virgin　snows。　　To　right　and　left　loomed　grim　and　mysterious　chasms；　and　masses　of　mist；　eddying　and　coiling　like　snakes；　were　creeping　thither　along　the　furrows　of　the　neighbouring　cliffs；　as　though　sentient　and　fear…　ful　of　the　approach　of　day。

All　was　calm　in　heaven　and　on　earth；　calm　as　within　the　heart　of　a　man　at　the　moment　of　morning　prayer；　only　at　intervals　a　cool　wind　rushed　in　from　the　east；　lifting　the　horses'　manes　which　were　covered　with　hoar…frost。　　We　started　off。　　The　five　lean　jades　dragged　our　wagons　with　difficulty　along　the　tortuous　road　up　Mount　Get。　　We　ourselves　walked　behind；　placing　stones　under　the　wheels　whenever　the　horses　were　spent。　The　road　seemed　to　lead　into　the　sky；　for；　so　far　as　the　eye　could　discern；　it　still　mounted　up　and　up；　until　finally　it　was　lost　in　the　cloud　which；　since　early　evening；　had　been　resting　on　the　sum…　mit　of　Mount　Get；　like　a　kite　awaiting　its　prey。　The　snow　crunched　under　our　feet。　　The　atmo…　sphere　grew　so　rarefied　that　to　breathe　was　pain…　ful；　ever　and　anon　the　blood　rushed　to　my　head；　but　withal　a　certain　rapturous　sensation　was　diffused　throughout　my　veins　and　I　felt　a　species　of　delight　at　being　so　high　up　above　the　world。　A　childish　feeling；　I　admit；　but；　when　we　retire　from　the　conventions　of　society　and　draw　close　to　nature；　we　involuntarily　become　as　children：　each　attribute　acquired　by　experience　falls　away　from　the　soul；　which　becomes　anew　such　as　it　was　once　and　will　surely　be　again。　　He　whose　lot　it　has　been；　as　mine　has　been；　to　wander　over　the　desolate　mountains；　long；　long　to　observe　their　fantastic　shapes；　greedily　to　gulp　down　the　life…　giving　air　diffused　through　their　ravines　　he；　of　course；　will　understand　my　desire　to　communicate；　to　narrate；　to　sketch　those　magic　pictures。

Well；　at　length　we　reached　the　summit　of　Mount　Gut　and；　halting；　looked　around　us。　Upon　the　mountain　a　grey　cloud　was　hanging；　and　its　cold　breath　threatened　the　approach　of　a　storm；　but　in　the　east　everything　was　so　clear　and　golden　that　we　　that　is；　the　staff…captain　and　I　　forgot　all　about　the　cloud。　。　。　　Yes；　the　staff…captain　too；　in　simple　hearts　the　feeling　for　the　beauty　and　grandeur　of　nature　is　a　hundred…fold　stronger　and　more　vivid　than　in　us；　ecstatic　composers　of　narratives　in　words　and　on　paper。

〃You　have　grown　accustomed；　I　suppose；　to　these　magnificent　pictures！〃　I　said。

〃Yes；　sir；　you　can　even　grow　accustomed　to　the　whistling　of　a　bullet；　that　is　to　say；　accus…　tomed　to　concealing　the　involuntary　thumping　of　your　heart。〃

〃I　have　heard；　on　the　contrary；　that　many　an　old　warrior　actually　finds　that　music　agreeable。〃

〃Of　course；　if　it　comes　to　that；　it　is　agree…　able；　but　only　just　because　the　heart　beats　more　violently。　　Look！〃　he　added；　pointing　towards　the　east。　　〃What　a　country！〃

And；　indeed；　such　a　panorama　I　can　hardly　hope　to　see　elsewhere。　　Beneath　us　lay　the　Koishaur　Valley；　intersected　by　the　Aragva　and　another　stream　as　if　by　two　silver　threads；　a　bluish　mist　was　gliding　along　the　valley；　fleeing　into　the　neighbouring　defiles　from　the　warm　rays　of　the　morning。　　To　right　and　left　the　mountain　crests；　towering　higher　and　higher；　intersected　each　other　and　stretched　out；　covered　with　snows　and　thickets；　in　the　distance　were　the　same　mountains；　which　now；　however；　had　the　appearance　of　two　cliffs；　one　like　to　the　other。　　And　all　these　snows　were　burning　in　the　crimson　glow　so　merrily　and　so　brightly　that　it　seemed　as　though　one　could　live　in　such　a　place　for　ever。　　The　sun　was　scarcely　visible　behind　the　dark…blue　mountain；　which　only　a　practised　eye　could　distinguish　from　a　thunder…cloud；　but　above　the　sun　was　a　blood…red　streak　to　which　my　companion　directed　particular　attention。

〃I　told　you；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃that　there　would　be　dirty　weather　to…day！　　We　must　make　haste；　or　perhaps　it　will　catch　us　on　Mount　Krestov。　　Get　on！〃　he　shouted　to　the　drivers。

Chains　were　put　under　the　wheels　in　place　of　drags；　so　that　they　should　not　slide；　the　drivers　took　the　horses　by　the　reins；　and　the　descent　began。　　On　the　right　was　a　cliff；　on　the　left　a　precipice；　so　deep　that　an　entire　village　of　Ossetes　at　the　bottom　looked　like　a　swallow's　nest。　　I　shuddered；　as　the　thought　occurred　to　me　that　often　in　the　depth　of　night；　on　that　very　road；　where　two　wagons　could　not　pass；　a　courier　drives　some　ten　times　a　year　without　climbing　down　from　his　rickety　vehicle。　　One　of　our　drivers　was　a　Russian　peasant　from　Yaro…　slavl；　the　other；　an　Ossete。　　The　latter　took　out　the　leaders　in　good　time　and　led　the　shaft…horse　by　the　reins；　using　every　possible　precaution　　but　our　heedless　compatriot　did　not　even　climb　down　from　his　box！　　When　I　remarked　to　him　that　he　might　put　himself　out　a　bit；　at　least　in　the　interests　of　my　portmanteau；　for　which　I　had　not　the　slightest　desire　to　clamber　down　into　the　abyss；　he　answered：

〃Eh；　master；　with　the　help　of　Heaven　we　shall　arrive　as　safe　and　sound　as　the　others；　it's　not　our　first　time；　you　know。〃

And　he　was　right。　　We　might　just　as　easily　have　failed　to　arrive　at　all；　but　arrive　we　did；　for　all　that。　　And　if　people　would　only　reason　a　little　more　they　would　be　convinced　that　life　is　not　worth　taking　such　a　deal　of　trouble　about。

Perhaps；　however；　you　would　like　to　know　the　conclusion　of　the　story　of　Bela？　　In　the　first　place；　this　is　not　a　novel；　but　a　collection　of　travelling…notes；　and；　consequently；　I　cannot　make　the　staff…captain　tell　the　story　sooner　than　he　actually　proceeded　to　tell　it。　　Therefore；　you　must　wait　a　bit；　or；　if　you　like；　turn　over　a　few　pages。　　Though　I　do　not　advise　you　to　do　the　latter；　because　the　crossing　of　Mount　Krestov　（or；　as　the　erudite　Gamba　calls　it；　le　mont　St。　Christophe＇1＇）　is　worthy　of　your　curiosity。

＇1＇　Krestov　is　an　adjective　meaning　〃of　the　cross〃　（Krest=cross）；　and；　of　course；　is　not　the　Russian　for　〃Christophe。〃

Well；　then；　we　descended　Mount　Gut　into　the　Chertov　Valley。　。