The Daughter of the Commandant

"Take such measures as may be necessary," said the Commandant, taking

off his spectacles and folding up the paper. "You know it is very easy

to say that. The scoundrel seems in force, and we have but a hundred and

thirty men, even counting the Cossacks, on whom we must not count too

much, be it said, without any reproach to you, Maximitch." The

"ouriadnik" smiled. "Nevertheless, let us do our duty, gentlemen. Be

ready, place sentries, let there be night patrols in case of attack,

shut the gates, and turn out the troops. You, Maximitch, keep a sharp

eye on the Cossacks; look to the cannon, and let it be well cleansed;

and, above all, let everything be kept secret. Let no one in the fort

know anything until the time comes."

After thus giving his orders, Ivan Kouzmitch dismissed us. I went out

with Chvabrine, speculating upon what we had just heard.

"What do you think of it? How will it all end?" I asked him.

"God knows," said he; "we shall see. As yet there is evidently nothing

serious. If, however--"

Then he fell into a brown study while whistling absently a French air.

In spite of all our precautions the news of Pugatchef's appearance

spread all over the fort. Whatever was the respect in which Ivan

Kouzmitch held his wife, he would not have revealed to her for the world

a secret confided to him on military business.

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."