t frozen, and its lead-coloured waves looked almost black contrasted with its banks white with snow. Before me stretched the Kirghiz Steppes. I was lost in thought, a

, with no ideas beyond the service, and prepare

g on; we were driv

re to the fort?" I

see it from he

ittle village, surrounded by a wooden palisade. On one side three or four haystacks, half covered wit

he fort?" I ask

oined the driver, pointing out to me

the izbás[29] were thatched. I ordered him to take me to the Commandant, and almost directly my

An old pensioner, seated on a table, was busy sewing a blue pa

ather," he said to me

ound this were arranged some bark pictures,[30] representing the "Taking of Kustrin" and of "Otchakóf,"[31] "The Choice of the Betrothed," and the "Burial of the Cat by the Mice." Near the window s

le father?" she said to me

ort myself to the Commandant. With these words I turned towards the little, old, one-eyed man, whom I h

ather Garassim. But it's all the same, I am his wife. Be so good as

and bid her tell the "

as looking curiously

said he to me, "in what regime

ied his

"why you have condescended to excha

t was by order o

an officer of the Guard?" rejoi

ng to me, "do not bemoan yourself too much because you have been shoved into our little hole of a place; you are not the first, and you will not be the last. One may suffer, but one gets accustomed to it. For instance, Chvabrine, Alexey Iványtch,[35] was transferred to us four years ago on accoun

iadnik," a young and ha

e said to him, "find a quarter fo

plied the "ouriadnik." "Ought not his

dy little enough room; and, besides, he is my gossip; and then he does not forget

André

The rascal let his horse get into my kitchen

quiet," replied the

hting in the bathhouse

or a pail o

cide between Prokoroff and Oustinia which is to blame, and punish both of them; and you, M

he far end of the little fort. Half the izbá was occupied by the family of Séméon Kouzoff, the other ha

ull steppe; on one side there stood some huts. Some fowls were wandering down the street. An old woman, standi

untry as this I was con

t to bed supperless, in spite of Savéliitch's remons

to eat anything. What would my mistre

ned, and a young officer came in. He was undersized, but, in spite of irreg

tance. I heard of your arrival yesterday, and the wish to see at last a human being took such possessio

the officer sent away from the

eresting. He described to me, with, much raciness and gaiety, the Commandant's fami

en patching his uniform in the Commandant's ante-room, came i

id he should

ners, with long pigtails and three-cornered hats. They were drawn up in line. Before them

ill. We were going to stop and see the manoeuvres, but he begged us to go at once to Vassilissa

ndness, and treated me as if she had known me a long t

so long?" remarked the Commandant's wife. "Palashka, go and

nd modesty. She did not please me very much at first sight; I looked at her with prejudice. Chvabrine had described Marya, the Commandant's daughter, to me as being rather silly. She went

p is getting cold. Thank heaven, the drill will not run awa

ared, accompanied by the

an, my little father?"

y a long time, and we

na," replied Iván Kouzmitch, "I was v

n't know much about it. You should have stayed at home, and said your prayers; t

whelmed me with questions. Who were my parents, were they alive, where did they liv

shka. Well, thank heaven, we get along little by little. We have only one care on our minds-Masha, a girl who must be married. And what dowry ha

, and tears were rolling down, even into her plate. I was

much to the point), "that the Ba

my little father?" r

aid at Orenbu

ople have been thoroughly awed, and the Kirghiz, too, have had some good lessons. They won't dare to attack

addressing the Commandant's wife, "to

r believe how frightened I used to be of those confounded Pagans. If ever I chanced to see their hairy caps, or hear their howls, believe me, my little fath

a very brave lady," rema

ch knows some

said Iván Kouzmitch

I asked her mother, "i

r. It is two years ago now since Iván Kouzmitch took it into his head to fire his cannon on my birthday; she was so frightened, t

went to take their siesta, and I went to Chvabrine