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"The young lady is alive," replied Polashka; "she is hidden at Akoulina Pamphilovna's." "In the pope's house!" I exclaimed, affrighted. "Good God! Pugatchéf is there!" I rushed out of the room, in two jumps I was in the street and running wildly towards the pope's house. From within there resounded songs, shouts, and bursts of laughter; Pugatchéf was at the table with his companions.
Vassilissa Igorofna instantly understood that her husband had deceived her, but as she could not at that moment get anything out of him, she forebore questioning him, and spoke of some pickled cucumbers which Akoulina Pamphilovna knew how to prepare in a superlative manner.
Go and get Masha ready for her journey; to-morrow we will start her off at daybreak, and we will even give her an escort, though, to tell the truth, we have none too many people here. But where is she?" "At Akoulina Pamphilovna's," answered his wife. "She turned sick when she heard of the taking of Nijnéosern; I dread lest she should fall ill. Oh!
I wished earnestly to draw him from the band of robbers of which he was the chief, and save his head ere it should be too late. The presence of Chvabrine and of the crowd around us prevented me from expressing to him all the feelings which filled my heart. We parted friends. Pugatchéf saw in the crowd Akoulina Pamphilovna, and amicably threatened her with his finger, with a meaning wink.
Marya's gentle voice was then heard through the door. "Wait, Petr' Andréjïtch," said she, "I am changing my dress. Go to Akoulina Pamphilovna's; I shall be there in a minute." I obeyed and went to Father Garasim's house. The pope and his wife hastened to meet me. Savéliitch had already told them all that had happened.
In the morning I used to read, and I tried my hand at translations, sometimes even at compositions in verse. Nearly every day I dined at the Commandant's, where I usually passed the rest of the day. In the evening, Father Garasim used to drop in, accompanied by his wife, Akoulina, who was the sturdiest gossip of the neighbourhood.
He avers that he saved my life by not exposing Akoulina Pamphilovna's stratagem when she spoke of me to the robbers as her niece, but it would be easier to me to die than to become the wife of a man like Chvabrine. He treats me with great cruelty, and threatens, if I do not change my mind, to bring me to the robber camp, where I should suffer the fate of Elizabeth Kharloff.
But though they could talk volubly of the illustrious origin of their leader Selivanoff, "the second Christ," and of their "divine mother," Akoulina Ivanovna, their doctrines were in fact obscure and nebulous, and they avoided with good reason all religious argument.
Polashka had followed me; I sent her secretly to call aside Akoulina Pamphilovna. The next minute the pope's wife came out into the ante-room, an empty bottle in her hand. "In heaven's name where is Marya Ivánofna?" I asked, with indescribable agitation. "She is in bed, the little dove," replied the pope's wife, "in my bed, behind the partition. Ah!
The pope and his wife crossed themselves when they heard that Pugatchéf was aware they had deceived him. "May the power of the cross be with us!" Akoulina Pamphilovna said. "May God turn aside this cloud. Very well, Alexey Iványtch, we shall see! Oh! the sly fox!" At this moment the door opened, and Marya Ivánofna appeared, with a smile on her pale face.
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