THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 159 



shameful act the latter had committed ; but the mis- 

 chief was irreparable, and the good-natured captain 

 contented himself with trying to make the best of a 

 bad business. Bela herself, after her first resentful 

 emotions had subsided, yielded to her fate, and even 

 acknowledged that since she first saw Petchorin she 

 had never ceased to think of him. The Captain con- 

 tinued thus :] 



She was a charming girl, this Bela. I grew as 

 attached to her, at last, as if she were my own 

 daughter, and she was fond of me too. You must 

 know I have no family ; I have heard nothing these 

 twelve years of my father and mother. Formerly I 

 had not sufficient means to maintain a wife, and now, 

 you know, the time is gone by when I could fairly 

 think of the like ; it was a godsend to me, therefore, 

 to have some one to spoil. She often sang to us, or 

 danced Lesgish dances and what a dancer ! I have 

 seen our ladies of the provinces I was once at a ball 

 of the nobles at Moscow, twenty years ago but what 

 was all I saw there compared with her ! Petchorin 

 dressed her out like a doll, with everything that was 

 costly and pretty. She grew more beautiful, too, with 

 us, every day ; it was wonderful. Her face and 

 hands lost their sunburnt hue, a soft tinge of red 

 appeared on her cheeks and how merry she could 

 be, and what tricks she would often play upon me, the 

 darling wanton ! God be gracious to her ! 



