The Diary of a Superfluous Man and Other Stories Part 23

There was no great friendship between him and Akim, but no hostility between them was apparent; Akim paid no great attention to him, and knew nothing about him, except that he was an intelligent young fellow, who had started out boldly. He did not suspect Avdotya's real feelings, and continued to trust her as before.

Thus pa.s.sed two years more.

Then, one summer day, before dinner, about one o'clock, Lizaveta Prokhorovna, who precisely during the course of those two years had somehow suddenly grown wrinkled and sallow, despite all sorts of ma.s.sage, rouge, and powder,--Lizaveta Prokhorovna, with her lap-dog and her folding parasol, strolled forth for a walk in her neat little German park. Lightly rustling her starched gown, she was walking with mincing steps along the sanded path, between two rows of dahlias drawn up in military array, when suddenly she was overtaken by our old acquaintance, Kirillovna, who respectfully announced that a certain merchant from B***

desired to see her on a very important matter. Kirillovna, as of yore, enjoyed the mistress's favour (in reality, _she_ managed the estate of Madame Kuntze), and some time previously had received permission to wear a white mob-cap, which imparted still more harshness to the thin features of her swarthy face.

"A merchant?"--inquired the lady. "What does he want?"

"I don't know, ma'am, what he wants,"--replied Kirillovna in a wheedling voice;--"but, apparently, he wishes to purchase something from you, ma'am."

Lizaveta Prokhorovna returned to the drawing-room, seated herself in her customary place, an arm-chair with a canopy, over which ivy meandered prettily, and ordered the merchant from B*** to be summoned.

Naum entered, made his bow, and halted at the door.

"I have heard that you wish to buy something from me,"--began Lizaveta Prokhorovna, and thought to herself the while:--"What a handsome man this merchant is!"

"Exactly so, ma'am."

"And precisely what is it?"

"Will you not deign to sell your inn?"

"What inn?"

"Why, the one which stands on the highway, not far from here."

"But that inn does not belong to me. That is Akim's inn."

"Why is n't it yours? It stands on your land, ma'am."

"a.s.suming that the land is mine .... bought in my name; still the inn is his."

"Just so, ma'am. So then, won't you sell it to us, ma'am?"

"I am to sell it?"

"Just so, ma'am. And we would pay a good price for it."

Lizaveta Prokhorovna maintained silence for a while.

"Really, this is strange,"--she began again; "what are you saying? But how much would you give?"--she added.--"That is to say, I am not asking for myself, but for Akim."

"Why, with all the buildings and, ma'am, dependencies, ma'am ... well ... and, of course, with the land attached to the inn, we would give two thousand rubles, ma'am."

"Two thousand rubles! That 's very little,"--replied Lizaveta Prokhorovna.

"That 's the proper price, ma'am."

"But, have you talked it over with Akim?"

"Why should we talk with him, ma'am? The inn is yours, so we have thought best to discuss it with you, ma'am."

"But I have already told you .... really, this is astonishing! How is it that you do not understand me?"

"Why don't we understand, ma'am? We do."

Lizaveta Prokhorovna looked at Naum, Naum looked at Lizaveta Prokhorovna.

"How is it to be, then, ma'am?"--he began:--"what proposal have you to make on your side, that is to say, ma'am?"

"On my side ...." Lizaveta Prokhorovna fidgeted about in her easy-chair.--"In the first place, I tell you that two thousand is not enough, and in the second place ...."

"We 'll add a hundred, if you like."

Lizaveta Prokhorovna rose.

"I see that you are talking at cross-purposes, and I have already told you that I cannot and will not sell that inn. I cannot .... that is to say, I will not."

Naum smiled and made no reply for a while.

"Well, as you like, ma'am ...." he remarked, with a slight shrug of the shoulders;--"I will bid you good-day, ma'am."--And he made his bow, and grasped the door-handle.

Lizaveta Prokhorovna turned toward him.

"However,...." she said, with barely perceptible hesitation,--"you need not go just yet."--She rang the bell; Kirillovna made her appearance from the boudoir.

"Kirillovna, order the servants to give the merchant tea.--I will see you later on,"--she added, with a slight inclination of her head.

Naum bowed again, and left the room in company with Kirillovna.

Lizaveta Prokhorovna paced up and down the room a couple of times, then rang the bell again. This time a page entered. She ordered him to summon Kirillovna. In a few moments Kirillovna entered, with barely a squeak of her new goat's-leather shoes.

"Didst thou hear,"--began Lizaveta Prokhorovna, with a constrained smile,--"what that merchant is proposing to me? Such a queer man, really!"

"No, ma'am, I did n't hear.... What is it, ma'am?"--And Kirillovna slightly narrowed her little, black, Kalmk eyes.

"He wants to buy Akim's inn from me."

"And what of that, ma'am?"

"Why, seest thou .... But how about Akim? I have given it to Akim."

"And, good gracious, my lady, what is it you are pleased to say? Is n't that inn yours? Are n't we your property, pray? And everything we have,--is n't that also the property of the mistress?"

"Mercy me, what 's that thou 'rt saying, Kirillovna?"--Lizaveta Prokhorovna got out her batiste handkerchief and nervously blew her nose.--"Akim bought that inn out of his own money."

"Out of his own money? And where did he get that money?--Was n't it through your kindness? And, then, see how long he has enjoyed the use of the land.... Surely, all this is through your kindness. And do you think, madam, that even so he will not have more money left? Why, he 's richer than you are, as G.o.d is my witness, ma'am!"