and that their mead may be safe in their cellars; they adopt, the
devil only knows what Mussulman customs. They speak scornfully with
their tongues. They care not to speak their real thoughts with their
own countrymen. They sell their own things to their own comrades, like
soulless creatures in the market-place. The favour of a foreign king,
and not even a king, but the poor favour of a Polish magnate, who
beats them on the mouth with his yellow shoe, is dearer to them than
all brotherhood. But the very meanest of these vile men, whoever he
may be, given over though he be to vileness and slavishness, even he,
brothers, has some grains of Russian feeling; and they will assert
themselves some day. And then the wretched man will beat his breast
with his hands; and will tear his hair, cursing his vile life loudly,
and ready to expiate his disgraceful deeds with torture. Let them know
what brotherhood means on Russian soil! And if it has come to the
point that a man must die for his brotherhood, it is not fit that any
of them should die so. No! none of them. It is not a fit thing for
their mouse-like natures."

Thus spoke the hetman; and after he had finished his speech he still
continued to shake his head, which had grown grey in Cossack service.
All who stood there were deeply affected by his speech, which went to
their very hearts. The oldest in the ranks stood motionless, their
grey heads drooping. Tears trickled quietly from their aged eyes; they
wiped them slowly away with their sleeves, and then all, as if with
one consent, waved their hands in the air at the same moment, and
shook their experienced heads. For it was evident that old Taras
recalled to them many of the best-known and finest traits of the heart
in a man who has become wise through suffering, toil, daring, and
every earthly misfortune, or, though unknown to them, of many things
felt by young, pure spirits, to the eternal joy of the parents who