A Reckless Character | Page 9

carriage-step, and again yelled: "Hurrah!"
"What is the meaning of this?" I asked, with involuntary amazement.
"This? This is my squad, my army; all beggars, God's people, my friends! Each one of them, thanks to your kindness, has quaffed a cup of liquor: and now we are all rejoicing and making merry!... Uncle! 'Tis only with the beggars and God's poor that one can live in the world, you know ... by God, that's so!"
I made him no reply ... but this time he seemed to me such a good-natured soul, his face expressed such childlike ingenuousness ... a light suddenly seemed to dawn upon me, and there came a prick at my heart....
"Get into the calash with me," I said to him.
He was amazed....
"What? Get into the calash?"
"Get in, get in!" I repeated. "I want to make thee a proposition. Get in!... Drive on with me."
"Well, you command."--He got in.--"Come, and as for you, my dear friends, respected comrades," he added to the beggars: "good-bye! Until we meet again!"--M��sha took off his kaz��k cap and made a low bow.--The beggars all seemed to be dumbfounded.... I ordered the coachman to whip up the horses, and the calash rolled on.
This is what I wished to propose to M��sha: the idea had suddenly occurred to me to take him into my establishment, into my country-house, which was situated about thirty versts from that posting-station,--to save him, or, at least, to make an effort to save him.
"Hearken, M��sha," said I; "wilt thou settle down with me?... Thou shalt have everything provided for thee, clothes and under-linen shall be made for thee, thou shalt be properly fitted out, and thou shalt receive money for tobacco and so forth, only on one condition: not to drink liquor!... Dost thou accept?"
M��sha was even frightened with joy. He opened his eyes very wide, turned crimson, and suddenly falling on my shoulder, he began to kiss me and to repeat in a spasmodic voice:--"Uncle ... benefactor.... May God reward you!..." He melted into tears at last, and doffing his kaz��k cap, began to wipe his eyes, his nose, and his lips with it.
"Look out," I said to him. "Remember the condition--not to drink liquor!"
"Why, damn it!" he exclaimed, flourishing both hands, and as a result of that energetic movement I was still more strongly flooded with that spirituous odour wherewith he was thoroughly impregnated.... "You see, dear uncle, if you only knew my life.... If it were not for grief, cruel Fate, you know.... But now I swear,--I swear that I will reform, and will prove.... Uncle, I have never lied--ask any one you like if I have.... I am an honourable, but an unhappy man, uncle; I have never known kindness from any one...."
At this point he finally dissolved in sobs. I tried to soothe him and succeeded, for when we drove up to my house M��sha had long been sleeping the sleep of the dead, with his head resting on my knees.

VII
He was immediately allotted a special room, and also immediately, as the first measure, taken to the bath, which was absolutely indispensable. All his garments, and his dagger and tall kaz��k cap and hole-ridden shoes, were carefully laid away in the storehouse; clean linen was put on him, slippers, and some of my clothing, which, as is always the case with paupers, exactly fitted his build and stature. When he came to the table, washed, neat, fresh, he seemed so much touched, and so happy, he was beaming all over with such joyful gratitude, that I felt emotion and joy.... His face was completely transfigured. Little boys of twelve wear such faces at Easter, after the Communion, when, thickly pomaded, clad in new round-jackets and starched collars, they go to exchange the Easter greeting with their parents. M��sha kept feeling of himself cautiously and incredulously, and repeating:--"What is this?... Am not I in heaven?"--And on the following day he announced that he had not been able to sleep all night for rapture!
In my house there was then living an aged aunt with her niece. They were both greatly agitated when they heard of M��sha's arrival; they did not understand how I could have invited him to my house! He bore a very bad reputation. But, in the first place, I knew that he was always very polite to ladies; and, in the second place, I trusted to his promise to reform. And, as a matter of fact, during the early days of his sojourn under my roof M��sha not only justified my expectations, but exceeded them; and he simply enchanted my ladies. He played picquet with the old lady; he helped her to wind yarn; he showed her two new games of patience; he accompanied the niece, who had a small voice, on the piano; he