第401章

第401章thetsarhadenteredtheuspenskysobor.thecrowdspreadoutagain,andthedeacongotpetyapaleandbreathlessontothebigcannon.severalpersonspitiedpetya;andsuddenlyquiteacrowdnoticedhisplight,andbegantopressroundhim.thosewhowerestandingnearhimlookedafterhim,unbuttonedhiscoat,sathimonthehighestpartofthecannon,andscoldedthosewhoweresqueezingtooclosetohim.

“anyonemaybecrushedtodeathlikethat.whatnext！killingpeople！why,thepoordear’saswhiteasasheet,”saidvoices.

petyasoonrecovered,andthecolourcamebackintohisface;thepainwasover,andbythistemporaryinconveniencehehadgainedaseatonthecannon,fromwhichhehopedtoseethetsar,whowastowalkback.petyathoughtnomorenowofpresentinghispetition.ifonlyhecouldseehim,hewouldthinkhimselflucky！duringtheserviceintheuspenskysobor,incelebrationofthetsar’sarrival,andalsointhanks-givingforthepeacewiththeturks,thecrowddispersedaboutthesquare,andhawkersappearedcryingkvass,gingerbread,andpoppy-seedsweets—ofwhichpetyawasparticularlyfond—andhecouldheartheusualtalkamongthepeople.oneshopkeeper’swifewasshowinghertornshawl,andsayinghowmuchshehadpaidforit;whileanotherobservedthatallsilkthingswereverydearnowadays.thedeaconwhohadrescuedpetyawastalkingtoaclerkofthedifferentpriestswhoweretakingpartintheserviceto-daywiththemostreverendbishop.thedeaconseveraltimesrepeatedtheword“soborne,”whichpetyadidnotunderstand.twoyoungartisanswerejokingwithsomeservant-girls,crackingnuts.alltheseconversations,especiallythejokeswiththeservant-girls—whichwouldhaveseemedparticularlyattractiveathisagetopetya—didnotinteresthimnow.hesatonhishighperchonthecannon,stillinthesameexcitementatthethoughtofthetsarandhisloveforhim.theblendingofthefeelingofpainandfrightwhenhewascrushedwiththefeelingofenthusiasmintensifiedhissenseofthegravityoftheoccasion.

suddenlycannonshotswereheardfromtheembankment—thefiringwasincelebrationofthepeacewiththeturks—andthecrowdmadeadashfortheembankmenttoseethefiring.petya,too,wouldhavelikedtorunthere,butthedeacon,whohadtakentheyounggentlemanunderhisprotection,wouldnotlethim.thefiringstillcontinued,whenofficers,generals,andgentlemen-in-waitingcamerunningoutoftheuspenskysobor.thenotherscameoutwithlesshaste,andagaincapswerelifted,andthosewhohadruntolookatthecannonsranback.atlastfourmeninuniformsanddecorationscameoutfromthedoorsofthesobor.“hurrah！hurrah！”thecrowdshoutedagain.

“which？whichone？”petyaaskedinaweepingvoiceofthosearoundhim,butnooneansweredhim.everyonewastoomuchexcited,andpetya,pickingoutoneofthefour,andhardlyabletoseehimforthetearsthatstartedintohiseyes,concentratedallhisenthusiasmonhim,thoughithappenednottobethetsar.heshouted“hurrah！”inavoiceoffrenzy,andresolvedthatto-morrow,comewhatmightofit,hewouldjointhearmy.thecrowdranafterthetsar,accompaniedhimtothepalace,andbegantodisperse.itwaslate,andpetyahadhadnothingtoeat,andthesweatwasdrippingfromhisface.buthedidnotgohome.heremainedwithasmaller,thoughstillconsiderable,crowdbeforethepalaceduringthetsar’sdinner-time.hegazedupatthepalacewindows,expectingsomethingtohappen,andenvyingequallythegrandpersonageswhodroveuptotheentrancetodinewiththetsar,andthefootmenwaitingattable,ofwhomhecaughtglimpsesatthewindow.

atthetsar’sdinner,valuevsaid,lookingoutofthewindow：

“thepeoplearestillhopingtogetasightofyourmajesty.”

thedinnerwasalmostover,thetsargotup,andstillmunchingabiscuit,cameoutonthebalcony.thecrowd,withpetyainthemidst,rushedtowardsthebalcony.

“angel,father！hurrah！”…shoutedthecrowd,andwithitpetya.andagainwomen,and,inalessdegreesomemen—amongthempetya—shedtearsofhappiness.

agoodsizedpieceofthebiscuitinthetsar’shandbrokeoff,fellonthebalconyrailing,andfromtherailingtotheground.acoachmaninajerkin,whostoodnearest,pouncedonthepieceofbiscuitandsnatcheditup.severalpersonsrushedatthecoachman.noticingthisthetsaraskedforaplateofbiscuits,andbegandroppingthemfromthebalcony.petya’seyesalmoststartedoutofhishead;thedangerofbeingcrushedexcitedhimmorethanever,andherushedatthebiscuits.hedidnotknowwhy,buthefelthemusthaveabiscuitfromthetsar’shands,andhemustnotgivein.hemadeadashandupsetanoldwoman,whowasjustabouttoseizeabiscuit.buttheoldwomanrefusedtoconsiderherselfbeaten,thoughshewasontheground;shesnatchedatthebiscuitsonherhandsandknees.petyapushedherhandawaywithhisknee,snatchedupabiscuit,andasthoughafraidofbeinglate,hastilyshoutedagain,“hurrah！”inahoarsevoice.

thetsarwentin,andafterthatthegreaterpartofthecrowddispersed.

“there,isaidifonlywewaited—andsoitwas,”wasthedelightedcommentonvarioussidesinthecrowd.

happyaspetyawas,hefeltsadtogohome,andtofeelthatalltheenjoymentofthatdaywasover.fromthekremlin,petyawentnothome,buttohiscomradeobolensky’s.hewasfifteen,andhe,too,wasgoingintothearmy.ongettinghome,petyaannouncedwithdecisionandfirmnessthatiftheywouldnotlethimdosotoo,hewouldrunaway.andnextday,thoughcountilyaandreitchhadnotquiteyielded,hewenttoinquireifacommissioncouldbeobtainedforpetyasomewherewheretherewouldbelittledanger.