Yemelyan Pugachev

“ Pugatchéf's eyes flashed.
"Who among my people would dare to harm an orphan?" cried he. "Were he ever so brazen-faced, he should never escape my vengeance! Speak, who is the guilty one?"
"Chvabrine," replied I; "he keeps in durance the same young girl whom you saw with the priest's wife, and he wants to force her to become his wife."
"I'll give him a lesson, Master Chvabrine!" cried Pugatchéf, with a fierce air. "He shall learn what it is to do as he pleases under me, and to oppress my people. I'll hang him."
"Bid me speak a word," broke in Khlopúsha, in a hoarse voice. ”

“ Just think what news! What will come of all this?"
"Eh! my little mother," replied Iwán Ignatiitch; "the Lord is merciful. We have soldiers enough, and much, powder; I have cleared the cannon. Perhaps we may be able to defeat this Pugatchéf. If God do not forsake us, the wolf will eat none of us here."
"And what manner of man is this Pugatchéf?" questioned the Commandant's wife.
Iwán Ignatiitch saw plainly that he had said too much, and bit his tongue; but it was too late. Vassilissa Igorofna obliged him to tell her all, after giving her word that she would tell no one. ”

“ I replied, as I observed the favourable change taking place in Pugatchéf, and seeing no risk in telling him the truth.
"Your betrothed!" cried Pugatchéf. "Why didn't you tell me before? We will marry you, and have a fine junket at your wedding." Then, turning to Béloborodoff, "Listen, field-marshal," said he, "we are old friends, his lordship and me; let us sit down to supper. To-morrow we will see what is to be done with him; one's brains are clearer in the morning than by night."
I should willingly have refused the proposed honour, but I could not get out of it. ”

“ Pugatchéf bid the man stop.
"Oh! my father, Petr' Andréjïtch," cried my follower, "don't forsake me in my old age among the rob—"
"Aha! old owl!" said Pugatchéf, "so God again brings us together. Here, seat yourself in front."
"Thanks, Tzar, thanks my own father," replied Savéliitch, taking his seat. "May God give you a hundred years of life for having reassured a poor old man. I shall pray God all my life for you, and I'll never talk about the hareskin 'touloup.'"
This hareskin "touloup" might end at last by making Pugatchéf seriously angry. ”

“ Turning toward Pugatchéf, I said to him, smiling—
"Ah! I had forgotten to thank you for your horse and 'touloup.' Had it not been for you, I should never have reached the town, for I should have died of cold on the journey."
My stratagem succeeded. Pugatchéf became good-humoured.
"The beauty of a debt is the payment!" said he, with his usual wink. "Now, tell me the whole story. What have you to do with this young girl whom Chvabrine is persecuting? Has she not hooked your young affections, eh?" ”

“ Deserters from the enemy are reported to have stated that he has been in Pougatcheff's camp, and that he drove with him to the fortress of Byĕlogorsk, in which he had formerly served; with regard to his conduct, I can only . . ." Here he stopped and said in a severe tone of voice: "What canst thou say to this, in thy defence?"
It was my intention to have continued as I had begun, and to have declared my connection with Maria Ivanovna as frankly as I had narrated the rest, but I suddenly felt an irrepressible aversion to doing so. ”

“ Mironoff turned to his wife. “You see my dear! indeed it would be well to send you somewhere farther off until we shall have defeated the rebels.”
“What nonsense!” replied she. “Where is the fortress that balls have not reached? In what respect is our fortress unsafe? Thank God, we have lived here twenty and one years. We have seen Bashkirs and Kirghis; Pougatcheff can not be worse than they.”
“My dear, stay if you will, since your faith is so great in our fortress. But what shall we do with Marie? It will be all well if we can keep off the robber, or if help reach us in time. ”

“ If you wish to hang Alexis, hang on the same gibbet this young fellow, that they may be equal.”
These words seemed to shake the chief. Happily the other wretch opposed this view.
“Silence,” said this powerful fellow. “You think of nothing but hanging and strangling. It becomes you to play the hero. To look at you, no one knows where your soul is.”
“And which of the saints are you?” replied the old man.
“Generals,” said Pougatcheff, with dignity, “an end to your quarrels. It would be no great loss if all the mangy dogs from Orenbourg were dangling their legs under the same cross-beam ”

“ Paláshka returned to us our swords. We left the commandant apparently at peace with each other. Ivan Ignatitch accompanied us. "How is it you are not ashamed," said I, angrily, "of having denounced us to the commandant, after having promised me that you would not do so?" "As God lives, I did not tell it to Ivan Kouzmitch," answered he. "Vassilissa Yegorovna drew it all out of me. She it was who made all arrangements without the commandant's knowledge. However, thank God that all has ended so well." With these words, he returned homewards, and Shvabrine and I remained alone. ”

“ The impostor proved to be his own worst foe, and defeated himself by his innate barbarity.
Pugatchef began his career as a common soldier, afterwards becoming an officer. Deserting the army after a period of service, he made his way to Poland, where he dwelt with the monks of that country and pretended to equal the best of them in piety. Here he was told that he bore a striking resemblance to Peter III. The hint was enough. He returned to Russia, where he professed sanctity, dressed like a patriarch of the church, and scattered benedictions freely among the Cossacks of the Don. ”

“ Upon the floor, in a coarse peasant's dress, sat Marya, pale and thin, with her hair unbound. Before her stood a jug of water and a bit of bread. At the sight of me she trembled and gave a piercing cry. I cannot say what I felt. Pugatchéf looked sidelong at Chvabrine, and said to him with a bitter smile—
"Your hospital is well-ordered!" Then, approaching Marya, "Tell me, my little dove, why your husband punishes you thus?"
"My husband!" rejoined she; "he is not my husband. Never will I be his wife. I am resolved rather to die, and I shall die if I be not delivered." ”

“ We proposed remaining to see the exercise, but he invited, us to go to Vassilissa Yegorovna, promising to follow shortly.
"Here," added he; "there is nothing for you to look at."
Vassilissa Yegorovna received us without any ceremony, but with warmth, and treated me as if she had known me for years. The invalid and Paláshka were laying the table.
"Why, what makes my Ivan Kouzmitch stay out so long to-day?" said the commandant's wife. "Paláshka, call your master to dinner. But where is Masha?" ”

“ Jemeljan Pugatscheff Was the son of Jemailoff Pugatscheff, a Cossack of the Don, and was born near Simonskaga. His father was killed on the field of battle, and left him to the care of an indifferent mother, who deserted him and sought the embraces of a second husband. An uncle, pitying the lad's desolation, carried him to Poland, where he picked up the French, Italian, German, and Polish languages, and distinguished himself by his aptitude for learning. ”

“ To call him an impostor to his face was to devote myself to death; and the sacrifice for which I was prepared on the gallows, before all the world, and in the first heat of my indignation, appeared to me a useless piece of bravado. I knew not what to say.
Pugatchéf awaited my reply in fierce silence. At last (and I yet recall that moment with satisfaction) the feeling of duty triumphed in me over human weakness, and I made reply to Pugatchéf—
"Just listen, and I will tell you the whole truth. You shall be judge. Can I recognize in you a Tzar? You are a clever man ”

“ It was impossible that she should stay in a fortress subject to Pougatcheff, and commanded by the infamous Alexis. Neither could she find refuge at Orenbourg, suffering all the horrors of siege. I proposed that she should go to my father’s country-seat. This surprised her. But I assured her that my father would hold it a duty and an honor to receive the daughter of a veteran who had died for his country. In conclusion, I said: “My dear Marie; I consider thee as my wife; these strange events have bound us for ever to each other.” ”

“ Pugatchéf sat beneath the holy pictures in a red caftan and high cap, his hand on his thigh. Around him stood several of his principal chiefs, with a forced expression of submission and respect. It was easy to see that the news of the arrival of an officer from Orenburg had aroused a great curiosity among the rebels, and that they were prepared to receive me in pomp. Pugatchéf recognized me at the first glance. His feigned gravity disappeared at once.
"Ah! it is your lordship," said he, with liveliness. "How are you? What in heaven's name brings you here?" ”

“ The commandant ordered Ivan Ignatitch to lay the gun at the enemy, and himself applied the match. The ball whistled and flew past them without occasioning any harm. The horsemen separated and galloped out of sight, clearing the steppe.
At that moment, Vassilissa Yegorovna appeared on the rampart, accompanied by Masha, who was unwilling to quit her side.
"Well," asked the commandant's wife, "how does the battle progress? Where is the enemy?"
"The enemy is not far off," answered Ivan Kouzmitch; "please God all will be well. ”

“ Vassilissa Yegorovna was not silent for an instant, and kept putting all manner of questions to me: who were my parents? were they alive? where did they live? what was their income? Upon learning that my father possessed three hundred peasants, "Is it possible!" she said; "well, there are rich people in the world! we possess only one soul, [10] the girl Paláshka, but, thank God, we manage to exist. We are beset but by one trouble: Masha is a marriageable girl, and what is her dower to be? ”

“ Is there no chance of success for the bold? In former times did not Grischka Otrépieff59 reign? Think of me as you please, but do not leave me. What does it matter to you whether it be one or the other? He who is pope is father. Serve me faithfully, and I will make you a field-marshal and a prince. What do you say to this?"
"No," I replied, firmly. "I am a gentleman. I have sworn fidelity to Her Majesty the Tzarina; I cannot serve you. If you really wish me well, send me back to Orenburg."
Pugatchéf reflected. ”

“ The Commandant, enfeebled by his wound, collected his remaining strength, and replied, in a resolute tone—
"You are not my Emperor; you are a usurper and a robber!"
Pugatchéf frowned and waved his white handkerchief. Several Cossacks immediately seized the old Commandant and dragged him away to the gallows. Astride on the crossbeam, sat the disfigured Bashkir who had been cross-examined on the preceding evening; he held a rope in his hand, and I saw the next moment poor Iván Kouzmitch swinging in the air. Then Iwán Ignatiitch was brought before Pugatchéf. ”

“ He and his wife came forward to meet me Savelitch had already informed them of what had happened.
“You are welcome, Peter Andreitch,” said the pope’s wife. “God has ordained that we should meet again. And how are you? Not a day has passed without our talking about you. And Maria Ivanovna, the poor little dove, what has she not suffered while you have been away! But tell us, little father, how did you manage to arrange matters with Pougatcheff? How was it that he did not put you to death? The villain be thanked for that, at all events!”
“Enough, old woman,” interrupted Father Gerasim. ”

“ Pugasceff, trodden a hundred times to the ground, rose once more. After his defeat at Kazan, he fled, not towards the interior of Siberia, but straight towards the heart of the Russian Empire—towards Moscow. Out of his army which was split asunder at Kazan he formed 100 battalions, and with a small number of these crossed the Volga. Immediately he appeared on the opposite banks of the river, and the entire province was enkindled: the peasantry rose in revolt against the aristocracy. ”

“ Pougatcheff had fled, and was pursued by Ivan Ivanovitch Mihelson. We soon heard of his complete annihilation. At length Zourine received intelligence of the capture of the pretender, and at the same time orders to halt. The war was at an end. I should now be able to go to my parents. The prospect before me, that I should embrace them, that I should see Maria Ivanovna, of whom I had had no news, filled me with delight. I danced about like a child. Zourine laughed and said, shrugging his shoulders:
"No, no; no good will come of it! Thou shalt marry—and thou shalt be lost!" ”

“ Before his door stood a "kibitka" with three Tartar horses. The crowd filled the street. Pugatchéf, whom I met in the ante-room, was dressed in a travelling suit, a pelisse and Kirghiz cap. His guests of yesterday evening surrounded him, and wore a submissive air, which contrasted strongly with what I had witnessed the previous evening.
Pugatchéf gaily bid me "good morning," and ordered me to seat myself beside him in the "kibitka." We took our places.
"To Fort Bélogorsk!" said Pugatchéf to the robust Tartar driver, who standing guided the team. My heart beat violently. ”

“ He lost his habitual firmness, and his sorrow, usually dumb, found vent in bitter lament.
"What!" he never ceased repeating, well-nigh beside himself, "What! my son mixed up in the plots of Pugatchéf! Just God! what have I lived to see! The Tzarina grants him life, but does that make it easier for me to bear? It is not the execution which is horrible. My ancestor perished on the scaffold for conscience sake,71 my father fell with the martyrs Volynski and Khuchtchoff,72 but that a 'boyár' should forswear his oath—that he should join with robbers, rascals, convicted felons, revolted slaves! ”