No More Learning

After receiving the General's letter he had rather cleverly got rid of
Vassilissa Igorofna by telling her that Father Garasim had heard most
extraordinary news from Orenburg, which he was keeping most profoundly
dark.

Vassilissa Igorofna instantly had a great wish to go and see the Pope's
wife, and, by the advice of Ivan Kouzmitch, she took Masha, lest she
should be dull all alone.

Left master of the field, Ivan Kouzmitch sent to fetch us at once, and
took care to shut up Polashka in the kitchen so that she might not spy
upon us.

Vassilissa Igorofna came home without having been able to worm anything
out of the Pope's wife; she learnt upon coming in that during her
absence Ivan Kouzmitch had held a council of war, and that Palashka had
been locked up. She suspected that her husband had deceived her, and she
immediately began overwhelming him with questions. But Ivan Kouzmitch
was ready for this onset; he did not care in the least, and he boldly
answered his curious better-half--

"Look here, little mother, the country-women have taken it into their
heads to light fires with straw, and as that might be the cause of a
misfortune, I assembled my officers, and I ordered them to watch that
the women do not make fires with straw, but rather with faggots and
brambles. "

"And why were you obliged to shut up Polashka? " his wife asked him. "Why
was the poor girl obliged to stay in the kitchen till we came back? "

Ivan Kouzmitch was not prepared for such a question; he stammered some
incoherent words.

Vassilissa Igorofna instantly understood that her husband had deceived
her, but as she could not at that moment get anything out of him, she
forebore questioning him, and spoke of some pickled cucumbers which
Akoulina Pamphilovna knew how to prepare in a superlative manner. All
night long Vassilissa Igorofna lay awake trying to think what her
husband could have in his head that she was not permitted to know.

The morrow, on her return from mass, she saw Iwan Ignatiitch busy
clearing the cannon of the rags, small stones, bits of wood,
knuckle-bones, and all kinds of rubbish that the little boys had crammed
it with.

"What can these warlike preparations mean? " thought the Commandant's
wife.
"Can it be that they are afraid of an attack by the Kirghiz; but
then is it likely that Ivan Kouzmitch would hide from me such a trifle? "

She called Iwan Ignatiitch, determined to have out of him the secret
which was provoking her feminine curiosity.

Vassilissa Igorofna began by making to him some remarks on household
matters, like a judge who begins a cross-examination by questions
irrelevant to the subject in hand, in order to reassure and lull the
watchfulness of the accused. Then, after a few minutes' silence, she
gave a deep sigh, and said, shaking her head--

"Oh! good Lord! Just think what news! What will come of all this? "

"Eh! my little mother," replied Iwan Ignatiitch; "the Lord is merciful.
We have soldiers enough, and much, powder; I have cleared the cannon.
Perhaps we may be able to defeat this Pugatchef. If God do not forsake
us, the wolf will eat none of us here. "

"And what manner of man is this Pugatchef? " questioned the Commandant's
wife.

Iwan Ignatiitch saw plainly that he had said too much, and bit his
tongue; but it was too late. Vassilissa Igorofna obliged him to tell her
all, after giving her word that she would tell no one.