When I recall that this happened in my lifetime and that I have now lived to see the mild reign of the emperor Alexander,23 I cannot help marveling at the rapid success of enlightenment and the spread of the principles of humanity. Young man, if my notes find themselves in your hands, remember that the best and most lasting changes are those that proceed from the improvement of morals, without any violent upheavals.
We were all shocked.
“Well,” said the commandant, “it’s clear we won’t get any sense out of him. Yulai, take the Bashkir back to the shed. And we, gentlemen, still have a thing or two to talk over.”
We had begun to discuss our situation, when Vasilisa Egorovna suddenly came in, breathless and looking extremely alarmed.
“What’s happened to you?” asked the astonished commandant.
“Big trouble, my dears!” Vasilisa Egorovna replied. “The Nizhneozerny fortress was taken this morning. Father Gerasim’s hired man just came back from there. He saw it taken. The commandant and all the officers were hanged. All the soldiers were taken prisoner. Before you notice, the villains will be here.”
The unexpected news shocked me greatly. I knew the commandant of the Nizhneozerny fortress, a quiet and modest young man: some two months earlier he had been passing by from Orenburg with his young wife and put up at Ivan Kuzmich’s. The Nizhneozerny was about sixteen miles from our fortress. At any moment we, too, could expect Pugachev to attack. I vividly pictured Marya Ivanovna’s lot, and my heart sank.
“Listen, Ivan Kuzmich!” I said to the commandant. “Our duty is to defend the fortress to our last breath; that goes without saying. But we must think of the safety of the women. Send them to Orenburg, if the road is still open, or to some safer, more distant fortress that the villains won’t reach.”
Ivan Kuzmich turned to his wife and said:
“See here, dearest. In fact, why don’t we send you farther away, until we’ve dealt with the rebels?”
“Ehh, trifles!” said the commandant’s wife. “Where is there a fortress that hasn’t seen bullets flying? What’s unsafe about Belogorsk? Thank God, it’s twenty-two years we’ve lived in it. We’ve seen the Bashkirs and the Kirghiz; chances are we’ll outsit Pugachev, too!”
“Well, dearest,” Ivan Kuzmich rejoined, “you’re welcome to stay, since you trust in our fortress. But what are we to do with Masha? It’s fine if we sit it out or succor comes; but what if the villains take the fortress?”
“Well, then…” Here Vasilisa Egorovna hesitated and fell silent, looking extremely worried.
“No, Vasilisa Egorovna,” the commandant went on, noticing that his words had had an effect on her, perhaps for the first time in his life. “It won’t do for Masha to stay here. Let’s send her to Orenburg, to her godmother: they have troops and cannon aplenty, and the walls are stone. And I’d advise you to go there with her; never mind that you’re an old woman, just consider what would happen to you if they were to take the fortress by assault.”
“Very well,” said his wife, “so be it, we’ll send Masha off. But don’t dream of asking me to go: I won’t. Nothing will make me part from you in my old age and seek a solitary grave in strange parts somewhere. Together we’ve lived, and together we’ll die.”
“That’s it, then,” said the commandant. “Well, there’s no point in tarrying. Go, prepare Masha for the journey. Tomorrow at dawn we’ll send her off, and we’ll give her an escort, though we have no men to spare. But where is Masha?”
“At Akulina Pamfilovna’s,” his wife replied. “She felt faint when she heard that the Nizhneozerny fortress had been taken; I’m afraid she may fall ill. Lord God, that we’ve lived to see this!”
Vasilisa Egorovna went to busy herself with her daughter’s departure. The conversation at the commandant’s went on; but I no longer entered into it and was not listening. Marya Ivanovna appeared at supper pale and tear-stained. We finished supper in silence and got up from the table sooner than usual; taking leave of the whole family, we went to our homes. But I deliberately forgot my sword and went back for it; I had a feeling I would find Marya Ivanovna alone. Indeed, she met me at the door and handed me my sword.
“Good-bye, Pyotr Andreich!” she said to me in tears. “They’re sending me to Orenburg. May you live and be happy; perhaps the Lord will grant us to see each other again; but if not…”
Here she burst into sobs. I embraced her.
“Farewell, my angel,” I said, “farewell, my dear one, my heart’s desire! Whatever happens to me, trust that my last thought and last prayer will be about you!”
Masha sobbed, clinging to my breast. I kissed her ardently and hurried out of the room.
CHAPTER SEVEN The Assault
Head of mine, dear head of mine
This my dear long-serving head,
It has served, dear head of mine,
Exactly three and thirty years.
Ah, it has earned, this head of mine,
Naught of profit, naught of joy,
Naught of any kindly word
And naught of any higher rank;
All it has earned, this head of mine,
Is two lofty wooden posts,
