He raised his hand to seize the Tartar by the collar; but in Mellehovich there was such an outburst in one moment as there is when a man throws a handful of powder into fire; he grew pale as a corpse, and seizing with iron grasp the hand of Novoveski, he said, “I do not know you! Who are you?” and pushed him so violently that Novoveski staggered to the middle of the room. For some time he could not utter a word from rage; but regaining breath, began to cry,—
“Gracious Commandant, this is my man, and besides that, a runaway. He was in my house from childhood. The ruffian denies! He is my man! Eva, who is he? Tell.”
“Azya,” said Eva, trembling in all her body.
Mellehovich did not even look at her. With eyes fixed on Novoveski, and with quivering nostril, he looked at the old noble with unspeakable hatred, pressing with his hand the handle of his knife. At the same time his mustaches began to quiver from the movement of his nostrils, and from under those mustaches white teeth were gleaming, like those of an angry wild beast.
The officers stood in a circle; Basia sprang in between Mellehovich and Novoveski. “What does this mean?” asked she, frowning.
“Pan Commandant,” said Novoveski, “this is my man, Azya by name, and a runaway. Serving in youthful years in the Crimea, I found him half alive on the steppe, and I took him. He is a Tartar. He remained twelve years in my house, and was taught together with my son. When my son ran away, this one helped me in management until he wished to make love to Eva; seeing this, I had him flogged: he ran away after that. What is his name here?”
“Mellehovich.”
“He has assumed that name. He is called Azya,—nothing more. He says that he does not know me; but I know him, and so does Eva.”
“Your grace’s son has seen him many times,” said Basia. “Why did not he know him?”
“My son might not know him; for when he ran away from home, both were fifteen years old, and this one remained six years with me afterward, during which time he changed considerably, grew, and got mustaches. But Eva knew him at once. Gracious hosts, you will lend belief more quickly to a citizen than to this accident from the Crimea!”