The Cossacks: A Tale of 1852 Read online

  Chapter XII

  Vanyusha, who meanwhile had finished his housekeeping arrangements andhad even been shaved by the company's barber and had pulled histrousers out of his high boots as a sign that the company was stationedin comfortable quarters, was in excellent spirits. He lookedattentively but not benevolently at Eroshka, as at a wild beast he hadnever seen before, shook his head at the floor which the old man haddirtied and, having taken two bottles from under a bench, went to thelandlady.

  'Good evening, kind people,' he said, having made up his mind to bevery gentle. 'My master has sent me to get some chikhir. Will you drawsome for me, good folk?'

  The old woman gave no answer. The girl, who was arranging the kerchiefon her head before a little Tartar mirror, looked round at Vanyusha insilence.

  'I'll pay money for it, honoured people,' said Vanyusha, jingling thecoppers in his pocket. 'Be kind to us and we, too will be kind to you,'he added.

  'How much?' asked the old woman abruptly. 'A quart.'

  'Go, my own, draw some for them,' said Granny Ulitka to her daughter.'Take it from the cask that's begun, my precious.'

  The girl took the keys and a decanter and went out of the hut withVanyusha.

  'Tell me, who is that young woman?' asked Olenin, pointing to Maryanka,who was passing the window. The old man winked and nudged the young manwith his elbow.

  'Wait a bit,' said he and reached out of the window. 'Khm,' he coughed,and bellowed, 'Maryanka dear. Hallo, Maryanka, my girlie, won't youlove me, darling? I'm a wag,' he added in a whisper to Olenin. Thegirl, not turning her head and swinging her arms regularly andvigorously, passed the window with the peculiarly smart and bold gaitof a Cossack woman and only turned her dark shaded eyes slowly towardsthe old man.

  'Love me and you'll be happy,' shouted Eroshka, winking, and he lookedquestioningly at the cadet.

  'I'm a fine fellow, I'm a wag!' he added. 'She's a regular queen, thatgirl. Eh?'

  'She is lovely,' said Olenin. 'Call her here!'

  'No, no,' said the old man. 'For that one a match is being arrangedwith Lukashka, Luke, a fine Cossack, a brave, who killed an abrek theother day. I'll find you a better one. I'll find you one that will beall dressed up in silk and silver. Once I've said it I'll do it. I'llget you a regular beauty!'

  'You, an old man--and say such things,' replied Olenin. 'Why, it's asin!'

  'A sin? Where's the sin?' said the old man emphatically. 'A sin to lookat a nice girl? A sin to have some fun with her? Or is it a sin to loveher? Is that so in your parts? ... No, my dear fellow, it's not a sin,it's salvation! God made you and God made the girl too. He made it all;so it is no sin to look at a nice girl. That's what she was made for;to be loved and to give joy. That's how I judge it, my good fellow.'

  Having crossed the yard and entered a cool dark storeroom filled withbarrels, Maryanka went up to one of them and repeating the usual prayerplunged a dipper into it. Vanyusha standing in the doorway smiled as helooked at her. He thought it very funny that she had only a smock on,close-fitting behind and tucked up in front, and still funnier that shewore a necklace of silver coins. He thought this quite un-Russian andthat they would all laugh in the serfs' quarters at home if they saw agirl like that. 'La fille comme c'est tres bien, for a change,' hethought. 'I'll tell that to my master.'

  'What are you standing in the light for, you devil!' the girl suddenlyshouted. 'Why don't you pass me the decanter!'

  Having filled the decanter with cool red wine, Maryanka handed it toVanyusha.

  'Give the money to Mother,' she said, pushing away the hand in which heheld the money.

  Vanyusha laughed.

  'Why are you so cross, little dear?' he said good-naturedly,irresolutely shuffling with his feet while the girl was covering thebarrel.

  She began to laugh.

  'And you! Are you kind?'

  'We, my master and I, are very kind,' Vanyusha answered decidedly. 'Weare so kind that wherever we have stayed our hosts were always verygrateful. It's because he's generous.'

  The girl stood listening.

  'And is your master married?' she asked.

  'No. The master is young and unmarried, because noble gentlemen cannever marry young,' said Vanyusha didactically.

  'A likely thing! See what a fed-up buffalo he is--and too young tomarry! Is he the chief of you all?' she asked.

  'My master is a cadet; that means he's not yet an officer, but he'smore important than a general--he's an important man! Because not onlyour colonel, but the Tsar himself, knows him,' proudly explainedVanyusha. 'We are not like those other beggars in the line regiment,and our papa himself was a Senator. He had more than a thousand serfs,all his own, and they send us a thousand rubles at a time. That's whyeveryone likes us. Another may be a captain but have no money. What'sthe use of that?'

  'Go away. I'll lock up,' said the girl, interrupting him.

  Vanyusha brought Olenin the wine and announced that 'La fille c'esttres joulie,' and, laughing stupidly, at once went out.