The Diary of a Superfluous Man and Other Stories Part 8

One day, quite late in the evening, Vasily was sitting alone in his own room and attentively perusing the latest letters he had received from Petersburg--when, suddenly, the door creaked softly and Palashka, Olga Ivanovna's maid, entered.

"What dost thou want?"--Vasily asked her, quite curtly.

"My mistress begs that you will come to her."

"I can't at present. Go away... Well, why dost thou stand there?"--he went on, perceiving that Palashka did not leave the room.

"My mistress ordered me to say that there is very great need, sir."

"Well, but what 's the matter?"

"Please to see for yourself, sir...."

Vasily rose, with vexation tossed the letters into a casket, and betook himself to Olga Ivanovna. She was sitting alone in a corner,--pale and motionless.

"What do you want?"--he asked her, not very politely.

Olga looked at him, and with a shudder, covered her eyes.

"What ails you? what 's the matter with thee, Olga?"

He took her hand... Olga Ivanovna's hand was as cold as ice... She tried to speak .... and her voice died away. The poor woman had no doubt left in her mind as to her condition.

Vasily was somewhat disconcerted. Olga Ivanovna's room was a couple of paces from the bedroom of Anna Pavlovna. Vasily cautiously seated himself beside Olga, kissed and warmed her hands, and argued with her in a whisper. She listened to him, and shivered silently, slightly.

Palashka stood in the doorway and softly wiped away her tears. In the adjoining room a pendulum was beating heavily and regularly, and the breathing of a sleeper was audible. Olga Ivanovna's torpor dissolved, at last, in tears and dull sobs. Tears are the equivalent of a thunder-storm: after them a person is always quieter. When Olga Ivanovna had become somewhat composed, and only sobbed convulsively from time to time like a child, Vasily knelt down before her, and with caresses and tender promises soothed her completely, gave her a drink of water, put her to bed, and went away. All night long he did not undress himself, wrote two or three letters, burned two or three papers, got out a golden locket with the portrait of a black-browed and black-eyed woman, with a bold, sensual face, gazed long at her features, and paced his chamber in thought. On the following morning, at tea, he beheld, with a good deal of dissatisfaction, poor Olga's reddened, swollen eyes, and pale, distraught face. After breakfast, he proposed to her that she should take a stroll with him in the park. Olga followed Vasily like an obedient sheep. But when, two hours later, she returned from the park, she looked dreadfully; she told Anna Pavlovna that she felt ill, and went to bed. During the walk, Vasily had announced to her, with all due penitence, that he was secretly married--he was just as much a bachelor as I am. Olga Ivanovna did not fall down in a swoon--people fall in swoons only on the stage; but she became suddenly petrified, although she not only had not been hoping to marry Vasily Ivanovitch, but had even, somehow, been afraid to think of it. Vasily began to demonstrate to her the necessity of parting from him and marrying Rogatchyoff. Olga Ivanovna looked at him with dumb horror. Vasily talked coldly, practically, sensibly; he blamed himself, he expressed regret,--but all his arguments wound up with the following words: "We must act." Olga lost her head completely; she was frightened and ashamed; dismal, heavy despair took possession of her; she longed for death--and sadly awaited Vasily's decision.

"We must confess all to my mother," he said at last.

Olga turned deadly pale; her limbs gave way beneath her.

"Don't be frightened, don't be frightened,"--Vasily kept repeating:--"rely on me; I will not forsake thee ... I will arrange everything ... trust in me."

The poor woman gazed at him with love ... yes, with love, and with profound, though hopeless devotion.

"I will arrange everything, everything,"--said Vasily to her at parting ... and for the last time kissed her ice-cold hands.

Olga Ivanovna had just risen from her bed on the following morning, when her door opened ... and Anna Pavlovna made her appearance on the threshold. She was supported by Vasily. Silently she made her way to an arm-chair, and silently seated herself. Vasily stood beside her. He seemed composed; his brows were contracted, and his lips were slightly parted. Anna Pavlovna, pale, indignant, wrathful, tried to speak, but her voice failed her. Olga Ivanovna with terror, took in, in a single glance, her benefactress and her lover; she felt a frightful sinking at the heart ... with a shriek she fell down on her knees in the middle of the room and covered her face with her hands....

"So it is true ... it is true?" whispered Anna Pavlovna, and bent toward her.... "Answer!"--she went on harshly, seizing Olga by the arm.

"Mamma!" rang out Vasily's brazen voice,--"you promised me not to insult her."

"I won't ... come, confess .... confess ... is it true? Is it true?"

"Mamma ... remember!..." said Vasily, slowly.

That one word shook Anna Pavlovna violently. She leaned against the back of her chair, and fell to sobbing.

Olga Ivanovna softly raised her head and attempted to fling herself at the old woman's feet, but Vasily restrained her, raised her up, and seated her in another arm-chair. Anna Pavlovna continued to weep and whisper incoherent words....

"Listen, mamma,"--began Vasily. "Don't be so overwhelmed! This calamity can still be alleviated.... If Rogatchyoff ...."

Olga Ivanovna shuddered and straightened herself up.

"If Rogatchyoff,"--pursued Vasily, with a significant glance at Olga Ivanovna,--"has imagined that he can with impunity disgrace an honourable family ...."

Olga Ivanovna was terrified.

"In my house,"--moaned Anna Pavlovna.

"Calm yourself, mamma. He has taken advantage of her inexperience, of her youth, he .... did you wish to say something?"--he added, perceiving that Olga was trying to get at him.

Olga Ivanovna fell back in her chair.

"I shall go at once to Rogatchyoff. I shall force him to wed her this very day. Be a.s.sured, I shall not permit him to jeer at us...."

"But ... Vasily Ivanovitch ... you ..." whispered Olga.

He stared long and coldly at her. She relapsed into silence.

"Mamma, give me your word not to disturb her until my arrival. See--she is barely alive. Yes, and you require rest yourself. Trust to me: I answer for everything; in any case, await my return. I repeat to you--do not kill her, nor yourself--rely upon me."

He walked to the door, and paused.

"Mamma,"--he said: "come with me. Leave her alone, I beg of you."

Anna Pavlovna rose, went to the holy picture, made a reverence to the floor, and softly followed her son. Olga Ivanovna followed her silently and immovably with her eyes. Vasily hastily came back, seized her hand, whispered in her ear: "Trust to me, and do not betray us,"--and immediately withdrew....

"Boursier!" he shouted, as he ran swiftly down the stairs.--"Boursier!"

A quarter of an hour later he was seated in his calash with his servant.

Old Rogatchyoff was not at home that day. He had gone to the county town, to buy seersucker for kaftans to clothe his retainers. Pavel Afanasievitch was sitting in his study, and inspecting a collection of faded b.u.t.terflies. Elevating his eyebrows, and thrusting forth his lips, he was cautiously turning about with a pin the large wings of the "nocturnal sphinx," when suddenly, he felt a small but heavy hand on his shoulder. He glanced round--before him stood Vasily.

"Good morning, Vasily Ivanovitch,"--said he, not without some surprise.

Vasily looked at him and sat down in front of him on a chair.

Pavel Afanasievitch was about to smile ... but glanced at Vasily, relaxed, opened his mouth, and clasped his hands.

"Come, tell me, Pavel Afanasievitch,"--began Vasily, suddenly:--"do you intend to have the wedding soon?"

"I?... soon .... of course.... I, so far as I am concerned .... however, that is as you and your sister choose.... I, for my part, am ready to-morrow, if you like."

"Very good, very good. You are a very impatient man, Pavel Afanasievitch."

"How so, sir?"