Veshnie vody. English Read online

  Sanin dropped into a chair directly he had gone, and stared at thefloor. 'What does it all mean? How is it my life has taken such a turnall of a sudden? All the past, all the future has suddenly vanished,gone,--and all that's left is that I am going to fight some one aboutsomething in Frankfort.' He recalled a crazy aunt of his who used todance and sing:

  'O my lieutenant! My little cucumber! My little love! Dance with me, my little dove!'

  And he laughed and hummed as she used to: 'O my lieutenant! Dance withme, little dove!' 'But I must act, though, I mustn't waste time,' hecried aloud--jumped up and saw Pantaleone facing him with a note inhis hand.

  'I knocked several times, but you did not answer; I thought youweren't at home,' said the old man, as he gave him the note. 'FromSignorina Gemma.'

  Sanin took the note, mechanically, as they say, tore it open, andread it. Gemma wrote to him that she was very anxious--about he knewwhat--and would be very glad to see him at once.

  'The Signorina is anxious,' began Pantaleone, who obviously knew whatwas in the note, 'she told me to see what you are doing and to bringyou to her.'

  Sanin glanced at the old Italian, and pondered. A sudden idea flashedupon his brain. For the first instant it struck him as too absurd tobe possible.

  'After all ... why not?' he asked himself.

  'M. Pantaleone!' he said aloud.

  The old man started, tucked his chin into his cravat and stared atSanin.

  'Do you know,' pursued Sanin,' what happened yesterday?'

  Pantaleone chewed his lips and shook his immense top-knot of hair.'Yes.'

  (Emil had told him all about it directly he got home.)

  'Oh, you know! Well, an officer has just this minute left me. Thatscoundrel challenges me to a duel. I have accepted his challenge. ButI have no second. Will _you_ be my second?'

  Pantaleone started and raised his eyebrows so high that they were lostunder his overhanging hair.

  'You are absolutely obliged to fight?' he said at last in Italian;till that instant he had made use of French.

  'Absolutely. I can't do otherwise--it would mean disgracing myself forever.'

  'H'm. If I don't consent to be your second you will find some oneelse.'

  'Yes ... undoubtedly.'

  Pantaleone looked down. 'But allow me to ask you, Signor de Tsanin,will not your duel throw a slur on the reputation of a certain lady?'

  'I don't suppose so; but in any case, there's no help for it.'

  'H'm!' Pantaleone retired altogether into his cravat. 'Hey, but that_ferroflucto Klueberio_--what's he about?' he cried all of a sudden,looking up again.

  'He? Nothing.'

  '_Che_!' Pantaleone shrugged his shoulders contemptuously. 'I have, inany case, to thank you,' he articulated at last in an unsteady voice'that even in my present humble condition you recognise that I am agentleman--_un galant'uomo_! In that way you have shown yourself to bea real _galant'uomo_. But I must consider your proposal.'

  'There's no time to lose, dear Signor Ci ... cippa ...'

  'Tola,' the old man chimed in. 'I ask only for one hour forreflection.... The daughter of my benefactor is involved in this....And, therefore, I ought, I am bound, to reflect!... In an hour, inthree-quarters of an hour, you shall know my decision.'

  'Very well; I will wait.'

  'And now ... what answer am I to give to Signorina Gemma?'

  Sanin took a sheet of paper, wrote on it, 'Set your mind at rest, dearfriend; in three hours' time I will come to you, and everything shallbe explained. I thank you from my heart for your sympathy,' and handedthis sheet to Pantaleone.

  He put it carefully into his side-pocket, and once more repeating 'Inan hour!' made towards the door; but turning sharply back, ran up toSanin, seized his hand, and pressing it to his shirt-front, cried,with his eyes to the ceiling: 'Noble youth! Great heart! (_Nobilgiovanotto! Gran cuore!_) permit a weak old man (_a un vecchiotto!_)to press your valorous right hand (_la vostra valorosa destra!_)' Thenhe skipped back a pace or two, threw up both hands, and went away.

  Sanin looked after him ... took up the newspaper and tried to read.But his eyes wandered in vain over the lines: he understood nothing.

  XVIII

  An hour later the waiter came in again to Sanin, and handed himan old, soiled visiting-card, on which were the following words:'Pantaleone Cippatola of Varese, court singer (_cantante di camera_)to his Royal Highness the Duke of Modena'; and behind the waiter inwalked Pantaleone himself. He had changed his clothes from top to toe.He had on a black frock coat, reddish with long wear, and a whitepique waistcoat, upon which a pinch-beck chain meandered playfully; aheavy cornelian seal hung low down on to his narrow black trousers. Inhis right hand he carried a black beaver hat, in his left two stoutchamois gloves; he had tied his cravat in a taller and broader bowthan ever, and had stuck into his starched shirt-front a pin with astone, a so-called 'cat's eye.' On his forefinger was displayed aring, consisting of two clasped hands with a burning heart betweenthem. A smell of garments long laid by, a smell of camphor and of muskhung about the whole person of the old man; the anxious solemnity ofhis deportment must have struck the most casual spectator! Sanin roseto meet him.

  'I am your second,' Pantaleone announced in French, and he bowedbending his whole body forward, and turning out his toes like adancer. 'I have come for instructions. Do you want to fight to thedeath?'

  'Why to the death, my dear Signor Cippatola? I will not for anyconsideration take back my words--but I am not a bloodthirstyperson!... But come, wait a little, my opponent's second will be heredirectly. I will go into the next room, and you can make arrangementswith him. Believe me I shall never forget your kindness, and I thankyou from my heart.'

  'Honour before everything!' answered Pantaleone, and he sank intoan arm-chair, without waiting for Sanin to ask him to sit down. 'Ifthat _ferroflucto spitchebubbio_,' he said, passing from French intoItalian, 'if that counter-jumper Klueberio could not appreciate hisobvious duty or was afraid, so much the worse for him!... A cheapsoul, and that's all about it!... As for the conditions of the duel, Iam your second, and your interests are sacred to me!... When I livedin Padua there was a regiment of the white dragoons stationed there,and I was very intimate with many of the officers!... I was quitefamiliar with their whole code. And I used often to converse on thesesubjects with your principe Tarbuski too.... Is this second to comesoon?'

  'I am expecting him every minute--and here he comes,' added Sanin,looking into the street.

  Pantaleone got up, looked at his watch, straightened his topknot ofhair, and hurriedly stuffed into his shoe an end of tape which wassticking out below his trouser-leg, and the young sub-lieutenant camein, as red and embarrassed as ever.

  Sanin presented the seconds to each other. 'M. Richter,sous-lieutenant, M. Cippatola, artiste!' The sub-lieutenant wasslightly disconcerted by the old man's appearance ... Oh, what wouldhe have said had any one whispered to him at that instant that the'artist' presented to him was also employed in the culinary art! ButPantaleone assumed an air as though taking part in the preliminariesof duels was for him the most everyday affair: probably he wasassisted at this juncture by the recollections of his theatricalcareer, and he played the part of second simply as a part. Both he andthe sub-lieutenant were silent for a little.

  'Well? Let us come to business!' Pantaleone spoke first, playing withhis cornelian seal.

  'By all means,' responded the sub-lieutenant, 'but ... the presence ofone of the principals ...'

  'I will leave you at once, gentlemen,' cried Sanin, and with a bow hewent away into the bedroom and closed the door after him.

  He flung himself on the bed and began thinking of Gemma ... but theconversation of the seconds reached him through the shut door. It wasconducted in the French language; both maltreated it mercilessly,each after his own fashion. Pantaleone again alluded to the dragoonsin Padua, and Principe Tarbuski; the sub-lieutenant to '_exghizeslecheres_' and '_goups de bistolet a l'amiaple_.' But the old manwo
uld not even hear of any _exghizes_! To Sanin's horror, he suddenlyproceeded to talk of a certain young lady, an innocent maiden, whoselittle finger was worth more than all the officers in the world ...(_oune zeune damigella innoucenta, qu'a elle sola dans soun peti doavale pin que tout le zouffissie del mondo_.'), and repeated severaltimes with heat: 'It's shameful! it's shameful!' (_E ouna onta, ounaonta_!) The sub-lieutenant at first made him no reply, but presentlyan angry quiver could be heard in the young man's voice, and heobserved that he had not come there to listen to sermonising.

  'At your age it is always a good thing to hear the truth!' criedPantaleone.

  The debate between the seconds several times became stormy; it lastedover an hour, and was concluded at last on the following conditions:'Baron von Doenhof and M. de Sanin to meet the next day at ten o'clockin a small wood near Hanau, at the distance of twenty paces; each tohave the right to fire twice at a signal given by the seconds, thepistols to be single-triggered and not rifle-barrelled.' Herr vonRichter withdrew, and Pantaleone solemnly opened the bedroom door, andafter communicating the result of their deliberations, cried again:'_Bravo Russo_! _Bravo giovanotto_! You will be victor!'

  A few minutes later they both set off to the Rosellis' shop. Sanin, asa preliminary measure, had exacted a promise from Pantaleone to keepthe affair of the duel a most profound secret. In reply, the old manhad merely held up his finger, and half closing his eyes, whisperedtwice over, _Segredezza_! He was obviously in good spirits, and evenwalked with a freer step. All these unusual incidents, unpleasantthough they might be, carried him vividly back to the time when hehimself both received and gave challenges--only, it is true, on thestage. Baritones, as we all know, have a great deal of strutting andfuming to do in their parts.

  XIX

  Emil ran out to meet Sanin--he had been watching for his arrival overan hour--and hurriedly whispered into his ear that his mother knewnothing of the disagreeable incident of the day before, that he mustnot even hint of it to her, and that he was being sent to Klueber'sshop again!... but that he wouldn't go there, but would hidesomewhere! Communicating all this information in a few seconds, hesuddenly fell on Sanin's shoulder, kissed him impulsively, and rushedaway down the street. Gemma met Sanin in the shop; tried to saysomething and could not. Her lips were trembling a little, while hereyes were half-closed and turned away. He made haste to soothe her bythe assurance that the whole affair had ended ... in utter nonsense.

  'Has no one been to see you to-day?' she asked.

  'A person did come to me and we had an explanation, and we ... we cameto the most satisfactory conclusion.'

  Gemma went back behind the counter.

  'She does not believe me!' he thought ... he went into the next room,however, and there found Frau Lenore.

  Her sick headache had passed off, but she was in a depressed state ofmind. She gave him a smile of welcome, but warned him at the same timethat he would be dull with her to-day, as she was not in a mood toentertain him. He sat down beside her, and noticed that her eyelidswere red and swollen.

  'What is wrong, Frau Lenore? You've never been crying, surely?'

  'Oh!' she whispered, nodding her head towards the room where herdaughter was.

  'Don't speak of it ... aloud.'

  'But what have you been crying for?'

  'Ah, M'sieu Sanin, I don't know myself what for!'

  'No one has hurt your feelings?'

  'Oh no!... I felt very low all of a sudden. I thought of GiovanniBattista ... of my youth ... Then how quickly it had all passed away.I have grown old, my friend, and I can't reconcile myself to thatanyhow. I feel I'm just the same as I was ... but old age--it's here!it is here!' Tears came into Frau Lenore's eyes. 'You look at me, Isee, and wonder.... But you will get old too, my friend, and will findout how bitter it is!'

  Sanin tried to comfort her, spoke of her children, in whom her ownyouth lived again, even attempted to scoff at her a little, declaringthat she was fishing for compliments ... but she quite seriouslybegged him to leave off, and for the first time he realised that forsuch a sorrow, the despondency of old age, there is no comfort orcure; one has to wait till it passes off of itself. He proposed a gameof tresette, and he could have thought of nothing better. She agreedat once and seemed to get more cheerful.

  Sanin played with her until dinner-time and after dinner Pantaleonetoo took a hand in the game. Never had his topknot hung so low overhis forehead, never had his chin retreated so far into his cravat!Every movement was accompanied by such intense solemnity that as onelooked at him the thought involuntarily arose, 'What secret is thatman guarding with such determination?' But _segredezza_! _segredezza_!

  During the whole of that day he tried in every possible way to showthe profoundest respect for Sanin; at table, passing by the ladies, hesolemnly and sedately handed the dishes first to him; when they wereat cards he intentionally gave him the game; he announced, apropos ofnothing at all, that the Russians were the most great-hearted, brave,and resolute people in the world!

  'Ah, you old flatterer!' Sanin thought to himself.

  And he was not so much surprised at Signora Roselli's unexpected stateof mind, as at the way her daughter behaved to him. It was not thatshe avoided him ... on the contrary she sat continually a littledistance from him, listened to what he said, and looked at him;but she absolutely declined to get into conversation with him, anddirectly he began talking to her, she softly rose from her place, andwent out for some instants. Then she came in again, and again seatedherself in some corner, and sat without stirring, seeming meditativeand perplexed ... perplexed above all. Frau Lenore herself noticedat last, that she was not as usual, and asked her twice what was thematter.

  'Nothing,' answered Gemma; 'you know I am sometimes like this.'

  'That is true,' her mother assented.

  So passed all that long day, neither gaily nor drearily--neithercheerfully nor sadly. Had Gemma been different--Sanin ... whoknows?... might not perhaps have been able to resist the temptationfor a little display--or he might simply have succumbed to melancholyat the possibility of a separation for ever.... But as he did notonce succeed in getting a word with Gemma, he was obliged to confinehimself to striking minor chords on the piano for a quarter of an hourbefore evening coffee.

  Emil came home late, and to avoid questions about Herr Klueber, beat ahasty retreat. The time came for Sanin too to retire.

  He began saying good-bye to Gemma. He recollected for some reasonLensky's parting from Olga in _Oniegin_. He pressed her hand warmly,and tried to get a look at her face, but she turned a little away andreleased her fingers.

  XX

  It was bright starlight when he came out on the steps. Whatmultitudes of stars, big and little, yellow, red, blue and white werescattered over the sky! They seemed all flashing, swarming, twinklingunceasingly. There was no moon in the sky, but without it every objectcould be clearly discerned in the half-clear, shadowless twilight.Sanin walked down the street to the end ... He did not want to go homeat once; he felt a desire to wander about a little in the fresh air.He turned back and had hardly got on a level with the house, where wasthe Rosellis' shop, when one of the windows looking out on the street,suddenly creaked and opened; in its square of blackness--there wasno light in the room--appeared a woman's figure, and he heard hisname--'Monsieur Dimitri!'

  He rushed at once up to the window ... Gemma! She was leaning with herelbows on the window-sill, bending forward.

  'Monsieur Dimitri,' she began in a cautious voice, 'I have beenwanting all day long to give you something ... but I could not makeup my mind to; and just now, seeing you, quite unexpectedly again, Ithought that it seems it is fated' ...

  Gemma was forced to stop at this word. She could not go on somethingextraordinary happened at that instant.

  All of a sudden, in the midst of the profound stillness, over theperfectly unclouded sky, there blew such a violent blast of wind, thatthe very earth seemed shaking underfoot, the delicate starlight seemedquivering and trem
bling, the air went round in a whirlwind. The wind,not cold, but hot, almost sultry, smote against the trees, the roofof the house, its walls, and the street; it instantaneously snatchedoff Sanin's hat, crumpled up and tangled Gemma's curls. Sanin's headwas on a level with the window-sill; he could not help clinging closeto it, and Gemma clutched hold of his shoulders with both hands, andpressed her bosom against his head. The roar, the din, and the rattlelasted about a minute.... Like a flock of huge birds the revellingwhirlwind darted revelling away. A profound stillness reigned oncemore.

  Sanin raised his head and saw above him such an exquisite, scared,excited face, such immense, large, magnificent eyes--it was such abeautiful creature he saw, that his heart stood still within him, hepressed his lips to the delicate tress of hair, that had fallen on hisbosom, and could only murmur, 'O Gemma!'

  'What was that? Lightning?' she asked, her eyes wandering afar, whileshe did not take her bare arms from his shoulder.

  'Gemma!' repeated Sanin.

  She sighed, looked around behind her into the room, and with a rapidmovement pulling the now faded rose out of her bodice, she threw it toSanin.

  'I wanted to give you this flower.'

  He recognised the rose, which he had won back the day before....

  But already the window had slammed-to, and through the dark panenothing could be seen, no trace of white.

  Sanin went home without his hat.... He did not even notice that he hadlost it.