“I cannot: I am not alone.”
“Well, bring your comrade with you.”
“I have no comrade with me; I am with a—lady.”
“A lady! Where did you pick her up? Aha, brother mine!”
And with these words, Zourin whistled so significantly that all the others burst out laughing, and I felt perfectly confused.
“Well,” continued Zourin: “let it be so. You shall have quarters. But it is a pity.... We should have had one of our old sprees.... I say, boy! Why don’t you bring in Pougatcheff’s lady friend? Or is she obstinate? Tell her that she need not be afraid, that the gentleman is very kind and will do her no harm—then bring her in by the collar.”
“What do you mean?” said I to Zourin. “What lady-friend of Pougatcheff’s are you talking of? It is the daughter of the late Captain Mironoff. I have released her from captivity, and I am now conducting her to my father’s country seat, where I am going to leave her.”
“What! Was it you then who was announced to me just now? In the name of Heaven! what does all this mean?”
“I will tell you later on. For the present, I beg of you to set at ease the mind of this poor girl, who has been terribly frightened by your hussars.”
Zourin immediately issued the necessary orders. He went out himself into the street to apologize to Maria Ivanovna for the involuntary misunderstanding, and ordered the sergeant-major to conduct her to the best lodging in the town. I remained to spend the night with him.