th a terrible air.

"Pardon me," said Saveliitch. "Thieves? No, they were not thieves; my
tongue slipped; yet your boys went through everything and carried off
plenty. That can not be denied. Do not be angry. The horse has four legs
and yet he stumbles. Command that he read to the end."

"Well, read," said Pougatcheff.

"One Persian blanket, one quilt of wadded silk, four roubles; one
pelisse of fox-skin, covered with red ratine, forty roubles; one small
touloup of hare-skin left with your grace, on the steppe, fifteen
roubles."

"What?" cried Pougatcheff, with flashing eyes.

I must say I feared for the old man, who was beginning new explanations,
when the brigand interrupted him:

"How dare you annoy me with these trifles?" said he, snatching the paper
from the Secretary and throwing it in the old man's face. "You have been
despoiled! old fool! great harm! You ought to thank God that you are not
hanging up there, with the other rebels, both you and your master. I'll
give you a hare-skin touloup! Do you know that I will have you flayed
alive, that touloups may be made of you?"

"As you please," replied Saveliitch; "but I am not a free man, and I am
responsible for my master's goods."

Pougatcheff, who was evidently playing the magnanimous, turned his head
and set off without a word. Alexis and the other chiefs followed him.
The whole army left the fortress in good order, the people forming an
escort. I stayed alone on the square with Saveliitch, who held in his
hand the bill and considered it with deep regret. I could not help
laughing.

"Laugh, my lord, laugh, but when the household is to be furnished again,
we shall see if it be a laughing matter."

I went to learn of Marie Mironoff. Accoulina met me and told me a sad
piece of news. During the night a burning fever had seized the poor
girl. Accoulina took me into her chamber. The invalid was delirious and
did not recognize me. I was shocked by the change in her countenance.
The position of this sorrowing orphan, without defenders, alarmed me as
much as my inability to protect grieved me. Alexis, above all, was to
be feared. Chief, invested with the usurper's authority, in the fortress
with this unhappy girl, he was capable of any crime. What ought I to
do to deliver her? To set out at once for Orenbourg, to hasten the
deliverance of Belogorsk, and to co-operate in it, if possible. I took
leave of Father Garasim and Accoulina, recommending to them Marie, w