Hadji Murad / Хаджи-Мурат. Книга для чтения на английском языке

” Vovilo went out, taking Poltoratsky’s boots and clothes with him. Poltoratsky got into bed and smoked a cigarette and put out his candle smiling the while. In the dark he saw before him the smiling face of Marya Vasilevna.

*

The Vorontsovs did not go to bed at once. When the visitors had left, Marya Vasilevna went up to her husband and standing in front of him, said severely —

“Eh bien! vous allez me dire ce que c’est.”

“Mais, ma chère …”

“Pas de ma chère! C’etait un émissaire, n’est-ce pas?”

“Quand même, je ne puis pas vous le dire.

“Vous ne pouvez pas? Alors, c’est moi qui vais vous le dire!”

“Vous?”[10 - “Eh bien! vous allez me dire ce que c’est.” – Well! You tell me what it is.“Mais, ma chère …” – But, my dear…“Pas de ma chère ! C’etait un emissaire, n’est-ce pas?” – Don’t my dear me! He was an emissary, was he not?“Quand même, je ne puis pas vous le dire.

“It was Hadji Murad, wasn’t it?” said Marya Vasilevna, who had for some days past heard of the negotiations and thought that Hadji Murad himself had been to see her husband. Vorontsov could not altogether deny this, but disappointed her by saying that it was not Hadji Murad himself but only an emissary to announce that Hadji Murad would come to meet him next day at the spot where a wood-cutting expedition had been arranged.

In the monotonous life of the fortress the young Vorontsovs – both husband and wife – were glad of this occurrence, and it was already past two o’clock when, after speaking of the pleasure the news would give his father, they went to bed.

Chapter IV

After the three sleepless nights he had passed flying from the murids Shamil had sent to capture him, Hadji Murad fell asleep as soon as Sado, having bid him goodnight, had gone out of the saklya. He slept fully dressed with his head on his hand, his elbow sinking deep into the red down-cushions his host had arranged for him.

At a little distance, by the wall, slept Eldar.