He coughed and spat out the burning liquor, but was forced to swallow some of it. Then he fell into a wonderful condition: he was not drunk; on the contrary, his mind had never been clearer, nor his thought quicker. He saw what they were doing, he understood everything; but an uncommon excitement seized him, as it were,—impatience that all was lasting so long, and that nothing was beginning yet.
Next heavy steps were heard near by, and before him stood Pan Adam. At sight of him all the veins in the Tartar quivered. Lusnia he did not fear; he despised him too much. But Pan Adam he did not despise; indeed, he had no reason to despise him; on the contrary, every look of his face filled Azya’s soul with a certain superstitious dread and repulsion. He thought to himself at that moment, “I am in his power; I fear him!” and that was such a terrible feeling that under its influence the hair stiffened on the head of Tugai Bey’s son.
“For what thou hast done, thou wilt perish in torment,” said Pan Adam.
The Tartar gave no answer, but began to pant audibly.
Novoveski withdrew, and then followed a silence which was broken by Lusnia.
“Thou didst raise thy hand on the lady,” said he, with a hoarse voice; “but now the lady is at home with her husband, and thou art in our hands. Thy hour has come!”
With those words the act of torture began for Azya. That terrible man learned at the hour of his death that his treason and cruelty had profited nothing. If even Basia had died on the road, he would have had the consolation that though not in his, she would not be in any man’s, possession; and that solace was taken from him just then, when the point of the stake was at an ell’s length from his body. All had been in vain. So many treasons, so much blood, so much impending punishment for nothing,—for nothing whatever!
Lusnia did not know how grievous those words had made death to Azya; had he known, he would have repeated them during the whole journey.
But there was no time for regrets then; everything must give way before the execution. Lusnia stooped down, and taking Azya’s hips in both his hands to give them direction, called to the men holding the horses,—
“Move! but slowly and together!”