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youth-第15部分

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which forced him to guess what she wanted。 Accordingly he

approached me with his usual passionless; half…discontented

expression; and held out to me an unshaven cheek to kiss。



〃Why; you are not dressed yet; though you have to go out soon!〃

was the Princess's next remark to him in the angry tone which she

habitually employed in conversation with her domestics。 〃It will

only mean your offending some one again; and trying to set people

against you。〃



〃In a moment; in a moment; mother;〃 said Prince Michael; and

departed。 I also made my bows and departed。



This was the first time I had heard of our being related to

Prince Ivan Ivanovitch; and the news struck me unpleasantly。



XX



THE IWINS



As for the prospect of my call upon the Prince; it seemed even

more unpleasant。 However; the order of my route took me first to

the Iwins; who lived in a large and splendid mansion in Tverskaia

Street。 It was not without some nervousness that I entered the

great portico where a Swiss major…domo stood armed with his staff

of office。



To my inquiry as to whether any one was at home he replied: 〃Whom

do you wish to see; sir? The General's son is within。〃



〃And the General himself?〃 I asked with forced assurance。



〃I must report to him your business first。 What may it be; sir?〃

said the major…domo as he rang a bell。 Immediately the gaitered

legs of a footman showed themselves on the staircase above;

whereupon I was seized with such a fit of nervousness that I

hastily bid the lacquey say nothing about my presence to the

General; since I would first see his son。 By the time I had

reached the top of the long staircase; I seemed to have grown

extremely small (metaphorically; I mean; not actually); and had

very much the same feeling within me as had possessed my soul

when my drozhki drew up to the great portico; namely; a feeling

as though drozhki; horse; and coachman had all of them grown

extremely small too。 I found the General's son lying asleep on a

sofa; with an open book before him。 His tutor; Monsieur Frost;

under whose care he still pursued his studies at home; had

entered behind me with a sort of boyish tread; and now awoke his

pupil。 Iwin evinced no particular pleasure at seeing me; while I

also seemed to notice that; while talking to me; he kept looking

at my eyebrows。 Although he was perfectly polite; I conceived

that he was 〃entertaining〃 me much as the Princess Valakhin had

done; and that he not only felt no particular liking for me; but

even that he considered my acquaintance in no way necessary to

one who possessed his own circle of friends。 All this arose out

of the idea that he was regarding my eyebrows。 In short; his

bearing towards me appeared to be (as I recognised with an

awkward sensation) very much the same as my own towards Ilinka

Grap。 I began to feel irritated; and to interpret every fleeting

glance which he cast at Monsieur Frost as a mute inquiry: 〃Why

has this fellow come to see me?〃



After some conversation he remarked that his father and mother

were at home。 Would I not like to visit them too?



〃First I will go and dress myself;〃 he added as he departed to

another room; notwithstanding that he had seemed to be perfectly

well dressed (in a new frockcoat and white waistcoat) in the

present one。 A few minutes later he reappeared in his University

uniform; buttoned up to the chin; and we went downstairs

together。 The reception rooms through which we passed were lofty

and of great size; and seemed to be richly furnished with marble

and gilt ornaments; chintz…covered settees; and a number of

mirrors。 Presently Madame Iwin met us; and we went into a little

room behind the drawing…room; where; welcoming me in very

friendly fashion; she seated herself by my side; and began to

inquire after my relations。



Closer acquaintance with Madame (whom I had seen only twice

before; and that but for a moment on each occasion) impressed me

favourably。 She was tall; thin; and very pale; and looked as

though she suffered from chronic depression and fatigue。 Yet;

though her smile was a sad one; it was very kind; and her large;

mournful eyes; with a slight cast in their vision; added to the

pathos and attractiveness of her expression。 Her attitude; while

not precisely that of a hunchback; made her whole form droop;

while her every movement expressed languor。 Likewise; though her

speech was deliberate; the timbre of her voice; and the manner in

which she lisped her r's and l's; were very pleasing to the ear。

Finally; she did not 〃ENTERTAIN〃 me。 Unfortunately; the answers

which I returned to her questions concerning my relations seemed

to afford her a painful interest; and to remind her of happier

days: with the result that when; presently; her son left the

room; she gazed at me in silence for a moment; and then burst

into tears。 As I sat there in mute bewilderment; I could not

conceive what I had said to bring this about。 At first I felt

sorry for her as she sat there weeping with downcast eyes。 Next

I began to think to myself: 〃Ought I not to try and comfort her;

and how ought that to be done?〃 Finally; I began to feel vexed

with her for placing me in such an awkward position。 〃Surely my

appearance is not so moving as all that?〃 I reflected。 〃Or is she

merely acting like this to see what I shall do under the

circumstances?〃



〃Yet it would not do for me to go;〃 I continued to myself; for

that would look too much as though I were fleeing to escape her

tears。〃 Accordingly I began fidgeting about on my seat; in order

to remind her of my presence。



〃Oh; how foolish of me!〃 at length she said; as she gazed at me

for a moment and tried to smile。 〃There are days when one weeps

for no reason whatever。〃 She felt about for her handkerchief; and

then burst out weeping more violently than before。



〃Oh dear! How silly of me to be for ever crying like this! Yet I

was so fond of your mother! We were such friends! We…we〃



At this point she found her handkerchief; and; burying her face

in it; went on crying。 Once more I found myself in the same

protracted dilemma。 Though vexed; I felt sorry for her; since her

tears appeared to be genuineeven though I also had an idea that

it was not so much for my mother that she was weeping as for the

fact that she was unhappy; and had known happier days。 How it

would all have ended I do not know; had not her son reappeared

and said that his father desired to see her。 Thereupon she rose;

and was just about to leave the room; when the General himself

entered。 He was a small; grizzled; thick…set man; with bushy

black eyebrows; a grey; close…cropped head; and a very stern;

haughty expression of countenance。



I rose and bowed to him; but the General (who was wearing three

stars on his green frockcoat) not only made no response to my

salutation; but scarcely even looked at me; so that all at once I

felt as though I were not a human being at all; but only some

negligible object such as a settee or window; or; if I were a

human being; as though I were quite indistinguishable from such a

negligible object。



〃Then you have not yet written to the Countess; my dear?〃 he said

to his wife in French; and with an imperturbable; yet determined;

expression on his countenance。



〃Good…bye; Monsieur Irtenieff;〃 Madame said to me; in her turn;

as she made a proud gesture with her head and looked at my

eyebrows just as her son had done。 I bowed to her; and again to

her husband; but my second salutation made no more impression

upon him than if a window had just been opened or closed。

Nevertheless the younger Iwin accompanied me to the door; and on

the way told me that he was to go to St。 Petersburg University;

since his father had been appointed to a post in that city (and

young Iwin named a very high office in the service)。



〃Well; his Papa may do whatsoever he likes;〃 I muttered to myself

as I climbed into the drozhki; 〃but at all events I will never

set foot in that house again。 His wife weeps and looks at me as

though I were the embodiment of woe; while that old pig of a

General does not even give me a bow。 However; I will get even

with him some day。〃 How I meant to do that I do not know; but my

words nevertheless came true。



Afterwards; I frequently found it necessary to remember the advice

of my father when he said that I must cultivate the

acquaintanceship of the Iwins; and not expect a man in the

position of General Iwin to pay any attention to a boy like

myself。 But I had figured in that position long enough。



XXI



PRINCE IVAN IVANOVITCH



〃Now for the last callthe visit to Nikitskaia Street;〃 I said

to Kuzma; and we started for Prince Ivan Ivanovitch's mansion。



Towards the end; a round of calls usually brings one a certain

amount of self…assurance: consequently I was approaching the

Prince's abode in quite a tranquil frame of mind; when suddenly I

remembered the Princess Kornakoff's words that I was his heir;

and at the same moment caught sight of two carriages waiting at

the portico。 Instantly; my former nervousness returned。



Both the old major…domo who opened the door to me; and the

footman who took my coat; and the two male and three female

visitors whom I found in the drawing…room; and; most of all;

Prince Ivan Ivanovitch himself (whom I found clad in a 〃company〃

frockcoat and seated on a sofa) seemed to look at me as at an

HEIR; and so to eye me with ill…will。 Yet the Prince was very

gracious and; after kissing me (that is to say; after pressing

his cold; dry; flabby lips to my cheek for a second); asked me

about my plans and pursuits; jested with me; inquired whether I

still wrote verses of the kind which I used to indite in honour

of my grandmother's birthdays; and invited me to dine with him

that day。 Nevertheless; in proportion as he grew the kinder; the

more did I feel persuaded that 
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