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Updated: May 7, 2025
On the memorable day when he found Malek-Adel, Tchertop-hanov had felt nothing but rapturous bliss... but the next morning, when, in a low-pitched shed of the inn, he began saddling his recovered joy, beside whom he had spent the whole night, he felt for the first time a certain secret pang.... He only shook his head, but the seed was sown.
However, there were sometimes shortcomings and misfortunes even here. The prolonged search for Malek-Adel had cost Tchertop-hanov a great deal of money; he did not even dream of Kostroma hounds now, and rode about the neighbourhood in solitude as before.
He would have torn anyone to pieces who had dropped the most distant hint that the new Malek-Adel was possibly not the old one; he accepted congratulations on his 'successful recovery of his horse, from the few persons whom he happened to meet; but he did not seek such congratulations; he avoided all contact with people more than ever a bad sign!
'There, the miscreant who has parted us must look out for himself now! he muttered, as they drove out on the high-road. His house he left in the charge of Perfishka and an old cook, a deaf old peasant woman, whom he took care of out of compassion. 'I shall come back to you on Malek-Adel, he shouted to them at parting, 'or never come back at all!
And the guiltless guilty one followed in a submissive trot behind his back.... But there was no pity for him in Tchertop-hanov's heart. Not far from the forest to which he was leading his horse there stretched a small ravine, half overgrown with young oak bushes. Tchertop-hanov went down into it.... Malek-Adel stumbled and almost fell on him.
On the contrary, the worse his surroundings became, the more haughty and lofty and inaccessible he was himself. He became a complete misanthrope in the end. One distraction, one delight, was left him: a superb grey horse, of the Don breed, named by him Malek-Adel, a really wonderful animal. This horse came into his possession in this fashion.
Malek-Adel! he ran straight into the open country. Perfishka remained standing bewildered at the fence. The ring of light from the lantern was soon lost to his eyes, swallowed up in the dense darkness of a starless, moonless night. Fainter and fainter came the sound of the despairing cries of Tchertop-hanov.... It was daylight when he came home again. He hardly looked like a human being.
That this worthless jade was not Malek-Adel; that between him and Malek-Adel there was not the smallest resemblance; that any man of the slightest sense would have seen this from the first minute; that he, Tchertop-hanov, had been taken in in the vulgarest way no! that he purposely, of set intent, tricked himself, blinded his own eyes of all this he had not now the faintest doubt!
Leading Malek-Adel after him by the rein, he went with long strides towards the stable. Perfishka looked more intently at his master, and his heart sank.
And a dog dare never approach him; he would have his fore-leg on his head in a minute! and that was the end of the beast. A horse of proper pride, you might flourish a switch over him as an ornament but God forbid you touched him! But why say more? a perfect treasure, not a horse! If Tchertop-hanov set to describing his Malek-Adel, he could not find words to express himself.
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