With a great jangling of sleigh-bells and much shouting from his
driver, who addressed the three horses by every epithet both endearing
and abusive that his vocabulary could provide, Count Maximof drove
into the yard of his nearest neighbour, the Boyar Demidof. The visit
was expected, for Maximof had sent a messenger to give warning of his
approach and to notify the boyar of the object of his coming. The Count
was accompanied by his wife, Avdotia, and his son, a child of ten
years, as well as by the priest of the district who had been picked up
_en route_ at his own village. The child Alexander, commonly called
Sasha, sat by the driver, a young serf of surly appearance and manners,
while the three elders occupied--as best they could--the cushioned seat
behind. This was designed to hold two with moderate comfort, so that
the two outside passengers now fared indifferently, but the middle one,
who was the Count, was comfortable enough.
Demidof, with his wife, met the party at the threshold of his house,
greeting them with voluble and exaggerated expressions of welcome, after
the manner of Russian hosts of his day, which was about one hundred
years ago.
"You see I have brought him," said Maximof; "make your bow, Sasha, and
ask after the health of your _nevyesta_ (bride)."
Sasha advanced shyly. "I hope Mademoiselle Vera Danilovna is well?" he
said, glibly enough.
"She is well and waiting anxiously to embrace her fiancé," said Demidof,
laughing. "Go into the salon on the right and you will find her--what?
You have a present for her--a doll--that is delightful; she will love
you from the very beginning. That is the door."
Sasha disappeared in the direction indicated.
"The notary is here," continued Demidof. "We can complete the legal
part of the matter immediately; after which you, Father Nicholas, shall
perform your share of the ceremony."
Parents, priest and notary now proceeded to the business of the
occasion, which was the betrothal of Alexander Maximof, aged ten,
to Vera Demidof, who numbered seven summers, and the signing of the
contract of betrothal. When this latter document had been read over and
approved and signed by all present, the two persons chiefly concerned in
the matter were summoned for the religious ceremony; little Vera came
hugging her doll, while Sasha was arrayed in a tiny Lancer uniform, the
gift of his bride-to-be.
The priest recited certain prayers and injunctions to which the
principals paid scant attention; and, the ceremony ended, all sat down
to dinner. At this function there were many servants, serfs of the
estate, to wait upon the feasters; the food was good and plentiful,
but badly cooked, the wine plentiful also, but indifferent, and the
plates and dishes were filthy. Civilisation had not as yet reached a
high standard in the Russia of that day, when, even in the best houses,
though the furniture might be gorgeously gilt, it stood in dust and
dirt; where men- and women-servants slept in the passages which were
not aired during the day; where there were no arrangements for personal
ablutions, and ventilation and sanitation were arts as yet undiscovered
and undreamed of.
The two mothers gushed over their children, who chattered and
played together quite unconcerned to think of the serious nature of
the function in which they had this day taken a chief part. It was
a beautiful thing, Countess Maximof observed, to see innocent love
actually in the birth, as at this moment. The fathers drank heavily and
made boisterous jokes at which all present laughed aloud, including the
servants and his reverence the priest, who drank as hard as any and gave
no sign of displeasure when the humour of the two manor-lords surpassed
in its vulgarity even the wide margin which, in those days of much
breadth in such matters, was considered permissible.
More than once Demidof rose to chastise some unfortunate serf who had in
some manner displeased him. Neither of the gentlemen hesitated to use
language towards the servants, whether male or female, too outrageous to
be imagined, far less quoted, applying names and epithets of the most
unsavoury and insulting nature.
"You are too kind and gentle with your fellows," said Maximof, who was,
even in those dark days of tyrannous and brutal manor-lords, a noted
bully towards his serfs, and was hated by them in consequence even more
bitterly than he himself was aware. "You should send that clumsy devil
to me for a week, I'd train him for you."
The clumsy devil referred to had spilt wine over his master's arm and
had received a clout over his head for his carelessness. He now stood
lamenting audibly by the sideboard.
"You may have the fool," laughed Demidof, "for five roubles, and train
him or bury him as you please."
"Oh no, no, Barin, God forbid," cried the wretched man sinking upon his
knees, "it is unlawful to sell me away from the land."
"Good--I take him--send him over to-morrow!" Maximof hiccoughed, totally
unconcerned by the fellow's blubbering and entreaties, to which his own
master paid no more attention than the Count did.
When dinner was over the afternoon was well spent and it was time to
set out upon the twenty-mile drive which separated the houses of the
two boyars. The children were made to kiss one another at parting,
a demonstration to which the lady strongly objected though without
assigning a reason until after her future lord's departure, when she
explained to her mother's superstitious horror, but to her father's
boisterous amusement, that she hated him.
"He kicked me and hit me," she said, showing certain marks upon her
limbs, "because I was tired of playing at soldiers with him and wanted
to hug my doll. Don't invite him here again, mother!"
"But he belongs to you, my dove, you must love him, he is yours and you
are his," cried the horrified parent.
"Then I'll spill wine over him and he shall sell me for five roubles,
as father sold Gregory just now!" said the child. Whereat the mother
crossed herself and muttered a prayer and the boyar laughed boisterously.
Meanwhile the Maximof family sped homewards through the gloom of the
early winter evening. The cold had a sobering influence both upon the
boyar himself and upon the priest, who was with difficulty aroused from
torpor, however, when his village was reached and the time came to drop
him at his own house.
The driver, Kiril, had found friends at Demidof's house anxious to
entertain him in return for his dismal accounts of the cruelties and
abominations practised by his boyar upon the serfs of his estate.
"We are dogs, no better," he had told them; "you may thank God,
brothers, that you are not in our place."
"Go on and tell us all about it," said one, plying Kiril with more
drink. Kiril had many a tale to tell at the price of a drink for each
recital, and when true stories failed him he employed his inventive
powers.
"You, Gregory, had better hang yourself rather than come our way,"
said he, addressing the man sold in a fit of rage by Demidof at the
dinner-table.
"There is no need," said Gregory. "My master is not a fool when he is
sober; he knows two things, one that he cannot sell me away from the
land and the other that I am worth more than five roubles to him. He
will remember these two things when he has slept, and I shall not go."
"Good; so be it; remain and be happy! What in the devil's name does your
master think of to mate his child with the whelp of a wolf? Like father
like son; one day he will eat her."
"In twelve years much may happen. Drink, friend, and tell us more of
the doings of your master, who must indeed be a very child of Satan, if
all you say is true."
"It is true. Listen now how he knouted Masha, the herdsman's daughter;
some lords have respect for the weakness of a woman, but he has none."
Kiril was still narrating and still drinking when summoned to put in the
horses and start homewards. By this time he was far from sober.
On the way home he slept peacefully, the clever little horses knowing
the road homewards and keeping faultlessly to the track.
The priest had been left at his house and there remained but four or
five miles to drive when the astute little animals suddenly shied with
one accord, sending the sledge skidding across the road and bringing it
up violently enough against a pine-tree.
Maximof was rudely awakened from his sleep. His wife uttered a cry of
alarm, the boyar swore loudly and thumped Kiril on the back. Young Sasha
cried out incoherently and pointed among the trees on the right.
Kiril's head was sunk upon his breast; he snored in a drunken stupor and
took no notice of the Barin's blows, which did not want for energy.
"See, father, wolves!" cried Sasha excitedly. "I have seen six, there is
a seventh--oh--eight--nine!"
Maximof looked about. "It is true," he said, "they follow us."
"Husband, is there danger? Whip up the horses, Kiril!"
"Kiril is drunk and useless, he will not wake," replied the Count; "I
will try other means." He took the whip and stood up to belabour the
wretched sleeper about the neck, face and shoulders.
Kiril awoke with a roar of pain and drunken rage; he turned in his seat
and struck savagely at his master, swearing horrible oaths.
"Sit down and hold the reins, you fool," shouted Maximof. "There is a
pack of wolves at our heels."
There was something in the Barin's aspect at this moment that gave the
drunken man pause. It was not the thought of the wolves, for he never
glanced at them. He ceased to swear and rave and sat down obediently
to drive. Five minutes later the fellow was asleep again, the reins
dangling. By this time the wolves had grown more daring; several
had left the cover of the forest and followed the sledge in the open
moonlight, going at a hand-gallop, grey and lank and weird enough to
see. There were still two miles to go. A gaunt beast suddenly sprang out
at the off horse, causing both animals to shy violently across the road.
Sasha uttered a cry of terror; the Countess caught her husbands arm;
Kiril half awoke and joggled the reins.
"The wolves will attack us before we reach home. We are lost, husband,"
said the Countess.
"Take the reins from Kiril, Sasha," said Maximof, standing up. The
boy obeyed, taking the reins from the sleeper's nerveless hands. Then
Maximof suddenly caught Kiril by the waist and pulled him backwards. The
Count was a large and powerful man, the other was a wisp in his arms.
Kiril awoke and struggled. He caught the box-board with his heels, but
Maximof kicked them free. Kiril struck at him and cursed, but feeling
himself being forced over the side of the sledge he clutched with his
hands and held on.
"Husband, what are you doing?--the wolves--the wolves!" shrieked the
Countess. But her husband replied laughing that there were many trees,
the fool could climb one if he was not too drunk. "Take the butt of the
whip and strike his hands," he added, but his wife only shrieked and
clung feebly to his arm.
Maximof forced one of the hands away and contrived by a united effort of
arms, legs and body to expel the wretched Kiril from the sledge. But the
other hand clung desperately for a moment as the man was dragged along.
Maximof kicked it free.
There was a shriek, and in the moonlight each wolf seemed to make for
one point in the road. Then came a scrimmage and a tumult of snarling
and fighting, and now the sledge was out of sight and hearing. It went
on its way without further pursuit, save for one or two stragglers who
soon found that their comrades had chosen the wiser course, and went
back in hopes of being in time for a share of such good things as the
gods had provided.
That night an old hag from the village came to the mansion to inquire
for her son Kiril. From the servants she learned no certain thing,
but each had suggestions to make as to Kiril's non-arrival. The story
of Sasha's nurse was grimly suggestive. When going to bed Sasha had
shown off his new Lancer uniform, and, being in a boastful mood, had
volunteered the information that he had held the reins while father and
Kiril were fighting.
"Why did they fight?" asked the nurse, but Sasha had suddenly remembered
that his mother had bidden him remain silent as to this episode, and he
replied that he did not know. "Kiril was drunk," he said, "I know that."
Presently the hag found her way into the presence of her manor-lord and
accused him, shrieking, of the murder of her son.
"To the wolves you threw him," she cried, "deny it if you can!"
Maximof laughed; he rang the bell and bade his servants take her to the
flog room and see that she had her full twenty strokes.
"They that throw to the wolves shall to the wolves be thrown!" shrieked
the woman as she was removed; but Maximof laughed and bade the servants
add five strokes. Presently he rang again in order to ask whether his
orders had been obeyed.
"To the letter, Barin," said the trembling serf; "twenty-five strokes;
after her punishment, being unable to walk, she was carried away to the
village."
"Good," said Maximof; "if any serf repeats the words she has spoken this
night, he shall receive a double punishment."
As a matter of fact the hag had been allowed to go unknouted. "It is
enough to have lost your son," her pitying fellow serfs had told her;
"go quickly and remain lying and groaning to-morrow, in case the steward
calls to make sure."
"Those that throw to the wolves shall themselves feel the teeth of
the wolves," murmured the old hag as she took her departure, and the
saying was repeated broadcast among the villagers next day, in spite
of the manor-lord's threats, for this old hag had some reputation as a
_znaharka_, or wise woman, and her curses and blessings were matters of
considerable interest to the peasantry around.