and he found pleasure in thinking about them. ‘He loves Maryanka,’ thought Olenin, ‘and I could love her,’ and a new and powerful emotion of tenderness overcame him as they walked homewards together through the dark forest. Lukashka too felt happy; something akin to love made itself felt between these two very different young men. Every time they glanced at one another they wanted to laugh.
‘By which gate do you enter?’ asked Olenin.
‘By the middle one. But I’ll see you as far as the marsh. After that you have nothing to fear.’
Olenin laughed.
‘Do you think I am afraid? Go back, and thank you. I can get on alone.’
‘It’s all right! What have I to do? And how can you help being afraid? Even we are afraid,’ said Lukashka to set Olenin’s self-esteem at rest, and he laughed too.
‘Then come in with me. We’ll have a talk and a drink and in the morning you can go back.’
‘Couldn’t I find a place to spend the night?’ laughed Lukashka. ‘But the corporal asked me to go back.’
‘I heard you singing last night, and also saw you.’
‘Every one... ‘ and Luke swayed his head.
‘Is it true you are getting married?’ asked Olenin.
‘Mother wants me to marry. But I have not got a horse yet.’
‘Aren’t you in the regular service?’
‘Oh dear no! I’ve only just joined, and have not got a horse yet, and don’t know how to get one. That’s why the marriage does not come off.’
‘And what would a horse cost?’
‘We were bargaining for one beyond the river the other day and they would not take sixty rubles for it, though it is a Nogay horse.’
‘Will you come and be my drabant?’ (A drabant was a kind of orderly attached to an officer when campaigning.) ‘I’ll get it arranged and will give you a horse,’ said Olenin suddenly. ‘Really now, I have two and I don’t want both.’
‘How — don’t want it?’ Lukashka said, laughing. ‘Why should you make me a present? We’ll get on by ourselves by God’s help.’
‘No, really! Or don’t you want to be a drabant?’ said Olenin, glad that it had entered his head to give a horse to Lukashka, though, without knowing why, he felt uncomfortable and confused and did not know what to say when he tried to speak.
Lukashka was the first to break the silence.
‘Have you a house of your own in Russia?’ he asked.
Olenin could not refrain from replying that he had not only one, but several houses.
‘A good house? Bigger than ours?’ asked Lukashka good-naturedly.
‘Much bigger; ten times as big and three storeys high,’ replied Olenin.
‘And have you horses such as ours?’
‘I have a hundred horses, worth three or four hundred rubles each, but they are not like yours. They are trotters, you know... But still, I like the horses here best.’
‘Well, and did you come here of your own free will, or were you sent?’ said Lukashka, laughing at him. ‘Look! that’s where you lost your way,’ he added, ‘you should have turned to the right.’
‘I came by my own wish,’ replied Olenin. ‘I wanted to see your parts and to join some expeditions.’
‘I would go on an expedition any day,’ said Lukashka. ‘D’you hear the jackals howling?’ he added, listening.
‘I say, don’t you feel any horror at having killed a man?’ asked Olenin.
‘What’s there to be frightened about? But I should like to join an expedition,’ Lukashka repeated. ‘How I want to! How I want to!’
‘Perhaps we may be going together. Our company is going before the holidays, and your “hundred” too.’
‘And what did you want to come here for? You’ve a house and horses and serfs. In your place I’d do nothing but make merry! And what is your rank?’
‘I am a cadet, but have been recommended for a commission.’
‘Well, if you’re not bragging about your home, if I were you I’d never have left it! Yes, I’d never have gone away anywhere. Do you find it pleasant living among us?’
‘Yes, very pleasant,’ answered Olenin.
It had grown quite dark before, talking in this way, they approached the village. They were still surrounded by the deep gloom of the forest. The wind howled through the tree-tops. The jackals suddenly seemed to be crying close beside them, howling, chuckling, and sobbing; but ahead of them in the village the sounds of women’s voices and the barking of dogs could already be heard; the outlines of the huts were clearly to be seen; lights gleamed and the air was filled with the peculiar smell of kisyak smoke. Olenin felt keenly, that night especially, that here in this village was his home, his family, all his happiness, and that he never had and never would live so happily anywhere as he did in this Cossack village. He was so fond of everybody and especially of Lukashka that night. On reaching home, to Lukashka’s great surprise, Olenin with his own hands led out of the shed a horse he had bought in Groznoe — it was not the one he usually rode but another — not a bad horse though no longer young, and gave it to Lukashka.
‘Why should you give me a present?’ said Lukashka, ‘I have not yet done anything for you.’
‘Really it is nothing,’ answered Olenin. ‘Take it, and you will give me a present, and we’ll go on an expedition against the enemy together.’
Lukashka became confused.
‘But what d’you mean by it? As if a horse were of little value,’ he said without looking at the horse.
‘Take it, take it! If you don’t you will offend me. Vanyusha! Take the grey horse to his house.’
Lukashka took hold of the halter.
‘Well then, thank you! This is something unexpected, undreamt of.’
Olenin was as happy as a boy of twelve.
‘Tie it up here. It’s a good horse. I bought it in Groznoe; it gallops splendidly! Vanyusha, bring us some chikhir. Come into the hut.’
The wine was brought. Lukashka sat down and took the wine-bowl.
‘God willing I’ll find a way to repay you,’ he said, finishing his wine. ‘How are you called?’
‘Dmitri Andreich.’
‘Well, ‘Mitry Andreich, God bless you. We will be kunaks. Now you must come to see us. Though we are not rich people
