Page:Pushkin - Russian Romance (King, 1875).djvu/63

Rh be satisfied, that thanks to thee I was wounded, and that I lay for a whole month at death's door; thou wilt now kill my mother also."

Savelitch looked thunderstruck.

"For pity's sake, sir," said he, almost sobbing, "what dost thou say? I the cause of thy being wounded? God is my witness, that I was hastening to put my breast between thee and the sword of Aleksey Ivanovitch? My dd old age retarded me; and how have I harmed thy mother?"

"How hast thou harmed her?" I answered. "Who asked thee to write and denounce me? Wast thou appointed as a spy over me?"

"I! denounce thee!" asked Savelitch, in tears. "Oh, Lord! heavenly King! There, take, read, what my master writes to me; thou wilt see how I have denounced thee."

"Shame upon thee, old cur that thou art, that notwithstanding my strict injunctions, thou hast not written to me about my son, Piotr Andrevitch, and that strangers should be obliged to acquaint me of his follies. Is that the way thou fulfillest thy duty and thy master's wishes? I shall send thee, thou old cur, to feed swine, for hiding the truth and conniving with the young man. I order thee to give me immediate information, so soon as thou shalt receive this, upon the state of his health, which I am told is improved; also what part of the body he was wounded in, and whether he has been well attended to."

Savelitch was evidently guiltless, and I had incautiously hurt him by my reproaches and suspicions. I begged his pardon, but the old man was inconsolable.