Oblomov - Ivan Goncharov [221]
Ivan Matveyevich was not listening; he had been thinking of something for some time.
‘Listen, old man,’ he suddenly began, opening his eyes wide and so pleased about something that he seemed to have become sober; ‘but – no! I’m afraid I’d better not tell you – can’t let such a glorious little bird out of my head – it’s a real treasure, it is…. Let’s have a drink, old man, let’s have a drink quick!’
‘I won’t drink before you tell me,’ said Tarantyev, pushing away his glass.
‘It’s a very important business, old man,’ Ivan Matveyevich whispered, glancing at the door.
‘Well?’ Tarantyev asked impatiently.
‘It’s a real find. You see, old man, it’s the same as putting your name to a big affair, upon my word, it is!’
‘What is it, for goodness’ sake? Won’t you tell me?’
‘It’s a gift – a gift!’
‘Well?’ Tarantyev egged him on.
‘Wait a bit, I must think it over. Yes, it’s as safe as houses, it’s perfectly legal. All right, old man, I’ll tell, but only because I need you; I couldn’t very well carry it out without you. Otherwise – God’s my witness – I shouldn’t have told you for anything in the world. It’s not the sort of thing you can very well confide to another soul.’
‘Am I a stranger to you, old man? I believe I can claim to have been useful to you many times, as a witness and for making copies – remember? What a swine you are!’
‘Look here, my dear fellow, hold your tongue, will you? I know the sort of chap you are – always letting the cat out of the bag!’
‘Who the hell can hear us here?’ Tarantyev said with annoyance. ‘Have I ever forgotten myself? Why keep me in suspense? Come on, out with it!’
‘Now, listen: Oblomov is a bit of a coward, and he has no idea how things are done. He lost his head over that agreement, and he did not know what to do with the deed of trust when he got it; he doesn’t even remember the amount of the tax the peasants have to pay him. He told me himself that he did not know anything.’
‘Well?’ Tarantyev cried impatiently.
‘Well, he’s been going to my sister’s rooms much too often. The other day he sat there till after midnight, and when he met me in the hall he pretended not to see me. So we’ll just wait and see what’s going to happen and – you’ll have to take him aside and have a talk to him about it. Tell him that it isn’t nice to bring dishonour on a family, that she is a widow, that people are talking about it, and that she’ll find it impossible to get married again, that she had a proposal of marriage from a rich merchant, but now that he had heard that Oblomov was spend-the evenings with her, he is no longer anxious to carry on with his suit….’
‘Well, what will happen is that he will get frightened, take to his bed and sigh, turning from side to side like a hog – that’s all,’ said Tarantyev. ‘What do we get out of it? Where’s your gift?’
‘Don’t be an ass! You tell him that I am going to lodge a complaint against him, that I have had him watched, that I have witnesses….’
‘Well?’
‘Well, if he gets thoroughly frightened, you can tell him that the whole thing can be settled in a friendly way by his sacrificing a small sum.’
‘But where will he get the money?’ asked Tarantyev. ‘If he is frightened, he’ll promise anything you like, even ten thousand.’
‘You just give me a wink, I’ll have an IOU ready – in my sister’s name, to the effect that he, Oblomov, had borrowed ten thousand from widow So-and-so, to be repaid within – and so on.’
‘What’s the use of that, old man? I don’t understand: the money will go to your sister and her children. What do we get out of it?’
‘And my sister will give me an IOU for the same amount. I’ll make her sign it.’
‘But what if she doesn’t? What if she refuses?’
‘Who? My sister?’
And Ivan Matveyevich burst into a shrill laugh.
‘She’ll sign, old man, don’t you worry. She’d sign her own death