The Precipice Part 5

In a moment both girls had vanished as if by magic, the sparrows were away on the roof, and the pigeons in flight. The servants in the yard stopped their work. Raisky looked in amazement on the emptiness and at the corn scattered at his feet.

Then he heard in the house bustle, murmurs, movement, the clatter of keys, and his aunt's voice, "Where is he?" Her face lighted up when she saw Raisky and she opened her arms, to press him to her breast.

She had aged, but in so even, so healthy a fashion, that there were no unwholesome patches, no deep hanging pockets about the eyes and mouth, no sadness or gloom in her eyes. Life had not conquered her; she conquered life, and only slowly laid down her weapons in the combat. Her voice was not so clear as of old, and she leaned on a stick, but she made no complaint. She still wore no cap on her short hair. Health and kindliness shone from her eyes, and not only from her eyes, from her whole figure.

"Borushka, my friend!" Three times she embraced him. Tears stood in her eyes. In her embrace, her voice, in the sudden grip of joy, there was tenderness, affection, and ardour.

He felt that he was almost a criminal, that he had been playing with his emotions and seeking forbidden fruit, wandering homelessly in the world, while Nature himself had been preparing for him a nest where sympathy and happiness awaited him.

"Marfinka, where are you, come here," cried her grandmother. "She was so terrified when she saw you, and terrified me too. Let me look at you, Borushka."

She led him to the light and looked at him long and earnestly.

"How ill you look," she said. "But no, you are sunburnt. The moustache suits you, why do you grow a beard? Shave it off, Borushka, I can't endure it. Ah! grey hairs here and there already. You are beginning to age too soon."

"It's not with age, Granny."

"Why then? Are you in good health?"

"I'm well enough. Let us talk of something else. You, thank G.o.d, are always the same."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't alter a bit, are still as beautiful as ever. I never saw an old lady whose age adorned her so."

"Thanks for the compliment, my child. It would be better for you to spend your admiration on your sisters. I will whisper the truth to you.

Two such beauties you will not find in the town, especially the other...."

"Where is my other sister?"

"On a visit to the pope's wife on the other side of the Volga. It is a pity. The pope's wife has been ill and sent for her, of course just now.

A messenger shall go."

"No! No! Why should anyone be disturbed on my account?"

"And you have come on your Grandmother so suddenly. We waited, waited, in vain. The peasants sat up for you at night, I have just sent Egorka on to the highway to look for you and Savili into the town. Now you must have your breakfast. Why is it so long in coming? The master has come, and there is nothing ready, just as if the house was nothing better than a station. Serve what is ready."

"I need nothing, Granny. I am stuffed with food. At one station I drank tea, milk at another, and at the third there was a wedding, and I was treated to wine, meat and gingerbread."

"You are on your way home to your Grandmother, and are not ashamed to eat and drink all sorts of things. Gingerbread in the morning! Marfinka ought to have been there; she loves weddings and gingerbread. Come in.

Marfinka, don't be so shy. She is ashamed because you caught her in her morning gown. Come here, darling; he is your brother."

Tea and coffee appeared, and finally breakfast. However much he protested Raisky had to eat, for otherwise his aunt's morning would have been spoiled.

"Marfinka, come here and entertain us."

After about five minutes the door opened slowly and quietly, and Marfinka entered, blushing with confusion and with downcast eyes. At her heels followed Va.s.silissa with a tea-tray full of sweets, preserves, cakes, etc. Marfinka stood still, betraying in her confusion a certain curiosity. She wore lace at her neck and wrists; her hair was plaited firmly around her head and the waist of her barege dress encircled by a blue ribbon.

Raisky threw down his napkin, and jumped up, to stand before her in admiration. "How lovely," he cried. "This is my little sister, Marfa Va.s.silievna. And is the goose still alive?"

Marfinka became still more embarra.s.sed, returned his greeting awkwardly, and retired to a corner.

"You have both gone mad," interrupted their aunt. "Is that the way to greet one another?"

"Marfa Va.s.silievna," said Raisky, as he sought to kiss Marfinka's hand.

"Va.s.silievna!" cried Tatiana Markovna. "Don't you love her any more?

Marfinka, not Marfa Va.s.silievna! You will be addressing me as Tatiana Markovna next! Kiss one another. Are you not brother and sister?"

"I won't, Grandmama. He is teasing me about the goose. It is not polite to spy on people," she said severely.

Everybody laughed. Raisky kissed her on both cheeks, embraced her, and overcame her confusion. She kissed him in return, and her shyness vanished.

"Do you remember, Marfinka, how we used to run about and draw, and how you cried?"

"No ... but yes. I do remember as if in a dream."

"How should she remember, when she was only five?" interrupted her aunt.

"But I do, Grandmama, as in a dream."

Raisky had hardly captured his old memories when Marfinka disappeared.

Soon she returned with sketch books, drawings and toys, and sitting down by Raisky in friendly fashion began, "Granny says that I don't remember.

I remember how you used to draw, and how I sat on your knee. Granny has all your drawings, portraits and sketch books. She has kept them all in the dark room where the silver, the diamonds and the lace are. She got them out, and gave them to me a little time ago, when she heard you were coming. Here is my portrait. How funny I looked! And here is Veroshka, and Granny, and Va.s.silissa. Do you remember how you held me, and Veroshka sat on your shoulder, and you carried us over the water?"

"Do you remember that too?" asked her aunt. "Boastful child! Veroshka said the other day...."

"This is how I draw now," said Marfinka, handing him a drawing of a bunch of flowers.

"Splendid, little sister! Is it done from nature?"

"Yes, from nature. I can make wax-flowers, too."

"And do you play or sing?"

"I play the piano."

"And does Veroshka draw and play?"

Marfinka shook her head.

"Does she like needlework? No? Then is she fond of reading?"

"Yes, she reads a great deal. But she does not tell us what she reads, nor show us the book, nor even say where she got it."

"She hides herself from everybody, does my strange child," sighed Tatiana Markovna. "G.o.d only knows what will become of her. Now, Marfinka, don't waste your brother's time any longer with your chatter about trifles. We will talk about serious matters, about the estate."

The old lady had worn a serious expression while she watched Boris as he talked to Marfinka. She recognised his mother's features, but the changes in his face did not escape her--the indications of vanishing youth, the premature furrows; and she was baffled by the original expression of his eyes. Formerly she had always been able to read his face, but now there was much inscribed on it that was undecipherable for her. Yet his temperament was open and affectionate and his words frankly interpreted his thoughts.

Now his aunt stood before him wearing a most business-like expression; in her hand were accounts and a ledger.