'What are you laughing at?' the latter inquired, very carefullypeeling his orange with his short white nails.
'What at?' repeated Sanin. 'Why, at our journey together.'
'What about it?' Polozov inquired again, dropping into his mouth oneof the longitudinal sections into which an orange parts.
'It's so very strange. Yesterday I must confess I thought no more ofyou than of the Emperor of China, and to-day I'm driving with you tosell my estate to your wife, of whom, too, I have not the slightestidea.'
'Anything may happen,' responded Polozov. 'When you've lived a bitlonger, you won't be surprised at anything. For instance, can youfancy me riding as an orderly officer? But I did, and the Grand DukeMihail Pavlovitch gave the order, 'Trot! let him trot, that fatcornet! Trot now! Look sharp!'
Sanin scratched behind his ear.
'Tell me, please, Ippolit Sidorovitch, what is your wife like? What isher character? It's very necessary for me to know that, you see.'
'It was very well for him to shout, "Trot!"' Polozov went on withsudden vehemence, 'But me! how about me? I thought to myself, "Youcan take your honours and epaulettes--and leave me in peace!" But ...you asked about my wife? What my wife is? A person like any one else.Don't wear your heart upon your sleeve with her--she doesn't likethat. The great thing is to talk a lot to her ... something for her tolaugh at. Tell her about your love, or something ... but make it moreamusing, you know.'
'How more amusing?'
'Oh, you told me, you know, that you were in love, wanting to getmarried. Well, then, describe that.'
Sanin was offended. 'What do you find laughable in that?'
Polozov only rolled his eyes. The juice from the orange was tricklingdown his chin.
'Was it your wife sent you to Frankfort to shop for her?' asked Saninafter a short time.
'Yes, it was she.'
'What are the purchases?'
'Toys, of course.'
'Toys? have you any children?'
Polozov positively moved away from Sanin.
'That's likely! What do I want with children? Feminine fallals ...finery. For the toilet.'
'Do you mean to say you understand such things?'
'To be sure I do.'
'But didn't you tell me you didn't interfere in any of your wife'saffairs?'
'I don't in any other. But this ... is no consequence. To pass thetime--one may do it. And my wife has confidence in my taste. And I'm afirst-rate hand at bargaining.'
Polozov began to speak by jerks; he was exhausted already. 'And isyour wife very rich?'
'Rich; yes, rather! Only she keeps the most of it for herself.'
'But I expect you can't complain either?'
'Well, I'm her husband. I'm hardly likely not to get some benefit fromit! And I'm of use to her. With me she can do just as she likes! I'measy-going!'
Polozov wiped his face with a silk handkerchief and puffed painfully,as though to say, 'Have mercy on me; don't force me to utter anotherword. You see how hard it is for me.'
Sanin left him in peace, and again sank into meditation.
* * * * *
The hotel in Wiesbaden, before which the carriage stopped, was exactlylike a palace. Bells were promptly set ringing in its inmost recesses;a fuss and bustle arose; men of good appearance in black frock-coatsskipped out at the principal entrance; a door-keeper who was a blazeof gold opened the carriage doors with a flourish.
Like some triumphant general Polozov alighted and began to ascend astaircase strewn with rugs and smelling of agreeable perfumes. Tohim flew up another man, also very well dressed but with a Russianface--his valet. Polozov observed to him that for the future heshould always take him everywhere with him, for the night before atFrankfort, he, Polozov, had been left for the night without hot water!The valet portrayed his horror on his face, and bending down quickly,took off his master's goloshes.
'Is Maria Nikolaevna at home?' inquired Polozov.
'Yes, sir. Madam is pleased to be dressing. Madam is pleased to bedining to-night at the Countess Lasunsky's.'
'Ah! there?... Stay! There are things there in the carriage; get themall yourself and bring them up. And you, Dmitri Pavlovitch,' addedPolozov, 'take a room for yourself and come in in three-quarters of anhour. We will dine together.'
Polozov waddled off, while Sanin asked for an inexpensive room forhimself; and after setting his attire to rights, and resting alittle, he repaired to the immense apartment occupied by his Serenity(Durchlaucht) Prince von Polozov.
He found this 'prince' enthroned in a luxurious velvet arm-chair inthe middle of a most magnificent drawing-room. Sanin's phlegmaticfriend had already had time to have a bath and to array himself in amost sumptuous satin dressing-gown; he had put a crimson fez on hishead. Sanin approached him and scrutinised him for some time. Polozovwas sitting rigid as an idol; he did not even turn his face in hisdirection, did not even move an eyebrow, did not utter a sound. It wastruly a sublime spectacle! After having admired him for a couple ofminutes, Sanin was on the point of speaking, of breaking this hallowedsilence, when suddenly the door from the next room was thrown open,and in the doorway appeared a young and beautiful lady in a whitesilk dress trimmed with black lace, and with diamonds on her arms andneck--Maria Nikolaevna Polozov. Her thick fair hair fell on both sidesof her head, braided, but not fastened up into a knot.
XXXIV
'Ah, I beg your pardon!' she said with a smile half-embarrassed,half-ironical, instantly taking hold of one end of a plait of her hairand fastening on Sanin her large, grey, clear eyes.
'I did not think you had come yet.'
'Sanin, Dmitri Pavlovitch--known him from a boy,' observed Polozov, asbefore not turning towards him and not getting up, but pointing at himwith one finger.
'Yes.... I know.... You told me before. Very glad to make youracquaintance. But I wanted to ask you, Ippolit Sidorovitch.... My maidseems to have lost her senses to-day ...'
'To do your hair up?'
'Yes, yes, please. I beg your pardon,' Maria Nikolaevna repeated withthe same smile. She nodded to Sanin, and turning swiftly, vanishedthrough the doorway, leaving behind her a fleeting but gracefulimpression of a charming neck, exquisite shoulders, an exquisitefigure.
Polozov got up, and rolling ponderously, went out by the same door.
Sanin did not doubt for a single second that his presence in 'PrincePolozov's' drawing-room was a fact perfectly well known to itsmistress; the whole point of her entry had been the display of herhair, which was certainly beautiful. Sanin was inwardly delightedindeed at this freak on the part of Madame Polozov; if, he thought,she is anxious to impress me, to dazzle me, perhaps, who knows, shewill be accommodating about the price of the estate. His heart was sofull of Gemma that all other women had absolutely no significance forhim; he hardly noticed them; and this time he went no further thanthinking, 'Yes, it was the truth they told me; that lady's reallymagnificent to look at!'
But had he not been in such an exceptional state of mind he would mostlikely have expressed himself differently; Maria Nikolaevna Polozov,by birth Kolishkin, was a very striking personality. And not that shewas of a beauty to which no exception could be taken; traces of herplebeian origin were rather clearly apparent in her. Her forehead waslow, her nose rather fleshy and turned up; she could boast neitherof the delicacy of her skin nor of the elegance of her hands andfeet--but what did all that matter? Any one meeting her would not,to use Pushkin's words, have stood still before 'the holy shrine ofbeauty,' but before the sorcery of a half-Russian, half-Gipsy woman'sbody in its full flower and full power ... and he would have beennothing loath to stand still!
But Gemma's image preserved Sanin like the three-fold armour of whichthe poets sing.
Ten minutes later Maria Nikolaevna appeared again, escorted by herhusband. She went up to Sanin ... and her walk was such that someeccentrics of that--alas!--already, distant day, were simply crazyover her walk alone. 'That woman, when she comes tow
ards one, seems asthough she is bringing all the happiness of one's life to meet one,'one of them used to say. She went up to Sanin, and holding out herhand to him, said in her caressing and, as it were, subdued voice inRussian, 'You will wait for me, won't you? I'll be back soon.'
Sanin bowed respectfully, while Maria Nikolaevna vanished behind thecurtain over the outside door; and as she vanished turned her headback over her shoulder, and smiled again, and again left behind herthe same impression of grace.
When she smiled, not one and not two, but three dimples came out oneach cheek, and her eyes smiled more than her lips--long, crimson,juicy lips with two tiny moles on the left side of them.
Polozov waddled into the room and again established himself in thearm-chair. He was speechless as before; but from time to time a queersmile puffed out his colourless and already wrinkled cheeks. He lookedlike an old man, though he was only three years older than Sanin.
The dinner with which he regaled his guest would of course havesatisfied the most exacting gourmand, but to Sanin it seemed endless,insupportable! Polozov ate slowly, 'with feeling, with judgment,with deliberation,' bending attentively over his plate, and sniffingat almost every morsel. First he rinsed his mouth with wine, thenswallowed it and smacked his lips.... Over the roast meat he suddenlybegan to talk--but of what? Of merino sheep, of which he was intendingto order a whole flock, and in such detail, with such tenderness,using all the while endearing pet names for them. After drinking a cupof coffee, hot to boiling point (he had several times in a voice oftearful irritation mentioned to the waiter that he had been served theevening before with coffee, cold--cold as ice!) and bitten off the endof a Havannah cigar with his crooked yellow teeth, he dropped off, ashis habit was, into a nap, to the intense delight of Sanin, who beganwalking up and down with noiseless steps on the soft carpet, anddreaming of his life with Gemma and of what news he would bring backto her. Polozov, however, awoke, as he remarked himself, earlier thanusual--he had slept only an hour and a half--and after drinking aglass of iced seltzer water, and swallowing eight spoonfuls of jam,Russian jam, which his valet brought him in a dark-green genuine'Kiev' jar, and without which, in his own words, he could not live,he stared with his swollen eyes at Sanin and asked him wouldn't helike to play a game of 'fools' with him. Sanin agreed readily; hewas afraid that Polozov would begin talking again about lambs andewes and fat tails. The host and the visitor both adjourned to thedrawing-room, the waiter brought in the cards, and the game began,not,--of course, for money.
At this innocent diversion Maria Nikolaevna found them on her returnfrom the Countess Lasunsky's. She laughed aloud directly she came intothe room and saw the cards and the open card-table. Sanin jumped up,but she cried, 'Sit still; go on with the game. I'll change my dressdirectly and come back to you,' and vanished again with a swish of herdress, pulling off her gloves as she went.
She did in fact return very soon. Her evening dress she had exchangedfor a full lilac silk tea-gown, with open hanging sleeves; a thicktwisted cord was fastened round her waist. She sat down by herhusband, and, waiting till he was left 'fool,' said to him, 'Come,dumpling, that's enough!' (At the word 'dumpling' Sanin glanced at herin surprise, and she smiled gaily, answering his look with a look,and displaying all the dimples on her cheeks.) 'I see you are sleepy;kiss my hand and get along; and Monsieur Sanin and I will have a chattogether alone.'
'I'm not sleepy,' observed Polozov, getting up ponderously from hiseasy-chair; 'but as for getting along, I'm ready to get along and tokiss your hand.' She gave him the palm of her hand, still smiling andlooking at Sanin.
Polozov, too, looked at him, and went away without taking leave ofhim.
'Well, tell me, tell me,' said Maria Nikolaevna eagerly, setting bothher bare elbows on the table and impatiently tapping the nails of onehand against the nails of the other, 'Is it true, they say, you aregoing to be married?'
As she said these words, Maria Nikolaevna positively bent her head alittle on one side so as to look more intently and piercingly intoSanin's eyes.
XXXV
The free and easy deportment of Madame Polozov would probably for thefirst moment have disconcerted Sanin--though he was not quite a noviceand had knocked about the world a little--if he had not again seen inthis very freedom and familiarity a good omen for his undertaking.'We must humour this rich lady's caprices,' he decided inwardly; andas unconstrainedly as she had questioned him he answered, 'Yes; I amgoing to be married.'
'To whom? To a foreigner?'
'Yes.'
'Did you get acquainted with her lately? In Frankfort?'
'Yes.'
'And what is she? May I know?'
'Certainly. She is a confectioner's daughter.'
Maria Nikolaevna opened her eyes wide and lifted her eyebrows.
'Why, this is delightful,' she commented in a drawling voice; 'this isexquisite! I imagined that young men like you were not to be met withanywhere in these days. A confectioner's daughter!'
'I see that surprises you,' observed Sanin with some dignity; 'but inthe first place, I have none of these prejudices ...'
'In the first place, it doesn't surprise me in the least,' MariaNikolaevna interrupted; 'I have no prejudices either. I'm the daughterof a peasant myself. There! what can you say to that? What doessurprise and delight me is to have come across a man who's not afraidto love. You do love her, I suppose?'
'Yes.'
'Is she very pretty?'
Sanin was slightly stung by this last question.... However, there wasno drawing back.
'You know, Maria Nikolaevna,' he began, 'every man thinks the faceof his beloved better than all others; but my betrothed is reallybeautiful.'
'Really? In what style? Italian? antique?'
'Yes; she has very regular features.'
'You have not got her portrait with you?'
'No.' (At that time photography was not yet talked off. Daguerrotypeshad hardly begun to be common.)
'What's her name?'
'Her name is Gemma.'
'And yours?'
'Dimitri.'
'And your father's?'
'Pavlovitch.'
'Do you know,' Maria Nikolaevna said, still in the same drawlingvoice, 'I like you very much, Dimitri Pavlovitch. You must be anexcellent fellow. Give me your hand. Let us be friends.'
She pressed his hand tightly in her beautiful, white, strong fingers.Her hand was a little smaller than his hand, but much warmer andsmoother and whiter and more full of life.
'Only, do you know what strikes me?'
'What?'
'You won't be angry? No? You say she is betrothed to you. But was that... was that quite necessary?'
Sanin frowned. 'I don't understand you, Maria Nikolaevna.'
Maria Nikolaevna gave a soft low laugh, and shaking her head tossedback the hair that was falling on her cheeks. 'Decidedly--he'sdelightful,' she commented half pensively, half carelessly. 'A perfectknight! After that, there's no believing in the people who maintainthat the race of idealists is extinct!'
Maria Nikolaevna talked Russian all the time, an astonishingly puretrue Moscow Russian, such as the people, not the nobles speak.
'You've been brought up at home, I expect, in a God-fearing, oldorthodox family?' she queried. 'You're from what province?'
'Tula.'
'Oh! so we're from the same part. My father ... I daresay you know whomy father was?'
'Yes, I know.'
'He was born in Tula.... He was a Tula man. Well ... well. Come, letus get to business now.'
'That is ... how come to business? What do you mean to say by that?'
Maria Nikolaevna half-closed her eyes. 'Why, what did you come herefor?' (when she screwed up her eyes, their expression became verykindly and a little bantering, when she opened them wide, into theirclear, almost cold brilliancy, there came something-ill-natured... something menacing. Her eyes gained a peculiar beauty from hereyebrows, which were thick, and met in the centre, and had thesmoothness of sab
le fur). 'Don't you want me to buy your estate? Youwant money for your nuptials? Don't you?'
'Yes.'
'And do you want much?'
'I should be satisfied with a few thousand francs at first. Yourhusband knows my estate. You can consult him--I would take a verymoderate price.'
Maria Nikolaevna tossed her head from left to right. '_In the firstplace_,' she began in deliberate tones, drumming with the tips ofher fingers on the cuff of Sanin's coat, 'I am not in the habit ofconsulting my husband, except about matters of dress--he's my righthand in that; _and in the second place_, why do you say that you willfix a low price? I don't want to take advantage of your being verymuch in love at the moment, and ready to make any sacrifices....I won't accept sacrifices of any kind from you. What? Instead ofencouraging you ... come, how is one to express it properly?--in yournoble sentiments, eh? am I to fleece you? that's not my way. I can behard on people, on occasion--only not in that way.'