A Hero of Our Time [52]
like a fringe of silver. The calls of the sentries mingled at intervals with the roar of the hot springs let flow for the night. At times the loud clattering of a horse rang out along the street, accompanied by the creaking of a Nagai wagon and the plaintive burden of a Tartar song.
I sat down upon a bench and fell into a reverie. . . I felt the necessity of pouring forth my thoughts in friendly conversation. . . But with whom? . . .
"What is Vera doing now?" I wondered.
I would have given much to press her hand at that moment.
All at once I heard rapid and irregular steps. . . Grushnitski, no doubt! . . . So it was!
"Where have you come from?"
"From Princess Ligovski's," he said very importantly. "How well Mary does sing!" . . .
"Do you know?" I said to him. "I wager that she does not know that you are a cadet. She thinks you are an officer reduced to the ranks" . . .
"Maybe so. What is that to me!" . . . he said absently.
"No, I am only saying so" . . .
"But, do you know that you have made her terribly angry to-day? She considered it an un- heard-of piece of insolence. It was only with difficulty that I was able to convince her that you are so well bred and know society so well that you could not have had any intention of insulting her. She says that you have an impudent glance, and that you have certainly a very high opinion of yourself."
"She is not mistaken. . . But do you not want to defend her?"
"I am sorry I have not yet the right to do so" . . .
"Oho!" I said to myself, "evidently he has hopes already."
"However, it is the worse for you," con- tinued Grushnitski; "it will be difficult for you to make their acquaintance now, and what a pity! It is one of the most agreeable houses I know" . . .
I smiled inwardly.
"The most agreeable house to me now is my own," I said, with a yawn, and I got up to go.
"Confess, though, you repent?" . . .
"What nonsense! If I like I will be at Princess Ligovski's to-morrow evening!" . . .
"We shall see" . . .
"I will even begin to pay my addresses to Princess Mary, if you would like me to" . . .
"Yes, if she is willing to speak to you" . . .
"I am only awaiting the moment when she will be bored by your conversation. . . Good- bye" . . .
"Well, I am going for a stroll; I could not go to sleep now for anything. . . Look here, let us go to the restaurant instead, there is card- playing going on there. . . What I need now is violent sensations" . . .
"I hope you will lose" . . .
I went home.
CHAPTER IV
21st May.
NEARLY a week has passed, and I have not yet made the Ligovskis' acquaintance. I am awaiting a convenient opportunity. Grushnitski follows Princess Mary everywhere like a shadow. Their conversations are interminable; but, when will she be tired of him? . . . Her mother pays no attention, because he is not a man who is in a position to marry. Behold the logic of mothers! I have caught two or three tender glances -- this must be put a stop to.
Yesterday, for the first time, Vera made her appearance at the well. . . She has never gone out of doors since we met in the grotto. We let down our tumblers at the same time, and as she bent forward she whispered to me:
"You are not going to make the Ligovskis' acquaintance? . . . It is only there that we can meet" . . .
A reproach! . . . How tiresome! But I have deserved it. . .
By the way, there is a subscription ball to- morrow in the saloon of the restaurant, and I will dance the mazurka with Princess Mary.
CHAPTER V
29th May.
THE saloon of the restaurant was converted into the assembly room of a Nobles' Club. The company met at nine o'clock. Princess Ligovski and her daughter were amongst the latest to make their appearance. Several of the ladies looked at Princess Mary with envy and malevolence, because she dresses with taste. Those who look upon themselves as the aris- tocracy of the place concealed their envy and attached themselves to her train. What else could be expected? Wherever there
I sat down upon a bench and fell into a reverie. . . I felt the necessity of pouring forth my thoughts in friendly conversation. . . But with whom? . . .
"What is Vera doing now?" I wondered.
I would have given much to press her hand at that moment.
All at once I heard rapid and irregular steps. . . Grushnitski, no doubt! . . . So it was!
"Where have you come from?"
"From Princess Ligovski's," he said very importantly. "How well Mary does sing!" . . .
"Do you know?" I said to him. "I wager that she does not know that you are a cadet. She thinks you are an officer reduced to the ranks" . . .
"Maybe so. What is that to me!" . . . he said absently.
"No, I am only saying so" . . .
"But, do you know that you have made her terribly angry to-day? She considered it an un- heard-of piece of insolence. It was only with difficulty that I was able to convince her that you are so well bred and know society so well that you could not have had any intention of insulting her. She says that you have an impudent glance, and that you have certainly a very high opinion of yourself."
"She is not mistaken. . . But do you not want to defend her?"
"I am sorry I have not yet the right to do so" . . .
"Oho!" I said to myself, "evidently he has hopes already."
"However, it is the worse for you," con- tinued Grushnitski; "it will be difficult for you to make their acquaintance now, and what a pity! It is one of the most agreeable houses I know" . . .
I smiled inwardly.
"The most agreeable house to me now is my own," I said, with a yawn, and I got up to go.
"Confess, though, you repent?" . . .
"What nonsense! If I like I will be at Princess Ligovski's to-morrow evening!" . . .
"We shall see" . . .
"I will even begin to pay my addresses to Princess Mary, if you would like me to" . . .
"Yes, if she is willing to speak to you" . . .
"I am only awaiting the moment when she will be bored by your conversation. . . Good- bye" . . .
"Well, I am going for a stroll; I could not go to sleep now for anything. . . Look here, let us go to the restaurant instead, there is card- playing going on there. . . What I need now is violent sensations" . . .
"I hope you will lose" . . .
I went home.
CHAPTER IV
21st May.
NEARLY a week has passed, and I have not yet made the Ligovskis' acquaintance. I am awaiting a convenient opportunity. Grushnitski follows Princess Mary everywhere like a shadow. Their conversations are interminable; but, when will she be tired of him? . . . Her mother pays no attention, because he is not a man who is in a position to marry. Behold the logic of mothers! I have caught two or three tender glances -- this must be put a stop to.
Yesterday, for the first time, Vera made her appearance at the well. . . She has never gone out of doors since we met in the grotto. We let down our tumblers at the same time, and as she bent forward she whispered to me:
"You are not going to make the Ligovskis' acquaintance? . . . It is only there that we can meet" . . .
A reproach! . . . How tiresome! But I have deserved it. . .
By the way, there is a subscription ball to- morrow in the saloon of the restaurant, and I will dance the mazurka with Princess Mary.
CHAPTER V
29th May.
THE saloon of the restaurant was converted into the assembly room of a Nobles' Club. The company met at nine o'clock. Princess Ligovski and her daughter were amongst the latest to make their appearance. Several of the ladies looked at Princess Mary with envy and malevolence, because she dresses with taste. Those who look upon themselves as the aris- tocracy of the place concealed their envy and attached themselves to her train. What else could be expected? Wherever there