But privilege was one thing: philosophy another. It was time to counter-attack.
BOBROV:
But you forget Natural Law.
And now the countess gave a smile of relief. Natural Law was one of the favourite ideas of the Enlightenment.
BOBROV:
The peasant is downtrodden and illiterate. But he is no less human than I. He, too, is capable of rational thought. That is our hope for the future.
GENERAL:
You wish to educate him?
BOBROV:
Why not?
A gleam came into the general’s eye. This clever civil servant had gone too far.
GENERAL:
Why, Alexander Prokofievich, if the peasant is as rational as you say, and you educate him, then who will till the land? He will want to be free. He will want to turn out the government and the empress too. You will have to emancipate your serfs and your own rule of Reason will sweep you away. This is not America. There would be chaos. Is that what you want – chaos and emancipation?
The old man felt sure of his ground here. Over ninety-five per cent of the population were peasants – half state peasants, with a few, insignificant rights; and half privately owned serfs, like Bobrov’s. During that century, their rights had diminished even further: they could be bought and sold like cattle. Even the enlightened empress had only dared to recommend the nobility to be kind to them. And Countess Turova herself, to the general’s knowledge, owned more than four thousand souls. It seemed to him he had won the argument.
The countess looked at Alexander anxiously. He smiled faintly. It was time for the kill.
BOBROV:
Permit me to disagree. Voltaire showed us the absurdity of superstition – which I take, General, to be a belief in that which Reason shows us cannot be so. And Reason, General, does not oblige me to pretend that my serf is an animal and deny him his human rights. Perhaps my serf is not ready to be a free man yet; but his children may be. Reason does not oblige me to say that peasants who are free will not work my land. How are estates worked in other countries, where the peasants are free? You say that if a peasant has any education, he will deny all authority and try to overthrow the empress. Then why do we, educated men, gladly serve an autocracy ourselves? Because Reason tells us it is necessary. I suggest rather that Reason gives us wise laws, and as much freedom as is good for us. I am happy to know that my empress will decide these matters, and that she also allows rational men, without censorship, to discuss them. In short, I am content to serve my empress and, to take my inspiration from the great Voltaire, I have nothing to fear.
With which he made a pleasant bow to the Countess.
It was perfect. It was exactly what Countess Turova wanted to hear. Like the empress with her subjects, she would decide what was best for the four thousand rational beings she currently owned; and no doubt they would be grateful that their owner should be so enlightened, in this best of all possible worlds.
The little circle burst into applause. He heard the old lady murmur: ‘Ah, my Voltaire.’ The general remained silent.
And did Bobrov believe what he had just said? Yes, pretty much. He wished his serfs well. One day perhaps they would be free. And meanwhile, the enlightened era of Catherine was a fine time to be alive, if you were a noble, in St Petersburg.
At last the moment had come. As always at such gatherings, the main part of the evening, after the gladiatorial debate, had been devoted to cards. He had played for an hour, and played badly. For how could he concentrate? Every few minutes his eyes strayed back to the table where the countess sat, as he waited for a break in the play. As soon as he could, he excused himself and then stood discreetly at the back of the room, watching her. How small and bent her back looked, seen from that angle, how strangely frail. And yet, when at last he saw her rise and turn towards him, all his nervousness of her instantly returned as he stepped forward.
‘Daria Mikhailovna, may I speak with you privately?’ She started to frown. ‘It is a matter of great importance.’
If he had thought his conquest of the general would earn him a good reception now, it seemed he was wrong. Obviously, having served his purpose, he was no longer of interest to her that evening. She gave him a cold little stare, muttered, ‘Oh, very well,’ and started to move towards an ante-room. As he followed just behind her, he noticed that she was beginning to walk with a slight shuffle. Having reached the room, she sat down on a small gilt sofa, very erect, and did not offer him a seat.
‘Well, what is it you wish, Alexander Prokofievich?’
This was the moment. He had prepared himself, of course. But even so, how the devil did one ask an old woman tactfully if one was in her Will? He began cautiously.
‘As you may have heard, Daria Mikhailovna, there have been some negotiations with various parties concerning my possibly marrying again.’ Her face was impassive. ‘As a preliminary to such discussions, some of the parties naturally asked me to make a disclosure of my fortune.’ It was a complete fabrication, but it was the best excuse he could think of. He paused, wondering how she was taking it.
Countess Turova, face quite still, stretched out her hand in her lap and looked at the back of it with, it seemed, some admiration. Then she turned it over and looked at the palm. That, too, appeared to be satisfactory. Then she raised her hand on to the gilt arm of the sofa and drummed out a little tattoo to herself, as though she were becoming bored. Alexander pressed on.
‘The question has arisen,’ he continued delicately, ‘as to whether, besides my present estates, I have any further expectations?’ Again he paused, hoping she might help him.
She looked up with apparent interest.
‘I did not know you had any,’ she remarked sweetly.
Very well. If she wished to play with him he could only defend himself by seeming frank.
‘I expect I haven’t, Daria Mikhailovna. But I dared to hope that perhaps, as my kinswoman, you might have considered some mention of me in your Will. If not, of course, I shall act accordingly.’
The old countess remained expressionless. He had no idea if she believed him, or what she thought.
‘You mean to marry?’
‘I hope so. One day.’ He was careful not to commit himself. He saw the countess frown.
‘Can you tell me the name of at least one of the families with whom you are negotiating?’ Obviously she didn’t believe him. He mentioned the German girl’s family.
‘I congratulate you. A good Baltic family. It could be worse.’ Then she smiled at him. ‘But from what I hear, Alexander Prokofievich, this girl is a considerable heiress. I’m sure you will have no need of more than she already has.’ She glanced at her hand again, as though sympathizing with that limb that it had been forced to endure this boring conversation for so long. ‘Unless of course,’ she said quietly, and without changing her expression, ‘this has nothing to do with your getting married at all. Perhaps you are embarrassed financially in some way.’
‘No, no.’ The witch!
‘You have debts perhaps?’
‘All men have some.’
‘So I hear.’ She sniffed. ‘I have none.’ This, he knew, was an understatement. She ruled her stewards with a rod of iron. God knows what income she had.
For a few moments the countess’s attention seemed to wander and her eyes fixed on something in the middle distance.
‘Well, well. If you marry, I suppose we shall see less of you here.’
He ignored this allusion to Madame de Ronville.
‘Not at all, Daria Mikhailovna,’ he countered evenly. ‘I should bring my wife to see you frequently.’
‘No doubt.’ And now, quite suddenly, she gave him a brilliant smile. ‘Are you entirely ruined?’
‘No,’ he lied, while she watched him thoughtfully. There was a brief pause.
‘Well, Alexander Prokofievich, I should tell you that at present you are not in my Will.’
He bowed his head. Though his face did n
ot flinch, he could feel himself going very pale; but knowing she was observing him, he looked up bravely.
‘However,’ she sniffed, ‘your father was my kinsman and you are obviously in difficulties.’ She said the last word with a kind of placid contempt. ‘I shall therefore include you. Do not expect a great fortune. But there will be, I dare say, enough.’
Dear God, there was hope after all.
‘It is time for my cards.’ Without even waiting for his arm, she abruptly rose to her feet. Then she stopped. ‘On second thoughts, Alexander Prokofievich, I will add one condition.’ She turned back to him. ‘Yes, I think it is time you married. So you will receive your legacy – but only if you marry this Baltic girl.’ She smiled happily. ‘That is all I have to say to you, monsieur.’ And with that she moved away.
He watched her go. How did she know, by what infernal instinct had she guessed, that this was the one answer in all the world he did not want?
‘I bet she really does sleep with her eyes open,’ he muttered bitterly.
The great house was silent; the guests had left. Alexander and his mistress had withdrawn to her apartment in the east wing and now at last they could talk alone. Naturally, they were discussing his marriage.
The wing was easily reached along a passageway from the main house; it also had a private entrance down a little back staircase that gave on to the street. It was perfectly arranged, therefore, for the conduct of a discreet affair. Adelaide de Ronville’s rooms were entirely delightful. They might have been in her native France: Louis XV and XVI furniture; an Aubusson carpet with a garlanded border; thick curtains of flowered silk with heavy valances and tassels; lush draperies on the furniture; tapestries with charming pastoral scenes; soft pinks and blues, gilt, but not too much. These were the elements that she had arranged with a lightness, simplicity and concealed sense of form that had their own special charm.
When Alexander had told her about the countess’s decision, she took his arm affectionately and smiled. ‘You must marry the girl, my friend.’
What an unusual woman she was. Half-French, half-Polish, she was above average height, rather square in the shoulder, with an alabaster skin. She had been a brunette until she was thirty-five, but now her natural hair colour was iron grey. She had an oval face, almond-brown eyes which were sometimes a little sad, and a broad ironic mouth. Her figure was slim, her breasts rather high; but it was, for some reason, a slight thickening about her thighs that, in their lovemaking, aroused Alexander to heights of passion.
It was remarkable how little she had altered in their ten years together. Only now was she entering her change of life, but that did not matter. Her slim, strong build had kept her trim; she moved with a wonderful, lithe grace and if, with the passing of the years, Alexander had noticed in certain places a boniness and a looseness of the skin that she could not help, he just directed his hands to other caresses, which better produced the illusion that nothing had changed. Indeed, the knowledge that they were cheating time gave him a sense of poignancy unlike any other he knew. It was the beauty of autumn – golden and warm.
Adelaide was grateful for the affair. As an old Frenchwoman had once told her: ‘An older woman improves a young man. But he is also good for her because he accepts her as she is.’ It was true. She savoured, as a little triumph, the fact that she could still drive this rather self-centred man to erotic delight.
In his way, Bobrov loved her. His affairs with younger women had never meant so much to him. He had only to watch one of her perfect little gestures, see the elegant way she moved, to forget all the others. ‘Besides, I can talk to her,’ he would say. They had few secrets. She knew of all his plans, even his desire to desert her for the empress’s bed. As she drily said: ‘It’s a career.’
And now she was firm with him.
‘You must secure this German girl at once.’
‘I don’t really want to, you know.’
‘Be grateful that she loves you, cher ami.’ She smiled wryly. ‘Perhaps it will be good for you.’
‘And for you?’
She gave a little shrug. Even now, he could still be heavy-footed. What did he want – a confession of her despair to wear like a trophy? A dismissal? Forgiveness? ‘One must be practical,’ she said calmly. ‘You will like it. It is good to have a family.’
‘Perhaps.’
‘Enfin.’ There was the faintest hint of impatience in her voice. ‘You will not come here.’
‘I certainly shall.’ He would try to be a good husband, but he had no wish to desert Adelaide.
She, however, shook her head. ‘You must spend time with your wife, you know. It is very important.’
He sighed. ‘I know. But you will not forbid me to see you?’
‘Oh … that.’ She shrugged. ‘Who knows? We shall see.’
Would she take another lover? He disliked that idea, although he felt he could not in conscience lay further claim to her.
‘And this girl,’ she said at last. ‘What is she like?’
He considered.
‘She has a round, simple face; blue eyes, fair hair. Her cheeks get a little too red. She’s entirely innocent, though not stupid.’ He paused. ‘I should certainly be grateful, but I suppose my years with you have left me finding all other women inadequate.’
‘How charming he is, this gallant monsieur.’ Her lips twitched with amusement. ‘And do you include the empress amongst these other women, may I ask?’
He laughed. In fact, he had sometimes wondered whether this affair with an older woman would be helpful in coming to terms with the now ageing body of Catherine. He guessed not.
‘I was speaking,’ he smiled, ‘of women, not of the Russian Empire!’
A certain look told him that there was no need to say more. Her bedroom lay up a little staircase and he followed her there.
How lovely, how desirable she still was, as she slowly stretched and then, luxuriously, arched her slim, pale body. He smelt the thick, musk-like scent that was one of the secrets about her he had learned to cherish. He moved his hand softly over her breast.
Did a lover, he wondered, in the great act of passion, gain a glimpse of eternity? Possibly. In his love of Adelaide, this ten-year passion which defied the passing of the years, he did not think he saw eternity, but rather something else which he preferred. Their love, it sometimes seemed to him, was like a drop of amber which has trapped some tiny animal, centuries ago, in its warm embrace – and in doing so, captured the sunlight itself from that distant, long-forgotten day. He liked the analogy. The amber falls to the earth and is buried; yet it is preserved, as long as the earth shall last, he thought. At other times, he felt as if he and Adelaide were together on the vast, endless plain, enjoying their brief, passionate moment before they disappeared. And because their physical love was complete, he felt: This is enough. This is what I am. When it is done, I am content to be no more. And if the great darkness that followed was eternity, then he saw that too. One thing at least was certain. When he encountered Adelaide’s body he knew with certainty that this, and this alone, was his true homecoming and that, for the rest of his life, it would be his years with her against which all things would be compared.
For Adelaide, it was a little different. She did not look for eternity because to her that meant only age, and death. She knew that all sensations are passing. When she was younger, as her mind drifted after lovemaking, she would sometimes feel like a little boat, floating away upon a huge ocean; but nowadays, the images and sensations which came into her thoughts were rather different, and she felt herself more often a spectator watching the progress of her own life: at which times it seemed to her that she and her lover were not in a boat, but rather upon an island, slowly eroding in the middle of a river, and that the river was the passing of the years.
It was past one in the morning when Alexander woke. After making love he had fallen into a sudden, deep sleep; but it had been troubled, for an image had repeatedly come to him – he was
not sure how many times – so vivid, so insistent, that it seemed more like a vision than an ordinary dream.
It was the countess. She was very pale as she rose up before him; she had an accusing look on her face and, for no reason he could understand, she was shaking a reproving finger at him and saying, in a voice that seemed to explain the whole universe: ‘Voltaire. Voltaire.’ The fact that this made no particular sense did not make it any less impressive or alarming.
He woke up with a shiver and lay for several minutes collecting his thoughts. It was comforting that Adelaide was dozing beside him: her pale form was not quite covered and after a little while he began to feel better. He looked at her. Could he make love again? He thought so. As he touched her lightly, her eyes slowly opened and she smiled a little drowsily. ‘You want more?’
He was looking down at her; his mouth began to part in a grin.
‘Ah, I see.’ She reached out her arms. ‘Come then.’ Yes, he decided. He certainly could.
Yet it was just as he had gently entered upon this second, late-night communion, that to his surprise, before the pale form of his lover, another paler image seemed to arise before his eyes, interposing itself between them.
It was the old countess again. She did not speak this time; indeed, her white face was so motionless that it seemed she was sleeping – except for one thing: her eyes were wide open and staring. Try as he might to banish the phantasm, she remained obstinately between them, gazing at him stonily, as if to say: ‘You see, I sleep with my eyes open.’