The Cavalier Guards. 1812.White colet and phrygian cap

— Nothing, — the voluntary prisoner quietly said to himself, — I will learn, I suppose, no more stupid than others. And then all one, and the other…

But the colorful drawings of the Old Believer book were breathtaking. The rider in the crown, panzyr and with a spear, even the first letter of the name was dismantled — “Az.” Others could not, but it doesn’t matter! There would be a picture book, a letter, and a drawing. Well, there, Bull — “Buki,” Derevo — “Dobro,” “Verb” — goose, and “Az”? Only Hell, nothing comes to mind…

So I looked, looked and fell asleep at the table. Only evil dreams saw the master chopping with an ax, then with a pitchfork, a knife, and iron, as if from a fog, does not enter the body and that’s it! The master laughs, satisfied, the belly is thick… And then the crash, like a cannon fired.

“Let’s go home, underground sitter,” Khrenov said in a cheerful voice, “just cover yourself with a slingshot, now we’ll take you out, as if he died.

“Is it different?” Fedot said, “Why did you die?” Maybe he just got sick…

“No, he died so he died,” Radion Lavrentievich laughed, pleased with his own joke, “they did everything, the stretcher is standing, you are married alone. Come on, get out.

— Okay, as you say…

And for sure, there was already a stretcher, but a mattress. Four dozen men at the pens at the ready. Fedot tried on how to lie comfortably.

“Go ahead with your feet,” one of the porters asked.

— That’s right, Kuzma, well done! — Khrenov remarked with delight, — The ruble is solid from me! Otherwise, they would drag the young man head forward, as if alive! Go ahead, Fedot, as they said.

“Yes, I understand,” said the young man, attaching himself better.

— And so, down the handle, — Radion Lavrentievich pulled the hand of the “dead man,” — Well, now the matter is different… ‘he added, his voice already pleased.

Fedot only heard, but did not see anything, covered with a rough canvas, lying on a stretcher. shaken on the stairs by his rescuers.

“Who are you dragging?” heard of a rude voice.

— Yes, the clerk died mine. We will bury in three days.

— Sami, without a priest? ‘the policeman added.

— Yourself, yourself. Let’s fight as we should, do not doubt, — the clerk said already, — Radion Lavrentievich will sing.

— Okay, go, what…

The porters lifted the load, and did not quickly understand it along the street, the people only avoided the mournful load. It was far to go, but the men were hefty, also from the Old Believers, and they were not the first to deceive the police, and this was not considered a sin.

And Fedot continued on his way, but not with his own feet.

***

The young man felt that the stretcher was already on the ground, although rather by knocking a tree on a tree, on the floor of an unknown house.

“Well, get up, Lazarus (risen from the dead), not Christ me, but I help people,” the merchant added, addressing the young man, taking his hand, “here’s money for you, good people,” and Khrenov handed out the promised payment to the porters.

The men took off their jackets, baptized double-pinned and bowed. The fee was very good, and not everyone received so much per month, rarely in a whole year.

“God save you, Radion Lavrentievich,” the eldest of them thanked for all.

In response, Khrenov crossed himself twofold, and bowed to the workers. Fedot threw the fabric off his face, sat down on a stretcher, and took off the canvas.

“But I know what it looks like,” he tried to joke, “when they carry you dead.

— Here it happens differently, — the merchant grinned wryly, — it happens that a bunch of dead people are piled on a scrap cart, and then they are pushed into the cemetery in a common ditch with a pitchfork and a rake. Like you, usually difficult people are carried, well, or with us, from the Orthodox of the old rite.

— What to tell — only thanks, Radion Lavrentievich.

— I have to help people, save, especially from these cursed bar. Come on, I’ll hide you for three months, then I’ll straighten your new passport.

Fedot nodded, and followed the owner of the house. The merchant went to the forge, nodded to the cook, and pushed the iron sheet away from the underside.

— Climb there, guy, — said the owner of the house, — you will push the sheet of iron there, but then put it in place.

— Is it dirty there? What dropped, you need to get it? — the young man did not understand.

— Lord, they say, then do. Why are you asking in vain?

“Okay,” Fedot nodded.

The wheelman stood on the frames, and like a small one, climbed into the underside. He crawled, and was surprised that it was quite clean here. Fingers pushed forward hit the metal. With his fingers still, he felt for a pen, and pushed back a sheet of iron, and ended up in a secret room. The room did not look too much like a monastic cell, there was a bed, a table, three chairs, and there were as many as three books. However, there were also icons. In the red corner hung the usual images for him — Our Lady, St. Nicholas, Paraskeva — Friday.

“Well,” he heard Radion’s voice, “settled down?”

— Cozy.

— My daughter will pass the food, Nastasya. Rest, settle down.

Casserole cockroach and mentor

Fedot was bored, terribly bored. He asked Radion to bring him linden wood, yes instrument. And the owner delivered him more willow rods, weave baskets. So the days went more fun, the hands were busy, and the head no longer thought about the former bars. He, slowly weaving a basket, looked with curiosity at the miraculous in his wall — the window through which light enters him. Yes, because he knew that around all the walls are deaf, not a single window to the street, and the rays of the sun fall to him. Cunning, oh cunning merchant Khrenov! And this shelter was not made for him alone, you see, more than one fugitive was hiding here. He looked at work, now, he has already wove seven rows…

Suddenly he heard rustling, and rumbled the iron sheet of the secret passage, the young man strained, and moved into the corner of the room. The guy saw how the head of the owner of the house appeared, and now, and all Radion was inside, and the trousers were already shaking off his knees.

“What’s in the corner?” — the merchant smiled, — Punished himself?

— Yes, I miss, — the young man answered, again picking up his work.

— The passport is ready, here, in the name of Fedot Andreev, all honor by honor. But you have to sit here for two months.

— Maybe until you learn me, Lavrentievich? And then you laugh at the unaccounted for?

“I’ll send my daughter to you, Fedot. She has been asking for a long time. Say, I will learn the master, it will be not only handsome, but also big-headed.

— Big-headed??? — asked the young man, touching his head.

— Sure… — the merchant only scratched his beard, — the tongue is sharp. Well, what? Ready to learn?

“I’ll be obedient.

— Okay, wait.

— And how does the light get here? Tell me how mirrors stand here?

— No, guy, this is a secret, — and the owner frowned mischievously, — The work is cunning, you understand. I’ll go.

Fedot just shook his head, and continued to work, only put down the basket, and began to cut spoons from soft linden. So time went faster, made a couple, and heard a familiar rattle, but only Nastasya’s head appeared in a tightly tied elegant scarf. With her, she pulled a wooden box, where there were books, a can of ink, writing feathers, and a heap of paper.

“Why did you sit down?” Would help, the box is not easy, — there was a disgruntled girl’s voice.

The young man decorously and deliberately leisurely laid down the tool, dusted off his hands, then wiped off the chips and chips from the desktop with a brush, freeing up space. Then, bending down, he raised a box with writing accessories. For sure, there was a lot of weight, a load of knowledge, however. The girl, or rather, already a leftie, thirteen years old, sat down opposite him, carefully chasing him with her gray eyes.

“Matured to study?” she asked.

“Too old,” he chuckled, scratching his short beard.

— Well, let’s start.

And Nastya took out a sheet with letters — screensavers, beautifully drawn. Then, thinking, she took out of the box and the second in the frame.

— Hang on the wall, you will look and remember faster.

“Well,” the young man agreed.

And she took the sheet, and began to call all the letters in turn by their names, and forced to repeat after her. Fedot laughed at first, but in response he was awarded such a frown that he tried to be serious. Nastya demanded to repeat over and over again, forced to repeat the letters by heart. This was the end of the lesson, the mentor left, and ate dinner. Fedot ate, and began to repeat the lesson over and over again. In the evening the girl came again, and immediately demanded:

— Name the letters!

— Az, Buki, Vedi, Verb, Good, Yes…

He said everything by heart, the girl smiled and put a rye gingerbread on the table, attaching a finger to it.

— For works and reward. Let’s try to write. Watch me, how to hold the pen in your hand, then it would not have fallen, and the sheet would not be splashed, — she said, and dipped the pen in the inkwell, — So, — and began to display the letters. “Try it.

Fedot carefully took a light feather between the three finger-index, middle and nameless, and lowered the end of the feather into the inkwell, peeled off the edge, removing unnecessary drops, and brought out the crooked letter Az, then Buki.

— And if Buki and Az? Nastasya said.

He wrote Buki Az, head tilt, looked at the art.

“Now write Buki Az there again.

It turned out this, although he made a blot on paper, but small.

— Read what happened. Out loud.

— Ba-ba, — Fedot said carefully, — Baba.

He was surprised, not to say that he was amazed! A word came out of the dashes, and he did it himself! Well, almost…

“Now write WATER. No peeping! ‘she shouted as he glanced at the framed ABC hanging on the wall.

It was more difficult, he displayed letters one by one. Dobro Az…

The teacher looked and nodded her head, agreeing.

— Two gingerbread. — she said briefly. — Tomorrow.

***

So the days flowed much more fun, and in a month the illiterate master began to read and write, which incredibly pleased the restless beauty.

Fedot rewrote the lesson on the back page of the paper sheet — do not throw away the good! He wrote almost without mistakes, and quite beautifully, in the old style. But the craft did not forget — he did baskets and spoons regularly, it’s a pity only there was no lathe — wooden plates to make.

— Hello, Fedot, — said the girl crawling through the hole, — here, the book brought you.

Nastasya today dressed up, instead of a gray sundress, a crimson, embroidered shirt, a braided ribbon in her hair, and an extraordinary scarf. The young man hardly tore off the girl’s gaze, felt that he was blushing, and she was crushed, but did not show even a look.

— Are you looking at the scarf?, — and she turned, showing a cunning pattern — they brought from Indian land. Really beautiful?

— Exactly. Is this where Indrik — the beast lives?

— And read about Indrik? — the girl was treated, — no, he is hiding in the Ural Mountain, in the Golden Cave.

— Yes, I didn’t understand that, he’s like a beast, then like a warrior in a golden cave rides…

— Well. so people talk about that. Here, here is still interesting — “The Legend of Slaven and Ruse” “Aristotle Gate,” “Stoglav,” “Pigeon Book.” You will read it in a month.

— You, Old Believers, are just all literate, — Fedot was surprised.

— Yes, it used to be everywhere in Russia before Peter. That’s what my father says. — she thought for a long time, and finally, downloaded, — what is your sister’s name? Not Martha? she said quietly.

“It is, Martha. And what is it?

— Yes, father, — and the girl lowered her eyes and her tongue began to braid, — writes out the newspaper, and there, in ads… Here, the Moscow newspaper, — and she jerked her hand with the newspaper Fedot.

The young man carefully took a yellow sheet of paper, densely covered with letters. I tried to find it with my eyes, but it turned out.

“Announcements,” the girl explained.

— Announcements… — began to read, pointing at the lines with his finger, afraid to miss the important, — So… A mare is on sale, five years old, the price is fifty rubles… Sold gun, hunting, Tula work, price forty rubles… Girl for sale, Martha… Marf is a lot? ‘the youngster added.

— Read on…

— Sixteen years old, needlewoman, of good disposition and treatment, at a price of five hundred rubles. Contact the Moscow Telnov House, opposite the church of St. Nicholas…

Fedot let go of the newspaper, and breathed often, often… And you won’t get to Moscow, and you yourself are wanted… Nothing, and I’ll get five hundred rubles, he thought, carefully folding a piece of paper with a news about his sister.

“Will I keep it?” he asked cautiously.

— Leave it of course. I’ll go… Things, you need to do sewing, prepare a dowry. Tyatenka is already talking about the grooms…

Anastasia Rodionovna quickly left through the backstretch, leaving the young man to calm down a little. The master slowly approached the zhban with kvasrm, and poured himself into a clay mug, and devastated the couple, then sat down at the table, and began to read “Aristotle Gate”

“Alexander, I tell you that every king who does not distribute to the best of his ability destroys his kingdom. And whoever imposes an unbearable burden on his kingdom will destroy him and perish himself. For the basis of generosity is not to encroach on someone else’s. So I saw the word of the great Romas, who said: “The king has reached perfection, and his law, and his virtue, if he does not encroach on someone else’s.”

Go to the robbers? Five hundred rubles, great money… Or, as it is written in the book, make gold through alchemy. And he imagined how he, a peasant son, made three gold pounds, and rescued his sister, and then got married, and Anastasia Rodionovna suddenly turns out to be his wife, and they live in white stone chambers.

“This is too much,” the young man said to himself, “to marry the richest bride, I’d better read the book further”

He took a heavy binding decorated with copper and colored pebbles, revealed on a page preserved by a bone bookmark. Yes, the book was not easy, for two days Fedot tried to harden Aristotelev’s physiognomy by heart. That’s exactly the science of science! How to determine the character and inclinations of a person by his face and appearance, and not only by his face, but also by his calves, even his feet mattered. He began to recall the appearance of Yevgeny Georgievich, comparing the appearance of the master with the description of Aristotle.

“About the face. Who has a face with very fleshy jaws is stupid, rude by nature. Whoever has a thin, yellow face is evil and deceiver, unfriendly. Long-faced man — shameless. Those with bulging whiskies and swollen veins are angry.”

“Yes, the master’s appearance is indicative, but what about me?” the young man said to himself, recalling the fleshy face of Yevgeny Petrovich”

A mirror lay on the table, and Fedot began to inquire inquisitively to look for similarities with the description of the book. Apparently, everything turned out well for him, even too much, which he had not yet noticed. But the fact that he is shameless, since he has blue eyes, a white face, somehow did not notice. The sister disappeared, she herself hides with good people, ruled here, mastered the letter… And so no one would have believed in Telnovka that an orphan would read books. Okay…

Then there was the “Pigeon Book” and “The Legend of Slaven and Ruse.” I never knew this, in what antiquity I plunged. Priests, I suppose, did not hear such wisdom, keep repeating “Chety and Minei.” And it’s all early, they would walk now, go to bargaining, show themselves, and beat themselves on their fists…

Again the master set to work, and now, soon a couple of palm baskets were on the floor.

They brought food, a regular lunch, cabbage soup and porridge, but raspberry jelly is not unusual. Then came the mentor, Nastasya.

— Now we will teach the account, science is called arithmetic, about numbers means, — she said significantly.

— All right.

— It is necessary, otherwise the priest will send you to Vologda in a month, — Nastya added and sniffed.

— Come on?

“Exactly. The father takes care, but at least not for the Ural-Stone sends you. So, just learn.

He began to fold his sticks, and the nastanitsa gave him a sheet of numbers to remember better.

— Anastasia Radionovna, or maybe let me look at the city, go to bargaining? I stayed too long, by God!

— Do not be in vain, this is a sin.

“It’s really hard. Come with me.

— Let’s take Akim, you can with him. — thinking, the girl answered, — in three days, I will warn.

Fedot remembered Akim, a hefty child, above his head, one of the clerks of the merchant Khrenov. With him, of course… Okay, let’s show ourselves.

***

Three days passed unnoticed, which in the long run, which in the work.

— Get out come on, — Nastin heard a voice from the underbelly, — the cockroach is baked!

The young man just exhaled joyfully, and taking his caftan and cap, began to get out. He got out quickly, got up and shook the knees of his pants.

“Dressed already?” — and the girl looked at him, — Let’s go then. Oh, more… Well, you saw Akima, “she nodded at the big man next to her.

Well, of course, it was difficult not to notice Akim, an oblique fathom in his shoulders, a small light beard, deep-set eyes. Well, dressed, almost like Fedot himself, that caftan, pants and trousers, only boots are not zrom, but yuft. Yes, there is a large hunting knife on the belt, and a staff, a considerable cat was also on the belt. But it is unlikely that even the most unreasonable thief would be flattered by the treasury under the protection of such a person. Only the staff looked more like Dobrynya Nikitich’s epic club. In general, the whole look of the clerk attracted attention.

— Good morning, Akeem.

— And good to you, Fedot, — the hero greeted.

— Come on? said the young man happily.

— Now, the wagon will be prepared, — the big man asked, — it’s not the business of the daughter of the merchant of the first guild to walk. Radion Lavrentievich will not approve.

They waited at the entrance and were approached by a carriage, all varnished, with a team of two large German horses.

— Sit down, Nastasya Rodionovna, — suggested such a courteous Akim, opening the carriage door in front of the girl.

The girl gracefully climbed inside, flashing a snow-white bottom skirt. Akim sat next, under which the springs creaked plaintively, the last opposite the young lady fell on the seat and Fedot. The young man only noticed how Nastya dressed up — a European dress, dark gray, but closed, though with the same Indian scarf instead of a hat, and she was marvelously good. Fedot tried to look through the window of the carriage, at the houses that sailed past him, but all eyes returned to Anastasia Rodionovna. The coachman did not drive the horses, and they trotted, so they did not shake much. But now, the crew stopped, and Akim came out first, and helped the hostess to get out, and then the young master stood on the ground.

***

Yes, the fair was considerable. There was not one carriage of them, there were five crews here.

— Alyona! — suddenly shouted joyful Nastya, seeing a friend.

She turned around, and smiled joyfully, another girl walked towards them at a brisk pace, also accompanied by an elderly woman and an impressive man. But, of course, her companion was small compared to Akim, although, apparently, they were familiar. Both nodded at each other.

“Hello, Nastya,” Alyona said.

The girl was slightly taller than Anastasia, but looked similar — the same northern beauty, and she was dressed European, but modest. Her dress was dark green.

“Who’s with you?” she nodded mischievously at the young man, and looked expectantly.

— Fedot, — answered Nastya, a little hesitation, — Andreev. He came from Vologda to visit his father, but on business. The son of his partner.

— Very nice to meet, — smiled with the young man Alyona, — otherwise here, in Kostroma, all the same faces… And the priest was even going to go to Moscow, look for grooms… And you, your father, did not find the bride, and again the girl looked intently at the prigozhy guy.

“I am an orphan,” Fedot said with difficulty.

— For all God’s will, — added Alyona and crossed herself, — Let’s go to bargaining, I know everything here…

— Fedot! Anastasia shouted, quickly approaching them.

The young man could not believe his eyes: always a quiet girl screams, cheekbones are covered with red spots, lips are pressed into a thread, Akim was in a hurry behind her, not knowing what to do.

— Let’s go for a ride on the carousel, — Alyona amiably previewed, taking her friend by the hand, wanting to calm down.

The girls sat down on wooden horses, Akim hastily paid, wiping the sweat on his forehead with a gray handkerchief. Fedot stood nearby, only rubbing his forehead, wrapping his cap on the back of his head.

— Yes, you would, kind man, — the clerk began, — did not leave Nastasya. Why in vain make the hostess angry? Although she is of small stature, she is very businesslike and stubborn, all in a priest. She liked it, what else do you need?

Fedot just looked at a hefty man who opened everything at once, but could not say anything. And then I heard a call:

— And who isn’t afraid to come out against our fighter! Who is strong and slouchy fast! And he will beat him, — and the barker pointed to a hefty kid, — he will receive five rubles in silver!

While there were no ozotniks, people walked past those who wanted to beat on their fists.

— Yes, he beat everyone, — said Akim, explaining to Fedot, — already twenty people, three — almost to death.

— And I will beat, — the guy laughed, quickly approaching the barkers, — I will fight with my fists.

“You’re not weak, man,” the man smiled.

— Nothing, more than once stood in the field, — added the master.

— Well, look, — nodded the barker, and began to shout into the copper mouthpiece, — and the brave remote sought out, and the hero was not afraid!

— where are you going? ‘the clerk tried to grab the guy, but he slipped out of the big man’s bear hug.

The field was ready, and Fedot took off his cap and caftan and rolled up his shirt sleeves. Opposite him, the remote also removed the caftan and hat, and the red shirt looked bright on the trampled field. The crowd instantly gathered, anticipating such a sight. Immediately gathered sellers of kvass, sbitnya, pies, praising and selling their goods to onlookers.

— We start before the police come!

The fighter went to Fedot, waving, taking away his right hand for a sweeping blow. The young man sat down, missing a blow above his head, and delivered a single blow to the “sun,” took a step back, and straightened up. The enemy blushed, warmed up, and could neither breathe nor exhale.