Sergeant of the Guard.
The chapter begins with the biography of Pyotr Grinev: his father served, then retired. There were 9 children in the Grinev family, but 8 of them died in infancy, leaving only Peter. Grinev's father enrolled him in the Semenovsky regiment even before he was born. He was considered on leave until he came of age. The boy's teacher is Uncle Savelich, he supervises Petrusha's development of Russian literacy, and also teaches his pupil to see the merits of a greyhound dog.
After some time, the Frenchman Beaupre was assigned to him to teach French, German languages and other sciences, however, he did not educate Petrusha, but walked around the girls’ rooms and drank. Soon the father discovered this and kicked the teacher out. In his seventeenth year, Peter is sent to serve, but not where he had hoped: instead of St. Petersburg, he goes to Orenburg. The father admonishes his son, telling him to take care of “his dress again, but his honor from a young age.” Arriving in Simbirsk, Grinev meets captain Zurin in a tavern, who taught him to play billiards, got him drunk and won 100 rubles from Peter. Grinev seems to have broken free, he behaves “like a boy.” In the morning, Zurin demands the winnings. Grinev wants to show character and forces the protesting Savelich to give out money, after which he leaves Simbirsk, feeling remorse.
Chapter 2. Counselor
On the way, Grinev asks Savelich to beg him for his stupid behavior. A storm begins. Grinev and Savelich go astray. They meet a man who offers to take them to the inn. Grinev, riding a wagon, sees a dream in which he arrives at the estate and finds his father near death, approaches him to receive a blessing, but instead of his father he sees a man with a black beard. Peter is surprised, but his mother convinces him that this is his imprisoned father. A black-bearded man jumps up, swinging an ax, and the entire room is filled with dead bodies. At the same time, the man smiles at Peter and offers him his blessing. Already at the inn, Grinev examines the guide and sees that this is the man from his dream. He is a forty-year-old man, of average height, broad-shouldered and thin. His black beard is already streaked with gray, his eyes are lively, and you can feel the subtlety and sharpness of his mind in them. The counselor's facial expression is quite pleasant, but roguish. His hair is cut into a circle, he is dressed in Tatar trousers and a tattered overcoat.
The counselor talks to the owner in “allegorical language.” Grinev thanks the counselor, bringing him a glass of wine and giving him a hare sheepskin coat.
Andrei Karlovich R., an old friend of his father, sends Peter from Orenburg to serve in the Belogorsk fortress, located 40 versts from the city.
Chapter 3. Fortress
The Belogorsk fortress resembles a village. Here Vasilisa Yegorovna, the commandant’s wife, a kind and sensible old woman, is in charge of everything. The next morning, Grinev meets the young officer Alexei Ivanovich Shvabrin. He was a short man, dark-skinned and extremely ugly, but very lively.
Shvabrin was transferred to the fortress because of the duel. He tells Grinev about how life goes in the fortress, talks about the commandant’s family, and speaks unflatteringly about Masha Mironova, the commandant’s daughter. The commandant invites Shvabrin and Grinev to a family dinner. On the way, Peter sees “exercises” taking place: Ivan Kuzmich Mironov leads a platoon of disabled people. At the same time, he is wearing a cap and a “Chinese robe.”
Chapter 4. Duel
Grinev really likes the commandant’s family. He becomes an officer. Peter communicates with Shvabrin, but this communication gives him less and less pleasure. Shvabrin’s caustic remarks about Masha are especially unpleasant for Grinev. Grinev writes mediocre poems, dedicating them to Masha. Shvabrin speaks harshly about them, insulting Masha at the same time. Peter accuses him of lying, Shvabrin challenges Grinev to a duel. Having learned about this, Vasilisa Yegorovna orders their arrest, and the courtyard girl Palashka deprives them of their swords. Some time later, Grinev learns that Shvabrin wooed Masha, but was refused. Peter understands now why Shvabrin slandered the girl. The duel is scheduled again. Grinev is wounded.
Chapter 5. Love
Masha and Savelich are caring for the wounded. Petr Grinev proposes to Masha. He sends a letter to his parents asking for their blessing. Shvabrin visits Grinev and admits his guilt. Grinev’s father does not give his son his blessing, he already knows about the duel, but it was not Savelich who told him about it. Grinev thinks that Shvabrin did it. Masha does not want to get married without the consent of her parents and avoids Grinev. Peter stops coming to the Mironovs and loses heart.
Chapter 6. Pugachevism
The commandant receives a notification that a bandit gang of Emelyan Pugachev is operating in the vicinity and is attacking the fortresses. Soon Pugachev approached the Belogorsk fortress, he turned to the commandant, calling for surrender. Ivan Kuzmich decides to expel Masha from the fortress. The girl says goodbye to Grinev. Her mother refuses to leave the fortress.
Chapter 7. Attack
The Cossacks leave the Belogorsk fortress at night and go over to Pugachev’s side. His gang attacks the fortress. Captain Mironov with his few defenders defends it, but the forces are unequal. Pugachev, who captured the fortress, organizes a “trial”. The commandant and his comrades are executed on the gallows. When Grinev’s turn comes, Savelich begs Pugachev, throwing himself at his feet, to spare the “master’s child,” and offers a ransom. Pugachev agrees. Garrison soldiers and city residents take the oath to Pugachev. Vasilisa Egorovna is killed by being taken naked onto the porch. Pugachev leaves the Belogorsk fortress.
Chapter 8. Uninvited Guest
Grinev is worried about Masha’s fate. She hides with the priest, who tells Grinev that Shvabrin is now on Pugachev’s side. From Savelich, Grinev learns that Pugachev is their counselor on the way to Orenburg. Pugachev calls Grinev to him, he goes to him. Grinev draws attention to the fact that in Pugachev’s camp everyone behaves with each other like comrades, and does not show special preference to their leader. Everyone brags, expresses their opinions and calmly challenges Pugachev. His men start a song about the gallows. Pugachev's guests disperse. In private, Grinev tells Pugachev that he does not consider him a king, to which he replies that the daring one will have good luck, because Grishka Otrepiev also reigned in the old days. Despite the fact that Grinev promises to fight against Pugachev, he lets him go to Orenburg.
Chapter 9. Separation
Pugachev gives Grinev the order to inform the governor of Orenburg that the Pugachevites will arrive in the city in a week. Leaving the Belogorsk fortress, Pugachev leaves Shvabrin as commandant. Savelich compiles a “register” of his master’s plundered property and gives it to Pugachev, but he, in a “fit of generosity,” does not pay attention to it and does not punish the impudent Savelich. He even gives Grinev a fur coat from his shoulder and a horse. Masha is sick.
Chapter 10. Siege of the city
Pyotr Grinev goes to see General Andrei Karlovich in Orenburg. There are no military people at the military council. There are only officials there who talk about the unreliability of troops, about caution, about the unfaithfulness of luck, etc. In their opinion, it was more prudent to remain behind a strong stone wall under the cover of cannons than to “try the luck of weapons” in an open field. Officials propose to put a high price on Pugachev's head and thereby bribe his people. From the Belogorsk fortress, a constable brings Grinev a letter from Masha, in which she reports that Shvabrin is forcing her to become his wife. Grinev turns to the general with a request to give him fifty Cossacks and a company of soldiers to clear the Belogorsk fortress. But the general refuses him.
Chapter 11. Rebel settlement
Grinev and Savelich rush to help Masha. On the way, they are stopped by Pugachev’s people and taken to their leader, who interrogates Grinev in the presence of his confidants about his intentions. Pugachev's men were a frail and hunched old man with a gray beard and a blue ribbon worn over his gray overcoat over his shoulder. The other man was tall, broad-shouldered and portly, about forty-five. He had gray sparkling eyes, a thick red beard and a nose without nostrils, and on his cheeks and forehead there were reddish spots that gave his wide, pockmarked face an inexplicable expression. Grinev tells Pugachev that he came to save the orphan from Shvabrin’s claims. The Pugachevists propose to solve the problem with both Shvabrin and Grinev simply - hang them both. But Pugachev clearly likes Grinev, and he promises to marry him to Masha. The next morning, Grinev travels in Pugachev’s wagon to the fortress. Pugachev, in a confidential conversation, tells him that he would like to go to Moscow, but his comrades are thieves and robbers, and at the first failure they will hand him over, saving their necks. Pugachev tells a Kalmyk fairy tale about an eagle and a raven: the raven lived for 300 years and pecked carrion, and the eagle was ready to starve, but not to eat the carrion, it was better to drink living blood at least once, and then - as God commands.
Chapter 12. Orphan
Arriving at the fortress, Pugachev learns that Masha is being bullied by Shvabrin, who is starving her. “By the will of the sovereign,” Pugachev frees the girl and wants to immediately marry her to Grinev. When Shvabrin reveals that she is the daughter of Captain Mironov, Pugachev, who decided to “favor, so favor,” releases Masha and Grinev.
Chapter 13. Arrest
On the way out of the fortress, soldiers take Grinev under arrest. They take him for a Pugachevite and take him to their boss, who turns out to be Zurin. He advises Grinev to send Masha and Savelich to their parents, and continue the battle himself. Grinev does just that. Pugachev's army was defeated, but he himself was not caught, and he managed to gather new detachments in Siberia. Pugachev is being persecuted. Zurin receives an order to take Grinev under arrest and send him to Kazan under guard, handing him over to the Investigative Commission in the Pugachev case.
Chapter 14. Court
Grinev is suspected of serving Pugachev. Shvabrin played no small role in this. Grinev is sentenced to exile in Siberia. Masha lives with Grinev’s parents, who are very attached to her. Masha goes to St. Petersburg, where she stops in Tsarskoye Selo, meets the empress in the garden and asks to have mercy on Grinev, saying that because of her he ended up with Pugachev. At the audience, the Empress promises to forgive Grinev and arrange Masha’s fate. Grinev is released from custody. He is present at the execution of Pugachev, who recognizes him in the crowd and nods his head, which a minute later was shown to the people dead and bloody.
GUARD SERGEANT
“My father Andrei Petrovich Grinev in his youth served under Count Minich and retired as prime minister in 17.... Since then, he lived in his Simbirsk village, where he married the girl Avdotya Vasilievna Yu., the daughter of a poor nobleman there. There were nine of us children. All my brothers and sisters died in infancy.
Mother was still pregnant with me, as I had already been enlisted in the Semenovsky regiment as a sergeant, by the grace of Guard Major Prince B., a close relative of ours.”
Then a teacher was hired for the boy French named Bop-re. He loved to drink, was “fickle and dissolute to the extreme. His main weakness was his passion for the fair sex.” But soon they had to separate.
The washerwoman Palashka complained that Monsieur had seduced her. Andrei Petrovich Grinev immediately kicked him out. “That was the end of my upbringing. I lived as a teenager, chasing pigeons and playing leapfrog with the yard boys. Meanwhile, I was sixteen years old. Then my fate changed."
The father decided to send Petrusha to the service. The boy was very happy. He imagined himself as a guard officer living in St. Petersburg. But Petrusha was sent to Andrei Karlovich R., an old friend of his father, in Orenburg. Savelich went with him.
In Simbirsk, in a tavern, Peter met Ivan Ivanovich Zurin, captain of the hussar regiment. He convinced the boy that a soldier must learn to play billiards and learn to drink punch. Which is what both of them did. At the end of the game, Zurin announced to Peter that he had lost a hundred rubles. But Savelich had the money. Ivan Ivanovich agreed to wait and invited Petrusha to go to Arinushka for now.
We had dinner at Arinushka's. Peter got pretty drunk, then both returned to the tavern. And Zurin only repeated that you need to get used to the service. In the morning, Savelich reproached his owner for starting to walk too early. And then there’s the debt of a hundred rubles...
“Savelich looked at me with deep sorrow and went to collect my debt. I felt sorry for the poor old man; but I wanted to break free and prove that I was no longer a child. The money was delivered to Zurin.”
COUNSELOR
Only on the road did Peter manage to reconcile with Savelich.
And then a snowstorm overtook the travelers. Peter saw some black dot, the coachman drove the horses towards it. It turned out to be a road person. He invited everyone to go to the inn, which was located nearby. The wagon slowly began to move along the high snow. While we were driving, Petrusha had a dream that he could never forget. “It seemed to me that the storm was still raging, and we were still wandering through the snowy desert...
Suddenly I saw a gate and drove into the manor’s courtyard of our estate. My first thought was the fear that my father would be angry with me for my involuntary return to my parents’ roof and would consider it deliberate disobedience. With anxiety, I jumped out of the wagon and saw: mother met me on the porch with an appearance of deep grief. Hush,” she tells me, “your father is sick and dying and wants to say goodbye to you.” Struck with fear, I follow her into the bedroom. I see the room is dimly lit; there are people with sad faces standing by the bed. I quietly approach the bed; Mother lifts the curtain and says: “Andrei Petrovich, Petrusha has arrived; he returned after learning about your illness; bless him." I knelt down and fixed my eyes on the patient. Well?... Instead of my father, I see a man with a black beard lying in bed, looking at me cheerfully. I turned to my mother in bewilderment, telling her: “What does this mean? This is not father. And why should I ask for a man’s blessing?” “It doesn’t matter, Petrusha,” my mother answered me, “this is your imprisoned father; kiss his hand and may he bless you...” I did not agree. Then the man jumped out of bed, grabbed the ax from behind his back and began swinging it in all directions. I wanted to run... and couldn’t; the room was filled with dead bodies; I stumbled over bodies and slid in bloody puddles... The scary man called me affectionately, saying: “Don’t be afraid, come under my blessing...” Horror and bewilderment took possession of me... And at that moment I woke up; the horses stood; Savelich tugged at my hand, saying: “Come out, sir: we’ve arrived.”
“The owner, a Yaik Cossack by birth, seemed to be a man of about sixty, still fresh and vigorous. The guide “was about forty years old, of average height, thin and broad-shouldered... His face had a rather pleasant, but roguish expression.” He visited these parts more than once. The guide and the owner began talking in thieves' jargon about the affairs of the Yaitsky army, which at that time had just been pacified after the riot of 1772. Savelich looked at his interlocutors with suspicion. The inn looked very much like a robber influx. Petrusha was only amused by this.
In the morning the storm subsided. They harnessed the horses and paid the owner. And Peter gave the guide his sheepskin coat. The tramp was extremely pleased with the gift.
Arriving in Orenburg, we went straight to the general. Tomorrow was scheduled to move to the Belogorsk fortress to Captain Mironov, a kind and honest man.
FORTRESS
The fortress was a village surrounded by a log fence. From the old captain's wife, Peter learned that officers were transferred here for indecent acts. For example, Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin was transferred for murder. “God knows what sin befell him; As you can see, he went out of town with one lieutenant, and they took swords with them, and, well, they stabbed each other; and Alexey Ivanovich stabbed the lieutenant, and in front of two witnesses! What do you want me to do? There is no master of sin."
The constable, a young and stately Cossack, entered. Vasilisa Yegorovna asked Maksimych to give the officer a cleaner apartment.
Pyotr Andreich was taken to Semyon Kuzov. The hut stood on a high bank of the river, at the very edge of the fortress. Half of the hut was occupied by the family of Semyon Kuzov, the other was given to Peter.
In the morning Shvabrin came to Petrusha. We met. The officer told Peter about life in the fortress. The commandant invited both of them to dinner. He turned out to be a vigorous old man, tall. “A girl of about eighteen entered the room, chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair, combed smoothly behind her ears, which were on fire. At first glance I didn't really like her. I looked at her with prejudice: Shvabrin described Masha, the captain’s daughter, to me as a complete fool. At dinner they talked about how many souls Father Peter had; that the captain’s daughter Masha has only a dowry, that “a frequent comb, a broom, and an altyn of money... Well, if you can find it a kind person; Otherwise you’ll sit as an eternal bride among the girls.”
Marya Ivanovna blushed all over at this conversation, and even tears dripped onto her plate. Peter felt sorry for her and hastened to change the conversation.
DUEL
Several weeks passed, and Peter got used to life in the Belogorsk fortress. In the commandant's house he was received like family. In Marya Ivanovna, the officer found a prudent and sensitive girl.
Shvabrin had several French books. Peter began to read, and a desire for literature awakened in him.
“Calm reigned around our fortress. But the peace was interrupted by sudden civil strife.”
Peter wrote a song and took it to Shvabrin, who alone in the entire fortress could appreciate such a work.
Destroying the thought of love, I strive to forget the beautiful, And ah, avoiding Masha, I think of getting freedom! But the eyes that captivated me are always before me; They confused my spirit, crushed my peace. You, having recognized my misfortunes, take pity on me, Masha, in vain for me in this fierce part, and that I am captivated by you.
Shvabrin resolutely declared that the song was not good because it resembled “love couplets.” And in the image of Masha, Shvabrin saw the captain’s daughter.
Then Shvabrin said: “...if you want Masha Mironova to come to you at dusk, then instead of tender poems, give her a pair of earrings.” This phrase completely infuriated Peter. We agreed on a duel. But Ivan Ignatich began to dissuade the young officer.
“I spent the evening, as usual, with the commandant. I tried to appear cheerful and indifferent, so as not to give any suspicion and avoid annoying questions; but I confess that I did not have that composure that those in my position almost always boast of. That evening I was in a mood for tenderness and tenderness. I liked Marya Ivanovna more than usual. The thought that perhaps I was seeing her for the last time gave her something touching in my eyes.”
Shvabrin and I agreed to fight over the stacks the next day at seven o’clock in the morning.
“We took off our uniforms, remained in only camisoles and drew our swords. At that moment, Ivan Ignatich and about five disabled people suddenly appeared from behind a stack.
He demanded us to see the commandant. We obeyed with annoyance; the soldiers surrounded us, and we went to the fortress following Ivan Ignatich, who led us in triumph, walking with amazing importance.”
Ivan Kuzmich scolded his ardent opponents. When they were left alone, Pyotr Andreich told Shvabrin that this matter would not end there.
“Return to the commandant; as usual, I sat down with Marya Ivanovna. Ivan Kuzmich was not at home; Vasilisa Egorovna was busy with housekeeping. We spoke in low voices. Marya Ivanovna tenderly reprimanded me for the anxiety caused to everyone by my quarrel with Shvabrin.”
Marya Ivanovna admitted that she liked Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin, because he was wooing her. Then Peter realized that Shvabrin noticed their mutual sympathy and tried to distract them from each other. The very next day Alexey Ivanovich came to Peter.
We went to the river and began to fight with swords. But then Savelich’s voice was heard, Peter turned around... “At that very time, I was strongly stabbed in the chest below the right shoulder; I fell and fainted.”
LOVE
“When I woke up, I could not come to my senses for some time and did not understand what had happened to me. I lay on the bed, in an unfamiliar room, and felt very weak. Savelich stood in front of me with a candle in his hands. Someone carefully developed the slings with which my chest and shoulder were tied.”
It turned out that Peter lay unconscious for five days. Marya Ivanovna leaned towards the duelist. “I grabbed her hand and clung to her, shedding tears of tenderness. Masha didn’t tear her away... and suddenly her lips touched my cheek, and I felt their hot and fresh kiss.”
Peter asks Masha to become his wife. “Marya Ivanovna did not leave my side. Of course, at the first opportunity, I began the interrupted explanation, and Marya Ivanovna listened to me more patiently. She, without any affectation, admitted to me her heartfelt inclination and said that her parents would certainly be happy about her happiness.” But what will his parents say? Peter wrote a letter to his father.
The officer made peace with Shvabrin in the first days of recovery. Ivan Kuzmich did not punish Pyotr Andreich. And Alexei Ivanovich was put in a bakery store under guard, “until he repents.”
Finally, Peter received an answer from the priest. He was not going to give his son either his blessing or his consent. In addition, my father was going to ask for Peter to be transferred from the Belogorsk fortress somewhere far away.
But Pyotr Andreich didn’t write anything about the fight in his letter! Peter's suspicions focused on Shvabrin.
The officer went to Masha. He asked her to get married without his parents' consent, but she refused.
“Since then, my position has changed. Marya Ivanovna hardly spoke to me and tried in every possible way to avoid me. The commandant's house became hateful to me. Little by little I learned to sit alone at home. At first Vasilisa Egorovna blamed me for this; but seeing my stubbornness, she left me alone. I saw Ivan Kuzmich only when the service required it. I met Shvabrin rarely and reluctantly, especially since I noticed in him a hidden hostility towards myself, which confirmed my suspicions. My life has become unbearable for me.”
PUGACHEVSHCHINA
At the end of 1773, the Orenburg province was inhabited by many semi-savage peoples, who had recently recognized the dominion of the Russian sovereigns. “Their constant indignation, unfamiliarity with laws and civil life, frivolity and cruelty required constant supervision from the government to keep them in obedience. The fortresses were built in places considered convenient and were inhabited for the most part by Cossacks, long-time owners of the Yaik banks. But the Yaik Cossacks, who were supposed to protect the peace and security of this region, for some time were themselves restless and dangerous subjects for the government.
In 1772 there was a disturbance in their main town. The reason for this was the strict measures taken by Major General Traubenberg to bring the army to proper obedience. The consequence was the barbaric murder of Traubenberg, a willful change in government and finally the pacification of the rebellion with grapeshot and cruel punishments.”
One evening, at the beginning of October 1773, Peter was summoned to the commandant. Shvabrin, Ivan Ignatich and the Cossack constable were already there. The commandant read a letter from the general, in which it was reported that the Don Cossack and schismatic Emelyan Pugachev had escaped from the guard, “gathered a villainous gang, caused outrage in the Yaik villages and had already taken and destroyed” several fortresses, carrying out robberies and capital murders everywhere.” It was ordered to take appropriate measures to repel the aforementioned villain and impostor, and, if possible, to completely destroy him if he turns to the fortress entrusted to your care.”
It was decided to establish guards and night watches.
Vasilisa Egorovna turned out to be unaware of the matter. She decided to find out everything from Ivan Ignatich. He let it slip. Soon everyone was talking about Pugachev.
“The commandant sent a constable with instructions to thoroughly reconnoiter everything in the neighboring villages and fortresses. The constable returned two days later and announced that in the steppe, sixty miles from the fortress, he saw many lights and heard from the Bashkirs that an unknown force was coming. However, he could not say anything positive, because he was afraid to go further.”
Yulay, a baptized Kalmyk, told the commandant that the constable’s testimony was false: “on his return, the crafty Cossack announced to his comrades that he had been with the rebels, introduced himself to their leader himself, who allowed him into his hand and talked with him for a long time. The commandant immediately put the constable under guard, and appointed Yulay in his place.” The constable escaped from the guard with the help of his like-minded people.
It became known that Pugachev was going to immediately go to the fortress and was inviting Cossacks and soldiers into his gang. It was heard that the villain had already taken possession of many fortresses.
It was decided to send Masha to Orenburg to her godmother.
ATTACK
At night the Cossacks set out from. fortress, taking Yulay with him by force. And unknown people were driving around the fortress. Marya Ivanovna did not have time to leave: the road to Orenburg was cut off; the fortress is surrounded.
Everyone went to the rampart. Masha also came - it’s worse at home alone. “...She looked at me and smiled forcefully. I involuntarily squeezed the hilt of my sword, remembering that the day before I had received it from her hands, as if to protect my beloved. My heart was burning. I imagined myself as her knight. I longed to prove that I was worthy of her trust, and began to eagerly await the decisive moment.”
Then Pugachev’s gang began to approach. “One of them held a piece of paper under his hat; the other had Yulay's head stuck on a spear, which he shook off and threw over the palisade to us. The poor Kalmyk’s head fell at the commandant’s feet.”
Ivan Kuzmich said goodbye to his wife and daughter and blessed them. The commandant and Masha left.
The fortress was surrendered. “Pugachev was sitting in an armchair on the porch of the commandant’s house. He was wearing a red Cossack caftan trimmed with braid. A tall sable cap with golden tassels was pulled down over his sparkling eyes. His face seemed familiar to me. Cossack elders surrounded him.
Father Gerasim, pale and trembling, stood at the porch, with a cross in his hands, and seemed to silently beg him for the upcoming sacrifices. A gallows was quickly erected in the square. When we approached, the Bashkirs dispersed the people and we were introduced to Pugachev.”
Ivan Kuzmich and Ivan Ignatyich were ordered to be hanged. Shvabrin was already among the rebel elders. His head was cut into a circle, and a Cossack caftan adorned his body. He approached Pugachev and said a few words in his ear.
Pugachev, without even looking at Peter, ordered him to be hanged. The executioners dragged him to the gallows, but suddenly stopped. Savelich threw himself at Pugachev’s feet and began to ask for pardon for the pupil and promised a ransom. Pyotr Andreich was released.
Residents began to swear oaths. And then a woman’s scream was heard. Several robbers dragged Vasilisa Yegorovna onto the porch, disheveled and stripped naked. One of them had already dressed up in her warmer. Others looted the apartment. In the end, the unfortunate old woman was killed.
UNINVITED GUEST
Most of all, Peter was tormented by the unknown about the fate of Marya Ivanovna. Palashka said that Marya Ivanovna was hidden with the priest Akulina Pamfilovna. But Pugachev went there for dinner!
Peter rushed to the priest's house. From the priest he learned that Pugachev had already gone to look at his “niece,” but did nothing to her. Peter Aedreich went home. Savelich remembered why the “murderer’s” face seemed familiar to him. It was the same “drunkard who lured the sheepskin coat from you at the inn! The hare sheepskin coat is brand new; and he, the beast, tore it open, putting it on himself!”
Peter was amazed. “I could not help but marvel at the strange combination of circumstances: a children’s sheepskin coat, given to a tramp, saved me from the noose, and a drunkard, wandering around inns, besieged fortresses and shook the state!”
“Duty demanded that I appear where my service could still be useful to the fatherland in present, difficult circumstances... But love strongly advised me to stay with Marya Ivanovna and be her protector and patron. Although I foresaw a quick and undoubted change in circumstances, I still could not help but tremble, imagining the danger of her position.”
And then one of the Cossacks came with an announcement, “What? great sovereign demands you to come to him.” He was in the commandant's house.
“An extraordinary picture presented itself to me: at a table covered with a tablecloth and set with damasks and glasses, Pugachev and about ten Cossack elders were sitting, in hats and colored shirts, flushed with wine, with red faces and shining eyes. Between them there was neither Shvabrin nor our constable, the newly recruited traitors. “Ah, your honor! - said Pugachev, seeing me. - Welcome; honor and place, you are welcome.” The interlocutors made room. I sat down silently on the edge of the table."
Peter never touched the poured wine. The conversation turned to the fact that now the gang needs to go to Orenburg. The campaign was announced for tomorrow.
Pugachev was left alone with Peter. The chieftain said that “he would not yet favor his acquaintance” if he began to serve him.
“I answered Pugachev: “Listen; I'll tell you the whole truth. Judge, can I recognize you as a sovereign? You are a smart man: you would see for yourself that I am deceitful.”
“Who am I, in your opinion?” - “God knows you; but whoever you are, you are telling a dangerous joke.” Pugachev looked at me quickly. “So you don’t believe,” he said, “that I was Tsar Pyotr Fedorovich? Well, good. Isn't there good luck for the daring? Didn’t Grishka Otrepiev reign in the old days? Think what you want about me, but don’t lag behind me. What do you care about other things? Whoever is a priest is a dad. Serve me with faith and truth, and I will make you a field marshal and a prince. How do you think?"
“No,” I answered firmly. - I am a natural nobleman; I swore allegiance to the Empress: I cannot serve you. If you really wish me well, then let me go to Orenburg.”
Pugachev was struck by Peter’s courage and sincerity. The chieftain released him on all four sides.
PARTING
“Early in the morning a drum woke me up. I went to the meeting place. There the Pugachev crowds were already forming around the gallows, where yesterday’s victims were still hanging. The Cossacks stood on horseback, the soldiers under arms. The banners fluttered. Several cannons, among which I recognized ours, were placed on traveling carriages. All the residents were there, waiting for the impostor. At the porch of the commandant's house, a Cossack was holding a beautiful white horse of the Kyrgyz breed by the bridle. I looked for the commandant's body with my eyes. It was moved a little to the side and covered with matting. Finally, Pugachev came out of the entryway. The people took off their hats. Pugachev stopped on the porch and greeted everyone. One of the elders handed him a bag of copper money, and he began to throw handfuls of them. The people rushed to pick them up screaming, and there was some injury.
Pugachev was surrounded by his main accomplices. Shvabrin stood between them.
Our eyes met; in mine he could read contempt, and he turned away with an expression of sincere anger and feigned mockery. Pugachev, seeing me in the crowd, nodded his head and called me to him.”
The ataman advised Peter to immediately go to Orenburg and announce from him to the governor and all the generals to expect Pugachev to come to them in a week. “Encourage them to meet me with childlike love and obedience; otherwise they will not escape cruel execution.”
Pugachev appointed Shvabrin as the new commander. “With horror I heard these words: Shvabrin became the commander of the fortress; Marya Ivanovna remained in his power! God, what will happen to her!
And then Savelich handed Pugachev the paper. All the things stolen by the robbers were listed there. Savelich wanted Pugachev to return the money for all this! Pyotr Andreich was afraid for the poor old man.
But “Pugachev was apparently in a fit of generosity. He turned away and drove away without saying another word. Shvabrin and the elders followed him.”
Peter hurried to the priest's house to see Marya Ivanovna. She developed a severe fever at night. She lay unconscious and delirious. The patient did not recognize her lover.
“Shvabrin tormented my imagination most of all. Invested with power from the impostor, leading the fortress where the unfortunate girl remained - the innocent object of his hatred, he could decide on anything. What was I supposed to do? How can I help her? How to free from the hands of the villain? There was only one remedy left: I decided to immediately go to Orenburg in order to hasten the liberation of the Belogorsk fortress and, if possible, assist in this. I said goodbye to the priest and Akulina Pamfilovna, eagerly entrusting to her the one whom I already considered to be my wife.”
SIEGE OF THE CITY
“Approaching Orenburg, we saw a crowd of convicts with shaved heads, with faces disfigured by the executioner’s tongs. They worked near the fortifications, under the supervision of garrison invalids. Others carried out in carts the rubbish that filled the ditch; others dug the ground with shovels; On the rampart, masons carried bricks and repaired the city wall.
At the gate the guards stopped us and demanded our passports. As soon as the sergeant heard that I was coming from the Belogorsk fortress, he took me straight to the general’s house.”
Peter told the general everything. Most of all, the old man was worried about the captain's daughter.
A council of war was appointed for the evening. “I stood up and, in short words, first describing Pugachev and his gang, I said affirmatively that there was no way for the impostor to resist the right weapon.”
But no one agreed to offensive movements. It was decided to repel the siege. Long days of hunger followed.
Peter accidentally met a police officer who gave him a letter. From it, the officer learned that Shvabrin forced Gerasim’s father to hand over Masha to him, “intimidating him with Pugachev.” Now she lives in her father's house under guard. Alexey Ivanovich forces her to marry him.
“Father Pyotr Andreich! you are my only patron; intercede for poor me. Ask the general and all the commanders to send the sikurs to us as soon as possible, and come yourself if you can. I remain your humble poor orphan.
Marya Mironova."
Peter rushed to the general and began to ask for a company of soldiers to clear the Belogorsk fortress. But the old man refused.
REBEL SLOBODA
Peter decided to go to the fortress. Savelich went with him. On the way, the old man was captured by robbers. Again the travelers found themselves in the hands of Pugachev.
“A strange thought occurred to me: it seemed to me that Providence, which had led me to Pugachev for the second time, was giving me an opportunity to put my intention into action.”
Pyotr Andreich said that he wanted to free the orphan who was being abused in the Belogorsk fortress. Pugachev’s eyes sparkled, he promised to judge the offender Shvabrin. Peter said that the orphan was his bride. The chieftain became even more excited.
In the morning we harnessed the wagon and went to the Belogorsk fortress. “I remembered the reckless cruelty, the bloodthirsty habits of the one who volunteered to be the deliverer of my dear! Pugachev did not know that she was the daughter of Captain Mironov; the embittered Shvabrin could reveal everything to him; Pugachev could have discovered the truth in another way... Then what will happen to Marya Ivanovna? The cold ran through my body, and my hair stood on end...”
ORPHAN
“The carriage drove up to the porch of the commandant’s house. The people recognized Pugachev's bell and ran after us in a crowd. Shvabrin met the impostor on the porch. He was dressed as a Cossack and grew a beard. The traitor helped Pugachev to get out of the wagon, expressing his joy and zeal in vile terms.”
Shvabrin guessed that Pugachev was dissatisfied with him. He cowered in front of him, and looked at Peter incredulously. The conversation turned to Masha. “Sovereign! - he said. - You have the power to demand from me whatever you want; but do not order a stranger to enter my wife’s bedroom.” Pugachev doubted that the girl was his wife. We entered.
“I looked and froze. On the floor, in a ragged peasant dress, sat Marya Ivanovna, pale, thin, with disheveled hair. In front of her stood a jug of water, covered with a slice of bread. Seeing me, she shuddered and screamed. I don’t remember what happened to me then.”
To Pugachev’s question, Marya Ivanovna replied that Shvabrin was not her husband. The chieftain released the girl.
“Marya Ivanovna quickly looked at him and guessed that in front of her was the murderer of her parents. She covered her face with both hands and fell down. feelings. I rushed to her; but at that moment my old friend Palash very boldly entered the room and began to court her young lady. Pugachev left the room, and the three of us went into the living room.”
“What, your honor? - said Pugachev, laughing. - Rescued the red maiden! Do you think we should send for the priest and force him to marry his niece? Perhaps I will be the imprisoned father, Shvabrin’s friend; Let’s party, drink, and lock the gate!”
And then Shvabrin confessed that Masha was the daughter of Ivan Mironov, who was executed during the capture of the local fortress. But Pugachev forgave Peter for this too. He gave him a pass to all the outposts and fortresses subject to the ataman.
When Marya Ivanovna and Pyotr Andreich finally met, they began to talk about what they should do next. “It was impossible for her to remain in the fortress, subject to Pugachev and controlled by Shvabrin. It was impossible to think about Orenburg, which was undergoing all the disasters of the siege. She did not have a single relative in the world. I suggested that she go to the village to visit my parents. At first she hesitated: my father’s well-known dislike frightened her. I calmed her down. I knew that my father would consider it a blessing and make it his duty to accept the daughter of an honored warrior who died for the fatherland.”
Pugachev and Peter parted on friendly terms.
“We approached a town where, according to the bearded commandant, there was a strong detachment going to join the impostor. We were stopped by guards. To the question: who is going? - the coachman answered loudly: “The sovereign’s godfather is with his mistress.” Suddenly a crowd of hussars surrounded us with terrible abuse. “Come out, demonic godfather! - the mustachioed sergeant told me. “Now you’ll have a bath, and with your hostess!”
I got out of the tent and demanded that they take me to their boss. Seeing the officer, the soldiers stopped cursing. The sergeant took me to the major. Savelich did not lag behind me, saying to himself: “Here is the sovereign’s godfather for you! Out of the frying pan and into the fire... O Lord! how will this all end? The carriage followed us at a step.
Five minutes later we came to a house, brightly lit. The sergeant left me on guard and went to report on me. He immediately returned, announcing to me that his nobility had no time to receive me, but that he ordered me to be taken to the prison and the hostess to be brought to him.”
Peter flew into a rage and rushed onto the porch. Ivan Ivanovich Zurin, who once beat Peter in the Simbirsk tavern, turned out to be highly honorable! They immediately made up. Zurin himself went out into the street to apologize to Marya Ivanovna in an involuntary misunderstanding and ordered the sergeant to give her the best apartment in the city. Peter stayed overnight with him and told him his adventures.
Zurin advised the old acquaintance to “get rid of” the captain’s daughter, send her to Simbirsk alone, and offered Petra to stay in his detachment.
“Although I did not entirely agree with him, I nevertheless felt that a duty of honor required my presence in the army of the empress. I decided to follow Zurin’s advice: send Marya Ivanovna to the village and stay in his detachment.”
“The next morning I came to Marya Ivanovna. I told her my assumptions. She recognized their prudence and immediately agreed with me. Zurin's detachment was supposed to leave the city on the same day. There was no point in delaying. I immediately parted with Marya Ivanovna, entrusting her to Savelich and giving her a letter to my parents. Marya Ivanovna began to cry."
In the evening we set out on a hike. “Gangs of robbers fled from us everywhere, and everything foreshadowed a quick and prosperous end. Soon, Prince Golitsyn, near the Tatishcheva fortress, defeated Pugachev, scattered his crowds, and liberated Orenburg. But still Pugachev himself was not caught. He appeared at the Siberian factories, gathered new gangs there and again began to commit villainy there with success. News arrived about the destruction of Siberian fortresses.
Soon Pugachev fled. After a while he was completely defeated, and he himself was caught.
“Zurin gave me a vacation. A few days later I was supposed to find myself again in the middle of my family, to see my Marya Ivanovna again... Suddenly an unexpected thunderstorm struck me. On the day appointed for departure, at the very moment when I was preparing to set off on the road, Zurin entered my hut, holding a paper in his hands, looking extremely preoccupied. Something pierced my heart. I was scared without knowing why. He sent my orderly away and announced that he had business with me.”
This was a secret order to all individual commanders to arrest me, wherever I was caught, and immediately send me under guard to Kazan to the Investigative Commission established in the Pugachev case. Probably, rumors about Peter’s friendly relations with Pugachev reached the government.
“I was sure that my unauthorized absence from Orenburg was to blame. I could easily justify myself: equestrianism was not only never prohibited, but was also encouraged by all means. I could have been accused of being too hot-tempered, not of disobedience. But my friendly relations with Pugachev could be proven by many witnesses and should have seemed at least very suspicious."
In the Kazan fortress, Peter’s legs were chained, and then they took him to prison and left him alone in a cramped and dark kennel. The next day the prisoner was taken for interrogation. They asked about when and how the officer began to serve under Pugachev. Peter told everything as it is. And then they invited the one who accused Grinev. It turned out to be Shvabrin! “According to him, I was sent by Pugachev to Orenburg as a spy; went out every day to shootouts in order to convey written news about everything that was happening in the city; that at last he had clearly given himself over to the impostor, he traveled with him from fortress to fortress, trying in every possible way to destroy his fellow traitors in order to take their places and enjoy the rewards distributed from the impostor.”
Meanwhile, Marya Ivanovna was received by the groom's parents with sincere cordiality. They soon became attached to her, because it was impossible to recognize her and not love her. “My love no longer seemed like an empty whim to my father; and mother only wanted her Petrusha to marry the captain’s sweet daughter.”
The news of their son's arrest shocked the Grinev family. But no one believed that this matter could end unfavorably. Soon the priest received a letter from St. Petersburg stating that the suspicions about Peter’s participation “in the plans of the rebels, unfortunately, turned out to be too solid that an exemplary execution should have befallen me, but that the empress, out of respect for the merits and advanced years of my father, decided to pardon criminal son and, sparing him from a shameful execution, ordered only to be exiled to the remote region of Siberia for eternal settlement.”
The old man believed that his son was a traitor. He was inconsolable. “Marya Ivanovna suffered more than anyone. Being sure that I could justify myself whenever I wanted, she guessed the truth and considered herself to be the culprit of my misfortune. She hid her tears and suffering from everyone and meanwhile constantly thought about ways to save me.”
Marya Ivanovna, Palasha and Savelich went to Sofia. In the morning, the girl in the garden accidentally met a court lady, who began to question her about why she had come. Masha said that she was the daughter of Captain Mironov, that she had come to ask the Empress for mercy. The lady said that she happens to be at court. Then Marya Ivanovna took a folded paper out of her pocket and handed it to her unfamiliar patron, who began to read it to herself. But when the lady realized that the girl was asking for Grinev, she replied that the empress could not forgive him. But Masha tried to explain to the lady that Peter could not justify himself because he did not want to involve her in the matter. Then the stranger asked not to tell anyone about the meeting, promising that the girl would not have to wait long for an answer.
Soon the empress demanded Masha to come to court. When Masha saw the empress, she recognized her as the lady with whom she had spoken so openly in the garden! The Empress said that she was convinced of Peter’s innocence and gave a letter to his father.
“The notes of Pyotr Andreevich Grinev stop here. From family legends it is known that he was released from prison at the end of 1774, by personal order; that he was present at the execution of Pugachev, who recognized him in the crowd and nodded his head to him, which a minute later, dead and bloody, was shown to the people. Soon afterwards, Pyotr Andreevich married Marya Ivanovna. Their descendants prosper in the Simbirsk province.”
Take care of your honor from a young age.
Proverb
“If only he were a guard captain tomorrow.”
- That’s not necessary; let him serve in the army.
- Well said! let him push...
………………………………………………………
Who's his father?
Knyazhnin
My father, Andrei Petrovich Grinev, in his youth served under Count Minich and retired as prime minister in 17.... Since then, he lived in his Simbirsk village, where he married the girl Avdotya Vasilievna Yu., the daughter of a poor nobleman there. There were nine of us children. All my brothers and sisters died in infancy.
Mother was still pregnant with me, as I had already been enlisted in the Semenovsky regiment as a sergeant, by the grace of Guard Major Prince B., a close relative of ours. If, more than anything else, mother had given birth to a daughter, then the priest would have announced the death of the sergeant who had not appeared, and that would have been the end of the matter. I was considered on leave until I finished my studies. At that time, we were not brought up in the traditional way. From the age of five I was given into the hands of the eager Savelich, who was granted my uncle status for his sober behavior. Under his supervision, in my twelfth year, I learned Russian literacy and could very sensibly judge the properties of a greyhound dog. At this time, the priest hired a Frenchman for me, Monsieur Beaupré, who was discharged from Moscow along with a year's supply of wine and Provençal oil. Savelich did not like his arrival very much. “Thank God,” he grumbled to himself, “it seems the child is washed, combed, and fed. Where should we spend extra money and hire monsieur, as if our people were gone!”
Beaupre was a hairdresser in his homeland, then a soldier in Prussia, then he came to Russia pour être outchitel, not really understanding the meaning of this word. He was a kind fellow, but flighty and dissolute to the extreme. His main weakness was his passion for the fair sex; Often, for his tenderness, he received pushes, from which he groaned for whole days. Moreover, he was not (as he put it) and the enemy of the bottle, that is (speaking in Russian) he liked to take a sip too much. But since we only served wine at dinner, and then only in small glasses, and the teachers usually carried it around, my Beaupre very soon got used to the Russian liqueur and even began to prefer it to the wines of his fatherland, as it was much healthier for the stomach. We hit it off immediately, and although he was contractually obligated to teach me in French, German and all sciences, but he preferred to quickly learn from me how to chat in Russian, and then each of us went about his own business. We lived in perfect harmony. I didn't want any other mentor. But soon fate separated us, and for this reason.
The washerwoman Palashka, a fat and pockmarked girl, and the crooked cowwoman Akulka somehow agreed at the same time to throw themselves at mother’s feet, blaming themselves for their criminal weakness and complaining with tears about the monsieur who had seduced their inexperience. Mother didn’t like to joke about this and complained to the priest. His reprisal was short. He immediately demanded the Frenchman's channel. They reported that Monsieur was giving me his lesson. Father went to my room. At this time, Beaupre was sleeping on the bed in the sleep of innocence. I was busy with business. You need to know that for me she was discharged from Moscow geographic map. It hung on the wall without any use and had long tempted me with the width and goodness of the paper. I decided to make snakes out of it and, taking advantage of Beaupre's sleep, I set to work. Father came in at the same time as I was adjusting the bast tail to the Cape of Good Hope. Seeing my exercises in geography, the priest pulled me by the ear, then ran up to Beaupre, woke him up very carelessly and began to shower him with reproaches. Beaupre, in confusion, wanted to get up but could not: the unfortunate Frenchman was dead drunk. Seven troubles, one answer. Father lifted him out of bed by the collar, pushed him out of the door and drove him out of the yard that same day, to Savelich’s indescribable joy. That was the end of my upbringing.
I lived as a teenager, chasing pigeons and playing leapfrog with the yard boys. Meanwhile, I was sixteen years old. Then my fate changed.
One autumn, my mother was making honey jam in the living room, and I, licking my lips, looked at the seething foam. Father at the window was reading the Court Calendar, which he receives every year. This book always had a strong influence on him: he never re-read it without special participation, and reading this always produced in him an amazing excitement of bile. Mother, who knew by heart all his habits and customs, always tried to shove the unfortunate book as far away as possible, and thus the Court Calendar did not catch his eye sometimes for entire months. But when he found it by chance, he would not let it out of his hands for hours at a time. So, the priest read the Court Calendar, occasionally shrugging his shoulders and repeating in a low voice: “Lieutenant General!.. He was a sergeant in my company!.. He was a holder of both Russian orders!.. How long ago have we…” Finally, the priest threw the calendar on the sofa and plunged into reverie, which did not bode well.
Suddenly he turned to his mother: “Avdotya Vasilyevna, how old is Petrusha?”
“Yes, I’ve just reached my seventeenth year,” answered my mother. “Petrusha was born in the same year that Aunt Nastasya Gerasimovna became sad, and when else...
“Okay,” interrupted the priest, “it’s time for him to go into service. It’s enough for him to run around the maidens and climb dovecotes.”
The thought of imminent separation from me struck my mother so much that she dropped the spoon into the saucepan and tears streamed down her face. On the contrary, it is difficult to describe my admiration. The thought of service merged in me with thoughts of freedom, of the pleasures of St. Petersburg life. I imagined myself as a guard officer, which, in my opinion, was the height of human well-being.
Father did not like to change his intentions or postpone their implementation. The day for my departure was set. The day before, the priest announced that he intended to write with me to my future boss, and demanded pen and paper.
“Don’t forget, Andrei Petrovich,” said mother, “to bow to Prince B. for me; I, they say, hope that he will not abandon Petrusha with his favors.
- What nonsense! - answered the priest, frowning. - Why on earth would I write to Prince B.?
“But you said that you would like to write to Petrusha’s boss.”
- Well, what’s there?
- But the chief Petrushin is Prince B. After all, Petrusha is enrolled in the Semenovsky regiment.
- Recorded by! Why do I care that it’s recorded? Petrusha will not go to St. Petersburg. What will he learn while serving in St. Petersburg? hang out and hang out? No, let him serve in the army, let him pull the strap, let him smell gunpowder, let him be a soldier, not a chamaton. Enlisted in the Guard! Where is his passport? give it here.
Mother found my passport, which was kept in her box along with the shirt in which I was baptized, and handed it to the priest with a trembling hand. Father read it with attention, placed it on the table in front of him and began his letter.
Curiosity tormented me: where are they sending me, if not to St. Petersburg? I didn’t take my eyes off Father’s pen, which was moving quite slowly. Finally he finished, sealed the letter in the same bag with his passport, took off his glasses and, calling me, said: “Here is a letter for you to Andrei Karlovich R., my old comrade and friend. You are going to Orenburg to serve under his command.”
So, all my bright hopes were dashed! Instead of a cheerful life in St. Petersburg, boredom awaited me in a remote and remote place. The service, which I had been thinking about with such delight for a minute, seemed to me like a grave misfortune. But there was no point in arguing! The next day, in the morning, a road wagon was brought to the porch; They packed it with a suitcase, a cellar with a tea set, and bundles of buns and pies, the last signs of home pampering. My parents blessed me. Father told me: “Goodbye, Peter. Serve faithfully to whom you pledge allegiance; obey your superiors; Don’t chase their affection; don’t ask for service; do not dissuade yourself from serving; and remember the proverb: take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age.” Mother, in tears, ordered me to take care of my health and Savelich to look after the child. They put a hare sheepskin coat on me, and a fox fur coat on top. I got into the wagon with Savelich and set off on the road, shedding tears.
That same night I arrived in Simbirsk, where I was supposed to stay for a day to purchase the necessary things, which was entrusted to Savelich. I stopped at a tavern. Savelich went to the shops in the morning. Bored of looking out the window at the dirty alley, I went to wander through all the rooms. Entering the billiard room, I saw a tall gentleman, about thirty-five, with a long black mustache, in a dressing gown, with a cue in his hand and a pipe in his teeth. He played with a marker, who, when he won, drank a glass of vodka, and when he lost, he had to crawl under the billiards on all fours. I started watching them play. The longer it went on, the more frequent the walks on all fours became, until finally the marker remained under the billiards. The master uttered several strong expressions over him in the form of a funeral word and invited me to play a game. I refused out of incompetence. This apparently seemed strange to him. He looked at me as if with regret; however, we started talking. I found out that his name is Ivan Ivanovich Zurin, that he is the captain of the ** hussar regiment and is in Simbirsk receiving recruits, and is standing in a tavern. Zurin invited me to dine with him as God sent, like a soldier. I readily agreed. We sat down at the table. Zurin drank a lot and treated me too, saying that I needed to get used to the service; he told me army jokes that almost made me laugh, and we left the table perfect friends. Then he volunteered to teach me to play billiards. “This,” he said, “is necessary for our serving brother. On a hike, for example, you come to a place - what do you want to do? After all, it’s not all about beating the Jews. Involuntarily, you will go to a tavern and start playing billiards; and for that you need to know how to play!” I was completely convinced and began to study with great diligence. Zurin loudly encouraged me, marveled at my quick successes and, after several lessons, invited me to play for money, one penny at a time, not to win, but so as not to play for nothing, which, according to him, is the worst habit. I agreed to this too, and Zurin ordered punch to be served and persuaded me to try, repeating that I needed to get used to the service; and without punch, what is the service! I listened to him. Meanwhile, our game continued. The more often I sipped from my glass, the more courageous I became. Balls kept flying over my side; I got excited, scolded the marker, who counted God knows how, increased the game hour by hour, in a word, I behaved like a boy who had broken free. Meanwhile, time passed unnoticed. Zurin looked at his watch, put down his cue and announced to me that I had lost a hundred rubles. This confused me a little. Savelich had my money. I started apologizing. Zurin interrupted me: “Have mercy! Don't worry. I can wait, but in the meantime we’ll go to Arinushka.”
What do you want? I ended the day as dissolutely as I started it. We had dinner at Arinushka's. Zurin kept adding more to me every minute, repeating that I needed to get used to the service. Getting up from the table, I could barely stand; at midnight Zurin took me to the tavern.
Savelich met us on the porch. He gasped when he saw the unmistakable signs of my zeal for service. “What has happened to you, sir? - he said in a pitiful voice, - where did you load this? Oh my goodness! Such a sin has never happened in my life!” - “Be quiet, you bastard! “I answered him, stuttering, “you’re probably drunk, go to bed... and put me to bed.”
The next day I woke up with a headache, vaguely remembering yesterday’s incidents. My thoughts were interrupted by Savelich, who came to me with a cup of tea. “It’s early, Pyotr Andreich,” he told me, shaking his head, “you start walking early. And who did you go to? It seems that neither the father nor the grandfather were drunkards; There’s nothing to say about my mother: from her childhood she never deigned to take anything into her mouth except kvass. And who is to blame for everything? damn monsieur. Every now and then, he would run to Antipyevna: “Madam, wow, vodka.” So much for you! There is nothing to say: he taught me good things, son of a dog. And it was necessary to hire an infidel as an uncle, as if the master no longer had his own people!”
I was ashamed. I turned away and told him: “Get out, Savelich; I don’t want tea.” But it was difficult to calm Savelich down when he started preaching. “You see, Pyotr Andreich, what it’s like to cheat. And my head feels heavy, and I don’t want to eat. A person who drinks is good for nothing... Drink cucumber pickle with honey, but it would be better to get over your hangover with half a glass of tincture. Would you like to order it?"
At this time, the boy came in and gave me a note from I.I. Zurin. I unfolded it and read the following lines:
“Dear Pyotr Andreevich, please send me and my boy the hundred rubles that you lost to me yesterday. I am in dire need of money.
Ready for service
Ivan Zurin."There was nothing to do. I assumed an indifferent look and, turning to Savelich, who was and money, and linen, and my affairs, a steward, ordered to give the boy one hundred rubles. "How! For what?" – asked the amazed Savelich. “I owe them to him,” I answered with all possible coldness. "Must! - Savelich objected, more and more astonished from time to time, - but when, sir, did you manage to owe him? Something is wrong. It’s your will, sir, but I won’t give you any money.”
I thought that if at this decisive moment I did not overcome the stubborn old man, then in the future it would be difficult for me to free myself from his tutelage, and, looking at him proudly, I said: “I am your master, and you are my servant. The money is mine. I lost them because I felt like it. And I advise you not to be smart and do what you are ordered.”
Savelich was so amazed by my words that he clasped his hands and was dumbfounded. “Why are you standing there!” – I shouted angrily. Savelich began to cry. “Father Pyotr Andreich,” he said in a trembling voice, “don’t kill me with sadness. You are my light! listen to me, old man: write to this robber that you were joking, that we don’t even have that kind of money. One hundred rubles! God you are merciful! Tell me that your parents firmly ordered you not to play, except like nuts...” - “Stop lying,” I interrupted sternly, “give me the money here or I’ll drive you away.”
Savelich looked at me with deep sorrow and went to collect my debt. I felt sorry for the poor old man; but I wanted to break free and prove that I was no longer a child. The money was delivered to Zurin. Savelich hastened to take me out of the damned tavern. He came with the news that the horses were ready. With an uneasy conscience and silent repentance, I left Simbirsk, without saying goodbye to my teacher and without thinking of ever seeing him again.
Is it my side, my side,
Unfamiliar side!
Was it not I who came upon you?
Wasn’t it a good horse that brought me:
She brought me, good fellow,
Agility, good cheerfulness
And the tavern's hop drink.
Old song
My thoughts on the road were not very pleasant. My loss, at the prices at that time, was significant. I could not help but admit in my heart that my behavior in the Simbirsk tavern was stupid, and I felt guilty before Savelich. All this tormented me. The old man sat sullenly on the bench, turned away from me, and was silent, only quacking occasionally. I definitely wanted to make peace with him and didn’t know where to start. Finally I told him: “Well, well, Savelich! that's enough, let's make peace, it's my fault; I see for myself that I am guilty. Yesterday I misbehaved, and I wronged you in vain. I promise to behave smarter and obey you in the future. Well, don't be angry; let's make peace."
- Eh, Father Pyotr Andreich! - he answered with a deep sigh. – I’m angry with myself; It's all my fault. How could I have left you alone in the tavern! What to do? I was confused by sin: I decided to wander into the sacristan’s house and see my godfather. That's it: I went to see my godfather and ended up in prison. Trouble and nothing more! How will I show myself to the gentlemen? what will they say when they find out that the child is drinking and playing?
To console poor Savelich, I gave him my word that in future I would not dispose of a single penny without his consent. He gradually calmed down, although he still occasionally grumbled to himself, shaking his head: “A hundred rubles! Isn’t it easy!”
I was approaching my destination. Around me stretched sad deserts, intersected by hills and ravines. Everything was covered with snow. The sun was setting. The carriage was traveling along a narrow road, or more precisely along a trail made by peasant sleighs. Suddenly the driver began to look to the side and, finally, taking off his hat, turned to me and said: “Master, would you order me to turn back?”
- What is this for?
– Time is unreliable: the wind rises slightly; see how it sweeps away the powder.
- What a problem!
– Do you see what there? (The coachman pointed his whip to the east.)
– I see nothing but the white steppe, yes clear skies.
- And there - there: this is a cloud.
I actually saw a white cloud at the edge of the sky, which at first I took for a distant hill. The driver explained to me that the cloud foreshadowed a snowstorm.
I heard about the blizzards there and knew that entire convoys were covered in them. Savelich, in agreement with the driver’s opinion, advised him to turn back. But the wind did not seem strong to me; I hoped to get to the next station in time and ordered to go quickly.
The coachman galloped off; but kept looking to the east. The horses ran together. Meanwhile, the wind became stronger hour by hour. The cloud turned into a white cloud, which rose heavily, grew and gradually covered the sky. It began to snow lightly and suddenly began to fall in flakes. The wind howled; there was a snowstorm. In an instant, the dark sky mixed with the snowy sea. Everything has disappeared. “Well, master,” the coachman shouted, “trouble: a snowstorm!..”
I looked out of the wagon: everything was darkness and whirlwind. The wind howled with such ferocious expressiveness that it seemed animated; the snow covered me and Savelich; the horses walked at a pace - and soon stopped. “Why aren’t you going?” – I asked the driver impatiently. “Why go? - he answered, getting off the bench, - God knows where we ended up: there is no road, and there is darkness all around. I started to scold him. Savelich stood up for him: “And I would have disobeyed,” he said angrily, “I would have returned to the inn, had some tea, rested until the morning, the storm would have subsided, and we would have moved on. And where are we rushing? You’d be welcome to the wedding!” Savelich was right. There was nothing to do. The snow was still falling. A snowdrift was rising near the wagon. The horses stood with their heads down and occasionally shuddering. The coachman walked around, having nothing better to do, adjusting the harness. Savelich grumbled; I looked in all directions, hoping to see at least a sign of a vein or a road, but I could not discern anything except the muddy whirling of a snowstorm... Suddenly I saw something black. “Hey, coachman! - I shouted, “look: what’s black there?” The coachman began to peer closely. “God knows, master,” he said, sitting down in his place, “a cart is not a cart, a tree is not a tree, but it seems that it is moving. It must be either a wolf or a man." I ordered to go towards an unfamiliar object, which immediately began to move towards us. Two minutes later we caught up with the man. “Hey, good man! - the coachman shouted to him. “Tell me, do you know where the road is?”
“Listen, little man,” I told him, “do you know this side?” Will you undertake to take me to my lodging for the night?
“The side is familiar to me,” answered the traveler, “thank God, it’s well-trodden and traveled far and wide.” Look what the weather is like: you’ll just lose your way. It’s better to stop here and wait, maybe the storm will subside and the sky will clear: then we’ll find our way by the stars.
His composure encouraged me. I had already decided, surrendering myself to God’s will, to spend the night in the middle of the steppe, when suddenly the roadman quickly sat down on the beam and said to the coachman: “Well, thank God, he lived not far away; turn right and go."
- Why should I go to the right? – the driver asked with displeasure. -Where do you see the road? Probably: the horses are strangers, the collar is not yours, don’t stop driving. “The coachman seemed right to me.” “Really,” I said, “why do you think that they lived not far away?” “But because the wind blew away from here,” answered the roadman, “and I heard the smell of smoke; know the village is close." His intelligence and subtlety of instinct amazed me. I told the coachman to go. The horses tramped heavily through the deep snow. The wagon moved quietly, now driving onto a snowdrift, now collapsing into a ravine and rolling over to one side or the other. It was like sailing a ship on a stormy sea. Savelich groaned, constantly pushing against my sides. I lowered the mat, wrapped myself in a fur coat and dozed off, lulled by the singing of the storm and the rolling of the quiet ride.
I had a dream that I could never forget and in which I still see something prophetic when I consider the strange circumstances of my life with it. The reader will excuse me: for he probably knows from experience how human it is to indulge in superstition, despite all possible contempt for prejudice.
I was in that state of feelings and soul when materiality, yielding to dreams, merges with them in the unclear visions of first sleep. It seemed to me that the storm was still raging and we were still wandering through the snowy desert... Suddenly I saw a gate and drove into the manor’s courtyard of our estate. My first thought was the fear that my father would be angry with me for my involuntary return to my parents’ roof and would consider it deliberate disobedience. With anxiety, I jumped out of the wagon and saw: mother met me on the porch with an appearance of deep grief. “Hush,” she tells me, “your father is dying and wants to say goodbye to you.” Struck with fear, I follow her into the bedroom. I see the room is dimly lit; there are people with sad faces standing by the bed. I quietly approach the bed; Mother lifts the curtain and says: “Andrei Petrovich, Petrusha has arrived; he returned after learning about your illness; bless him." I knelt down and fixed my eyes on the patient. Well?.. Instead of my father, I see a man with a black beard lying in bed, looking at me cheerfully. I turned to my mother in bewilderment, telling her: “What does this mean? This is not father. And why should I ask for a man’s blessing?” “It doesn’t matter, Petrusha,” my mother answered me, “this is your imprisoned father; kiss his hand and may he bless you...” I did not agree. Then the man jumped out of bed, grabbed the ax from behind his back and began swinging it in all directions. I wanted to run... and couldn’t; the room was filled with dead bodies; I stumbled over bodies and slid in bloody puddles... The scary man called me affectionately, saying: “Don’t be afraid, come under my blessing...” Horror and bewilderment took possession of me... And at that moment I woke up; the horses stood; Savelich tugged at my hand, saying: “Come out, sir: we’ve arrived.”
-Where have you arrived? – I asked, rubbing my eyes.
- To the inn. The Lord helped, we ran straight into a fence. Come out, sir, quickly and warm yourself up.
I left the tent. The storm still continued, although with less force. It was so dark that you could put out your eyes. The owner met us at the gate, holding a lantern under his skirt, and led me into the room, cramped, but quite clean; a torch illuminated her. A rifle and a tall Cossack hat hung on the wall.
The owner, a Yaik Cossack by birth, seemed to be a man of about sixty, still fresh and vigorous. Savelich brought the cellar behind me and demanded a fire to prepare tea, which I never seemed to need so much. The owner went to do some work.
- Where is the counselor? – I asked Savelich. “Here, your honor,” the voice from above answered me. I looked at the Polati and saw a black beard and two sparkling eyes. “What, brother, are you cold?” - “How not to vegetate in one skinny armyak! There was a sheepskin coat, but let’s be honest? I laid the evening at the kisser’s: the frost did not seem too great.” At that moment the owner came in with a boiling samovar; I offered our counselor a cup of tea; the man got off the floor. His appearance seemed remarkable to me: he was about forty, average height, thin and broad-shouldered. His black beard showed streaks of gray; the lively big eyes kept darting around. His face had a rather pleasant, but roguish expression. The hair was cut into a circle; he was wearing a tattered overcoat and Tatar trousers. I brought him a cup of tea; he tasted it and winced. “Your Honor, do me such a favor - order me to bring a glass of wine; tea is not our Cossack drink.” I willingly fulfilled his wish. The owner took a damask and a glass out of the stall, walked up to him and, looking into his face: “Ehe,” he said, “you’re in our land again!” Where did God bring it?” My counselor blinked significantly and answered with a saying: “He flew into the garden, pecked hemp; Grandmother threw a pebble - yes, it missed. Well, what about yours?”
- Yes, ours! - the owner answered, continuing the allegorical conversation. “They started ringing for vespers, but the priest didn’t say: the priest is visiting, the devils are in the graveyard.”
“Be quiet, uncle,” my tramp objected, “there will be rain, there will be fungi; and if there are fungi, there will be a body. And now (here he blinked again) put the ax behind your back: the forester is walking. Your honor! For your health!" - With these words, he took the glass, crossed himself and drank in one breath. Then he bowed to me and returned to the floor.
I couldn’t understand anything from this thieves’ conversation at the time; but later I realized that it was about the affairs of the Yaitsky army, which at that time had just been pacified after the riot of 1772. Savelich listened with an air of great displeasure. He looked with suspicion first at the owner, then at the counselor. Inn, or, in the local language, able, was located on the side, in the steppe, far from any settlement, and very much looked like a robber's haven. But there was nothing to do. It was impossible to even think about continuing the journey. Savelich's anxiety amused me very much. Meanwhile, I settled down for the night and lay down on a bench. Savelich decided to go to the stove; the owner lay down on the floor. Soon the whole hut was snoring, and I fell asleep like the dead.
Waking up quite late in the morning, I saw that the storm had subsided. The sun was shining. The snow lay in a dazzling veil on the vast steppe. The horses were harnessed. I paid the owner, who took such a reasonable payment from us that even Savelich did not argue with him and did not bargain as usual, and yesterday’s suspicions were completely erased from his mind. I called the counselor, thanked him for his help and told Savelich to give him half a ruble for vodka. Savelich frowned. “Half a ruble for vodka! - he said, - what is this for? Because you deigned to give him a ride to the inn? It's your choice, sir: we don't have any extra fifty. If you give everyone vodka, you’ll soon have to starve.” I couldn't argue with Savelich. The money, according to my promise, was at his complete disposal. I was annoyed, however, that I could not thank the person who rescued me, if not from trouble, then at least from a very unpleasant situation. “Okay,” I said coolly, “if you don’t want to give half a rouble, then take him something from my dress. He is dressed too lightly. Give him my hare sheepskin coat."
In 17... year. Since then, he lived in his Simbirsk village, where he married the girl Avdotya Vasilievna Yu., the daughter of a poor nobleman there. There were nine of us children. All my brothers and sisters died in infancy.
Mother was still pregnant with me, as I had already been enlisted in the Semenovsky regiment as a sergeant, by the grace of Guard Major Prince B., a close relative of ours. If, more than anything else, mother had given birth to a daughter, then the priest would have announced the death of the sergeant who had not appeared, and that would have been the end of the matter. I was considered on leave until I finished my studies. At that time, we were not brought up in the traditional way. From the age of five I was given into the hands of the eager Savelich, who was granted my uncle status for my sober behavior. Under his supervision, in my twelfth year, I learned Russian literacy and could very sensibly judge the properties of a greyhound dog. At this time, the priest hired a Frenchman for me, Monsieur Beaupré, who was discharged from Moscow along with a year's supply of wine and Provençal oil. Savelich did not like his arrival very much. “Thank God,” he grumbled to himself, “it seems the child is washed, combed, and fed. Where should we spend extra money and hire monsieur, as if our people were gone!”
Beaupré was a hairdresser in his homeland, then a soldier in Prussia, then he came to Russia pour être outchitel, not really understanding the meaning of this word. He was a kind fellow, but flighty and dissolute to the extreme. His main weakness was his passion for the fair sex; Often, for his tenderness, he received pushes, from which he groaned for whole days. Moreover, he was not (as he put it) an enemy of the bottle, that is, (speaking in Russian) he loved to drink too much. But since we only served wine at dinner, and then only in small glasses, and the teachers usually carried it around, my Beaupre very soon got used to the Russian liqueur and even began to prefer it to the wines of his fatherland, as it was much healthier for the stomach. We hit it off immediately, and although according to the contract he was obliged to teach me French, German and all sciences, he preferred to quickly learn from me how to chat in Russian - and then each of us went about our own business. We lived in perfect harmony. I didn't want any other mentor. But soon fate separated us, and for this reason.
The washerwoman Palashka, a fat and pockmarked girl, and the crooked cowwoman Akulka somehow agreed at the same time to throw themselves at mother’s feet, blaming themselves for their criminal weakness and complaining with tears about the monsieur who had seduced their inexperience. Mother didn’t like to joke about this and complained to the priest. His reprisal was short. He immediately demanded the Frenchman's channel. They reported that Monsieur was giving me his lesson. Father went to my room. At this time, Beaupre was sleeping on the bed in the sleep of innocence. I was busy with business. You need to know that a geographical map was issued for me from Moscow. It hung on the wall without any use and had long tempted me with the width and goodness of the paper. I decided to make snakes out of it and, taking advantage of Beaupre's sleep, I set to work. Father came in at the same time as I was adjusting the bast tail to the Cape of Good Hope. Seeing my exercises in geography, the priest pulled me by the ear, then ran up to Beaupre, woke him up very carelessly and began to shower him with reproaches. Beaupre, in confusion, wanted to get up but could not: the unfortunate Frenchman was dead drunk. Seven troubles, one answer. Father lifted him out of bed by the collar, pushed him out of the door and drove him out of the yard that same day, to Savelich’s indescribable joy. That was the end of my upbringing.
I lived as a teenager, chasing pigeons and playing leapfrog with the yard boys. Meanwhile, I was sixteen years old. Then my fate changed.
A. S. Pushkin. Captain's daughter. Audiobook
One autumn, my mother was making honey jam in the living room, and I, licking my lips, looked at the seething foam. Father at the window was reading the Court Calendar, which he receives annually. This book always had a strong influence on him: he never re-read it without special participation, and reading this always produced in him an amazing excitement of bile. Mother, who knew by heart all his habits and customs, always tried to shove the unfortunate book as far away as possible, and thus the Court Calendar did not catch his eye sometimes for entire months. But when he found it by chance, he would not let it out of his hands for hours at a time. So, the priest read the Court Calendar, occasionally shrugging his shoulders and repeating in a low voice: “Lieutenant General!.. He was a sergeant in my company!.. He was a holder of both Russian orders!.. How long ago have we…” Finally, the priest threw the calendar on the sofa and plunged into reverie, which did not bode well.
Suddenly he turned to his mother: “Avdotya Vasilyevna, how old is Petrusha?”
“Yes, I’ve just reached my seventeenth year,” answered my mother. “Petrusha was born in the same year that Aunt Nastasya Gerasimovna became sad, and when else...
“Okay,” interrupted the priest, “it’s time for him to go into service. It’s enough for him to run around the maidens and climb dovecotes.”
The thought of imminent separation from me struck my mother so much that she dropped the spoon into the saucepan and tears streamed down her face. On the contrary, it is difficult to describe my admiration. The thought of service merged in me with thoughts of freedom, of the pleasures of St. Petersburg life. I imagined myself as a guard officer, which, in my opinion, was the height of human well-being.
Father did not like to change his intentions or postpone their implementation. The day for my departure was set. The day before, the priest announced that he intended to write with me to my future boss, and demanded pen and paper.
“Don’t forget, Andrei Petrovich,” said mother, “to bow to Prince B. for me; I, they say, hope that he will not abandon Petrusha with his favors.
- What nonsense! - answered the priest, frowning. - Why on earth would I write to Prince B.?
“But you said that you would like to write to Petrusha’s boss.”
- Well, what’s there?
- But the chief Petrushin is Prince B. After all, Petrusha is enrolled in the Semenovsky regiment.
- Recorded by! Why do I care that it’s recorded? Petrusha will not go to St. Petersburg. What will he learn while serving in St. Petersburg? hang out and hang out? No, let him serve in the army, let him pull the strap, let him smell gunpowder, let him be a soldier, not a shamaton. Enlisted in the Guard! Where is his passport? give it here.
Mother found my passport, which was kept in her box along with the shirt in which I was baptized, and handed it to the priest with a trembling hand. Father read it with attention, placed it on the table in front of him and began his letter.
Curiosity tormented me: where are they sending me, if not to St. Petersburg? I didn’t take my eyes off Father’s pen, which was moving quite slowly. Finally he finished, sealed the letter in the same bag with his passport, took off his glasses and, calling me, said: “Here is a letter for you to Andrei Karlovich R., my old comrade and friend. You are going to Orenburg to serve under his command.”
So, all my bright hopes were dashed! Instead of a cheerful life in St. Petersburg, boredom awaited me in a remote and remote place. The service, which I had been thinking about with such delight for a minute, seemed to me like a grave misfortune. But there was no point in arguing! The next day, in the morning, a road wagon was brought to the porch; They packed it with a suitcase, a cellar with a tea set, and bundles of buns and pies, the last signs of home pampering. My parents blessed me. Father told me: “Goodbye, Peter. Serve faithfully to whom you pledge allegiance; obey your superiors; Don’t chase their affection; don’t ask for service; do not dissuade yourself from serving; and remember the proverb: take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age.” Mother, in tears, ordered me to take care of my health and Savelich to look after the child. They put a hare sheepskin coat on me, and a fox fur coat on top. I got into the wagon with Savelich and set off on the road, shedding tears.
That same night I arrived in Simbirsk, where I was supposed to stay for a day to purchase the necessary things, which was entrusted to Savelich. I stopped at a tavern. Savelich went to the shops in the morning. Bored of looking out the window at the dirty alley, I went to wander through all the rooms. Entering the billiard room, I saw a tall gentleman, about thirty-five, with a long black mustache, in a dressing gown, with a cue in his hand and a pipe in his teeth. He played with a marker, who, when he won, drank a glass of vodka, and when he lost, he had to crawl under the billiards on all fours. I started watching them play. The longer it went on, the more frequent the walks on all fours became, until finally the marker remained under the billiards. The master uttered several strong expressions over him in the form of a funeral word and invited me to play a game. I refused out of incompetence. This apparently seemed strange to him. He looked at me as if with regret; however, we started talking. I found out that his name is Ivan Ivanovich Zurin, that he is the captain of the ** hussar regiment and is in Simbirsk receiving recruits, and is standing in a tavern. Zurin invited me to dine with him as God sent, like a soldier. I readily agreed. We sat down at the table. Zurin drank a lot and treated me too, saying that I needed to get used to the service; he told me army jokes that almost made me laugh, and we left the table perfect friends. Then he volunteered to teach me to play billiards. “This,” he said, “is necessary for our serving brother. On a hike, for example, you come to a place - what do you want to do? After all, it’s not all about beating the Jews. Involuntarily, you will go to a tavern and start playing billiards; and for that you need to know how to play!” I was completely convinced and began to study with great diligence. Zurin loudly encouraged me, marveled at my quick successes and, after several lessons, invited me to play for money, one penny at a time, not to win, but so as not to play for nothing, which, according to him, is the worst habit. I agreed to this too, and Zurin ordered punch to be served and persuaded me to try, repeating that I needed to get used to the service; and without punch, what is the service! I listened to him. Meanwhile, our game continued. The more often I sipped from my glass, the more courageous I became. Balls kept flying over my side; I got excited, scolded the marker, who counted God knows how, increased the game hour by hour, in a word, I behaved like a boy who had broken free. Meanwhile, time passed unnoticed. Zurin looked at his watch, put down his cue and announced to me that I had lost a hundred rubles. This confused me a little. Savelich had my money. I started apologizing. Zurin interrupted me: “Have mercy! Don't worry. I can wait, but in the meantime we’ll go to Arinushka.”
What do you want? I ended the day as dissolutely as I started it. We had dinner at Arinushka's. Zurin kept adding more to me every minute, repeating that I needed to get used to the service. Getting up from the table, I could barely stand; at midnight Zurin took me to the tavern.
Savelich met us on the porch. He gasped when he saw the unmistakable signs of my zeal for service. “What has happened to you, sir? - he said in a pitiful voice, - where did you load this? Oh my goodness! Such a sin has never happened in my life!” - “Be quiet, you bastard! “I answered him, stuttering, “you’re probably drunk, go to bed... and put me to bed.”
The next day I woke up with a headache, vaguely remembering yesterday’s incidents. My thoughts were interrupted by Savelich, who came to me with a cup of tea. “It’s early, Pyotr Andreich,” he told me, shaking his head, “you start walking early. And who did you go to? It seems that neither the father nor the grandfather were drunkards; There’s nothing to say about my mother: from her childhood she never deigned to take anything into her mouth except kvass. And who is to blame for everything? damn monsieur. Every now and then, he would run to Antipyevna: “Madam, wow, vodka.” So much for you! There is nothing to say: he taught me good things, son of a dog. And it was necessary to hire an infidel as an uncle, as if the master no longer had his own people!”
I was ashamed. I turned away and told him: “Get out, Savelich; I don’t want tea.” But it was difficult to calm Savelich down when he started preaching. “You see, Pyotr Andreich, what it’s like to cheat. And my head feels heavy, and I don’t want to eat. A person who drinks is good for nothing... Drink cucumber pickle with honey, but it would be better to get over your hangover with half a glass of tincture. Would you like to order it?"
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