Feeling the necessity of changing the conversation, I turned to
Pougatcheff with a smile, and said:

"Ah! I forgot to thank you for the horse and touloup. Without your aid
I should not have reached the city. I would have died from cold on the
journey." My trick succeeded. Pougatcheff regained his good humor.

"The beauty of debt is the payment thereof," said he, winking. "Tell
me your story. What have you to do with the young girl that Alexis
persecutes? Has she caught your heart, too?"

"She is my promised bride" said I, seeing no risk in speaking
the truth.

"Your promised bride! Why did you not tell me sooner? We'll marry
you, and be at your wedding. Listen, Field-marshal," said he. "We are
old friends, his lordship and I. Lets us go to supper. Tomorrow we
shall see what is to be done with him. Night brings wisdom, and the
morning is better than the evening."

I would gladly have excused myself from proposed honor, but it was
impossible. Two Cossacks girls covered the table with a white cloth,
and brought bread, soup made of fish, and pitchers of wine and beer.
Thus, for the second time, I was at table with Pougatcheff and his
terrible companions. The orgie lasted far into the night. Drunkenness
at last triumphed. Pougatcheff fell asleep in his place, and his
companions signed to me to leave him. I went out with them. The
sentry locked me up in a dark hole, where I found Saveliitch. He was
so surprised by all that he saw and heard, that he asked no questions.