at is Russia to me?" answered her cavalier. "A country in which
thousands of people, because they are richer than I, will look upon me
with contempt, whilst here--here this thick cloak has not prevented my
acquaintance with you"...

"On the contrary"... said Princess Mary, blushing.

Grushnitski's face was a picture of delight. He continued:

"Here, my life will flow along noisily, unobserved, and rapidly, under
the bullets of the savages, and if Heaven were every year to send me a
single bright glance from a woman's eyes--like that which--"

At that moment they came up to where I was. I struck my horse with the
whip and rode out from behind the bush...

"Mon Dieu, un circassien!"... exclaimed Princess Mary in terror.

In order completely to undeceive her, I replied in French, with a slight
bow:

"Ne craignez rien, madame, je ne suis pas plus dangereux que votre
cavalier"...

She grew embarrassed--but at what? At her own mistake, or because my
answer struck her as insolent? I should like the latter hypothesis to be
correct. Grushnitski cast a discontented glance at me.

Late in the evening, that is to say, about eleven o'clock, I went for a
walk in the lilac avenue of the boulevard. The town was sleeping; lights
were gleaming in only a few windows. On three sides loomed the black
ridges of the cliffs, the spurs of Mount Mashuk, upon the summit of
which an ominous cloud was lying. The moon was rising in the east; in
the distance, the snow-clad mountains glistened like a fringe of silver.
The calls of the sentries mingled at intervals with the roar of the hot
springs let flow for the night. At times the loud clattering of a horse
rang out along the street, accompanied by the creaking of a Nagai wagon
and the plaintive burden of a Tartar song.

I sat down upon a bench and fell into a reverie... I felt the necessity
of pouring forth my thoughts in friendly conversation... But with
whom?...

"What is Vera doing now?" I wondered.

I would have given much to press her hand at that moment.

All at once I heard rapid and irregular steps... Grushnitski, no
doubt!... So it was!

"Where have you come from?"

"From Princess Ligovski's," he said very importantly. "How well Mary
does sing!"...

"Do you know?" I said to him. "I wager that she does not know that you
are a cadet. She thinks you are an officer reduced to the ranks"...

"Maybe so. What is that to me!"... he said absently.

"No, I am only saying so"..