7 (i) : 'The Man' whose voice is heard in this extract is one of the soldiers from the artillery regiment which Sergius' cavalry regiment had defeated and scatter "like chaff" at the battle of Slivnitza. 'The Man' had, with other Serbian soldiers fled from the battlefield, through the Dragoman pass and had come into the town where the Petkoff's home was. He had in desperation climbed up a pipe into the the balcony of Raina's room and had entered her room. Later we will hear that 'The Man' is a Swiss national and that his name is Bluntschli.
(ii) : Raina is in her room.
Since it is night Raina has been reading a paper-backed book before going to sleep. She had been out on the balcony admiring the beauty of the night, but when Louka came and warned her mother and herself of the possible entry of fugitives into the town and of firing, thee windows had been closed. Raina had adored the picture of Sergius and then started reading before she heard the sound of shooting. She had then put off the light.
(iii) : 'The Man' threatens Raina not to "raise" her voice - meaning that she should not call out for help or in fright so as to alert the household of his presence. He threatened her by saying "my revolver will go off", i.e. that he will shoot her.
(iv) : Raina listens to 'The Man' and does not call out.
Raina does not call out as she does not know who it is who has entered her room and she is probably afraid of being killed should she scream in fright or to alert the household.
(v) : We soon find out that 'The Man' throws down the revolver in favour of Raina's cloak as a better means of protecting himself against those who would like to kill or capture him. He informs Raina that the revolver is not loaded and that it was useless as it was not loaded and that he had no cartridges for it. The revolver is left on the ottoman and remains there when the Russian officer comes in to check the room and balcony for the Serbian soldier who was seen climbing the pipe into Raina's room. Neither the Russian Officer nor Catherine had seen the revolver on the ottoman. The only person who had seen it had been Louka, who immediately sensed that Raina was hiding someone.
The incident tells us that 'The Man' is clever enough to use the empty revolver to threaten Raina. However, his not carrying cartridges and carrying chocolate instead makes us wander what type of a soldier he is. However, we later find that he is a very pragmatic person, is quite courageous and very skilled in the art of war and is a professional soldier - a mercenary.
(ii) : Raina is in her room.
Since it is night Raina has been reading a paper-backed book before going to sleep. She had been out on the balcony admiring the beauty of the night, but when Louka came and warned her mother and herself of the possible entry of fugitives into the town and of firing, thee windows had been closed. Raina had adored the picture of Sergius and then started reading before she heard the sound of shooting. She had then put off the light.
(iii) : 'The Man' threatens Raina not to "raise" her voice - meaning that she should not call out for help or in fright so as to alert the household of his presence. He threatened her by saying "my revolver will go off", i.e. that he will shoot her.
(iv) : Raina listens to 'The Man' and does not call out.
Raina does not call out as she does not know who it is who has entered her room and she is probably afraid of being killed should she scream in fright or to alert the household.
(v) : We soon find out that 'The Man' throws down the revolver in favour of Raina's cloak as a better means of protecting himself against those who would like to kill or capture him. He informs Raina that the revolver is not loaded and that it was useless as it was not loaded and that he had no cartridges for it. The revolver is left on the ottoman and remains there when the Russian officer comes in to check the room and balcony for the Serbian soldier who was seen climbing the pipe into Raina's room. Neither the Russian Officer nor Catherine had seen the revolver on the ottoman. The only person who had seen it had been Louka, who immediately sensed that Raina was hiding someone.
The incident tells us that 'The Man' is clever enough to use the empty revolver to threaten Raina. However, his not carrying cartridges and carrying chocolate instead makes us wander what type of a soldier he is. However, we later find that he is a very pragmatic person, is quite courageous and very skilled in the art of war and is a professional soldier - a mercenary.
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