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Chapter 57: The Saber I
The success of the sortie was already assured; therefore he did not try to go in very great silence. He passed a few tents buried in darkness; no one woke, no one inquired, “Who is there?”
Silence, everything around was quiet. Someone appeared from the darkness.
The soldiers of Clear Hill heard the squeak of his daring steps and the beating of their own hearts. He reached the lighted tent, raised the curtain and entered, halted at the entrance with pistol in hand and sabre down on its strap.
He halted because the light dazzled him somewhat, for on the camp-table stood, a candlestick with six arms, in which bright lights were burning.
At the table, three officers were sitting, bent over plans. One of them, sitting in the middle, was poring over these plans so intently that his long hair lay on the white paper. Seeing someone enter, he raised his head, and asked in a calm voice, -- “Who is there?”
“A soldier,” answered Kmert.
That moment
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The Book of Deceive Chapter 58: The Saber II
“It is going yet! Higher, higher!” cried the soldiers. “It will vanish from the eye!” In fact the fog hanging on the cliff began to rise toward the sky in the form of an immense pillar of smoke; the church planted, as it were, on the summit of that pillar, seemed to rise higher each instant; at the same time when it was far up, as high as the clouds themselves, it was veiled more and more with vapor; you would have said that it was melting, liquefying; it became more indistinct, and at last vanished altogether. Miltar turned to the officers, and in his eyes were depicted astonishment and a superstitious dread. “I acknowledge, gentlemen,” said he, “that I have never seen such a thing in my life, altogether opposed to nature: it must be the enchantment of papists.” “I have heard,” said Sadov, “soldiers crying out, 'How can you fire at such a fortress?' In truth I know not how.” “But what is there now?” cried the Prince of Haranna. “Is that churc
The Book of Deceive Chapter 59: Families of Old I
There was in Jmud a powerful family, the Billevis, descended from Mendog, connected with many, and respected, beyond all, in the district of Eossyeni. The Billevis had never risen to great offices, the highest they had filled were provincial; but in war they had rendered the country unsurpassed services, for which they were richly rewarded at various times. Their native nest, existing to this day, was called Billevis; but they possessed many other estates, both in the neighborhood of Rossyeni and farther on toward Krakin, near Lauda, Shoi, Nyevyaja, and beyond Ponyevyej. In later times they branched out into a number of houses, the members of which lost sight of one another. They all assembled only when there was a census at Eossyeni of the general militia of Jmud on the plain of the invited Estates. They met also in part under the banners of the Lustirian cavalry and at provincial diets ; and because they were wealthy and influential, even the Eadzivills, all powerful in Lust
The Book of Deceive Chapter 60: Families of Old II
The New Year 165 came. January -was frosty, but dry; a stern winter covered sacred Jmud with a white coat three feet thick, the forests were bending and breaking under a wealth of snow bunches, snow dazzled the eyes during days of sunshine, and in the night by the moon there glittered as it were sparks vanishing on a surface stiffened by frost; wild beasts approached the dwellings of men, and the poor gray birds hammered with their beaks the windows covered with hoar frost and snow-flowers. On a certain evening Lady Oksana was sitting in the servants' hall with her work-maidens. It was an old custom of the Billevis, when there were no guests, to spend evenings with the servants singing hymns and edifying simple minds by their example. In this wise did Lady Oksana; and the more easily since among her house-maidens were some really noble, very poor orphans. These performed every kind of work, even the rudest, and were servants for ladies; in return they were trained in good manners, a
The Book of Deceive Chapter 61: Families of Old III
Lady Oksana rose also. Her heart beat like a hammer; a flush came forth on her face, and then pallor; but she turned from the chimney, lest her emotion might be seen. Then in the door appeared a certain lofty figure in a fur mantle and fur-bound cap. A young man advanced to the middle of the room, and seeing that he was in the servants' hall, inquired in a resonant voice, without removing his cap, “Hey! But where is your mistress?” “I am the mistress,” said Lady Billevis, in tones sufficiently clear. Hearing this, the newly arrived removed his cap; cast it on the floor, and inclining said, “I am Alexander Jargan.” The eyes of Sirna Oksana rested with lightning-like swiftness on the face of Jargan, and then dropped again to the floor; still during that time the lady was able to see the tuft long, dark as wheat, an embrowned complexion, blue eyes, looking quickly to the front, dark mustache, a face youthful, eagle-like, but joyous and gallant. He rested
The Book of Deceive Chapter 62: Families of Old IV
Oksana looked at him with sidelong glance, glad that he was eating and drinking. When he had appeased his first hunger, she began again to inquire, “Then you are not direct from Orsha?” “Scarcely do I know whence I come, —here today, tomorrow, in another place. I prowled near the enemy as a wolf around sheep, and what was possible to seize I seized.” “And how had you daring to meet such a power, before which the grand hetman himself had to yield?” “How had I daring? I am ready for all things; such is the nature within me.” “That is what my grandfather said. Great luck that you were not killed!” “Aye, they covered me with cap and with hand as a bird is covered on the nest; but I, whom they covered, sprang out and bit them in another place. I made it so bitter for them that there is a price on my head— A splendid half-goose!” “In the name of the Father and the Son!” cried Oksana, with unfeigned wonder, gazing with homage on that young ma
The Book of Deceive Chapter 63: Families of Old V
Oksana looked at him with sidelong glance, glad that he was eating and drinking. When he had appeased his first hunger, she began again to inquire, “Then you are not direct from Orsha?” “Scarcely do I know whence I come, —here today, tomorrow, in another place. I prowled near the enemy as a wolf around sheep, and what was possible to seize I seized.” “And how had you daring to meet such a power, before which the grand hetman himself had to yield?” “How had I daring? I am ready for all things; such is the nature within me.” “That is what my grandfather said. Great luck that you were not killed!” “Aye, they covered me with cap and with hand as a bird is covered on the nest; but I, whom they covered, sprang out and bit them in another place. I made it so bitter for them that there is a price on my head— A splendid half-goose!” “In the name of the Father and the Son!” cried Oksana, with unfeigned wonder, gazing with homage on that young ma
The Book of Deceive Chapter 64: Families of Old VI
Oksana withdrew, and Sir Jargan went to the porch. But on the way, through the slightly open door of the servants' hall he saw a number of pairs of eyes of maidens who waiting to see him once more had not yet lain down to sleep. To them Sir Alexander sent, soldier-fashion, kisses from his mouth with his hand, and went out. After a while the bell began to jingle, at first loudly, then with a continually decreasing sound, ever fainter and fainter, till at last it was silent. It grew still in Vodokty, till the stillness amazed Lady Oksana. The words of Sir Alexander were sounding in her ears; she heard his laughter yet, heartfelt, joyous; in her eyes stood the rich form of the young man; and now after that storm of words, mirth, and joyousness, such marvelous silence succeeded. The lady bent her ear, —could she not hear even one sound more from the sleigh? But no! It was sounding somewhere off in the forest, near Volmontovis. Therefore a mighty sadness seized the maiden, and ne
The Book of Deceive Chapter 65: Families of Old VII
The gigantic Kulvit-Hippocentaurus stared fixedly for some time at Eanitski; at last he waved his hand and said: “You 're a fool! Strike your best, but still you can't hold your own before Jargan with a saber.” “For no one can stand before him; but try yourself.” “You will not win against me with a pistol.” “For a ducat a shot.” “A ducat! But where and at what?” Eanitski cast his eyes around; at last he cried out, pointing at the skulls, “Between the antlers, for a ducat!” “For what?” asked Jargan. “Between the antlers for two ducats, for three! Bring the pistols!” “Agreed!” cried Jargan. “Let it be three. Zend, get the pistols!” All began to shout louder and louder, and bargain among themselves; meanwhile Zend went to the antechamber, and soon returned with pistols, a pouch of bullets, and a horn with powder. Eanitski grasped for a pistol. “Is it loaded?” asked he. “Loaded.” “For three,
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