THE HOUSE AND HIS RIDER. 163 



tinued, stamping on the ground] : One thing I shall 

 never forgive myself: the devil put it into my head, 

 when I got back to the fort, to tell Petchorin all I 

 had overheard in the shed. He smiled, with such a 

 sly air, he had his reasons for it, as you shall see. 



Asamat came to the fort some three or four days 

 after the wedding, and, as usual, made for Petchorin's 

 quarters, where he was always pampered with dain- 

 ties. I was present : the conversation turned on 

 horses, and Petchorin began to cry up KasbitcK's 

 horse, it was so spirited, so handsome, so like an ante- 

 lope in short, by his account, there was not such 

 another on the face of the earth. The little Tartar's 

 eyes began to glow, but Petchorin pretended not to 

 notice this. I turned the talk to other subjects, but 

 he somehow contrived always to bring it back to Kas- 

 bitch's horse. The same thing invariably occurred as 

 often as Asamat visited us. At the end of three 

 weeks I could plainly perceive that the boy was grow- 

 ing pale and wasted, just as the effects of love are de- 

 scribed in romances. Curious ! 



Now it was not till some time after, do you 

 see, that I got at the rights of this whole piece of 

 roguery. Petchorin tantalized him to that degree, 

 that he was ready to drown himself. At last he said 

 to him, * I see, Asamat, you have taken a great fancy 



