gentlemen, that I should receive such guests in yourpresence? I am very sorry, and ask your forgiveness, but it cannot behelped--and I should be very grateful if you could all stay and witnessthis climax. However, just as you please, of course.”
The guests exchanged glances; they were annoyed and bewildered by theepisode; but it was clear enough that all this had been pre-arranged andexpected by Nastasia Philipovna, and that there was no use in trying tostop her now--for she was little short of insane.
Besides, they were naturally inquisitive to see what was to happen.There was nobody who would be likely to feel much alarm. There werebut two ladies present; one of whom was the lively actress, who was noteasily frightened, and the other the silent German beauty who, it turnedout, did not understand a word of Russian, and seemed to be as stupid asshe was lovely.
Her acquaintances invited her to their “At Homes” because she was sodecorative. She was exhibited to their guests like a valuable picture,or vase, or statue, or firescreen. As for the men, Ptitsin was one ofRogojin’s friends; Ferdishenko was as much at home as a fish in the sea,Gania, not yet recovered from his amazement, appeared to be chained toa pillory. The old professor did not in the least understand what washappening; but when he noticed how extremely agitated the mistress ofthe house, and her friends, seemed, he nearly wept, and trembled withfright: but he would rather have died than leave Nastasia Philipovna atsuch a crisis, for he loved her as if she were his own granddaughter.Afanasy Ivanovitch greatly disliked having anything to do with theaffair, but he was too much interested to leave, in spite of the madturn things had taken; and a few words that had dropped from the lipsof Nastasia puzzled him so much, that he felt he could not go withoutan explanation. He resolved therefore, to see it out, and to adopt theattitude of silent spectator, as most suited to his dignity. GeneralEpanchin alone determined to depart. He was annoyed at the manner inwhich his gift had been returned, as though he had condescended, underthe influence of passion, to place himself on a level with Ptitsin andFerdishenko, his self-respect and sense of duty now returned togetherwith a consciousness of what was due to his social rank and officialimportance. In short, he plainly showed his conviction that a man in hisposition could have nothing to do with Rogojin and his companions. ButNastasia interrupted him at his first words.
“Ah, general!” she cried, “I was forgetting! If I had only foreseenthis unpleasantness! I won’t insist on keeping you against your will,although I should have liked you to be beside me now. In any case, I ammost grateful to you for your visit, and flattering attention... but ifyou are afraid...”
“Excuse me, Nastasia Philipovna,” interrupted the general, withchivalric generosity. “To whom are you speaking? I have remained untilnow simply because of my devotion to you, and as for danger, I am onlyafraid that the carpets may be ruined, and the furniture smashed!... Youshould shut the door on the lot, in my opinion. But I confess that I amextremely curious to see how it ends.”
“Rogojin!” announced Ferdishenko.
“What do you think about it?” said the general in a low voice to Totski.“Is she mad? I mean mad in the medical sense of the word .... eh?”
“I’ve always said she was predisposed to it,” whispered AfanasyIvanovitch slyly. “Perhaps it is a fever!”
Since their visit to Gania’s home, Rogojin’s followers had beenincreased by two new recruits--a dissolute old man, the hero of someancient scandal, and a retired sub-lieutenant. A laughable story wastold of the former. He possessed, it was said, a set of false teeth, andone day when he wanted money for a drinking orgy, he pawned them, andwas never able to reclaim them! The officer appeared to be a rival ofthe gentleman who was so proud of his fists. He was known to none ofRogojin’s followers, but as they passed by the Nevsky, where he stoodbegging, he had joined their ranks. His claim for the charity he desiredseemed based on the fact that in the days of his prosperity he had givenaway as much as fifteen roubles at a time. The rivals seemed more thana little jealous of one another. The athlete appeared injured at theadmission of the “beggar” into the company. By nature taciturn, he nowmerely growled occasionally like a bear, and glared contemptuouslyupon the “beggar,” who, being somewhat of a man of the world, and adiplomatist, tried to insinuate himself into the bear’s good graces.He was a much smaller man than the athlete, and doubtless was consciousthat he must tread warily. Gently and without argument he alluded tothe advantages of the English style in boxing, and showed himself afirm believer in Western institutions. The athlete’s lips curleddisdainfully, and without honouring his adversary with a formal denial,he exhibited, as if by accident, that peculiarly Russian object--anenormous fist, clenched, muscular, and covered with red hairs! The sightof this pre-eminently national attribute was enough to convince anybody,without words, that it was a serious matter for those who should happento come into contact with it.
None of the band were very drunk, for the leader had kept his intendedvisit to Nastasia in view all day, and had done his best to preventhis followers from drinking too much. He was sober himself, but theexcitement of this chaotic day--the strangest day of his life--hadaffected him so that he was in a dazed, wild condition, which almostresembled drunkenness.
He had kept but one idea before him all day, and for that he had workedin an agony of anxiety and a fever of suspense. His lieutenants hadworked so hard from five o’clock until eleven, that they actually hadcollected a hundred thousand roubles for him, but at such terrificexpense, that the rate of interest was only mentioned among them inwhispers and with bated breath.
As before, Rogojin walked in advance of his troop, who followed him withmingled self-assertion and timidity. They were specially frightened ofNastasia Philipovna herself, for some reason.
Many of them expected to be thrown downstairs at once, without furtherceremony, the elegant and irresistible Zaleshoff among them. Butthe party led by the athlete, without openly showing their hostileintentions, silently nursed contempt and even hatred for NastasiaPhilipovna, and marched into her house as they would have marched intoan enemy’s fortress. Arrived there, the luxury of the rooms seemed toinspire them with a kind of respect, not unmixed with alarm. So manythings were entirely new to their experience--the choice furniture, thepictures, the great statue of Venus. They followed their chief into thesalon, however, with a kind of impudent curiosity. There, the sight ofGeneral Epanchin among the guests, caused many of them to beat a hastyretreat into the adjoining room, the “boxer” and “beggar” being amongthe first to go. A few only, of whom Lebedeff made one, stood theirground; he had contrived to walk side by side with Rogojin, for he quiteunderstood the importance of a man who had a fortune of a million oddroubles, and who at this moment carried a hundred thousand in his hand.It may be added that the whole company, not excepting Lebedeff, had thevaguest idea of the extent of their powers, and of how far they couldsafely go. At some moments Lebedeff was sure that right was on theirside; at others he tried uneasily to remember various cheering andreassuring articles of the Civil Code.
Rogojin, when he stepped into the room, and his eyes fell upon Nastasia,stopped short, grew white as a sheet, and stood staring; it was clearthat his heart was beating painfully. So he stood, gazing intently, buttimidly, for a few seconds. Suddenly, as though bereft of his senses, hemoved forward, staggering helplessly, towards the table. On his way hecollided against Ptitsin’s chair, and put his dirty foot on the laceskirt of the silent lady’s dress; but he neither apologized for this,nor even noticed it.
On reaching the table, he placed upon it a strange-looking object, whichhe had carried with him into the drawing-room. This was a paper packet,some six or seven inches thick, and eight or nine in length, wrapped inan old newspaper, and tied round three or four times with string.
Having placed this before her, he stood with drooped arms and head, asthough awaiting his sentence.
His costume was the same as it had been in the morning, except for a newsilk handkerchief round his neck, bright green and red, fastened with a
huge diamond pin, and an enormous diamond ring on his dirty forefinger.
Lebedeff stood two or three paces behind his chief; and the rest of theband waited about near the door.
The two maid-servants were both peeping in, frightened and amazed atthis unusual and disorderly scene.
“What is that?” asked Nastasia Philipovna, gazing intently at Rogojin,and indicating the paper packet.
“A hundred thousand,” replied the latter, almost in a whisper.
“Oh! so he kept his word--there’s a man for you! Well, sit down,please--take that chair. I shall have something to say to you presently.Who are all these with you? The same party? Let them come in and sitdown. There’s room on that sofa, there are some chairs and there’sanother sofa! Well, why don’t they sit down?”
Sure enough, some of the brave fellows entirely lost their heads at thispoint, and retreated into the next room. Others, however, took the hintand sat down, as far as they could from the table, however; feelingbraver in proportion to their