Page:Taras Bulba. A Tale of the Cossacks. 1916.djvu/135

Rh "And it leads into the city?"

"Straight into the town monastery."

"Let us go, let us go, at once!"

"A bit of bread, in the name of Christ and of His holy Mother!"

"Good, so be it. Stand here beside the wagon—or, better still, lie down in it; no one will see you, all are asleep. I will return immediately."

And he set off for the transports, which contained the provisions belonging to their barrack. His heart beat violently. All the past, all that had been extinguished by the kazák bivouacs, by the stern battle of life, flamed up at once to the surface, and, in its turn, drowned the present. Again, as from the dark depths of the sea, the proud woman rose up before him: again in his memory shone forth her beautiful arms, her eyes, her laughing mouth, her thick, dark chestnut hair, falling in curls upon her shoulders, the elastic, well-knit members of her maiden figure. No, they had not been extinguished in his breast; they had not vanished: they had simply withdrawn to one side, in order, for a time, to make way for other strong emotions; but often, very often, the young kazák's deep slumbers had been troubled by them, and often, waking, he had lain sleepless on his bed, without being able to explain the cause.

He walked on; but his heart beat more violently