No More Learning

"Ah! it is your lordship," said he, with liveliness. "How are you? What
in heaven's name brings you here? "

I replied that I had started on a journey on my own business, and that
his people had stopped me.

"And on what business? " asked he.

I knew not what to say. Pugatchef, thinking I did not want to explain
myself before witnesses, made a sign to his comrades to go away. All
obeyed except two, who did not offer to stir.

"Speak boldly before these," said Pugatchef; "hide nothing from them. "

I threw a side glance upon these two confederates of the usurper. One of
them, a little old man, meagre and bent, with a scanty grey beard, had
nothing remarkable about him, except a broad blue ribbon worn cross-ways
over his caftan of thick grey cloth. But I shall never forget his
companion. He was tall, powerfully built, and appeared to be about
forty-five.
A thick red beard, piercing grey eyes, a nose without
nostrils, and marks of the hot iron on his forehead and on his cheeks,
gave to his broad face, seamed with small-pox, a strange and indefinable
expression. He wore a red shirt, a Kirghiz dress, and wide Cossack
trousers. The first, as I afterwards learnt, was the deserter, Corporal
Beloborodoff. The other, Athanasius Sokoloff, nicknamed Khlopusha,[63]
was a criminal condemned to the mines of Siberia, whence he had escaped
three times. In spite of the feelings which then agitated me, this
company wherein I was thus unexpectedly thrown greatly impressed me. But
Pugatchef soon recalled me to myself by his question.

"Speak! On what business did you leave Orenburg? "

A strange idea occurred to me. It seemed to me that Providence, in
bringing me a second time before Pugatchef, opened to me a way of
executing my project. I resolved to seize the opportunity, and, without
considering any longer what course I should pursue, I replied to
Pugatchef--

"I was going to Fort Belogorsk, to deliver there an orphan who is being
oppressed. "

Pugatchef's eyes flashed.

"Who among my people would dare to harm an orphan? " cried he. "Were he
ever so brazen-faced, he should never escape my vengeance! Speak, who
is the guilty one?