The Doll - Bolesaw Prus [249]
Footsteps and voices were heard in the corridor, the door opened again and the conductor reappeared accompanied by a very lean gentleman with a tiny, pointed and grizzled moustache, an almost grey and even smaller beard, and very grey hair.
‘This can’t be he,’ Wokulski thought, ‘he used to be quite dark …’
‘My profoundest apologies for disturbing you,’ said the Baron, swaying with the train’s motion, ‘… profoundest … I would not venture to intrude on your solitude, were it not that I wanted to inquire whether you are going to visit our respected Duchess, who has been expecting you all week?’
‘That is precisely where I am bound for. How are you, Baron? Pray be seated.’
‘Capital,’ the Baron exclaimed, ‘I am going there too. I’ve been staying at the Duchess’s nearly two months. That’s to say, sir, not so much staying as continually visiting. Either from my own house which is being done up, or from Warsaw … I am now on my way back from Vienna, where I was buying furniture, but I’ll be staying at the Duchess’s only a few days, for I have to alter all the tapestries at the palace, put up only two weeks ago. But there’s no help for it … They weren’t liked, so we must take them down, no help for it!’
He smiled and blinked, and Wokulski felt cold. ‘Who is the furniture for? Who didn’t like the tapestry?’ he asked himself in alarm.
‘My dear sir,’ the Baron went on, ‘you have just completed your mission. My congratulations!’ he added, pressing his hand, ‘from the first moment, sir, I felt respect and liking for you, and this is now changing into genuine admiration. Yes indeed, sir. Our tendency to avoid political life has done us great harm. You were the first to break with the absurd principle of abstinence from it, and for that, sir, I admire you … After all, we must concern ourselves with the matters of the state in which our properties are, where our future lies …’
‘I don’t understand you, Baron,’ Wokulski suddenly interrupted.
The Baron grew so confused that he sat for a moment without a word or movement. Finally he stammered: ‘I apologise … Indeed, I had no intention of … But I think my friendship for the venerable Duchess who, sir, so …’
‘Let us have done with explanations,’ said Wokulski with a smile, pressing his hand, ‘are you pleased with your purchases in Vienna?’
‘Very much so, sir … very much. Will you believe me, though when I say there was a moment when I intended to disturb you in Paris, on the advice of the venerable Duchess …’
‘I would gladly have been of service. What was the matter?’
‘I wanted to have a diamond set there,’ said the Baron, but as I came across some splendid sapphires in Vienna … I have them with me, and if you permit … Are you an expert in jewels?’
‘Who are these sapphires for?’ Wokulski thought. He wanted to straighten his back, but felt he could neither raise his arms nor move his legs. Meanwhile, the Baron had produced four velvet boxes from various pockets, placed them on the seat and began opening them. ‘This is a bracelet,’ he said, ‘modest, is it not? One stone … The brooch and earrings are more ornate: I even ordered them to change the setting … This is the necklace … Simple but tasteful, and perhaps that is why it is beautiful … Fiery, sir, are they not?’
As he spoke, he moved the sapphires before Wokulski’s eyes, in the flickering light of the lamp. ‘Don’t you like them?’ the Baron suddenly asked, seeing that his companion did not answer.
‘Of course, very fine. To whom are you bringing this gift?’
‘To my fiancée,’ the Baron replied, in a tone of surprise, ‘I thought the Duchess would have mentioned our family happiness to you?’
‘Not a word.’
‘It is just five weeks today that I proposed and was accepted.’
‘To whom did you propose? … The Duchess?