We went out of the kitchen-garden ... but there involuntarily
I stopped short. Between us and the lodge stood
a huge bull. With his head down to the ground,
and a malignant gleam in his eyes, he was snorting
heavily and furiously, and with a rapid movement of
one fore-leg, he tossed the dust up in the air with
his broad cleft hoof, lashed his sides with his tail,
and suddenly backing a little, shook his shaggy neck
stubbornly, and bellowed—not loud, but
plaintively, and at the same time menacingly.
I was, I confess, alarmed; but Vassily Fomitch stepped
forward with perfect composure, and saying in a stern
voice, ’Now then, country bumpkin,’ shook
his handkerchief at him. The bull backed again,
bowed his horns ... suddenly rushed to one side and
ran away, wagging his head from side to side.
‘There’s no doubt he took Prague,’
I thought.
We went into the room. The brigadier pulled his
cap off his hair, which was soaked with perspiration,
ejaculated, ‘Fa!’ ... squatted down on
the edge of a chair ... bowed his head gloomily....
‘I have come to you, Vassily Fomitch,’
I began my diplomatic approaches, ’because,
as you have served under the leadership of the great
Suvorov—have taken part altogether in such
important events—it would be very interesting
for me to hear some particulars of your past.’
The brigadier stared at me.... His face kindled
strangely—I began to expect, if not a story,
at least some word of approval, of sympathy....
‘But I, sir, must be going to die soon,’
he said in an undertone.
I was utterly nonplussed.
’Why, Vassily Fomitch, ’I brought out
at last, ’what makes you ... suppose that?’
The brigadier suddenly flung his arms violently up
and down.
’Because, sir ... I, as maybe you know
... often in my dreams see Agrippina Ivanovna—Heaven’s
peace be with her!—and never can I catch
her; I am always running after her—but cannot
catch her. But last night—I dreamed—she
was standing, as it were, before me, half-turned away,
and laughing.... I ran up to her at once and caught
her ... and she seemed to turn round quite and said
to me: “Well, Vassinka, now you have caught
me."’
‘What do you conclude from that, Vassily Fomitch?’
’Why, sir, I conclude: it has come, that
we shall be together. And glory to God for it,
I tell you; glory be to God Almighty, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost (the brigadier fell into a
chant): as it was in the beginning, is now and
ever shall be, Amen!’
The brigadier began crossing himself. I could
get nothing more out of him, so I went away.
The next day my friend arrived.... I mentioned
the brigadier, and my visits to him....
