CHAPTER XV
'Let's see what species of mammalia this specimen belongs to,' Bazarovsaid to Arkady the following day, as they mounted the staircase of thehotel in which Madame Odintsov was staying. 'I scent out somethingwrong here.'
'I'm surprised at you!' cried Arkady. 'What? You, you, Bazarov,clinging to the narrow morality, which ...'
'What a funny fellow you are!' Bazarov cut him short, carelessly.'Don't you know that "something wrong" means "something right" in mydialect and for me? It's an advantage for me, of course. Didn't youtell me yourself this morning that she made a strange marriage, though,to my mind, to marry a rich old man is by no means a strange thing todo, but, on the contrary, very sensible. I don't believe the gossip ofthe town; but I should like to think, as our cultivated Governor says,that it's well-grounded.'
Arkady made no answer, and knocked at the door of the apartments. Ayoung servant in livery, conducted the two friends in to a large room,badly furnished, like all rooms in Russian hotels, but filled withflowers. Soon Madame Odintsov herself appeared in a simple morningdress. She seemed still younger by the light of the spring sunshine.Arkady presented Bazarov, and noticed with secret amazement that heseemed embarrassed, while Madame Odintsov remained perfectly tranquil,as she had been the previous day. Bazarov himself was conscious ofbeing embarrassed, and was irritated by it. 'Here's a go!--frightenedof a petticoat!' he thought, and lolling, quite like Sitnikov, in aneasy-chair, he began talking with an exaggerated appearance of ease,while Madame Odintsov kept her clear eyes fixed on him.
Anna Sergyevna Odintsov was the daughter of Sergay Nikolaevitch Loktev,notorious for his personal beauty, his speculations, and his gamblingpropensities, who after cutting a figure and making a sensation forfifteen years in Petersburg and Moscow, finished by ruining himselfcompletely at cards, and was forced to retire to the country, where,however, he soon after died, leaving a very small property to his twodaughters--Anna, a girl of twenty, and Katya, a child of twelve. Theirmother, who came of an impoverished line of princes--the H----s-- haddied at Petersburg when her husband was in his heydey. Anna's positionafter her father's death was very difficult. The brilliant educationshe had received in Petersburg had not fitted her for putting up withthe cares of domestic life and economy,--for an obscure existence inthe country. She knew positively no one in the whole neighbourhood, andthere was no one she could consult. Her father had tried to avoid allcontact with the neighbours; he despised them in his way, and theydespised him in theirs. She did not lose her head, however, andpromptly sent for a sister of her mother's Princess Avdotya StepanovnaH----, a spiteful and arrogant old lady, who, on installing herself inher niece's house, appropriated all the best rooms for her own use,scolded and grumbled from morning till night, and would not go a walkeven in the garden unattended by her one serf, a surly footman in athreadbare pea-green livery with light blue trimming and athree-cornered hat. Anna put up patiently with all her aunt's whims,gradually set to work on her sister's education, and was, it seemed,already getting reconciled to the idea of wasting her life in thewilds.... But destiny had decreed another fate for her. She chanced tobe seen by Odintsov, a very wealthy man of forty-six, an eccentrichypochondriac, stout, heavy, and sour, but not stupid, and notill-natured; he fell in love with her, and offered her his hand. Sheconsented to become his wife, and he lived six years with her, and onhis death settled all his property upon her. Anna Sergyevna remained inthe country for nearly a year after his death; then she went abroadwith her sister, but only stopped in Germany; she got tired of it, andcame back to live at her favourite Nikolskoe, which was nearly thirtymiles from the town of X----. There she had a magnificent, splendidlyfurnished house and a beautiful garden, with conservatories; her latehusband had spared no expense to gratify his fancies. Anna Sergyevnawent very rarely to the town, generally only on business, and even thenshe did not stay long. She was not liked in the province; there hadbeen a fearful outcry at her marriage with Odintsov, all sorts offictions were told about her; it was asserted that she had helped herfather in his cardsharping tricks, and even that she had gone abroadfor excellent reasons, that it had been necessary to conceal thelamentable consequences ... 'You understand?' the indignant gossipswould wind up. 'She has gone through the fire,' was said of her; towhich a noted provincial wit usually added: 'And through all the otherelements?' All this talk reached her; but she turned a deaf ear to it;there was much independence and a good deal of determination in hercharacter.
Madame Odintsov sat leaning back in her easy-chair, and listened withfolded hands to Bazarov. He, contrary to his habit, was talking a gooddeal, and obviously trying to interest her--again a surprise forArkady. He could not make up his mind whether Bazarov was attaining hisobject. It was difficult to conjecture from Anna Sergyevna's face whatimpression was being made on her; it retained the same expression,gracious and refined; her beautiful eyes were lighted up by attention,but by quiet attention. Bazarov's bad manners had impressed herunpleasantly for the first minutes of the visit like a bad smell or adiscordant sound; but she saw at once that he was nervous, and thateven flattered her. Nothing was repulsive to her but vulgarity, and noone could have accused Bazarov of vulgarity. Arkady was fated to meetwith surprises that day. He had expected that Bazarov would talk to aclever woman like Madame Odintsov about his opinions and his views; shehad herself expressed a desire to listen to the man 'who dares to haveno belief in anything'; but, instead of that, Bazarov talked aboutmedicine, about homoeopathy, and about botany. It turned out thatMadame Odintsov had not wasted her time in solitude; she had read agood many excellent books, and spoke herself in excellent Russian. Sheturned the conversation upon music; but noticing that Bazarov did notappreciate art, she quietly brought it back to botany, even thoughArkady was just launching into a discourse upon the significance ofnational melodies. Madame Odintsov treated him as though he were ayounger brother; she seemed to appreciate his good-nature and youthfulsimplicity--and that was all. For over three hours, a livelyconversation was kept up, ranging freely over various subjects.
The friends at last got up and began to take leave. Anna Sergyevnalooked cordially at them, held out her beautiful, white hand to both,and, after a moment's thought, said with a doubtful but delightfulsmile. 'If you are not afraid of being dull, gentlemen, come and see meat Nikolskoe.'
'Oh, Anna Sergyevna,' cried Arkady, 'I shall think it the greatnesshappiness ...'
'And you, Monsieur Bazarov?'
Bazarov only bowed, and a last surprise was in store for Arkady; henoticed that his friend was blushing.
'Well?' he said to him in the street; 'are you still of the sameopinion--that she's ...'
'Who can tell? See how correct she is!' retorted Bazarov; and after abrief pause he added, 'She's a perfect grand-duchess, a royalpersonage. She only needs a train on behind, and a crown on her head.'
'Our grand-duchesses don't talk Russian like that,' remarked Arkady.
'She's seen ups and downs, my dear boy; she's known what it is to behard up!'
'Any way, she's charming,' observed Arkady.
'What a magnificent body!' pursued Bazarov. 'Shouldn't I like to see iton the dissecting-table.'
'Hush, for mercy's sake, Yevgeny! that's beyond everything.'
'Well, don't get angry, you baby. I meant it's first-rate. We must goto stay with her.'
'When?'
'Well, why not the day after to-morrow. What is there to do here? Drinkchampagne with Kukshina. Listen to your cousin, the Liberaldignitary?... Let's be off the day after to-morrow. By the way, too--myfather's little place is not far from there. This Nikolskoe's on theS---- road, isn't it?'
'Yes.'
'Optime, why hesitate? leave that to fools and prigs! I say, what asplendid body!'
Three days later the two friends were driving along the road toNikolskoe. The day was bright, and not too hot, and the sleekposting-horses trotted smartly along, switching their tied and plaitedtails. Arkady looked at the road, and not knowing why, he
smiled.
'Congratulate me,' cried Bazarov suddenly, 'to-day's the 22nd of June,my guardian angel's day. Let's see how he will watch over me. To-daythey expect me home,' he added, dropping his voice.... 'Well, they cango on expecting.... What does it matter!'