youth-第16节

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with　highly…polished　brass　rods。　Nowhere　were　there　any　flowers

or　mirrors　to　be　seen。　The　salon；　too；　with　its　polished　floor；

which　I　traversed　on　my　way　to　the　drawing…room；　was　decorated　in

the　same　cold；　severe；　unostentatious　style。　Everything　in　it

looked　bright　and　solid；　but　not　new；　and　pictures；　flower…

stands；　and　articles　of　bric…a…brac　were　wholly　absent。　In　the

drawing…room　I　found　some　of　the　young　princesses　seated；　but

seated　with　the　sort　of　correct；　〃company〃　air　about　them　which

gave　one　the　impression　that　they　sat　like　that　only　when　guests

were　expected。



〃Mamma　will　be　here　presently；〃　the　eldest　of　them　said　to　me　as

she　seated　herself　by　my　side。　For　the　next　quarter　of　an　hour；

this　young　lady　entertained　me　with　such　an　easy　flow　of　small…

talk　that　the　conversation　never　flagged　a　moment。　Yet　somehow

she　made　so　patent　the　fact　that　she　was　just　entertaining　me

that　I　felt　not　altogether　pleased。　Amongst　other　things；　she

told　me　that　their　brother　Stephen　（whom　they　called　Etienne；　and

who　had　been　two　years　at　the　College　of　Cadets）　had　now　received

his　commission。　Whenever　she　spoke　of　him；　and　more　particularly

when　she　told　me　that　he　had　flouted　his　mother's　wishes　by

entering　the　Hussars；　she　assumed　a　nervous　air；　and　immediately

her　sisters；　sitting　there　in　silence；　also　assumed　a　nervous

air。　When；　again；　she　spoke　of　my　grandmother's　death；　she

assumed　a　MOURNFUL　air；　and　immediately　the　others　all　did　the

same。　Finally；　when　she　recalled　how　I　had　once　struck　St。　Jerome

and　been　expelled　from　the　room；　she　laughed　and　showed　her　bad

teeth；　and　immediately　all　the　other　princesses　laughed　and

showed　their　bad　teeth　too。



Next；　the　Princess…Mother　herself　entereda　little　dried…up

woman；　with　a　wandering　glance　and　a　habit　of　always　looking　at

somebody　else　when　she　was　addressing　one。　Taking　my　hand；　she

raised　her　own　to　my　lips　for　me　to　kiss　itwhich　otherwise；　not

supposing　it　to　be　necessary；　I　should　not　have　done。



〃How　pleased　I　am　to　see　you！〃　she　said　with　her　usual　clearness

of　articulation　as　she　gazed　at　her　daughters。　〃And　how　like　your

mother　you　look！　Does　he　not；　Lise？〃



Lise　assented；　though　I　knew　for　a　fact　that　I　did　not　resemble

my　mother　in　the　least。



〃And　what　a　grown…up　you　have　become！　My　Etienne；　you　will

remember；　is　your　second　cousin。　No；　not　second　cousinwhat　is

it；　Lise？　My　mother　was　Barbara　Dimitrievna；　daughter　of　Dimitri

Nicolaevitch；　and　your　grandmother　was　Natalia　Nicolaevna。〃



〃Then　he　is　our　THIRD　cousin；　Mamma；〃　said　the　eldest　girl。



〃Oh；　how　you　always　confuse　me！〃　was　her　mother's　angry　reply。

〃Not　third　cousin；　but　COUSIN　GERMANthat　is　your　relationship

to　Etienne。　He　is　an　officer　now。　Did　you　know　it？　It　is　not　well

that　he　should　have　his　own　way　too　much。　You　young　men　need

keeping　in　hand；　or！　Well；　you　are　not　vexed　because　your　old

aunt　tells　you　the　plain　truth？　I　always　kept　Etienne　strictly　in

hand；　for　I　found　it　necessary　to　do　so。〃



〃Yes；　that　is　how　our　relationship　stands；〃　she　went　on。　〃Prince

Ivan　Ivanovitch　is　my　uncle；　and　your　late　mother's　uncle　also。

Consequently　I　must　have　been　your　mother's　first　cousinno；

second　cousin。　Yes；　that　is　it。　Tell　me；　have　you　been　to　call　on

Prince　Ivan　yet？〃



I　said　no；　but　that　I　was　just　going　to。



〃Ah；　is　it　possible？〃　she　cried。　〃Why；　you　ought　to　have　paid　him

the　first　call　of　all！　Surely　you　know　that　he　stands　to　you　in

the　position　of　a　father？　He　has　no　children　of　his　own；　and　his

only　heirs　are　yourself　and　my　children。　You　ought　to　pay　him　all

possible　deference；　both　because　of　his　age；　and　because　of　his

position　in　the　world；　and　because　of　everything　else。　I　know

that　you　young　fellows　of　the　present　day　think　nothing　of

relationships　and　are　not　fond　of　old　men；　yet　do　you　listen　to

me；　your　old　aunt；　for　I　am　fond　of　you；　and　was　fond　of　your

mother；　and　had　a　greata　very　great…liking　and　respect　for　your

grandmother。　You　must　not　fail　to　call　upon　him　on　any　account。〃



I　said　that　I　would　certainly　go；　and　since　my　present　call

seemed　to　me　to　have　lasted　long　enough；　I　rose；　and　was　about　to

depart；　but　she　restrained　me。



〃No；　wait　a　minute；〃　she　cried。　〃Where　is　your　father；　Lise？　Go

and　tell　him　to　come　here。　He　will　be　so　glad　to　see　you；〃　she

added；　turning　to　me。



Two　minutes　later　Prince　Michael　entered。　He　was　a　short；　thick…

set　gentleman；　very　slovenly　dressed　and　ill…shaven；　yet　wearing

such　an　air　of　indifference　that　he　looked　almost　a　fool。　He　was

not　in　the　least　glad　to　see　meat　all　events　he　did　not　intimate

that　he　was；　but　the　Princess　（who　appeared　to　stand　in

considerable　awe　of　him）　hastened　to　say：



〃Is　not　Woldemar　here〃　（she　seemed　to　have　forgotten　my　name）

〃exactly　like　his　mother？〃　and　she　gave　her　husband　a　glance

which　forced　him　to　guess　what　she　wanted。　Accordingly　he

approached　me　with　his　usual　passionless；　half…discontented

expression；　and　held　out　to　me　an　unshaven　cheek　to　kiss。



〃Why；　you　are　not　dressed　yet；　though　you　have　to　go　out　soon！〃

was　the　Princess's　next　remark　to　him　in　the　angry　tone　which　she

habitually　employed　in　conversation　with　her　domestics。　〃It　will

only　mean　your　offending　some　one　again；　and　trying　to　set　people

against　you。〃



〃In　a　moment；　in　a　moment；　mother；〃　said　Prince　Michael；　and

departed。　I　also　made　my　bows　and　departed。



This　was　the　first　time　I　had　heard　of　our　being　related　to

Prince　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　and　the　news　struck　me　unpleasantly。



XX



THE　IWINS



As　for　the　prospect　of　my　call　upon　the　Prince；　it　seemed　even

more　unpleasant。　However；　the　order　of　my　route　took　me　first　to

the　Iwins；　who　lived　in　a　large　and　splendid　mansion　in　Tverskaia

Street。　It　was　not　without　some　nervousness　that　I　entered　the

great　portico　where　a　Swiss　major…domo　stood　armed　with　his　staff

of　office。



To　my　inquiry　as　to　whether　any　one　was　at　home　he　replied：　〃Whom

do　you　wish　to　see；　sir？　The　General's　son　is　within。〃



〃And　the　General　himself？〃　I　asked　with　forced　assurance。



〃I　must　report　to　him　your　business　first。　What　may　it　be；　sir？〃

said　the　major…domo　as　he　rang　a　bell。　Immediately　the　gaitered

legs　of　a　footman　showed　themselves　on　the　staircase　above；

whereupon　I　was　seized　with　such　a　fit　of　nervousness　that　I

hastily　bid　the　lacquey　say　nothing　about　my　presence　to　the

General；　since　I　would　first　see　his　son。　By　the　time　I　had

reached　the　top　of　the　long　staircase；　I　seemed　to　have　grown

extremely　small　（metaphorically；　I　mean；　not　actually）；　and　had

very　much　the　same　feeling　within　me　as　had　possessed　my　soul

when　my　drozhki　drew　up　to　the　great　portico；　namely；　a　feeling

as　though　drozhki；　horse；　and　coachman　had　all　of　them　grown

extremely　small　too。　I　found　the　General's　son　lying　asleep　on　a

sofa；　with　an　open　book　before　him。　His　tutor；　Monsieur　Frost；

under　whose　care　he　still　pursued　his　studies　at　home；　had

entered　behind　me　with　a　sort　of　boyish　tread；　and　now　awoke　his

pupil。　Iwin　evinced　no　particular　pleasure　at　seeing　me；　while　I

also　seemed　to　notice　that；　while　talking　to　me；　he　kept　looking

at　my　eyebrows。　Although　he　was　perfectly　polite；　I　conceived

that　he　was　〃entertaining〃　me　much　as　the　Princess　Valakhin　had

done；　and　that　he　not　only　felt　no　particular　liking　for　me；　but

even　that　he　considered　my　acquaintance　in　no　way　necessary　to

one　who　possessed　his　own　circle　of　friends。　All　this　arose　out

of　the　idea　that　he　was　regarding　my　eyebrows。　In　short；　his

bearing　towards　me　appeared　to　be　（as　I　recognised　with　an

awkward　sensation）　very　much　the　same　as　my　own　towards　Ilinka

Grap。　I　began　to　feel　irritated；　and　to　interpret　every　fleeting

glance　which　he　cast　at　Monsieur　Frost　as　a　mute　inquiry：　〃Why

has　this　fellow　come　to　see　me？〃



After　some　conversation　he　remarked　that　his　father　and　mother

were　at　home。　Would　I　not　like　to　visit　them　too？



〃First　I　will　go　and　dress　myself；〃　he　added　as　he　departed　to

another　room；　notwithstanding　that　he　had　seemed　to　be　perfectly

well　dressed　（in　a　new　frockcoat　and　white　waistcoat）　in　the

present　one。　A　few　minutes　later　he　reappeared　in　his　University

uniform；　buttoned　up　to　the　chin；　and　we　went　downstairs

together。　The　reception　rooms　through　which　we　passed　were　lofty

and　of　great　size；　and　seemed　to　be　richly　furnished　with　marble

and　gilt　ornaments；　chintz…covered　settees；　and　a　number　of

mirrors。　Presently　Madame　Iwin　met　us；　and　we　went　into　a　little

room　behind　the　drawing…room；　where；　welcoming　me　in　very

friendly　fashion；　she　seated　herself　by　my　side；　and　began　to

inquire　after　my　relations。



Closer　acquaintance　with　Madame　（whom　I　had　seen　only　twice

before；　and　that　but　for　a　moment　on　each　occasion）　impressed　me

favourably。　She　was　tall；　thin；　and　very　pale；　and　looked　as

though　she　suffered　from　chronic　depress