youth-第31节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



or　at　the　persons　to　whom　she　was　speaking　or　at　the　world　in

generala　thing　which；　possibly；　she　had　no　real　intention　of

doing。　Often　I　asked　myself　in　astonishment　what　she　could　mean

when　she　said　something　like；　〃Yes；　I　know　how　terribly　good…

looking　I　am；〃　or；　〃Of　course　every　one　is　in　love　with　me；〃　and

so　forth。　Her　mother　was　a　person　always　busy；　since　she　had　a

passion　for　housekeeping；　gardening；　flowers；　canaries；　and

pretty　trinkets。　Her　rooms　and　garden；　it　is　true；　were　small　and

poorly　fitted…up；　yet　everything　in　them　was　so　neat　and

methodical；　and　bore　such　a　general　air　of　that　gentle　gaiety

which　one　hears　expressed　in　a　waltz　or　polka；　that　the　word

〃toy〃　by　which　guests　often　expressed　their　praise　of　it　all

exactly　suited　her　surroundings。　She　herself　was　a　〃toy〃being

petite；　slender；　fresh…coloured；　small；　and　pretty…handed；　and

invariably　gay　and　well…dressed。　The　only　fault　in　her　was　that　a

slight　over…prominence　of　the　dark…blue　veins　on　her　little　hands

rather　marred　the　general　effect　of　her　appearance。　On　the　other

hand；　her　daughter　scarcely　ever　did　anything　at　all。　Not　only

had　she　no　love　for　trifling　with　flowers　and　trinkets；　but　she

neglected　her　personal　exterior；　and　only　troubled　to　dress

herself　well　when　guests　happened　to　call。　Yet；　on　returning　to

the　room　in　society　costume；　she　always　looked　extremely

handsomesave　for　that　cold；　uniform　expression　of　eyes　and

smile　which　is　common　to　all　beauties。　In　fact；　her　strictly

regular；　beautiful　face　and　symmetrical　figure　always　seemed　to

be　saying　to　you；　〃Yes；　you　may　look　at　me。〃



At　the　same　time；　for　all　the　mother's　liveliness　of　disposition

and　the　daughter's　air　of　indifference　and　abstraction；　something

told　one　that　the　former　was　incapable　of　feeling　affection　for

anything　that　was　not　pretty　and　gay；　but　that　Avdotia；　on　the

contrary；　was　one　of　those　natures　which；　once　they　love；　are

willing　to　sacrifice　their　whole　life　for　the　man　they　adore。



XXXIV



MY　FATHER'S　SECOND　MARRIAGE



MY　father　was　forty…eight　when　he　took　as　his　second　wife　Avdotia

Vassilievna　Epifanov。



I　suspect　that　when；　that　spring；　he　had　departed　for　the　country

with　the　girls；　he　had　been　in　that　communicatively　happy；

sociable　mood　in　which　gamblers　usually　find　themselves　who　have

retired　from　play　after　winning　large　stakes。　He　had　felt　that　he

still　had　a　fortune　left　to　him　which；　so　long　as　he　did　not

squander　it　on　gaming；　might　be　used　for　our　advancement　in　life。

Moreover；　it　was　springtime；　he　was　unexpectedly　well　supplied

with　ready　money；　he　was　alone；　and　he　had　nothing　to　do。　As　he

conversed　with　Jakoff　on　various　matters；　and　remembered　both　the

interminable　suit　with　the　Epifanovs　and　Avdotia's　beauty　（it　was

a　long　while　since　he　had　seen　her）；　I　can　imagine　him　saying：

〃How　do　you　think　we　ought　to　act　in　this　suit；　Jakoff？　My　idea

is　simply　to　let　the　cursed　land　go。　Eh？　What　do　you　think　about

it？〃　I　can　imagine；　too；　how；　thus　interrogated；　Jakoff　twirled

his　fingers　behind　his　back　in　a　deprecatory　sort　of　way；　and

proceeded　to　argue　that　it　all　the　same；　Peter　Alexandritch；　we

are　in　the　right。〃　Nevertheless；　I　further　conjecture；　Papa

ordered　the　dogcart　to　be　got　ready；　put　on　his　fashionable

olive…coloured　driving…coat；　brushed　up　the　remnants　of　his　hair；

sprinkled　his　clothes　with　scent；　and；　greatly　pleased　to　think

that　he　was　acting　a　la　seignior　（as　well　as；　even　more；

revelling　in　the　prospect　of　soon　seeing　a　pretty　woman）；　drove

off　to　visit　his　neighbours。



I　can　imagine；　too；　that　when　the　flustered　housemaid　ran　to

inform　Peter　Vassilievitch　that　Monsieur　Irtenieff　himself　had

called；　Peter　answered　angrily；　〃Well；　what　has　he　come　for？〃

and；　stepping　softly　about　the　house；　first　went　into　his　study

to　put　on　his　old　soiled　jacket；　and　then　sent　down　word　to　the

cook　that　on　no　account　whateverno；　not　even　if　she　were

ordered　to　do　so　by　the　mistress　herselfwas　she　to　add　anything

to　luncheon。



Since；　later；　I　often　saw　Papa　with　Peter；　I　can　form　a　very　good

idea　of　this　first　interview　between　them。　I　can　imagine　that；

despite　Papa's　proposal　to　end　the　suit　in　a　peaceful　manner；

Peter　was　morose　and　resentful　at　the　thought　of　having

sacrificed　his　career　to　his　mother；　and　at　Papa　having　done

nothing　of　the　kinda　by　no　means　surprising　circumstance；　Peter

probably　said　to　himself。　Next；　I　can　see　Papa　taking　no　notice

of　this　ill…humour；　but　cracking　quips　and　jests；　while　Peter

gradually　found　himself　forced　to　treat　him　as　a　humorist　with

whom　he　felt　offended　one　moment　and　inclined　to　be　reconciled

the　next。　Indeed；　with　his　instinct　for　making　fun　of　everything；

Papa　often　used　to　address　Peter　as　〃Colonel；〃　and　though　I　can

remember　Peter　once　replying；　with　an　unusually　violent　stutter

and　his　face　scarlet　with　indignation；　that　he　had　never　been　a

c…c…colonel；　but　only　a　l…l…lieutenant；　Papa　called　him　〃Colonel〃

again　before　another　five　minutes　were　out。



Lubotshka　told　me　that；　up　to　the　time　of　Woloda's　and　my　arrival

from　Moscow；　there　had　been　daily　meetings　with　the　Epifanovs；

and　that　things　had　been　very　lively；　since　Papa；　who　had　a

genius　for　arranging；　everything　with　a　touch　of　originality　and

wit；　as　well　as　in　a　simple　and　refined　manner；　had　devised

shooting　and　fishing　parties　and　fireworks　for　the　Epifanovs'

benefit。　All　these　festivitiesso　said　Lubotshkawould　have

gone　off　splendidly　but　for　the　intolerable　Peter；　who　had　spoilt

everything　by　his　puffing　and　stuttering。　After　our　coming；

however；　the　Epifanovs　only　visited　us　twice；　and　we　went　once　to

their　house；　while　after　St。　Peter's　Day　（on　which；　it　being

Papa's　nameday；　the　Epifanovs　called　upon　us　in　common　with　a

crowd　of　other　guests）　our　relations　with　that　family　came

entirely　to　an　end；　and；　in　future；　only　Papa　went　to　see　them。



During　the　brief　period　when　I　had　opportunities　of　seeing　Papa

and　Dunetchka　（as　her　mother　called　Avdotia）　together；　this　is

what　I　remarked　about　them。　Papa　remained　unceasingly　in　the　same

buoyant　mood　as　had　so　greatly　struck　me　on　the　day　after　our

arrival。　So　gay　and　youthful　and　full　of　life　and　happy　did　he

seem　that　the　beams　of　his　felicity　extended　themselves　to　all

around　him；　and　involuntarily　communicated　to　them　a　similar

frame　of　mind。　He　never　stirred　from　Avdotia's　side　so　long　as

she　was　in　the　room；　but　either　kept　on　plying　her　with　sugary…

sweet　compliments　which　made　me　feel　ashamed　for　him　or；　with　his

gaze　fixed　upon　her　with　an　air　at　once　passionate　and

complacent；　sat　hitching　his　shoulder　and　coughing　as　from　time

to　time　he　smiled　and　whispered　something　in　her　ear。　Yet

throughout　he　wore　the　same　expression　of　raillery　as　was

peculiar　to　him　even　in　the　most　serious　matters。



As　a　rule；　Avdotia　herself　seemed　to　catch　the　infection　of　the

happiness　which　sparkled　at　this　period　in　Papa's　large　blue

eyes；　yet　there　were　moments　also　when　she　would　be　seized　with

such　a　fit　of　shyness　that　I；　who　knew　the　feeling　well；　was　full

of　sympathy　and　compassion　as　I　regarded　her　embarrassment。　At

moments　of　this　kind　she　seemed　to　be　afraid　of　every　glance　and

every　movementto　be　supposing　that　every　one　was　looking　at　her；

every　one　thinking　of　no　one　but　her；　and　that　unfavourably。　She

would　glance　timidly　from　one　person　to　another；　the　colour

coming　and　going　in　her　cheeks；　and　then　begin　to　talk　loudly　and

defiantly；　but；　for　the　most　part；　nonsense；　until　presently；

realising　this；　and　supposing　that　Papa　and　every　one　else　had

heard　her；　she　would　blush　more　painfully　than　ever。　Yet　Papa

never　noticed　her　nonsense；　for　he　was　too　much　taken　up　with

coughing　and　with　gazing　at　her　with　his　look　of　happy；

triumphant　devotion。　I　noticed；　too；　that；　although　these　fits　of

shyness　attacked　Avdotia；　without　any　visible　cause；　they　not

infrequently　ensued　upon　Papa's　mention　of　one　or　another　young

and　beautiful　woman。　Frequent　transitions　from　depression　to　that

strange；　awkward　gaiety　of　hers　to　which　I　have　referred　before。

the　repetition　of　favourite　words　and　turns　of　speech　of　Papa's；

the　continuation　of　discussions　with　others　which　Papa　had

already　begunall　these　things；　if　my　father　had　not　been　the

principal　actor　in　the　matter　and　I　had　been　a　little　older；

would　have　explained　to　me　the　relations　subsisting　between　him

and　Avdotia。　At　the　time；　however；　I　never　surmised　themno；　not

even　when　Papa　received　from　her　brother　Peter　a　letter　which　so

upset　him　that　not　again　until　the　end　of　August　did　he　go　to

call　upon　the　Epifanovs'。　Then；　however；　he　began　his　visits　once

more；　and　ended　by　informing　us；　on　the　day　before　Woloda　and　I

were　to　return　to　Moscow；　that　he　was　about　to　take　Avdotia

Vassilievna　Epifanov　to　be　his　wife。



XXXV



HOW　WE　RECEIVED　THE　NEWS



Yet；　even　on　the　eve　of　the　official