He first approached the pavilion, by the side of which several musicians
were playing. Other soldiers of the same regiment served as music-stands
by holding before them the open music-books, and a small circle
surrounded them, quartermasters, under-officers, nurses, and children,
engaged in watching rather than in listening. Around the pavilion
marines, aides-de-camp, officers in white gloves were standing, were
sitting, or promenading. Farther off in the broad avenue could be seen a
confused crowd of officers of every branch of the service, women of
every class, some with bonnets on, the majority with kerchiefs on their
heads; others wore neither bonnets nor kerchiefs, but, astonishing to
relate, there were no old women, all were young. Below in fragrant paths
shaded by white acacias were seen isolated groups, seated and walking.
No one expressed any particular joy at the sight of Captain Mikhaïloff,
with the exception, perhaps, of Objogoff and Souslikoff, captains in his
regiment, who shook his hand warmly. But the first of the two had no
gloves; he wore trousers of camel’s-hair cloth, a shabby coat, and his
red face was covered with perspiration; the second spoke with too loud a
voice, and with shocking freedom of speech. It was not very flattering
to walk with these men, especially in the presence of officers in white
gloves. Among the latter was an aide-de-camp, with whom Mikhaïloff
exchanged salutes, and a staff-officer whom he could have saluted as
well, having seen him a couple of times at the quarters of a common
friend.
There was positively no pleasure in promenading with these two comrades,
whom he met five or six times a day, and shook hands with them each
time. He did not come to the band concert for that.
He would have liked to go up to the aide-de-camp with whom he exchanged
salutes, and to chat with those gentlemen, not in order that Captains
Objogoff, Souslikoff, Lieutenant Paschtezky, and others might see him in
conversation with them, but simply because they were agreeable,
well-informed people who could tell him something.
Why is Mikhaïloff afraid? and why can’t he make up his mind to go up to
them? It is because he distrustfully asks himself what he will do if
these gentlemen do not return his salute, if they continue to chat
together, pretending not to see him, and if they go away, leaving him
alone among the _aristocrats_. The word _aristocrat_, taken in the sense
of a particular group, selected with great care, belonging to every
class of society, has lately gained a great popularity among us in
Russia--where it never ought to have taken root. It has entered into all
the social strata where vanity has crept in--and where does not this
pitiable weakness creep in? Everywhere; among the merchants, the
officials, the quartermasters, the officers; at Saratoff, at Mamadisch,
at Vinitzy--everywhere, in a word, where men are. Now, since there are
many men in a besieged city like Sebastopol, there is also a great deal
of vanity; that is to say, _aristocrats_ are there in large numbers,
although death, the great leveller, hovers constantly over the head of
each man, be he aristocrat or not.
To Captain Objogoff, Second-captain Mikhaïloff is an _aristocrat_; to
Second-captain Mikhaïloff, Aide-de-camp Kalouguine is an _aristocrat_,
because he is aide-de-camp, and says thee and thou familiarly to other
aides-de-camp; lastly, to Kalouguine, Count Nordoff is an _aristocrat_,
because he is aide-de-camp of the Emperor.
Vanity, vanity, nothing but vanity! even in the presence of death, and
among men ready to die for an exalted idea. Is not vanity the
characteristic trait, the destructive ill of our age? Why has this
weakness not been recognized hitherto, just as small-pox or cholera has
been recognized? Why in our time are there only three kinds of
men--those who accept vanity as an existing fact, necessary, and
consequently just, and freely submit to it; those who consider it an
evil element, but one impossible to destroy; and those who act under its
influence with unconscious servility? Why have Homer and Shakespeare
spoken of love, of glory, and of suffering, while the literature of our
century is only the interminable history of snobbery and vanity?
Mikhaïloff, not able to make up his mind, twice passed in front of the
little group of _aristocrats_. The third time, making a violent effort,
he approached them. The group was composed of four officers--the
aide-de-camp Kalouguine, whom Mikhaïloff was acquainted with, the
aide-de-camp Prince Galtzine, an _aristocrat_ to Kalouguine himself,
Colonel Neferdoff, one of the _Hundred and Twenty-two_ (a group of
society men who had re-entered the service for this campaign were thus
called), lastly, Captain of Cavalry Praskoukine, who was also among the
Hundred and Twenty-two. Happily for Mikhaïloff, Kalouguine was in
charming spirits; the general had just spoken very confidentially to
him, and Prince Galtzine, fresh from Petersburg, was stopping in his
quarters, so he did not find it compromising to offer his hand to a
second-captain. Praskoukine did not decide to do as much, although he
had often met Mikhaïloff in the bastion, had drunk his wine and his
brandy more than once, and owed him twelve rubles and a half, lost at a
game of preference. Being only slightly acquainted with Prince Galtzine,
he had no wish to call his attention to his intimacy with a simple
second-captain of infantry. He merely saluted slightly.
“Well, captain,” said Kalouguine, “when are we going back to the little
bastion? You remember our meeting on the Schwartz redoubt? It was warm
there, hey?”
“Yes, it was warm there,” replied Mikhaïloff, remembering that night
when, following the trench in order to reach the bastion, he had met
Kalouguine marching with a grand air, bravely clattering his sword. “I
would not have to return there until to-morrow, but we have an officer
sick.” And he was going on to relate how, although it was not his turn
on duty, he thought he ought to offer to replace Nepchissetzky, because
the commander of the eighth company was ill, and only an ensign
remained, but Kalouguine did not give him time to finish.
“I have a notion,” said he, turning towards Prince Galtzine, “that
something will come off in a day or two.”
“But why couldn’t something come off to-day?” timidly asked Mikhaïloff,
looking first at Kalouguine and then at Galtzine.
No one replied. Galtzine made a slight grimace, and looking to one side
over Mikhaïloffs cap, said, after a moment’s silence,
“What a pretty girl!--yonder, with the red kerchief. Do you know her,
captain?”
“It is a sailor’s daughter. She lives close by me,” he replied.
“Let’s look at her closer.”
And Prince Galtzine took Kalouguine by the arm on one side and the
second-captain on the other, sure that by this action he would give the
latter a lively satisfaction. He was not deceived. Mikhaïloff was
superstitious, and to have anything to do with women before going under
fire was in his eyes a great sin. But on that day he was posing for a
libertine. Neither Kalouguine nor Galtzine was deceived by this,
however. The girl with the red kerchief was very much astonished, having
more than once noticed that the captain blushed as he was passing her
window. Praskoukine marched behind and nudged Galtzine, making all
sorts of remarks in French; but the path being too narrow for them to
march four abreast, he was obliged to fall behind, and in the second
file to take Serviaguine’s arm--a naval officer known for his
exceptional bravery, and very anxious to join the group of
_aristocrats_. This brave man gladly linked his honest and muscular hand
into Praskoukine’s arm, whom he knew, nevertheless, to be not quite
honorable. Explaining to Prince Galtzine his intimacy with the sailor,
Praskoukine whispered that he was a well-known, brave man; but Prince
Galtzine, who had been, the evening before, in the fourth bastion, and
had seen a shell burst twenty paces from him, considered himself equal
in courage to this gentleman; also being convinced that most reputations
were exaggerated, paid no attention to Serviaguine.
Mikhaïloff was so happy to promenade in this brilliant company that he
thought no more of the dear letter received from F----, nor of the
dismal forebodings that assailed him each time he went to the bastion.
He remained with them there until they had visibly excluded him from
their conversation, avoiding his eye, as if to make him understand that
he could go on his way alone. At last they left him in the lurch. In
spite of that, the second-captain was so satisfied that he was quite
indifferent to the haughty expression with which the yunker[C] Baron
Pesth straightened up and took off his hat before him. This young man
had become very proud since he had passed his first night in the
bomb-proof of the fifth bastion, an experience which, in his own eyes,
transformed him into a hero.