The Doll - Bolesaw Prus [320]
He sat up and replied with a smile: ‘Come, that wouldn’t be a bad idea! A most agreeable woman, and I haven’t been there for ages. We must take the opportunity to send a few toys for the little girl.’
The wall of ice which had formed between us now burst. We both regained our earlier frankness and talked of past times until midnight. On saying goodnight, Staś told me: ‘A man sometimes makes a fool of himself, but sometimes he regains his common sense. May God reward you, my old friend!’
My dear, beloved Staś! I’ll marry him to Stawska even if I burst in the attempt.
On the day of the Prince’s ball neither Staś nor Szlangbaum were in the store. I guessed they must be arranging the sale of our business. At any other time, an incident like this would have spoiled my mood for the entire day. But this day I didn’t think once of the disappearance of our firm, and its replacement by a Jewish name-plate. What did the store matter to me, as long as Staś was happy, or had at least got out of his miseries? I must marry him off, come what may …
That morning I sent Mrs Stawska a note announcing that Wokulski and I were coming for tea that day. I ventured to add a box of toys for Helena. It included a forest with animals, a set of dolls’ furniture, a little tea-set and a brass samovar. Total: 13 roubles, 60 kopeks, with packing.
I still have to think how to get around Mrs Misiewicz. Then I’ll make a pair of pliers out of Grandma and the little daughter, and will so squeeze the pretty mother by the heart that she’ll have to surrender before Midsummer Day. (Oh, confound it! And that husband abroad? Well, what of him, let him look after himself … Besides, for some ten thousand roubles we’ll get a divorce for desertion and very likely he’s dead.)
When the store closed, I went to Staś. The footman, holding a starched shirt in one hand, opened the door. Passing the bedroom, I saw a tail-coat over a chair, a waistcoat … Could it be that our visit would come to nothing?
Staś was reading an English book in his study (God alone knows what he wants with studying English! A man can marry even if he’s deaf and dumb, after all.) He greeted me cordially, though not without a certain hesitation. ‘I must seize the bull by the horns,’ thought I, and without putting down my cap, I said: ‘Well, come, there’s no point in lingering. Let’s be off, else the ladies will be going to bed.’
Wokulski laid aside the book, and pondered. ‘A nasty evening,’ he said, ‘it’s snowing.’
‘That won’t prevent other people from going to the ball, so why should it spoil our evening?’ I replied, as though I didn’t know what he meant. It was as though I’d stung him. He jumped up, and ordered his great-coat. The servant, as he helped him into it, said: ‘Mind and be back right away, sir, for it’s time to dress, and the barber is coming.’
‘No need,’ Staś replied.
‘Surely you won’t go dancing without combing your hair?’
‘I’m not going to the ball.’
The servant threw up his hands in surprise, and struck an attitude. ‘Whatever are you thinking of today!’ he cried, ‘you behave as if you was wrong in the head … Mr Łęcki begged you so …’
Wokulski left the room hastily and slammed the door in the face of his impudent servant. ‘Aha,’ thought I, ‘so the Prince realises Staś may not come, and sent, as it were, his father-in-law with an invitation! Szuman is right to say they won’t want to let go of him, but even so, we’ll get him away from you all!’
A quarter of an hour later, we were at Mrs Stawska’s. The delight with which we were received! Marianna had spread clean sand in the kitchen, Mrs Misiewicz had on a silk, snuff-coloured dress, and Mrs Stawska had such fine eyes, a blush and lips that a man could have kissed such a pretty woman to death. I don’t want to exaggerate, but goodness me! Staś gazed at her with great attention all evening. He didn’t even have time to notice that little Helena was wearing a new scarf.
What an evening it was! How Mrs Stawska thanked