watching Maryanka, whose every movement, without
realizing it himself, he followed greedily from his window or his
porch. He regarded Maryanka and loved her (so he thought) just as he
loved the beauty of the mountains and the sky, and he had no thought of
entering into any relations with her. It seemed to him that between him
and her such relations as there were between her and the Cossack
Lukashka could not exist, and still less such as often existed between
rich officers and other Cossack girls. It seemed to him that if he
tried to do as his fellow officers did, he would exchange his complete
enjoyment of contemplation for an abyss of suffering, disillusionment,
and remorse. Besides, he had already achieved a triumph of
self-sacrifice in connexion with her which had given him great
pleasure, and above all he was in a way afraid of Maryanka and would
not for anything have ventured to utter a word of love to her lightly.

Once during the summer, when Olenin had not gone out shooting but was
sitting at home, quite unexpectedly a Moscow acquaintance, a very young
man whom he had met in society, came in.

'Ah, mon cher, my dear fellow, how glad I was when I heard that you
were here!' he began in his Moscow French, and he went on intermingling
French words in his remarks. 'They said, "Olenin". What Olenin? and I
was so pleased.... Fancy fate bringing us together here! Well, and how
are you? How? Why?' and Prince Beletski told his whole story: how he
had temporarily entered the regiment, how the Commander-in-Chief had
offered to take him as an adjutant, and how he would take up the post
after this campaign although personally he felt quite indifferent about
it.

'Living here in this hole one must at least make a career--get a
cross--or a rank--be transferred to the Guards. That is quite
indispensable, not for myself but for the sake of my relations and
friends. The prince received me very well; he is a very decent fellow,'
said Beletski, and went on unceasingly. 'I have been recommended for
the St. Anna Cross for the expedition. Now I shall stay here a bit
until we start on the campaign. It's capital here. What women! Well,
and how are you getting on? I was told by our captain, Startsev you
know, a kind-hearted stupid creature.... Well, he said you were living
like an awful savage, seeing no one! I quite understand you don't want
to be mixed up with the set of officers we have here. I am so glad now
you and I will be abl