youth-第35部分

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burlesque　relations　which　they　formed　for　daily　use；　and　it　was

just　such　relations　as　those　which　now　became　established　between

ourselves　and　our　stepmother。　We　scarcely　ever　strayed　beyond

them；　but　were　polite　to　her；　conversed　with　her　in　French；　bowed

and　scraped　before　her；　and　called　her　〃chere　Maman〃a　term　to

which　she　always　responded　in　a　tone　of　similar　lightness　and

with　her　beautiful；　unchanging　smile。　Only　the　lachrymose

Lubotshka；　with　her　goose　feet　and　artless　prattle；　really　liked

our　stepmother；　or　tried；　in　her　naive　and　frequently　awkward

way；　to　bring　her　and　ourselves　together：　wherefore　the　only

person　in　the　world　for　whom；　besides　Papa；　Avdotia　had　a　spark

of　affection　was　Lubotshka。　Indeed；　Avdotia　always　treated　her

with　a　kind　of　grave　admiration　and　timid　deference　which　greatly

surprised　me。



From　the　first　Avdotia　was　very　fond　of　calling　herself　our

stepmother　and　hinting　that；　since　children　and　servants　usually

adopt　an　unjust　and　hostile　attitude　towards　a　woman　thus

situated；　her　own　position　was　likely　to　prove　a　difficult　one。

Yet；　though　she　foresaw　all　the　unpleasantness　of　her

predicament；　she　did　nothing　to　escape　from　it　by　（for　instance）

conciliating　this　one；　giving　presents　to　that　other　one；　and

forbearing　to　grumblethe　last　a　precaution　which　it　would　have

been　easy　for　her　to　take；　seeing　that　by　nature　she　was　in　no

way　exacting；　as　well　as　very　good…tempered。　Yet；　not　only　did

she　do　none　of　these　things；　but　her　expectation　of　difficulties

led　her　to　adopt　the　defensive　before　she　had　been　attacked。　That

is　to　say；　supposing　that　the　entire　household　was　designing　to

show　her　every　kind　of　insult　and　annoyance；　she　would　see　plots

where　no　plots　were；　and　consider　that　her　most　dignified　course

was　to　suffer　in　silencean　attitude　of　passivity　as　regards

winning　AFfection　which　of　course　led　to　DISaffection。　Moreover；

she　was　so　totally　lacking　in　that　faculty　of　〃apprehension〃　to

which　I　have　already　referred　as　being　highly　developed　in　our

household；　and　all　her　customs　were　so　utterly　opposed　to　those

which　had　long　been　rooted　in　our　establishment；　that　those　two

facts　alone　were　bound　to　go　against　her。　From　the　first；　her　mode

of　life　in　our　tidy；　methodical　household　was　that　of　a　person

only　just　arrived　there。　Sometimes　she　went　to　bed　late；

sometimes　early；　sometimes　she　appeared　at　luncheon；　sometimes

she　did　not；　sometimes　she　took　supper；　sometimes　she　dispensed

with　it。　When　we　had　no　guests　with　us　she　more　often　than　not

walked　about　the　house　in　a　semi…nude　condition；　and　was　not

ashamed　to　appear　before　useven　before　the　servantsin　a　white

chemise；　with　only　a　shawl　thrown　over　her　bare　shoulders。　At

first　this　Bohemianism　pleased　me；　but　before　very　long　it　led　to

my　losing　the　last　shred　of　respect　which　I　felt　for　her。　What

struck　me　as　even　more　strange　was　the　fact　that；　according　as　we

had　or　had　not　guests；　she　was　two　different　women。　The　one　（the

woman　figuring　in　society）　was　a　young　and　healthy；　but　rather

cold；　beauty；　a　person　richly　dressed；　neither　stupid　nor　clever；

and　unfailingly　cheerful。　The　other　woman　（the　one　in　evidence

when　no　guests　were　present）　was　considerably　past　her　first

youth；　languid；　depressed；　slovenly；　and　ennuyee；　though

affectionate。　Frequently；　as　I　looked　at　her　when；　smiling；　rosy

with　the　winter　air；　and　happy　in　the　consciousness　of　her

beauty；　she　came　in　from　a　round　of　calls　and；　taking　off　her

hat；　went　to　look　at　herself　in　a　mirror；　or　when；　rustling　in

her　rich；　decollete　ball　dress；　and　at　once　shy　and　proud　before　the

servants；　she　was　passing　to　her　carriage；　or　when；　at　one　of　our

small　receptions　at　home；　she　was　sitting　dressed　in　a　high

silken　dress　finished　with　some　sort　of　fine　lace　about　her　soft

neck；　and　flashing　her　unvarying；　but　lovely；　smile　around　heras

I　looked　at　her　at　such　times　I　could　not　help　wondering　what

would　have　been　said　by　persons　who　had　been　ravished　to　behold

her　thus　if　they　could　have　seen　her　as　I　often　saw　her；　namely；

when；　waiting　in　the　lonely　midnight　hours　for　her　husband　to

return　from　his　club；　she　would　walk　like　a　shadow　from　room　to

room；　with　her　hair　dishevelled　and　her　form　clad　in　a　sort　of

dressing…jacket。　Presently；　she　would　sit　down　to　the　piano　and；

her　brows　all　puckered　with　the　effort；　play　over　the　only　waltz

that　she　knew；　after　which　she　would　pick　up　a　novel；　read　a　few

pages　somewhere　in　the　middle　of　it；　and　throw　it　aside。　Next；

repairing　in　person　to　the　dining…room；　so　as　not　to　disturb　the

servants；　she　would　get　herself　a　cucumber　and　some　cold　veal；

and　eat　it　standing　by　the　window…sillthen　once　more　resume　her

weary；　aimless；　gloomy　wandering　from　room　to　room。　But　what；

above　all　other　things；　caused　estrangement　between　us　was　that

lack　of　understanding　which　expressed　itself　chiefly　in　the

peculiar　air　of　indulgent　attention　with　which　she　would　listen

when　any　one　was　speaking　to　her　concerning　matters　of　which　she

had　no　knowledge。　It　was　not　her　fault　that　she　acquired　the

unconscious　habit　of　bending　her　head　down　and　smiling　slightly

with　her　lips　only　when　she　found　it　necessary　to　converse　on

topics　which　did　not　interest　her　（which　meant　any　topic　except

herself　and　her　husband）；　yet　that　smile　and　that　inclination　of

the　head；　when　incessantly　repeated；　could　become　unbearably

wearisome。　Also；　her　peculiar　gaietywhich　always　sounded　as

though　she　were　laughing　at　herself；　at　you；　and　at　the　world　in

generalwas　gauche　and　anything　but　infectious；　while　her

sympathy　was　too　evidently　forced。　Lastly；　she　knew　no　reticence

with　regard　to　her　ceaseless　rapturising　to　all　and　sundry

concerning　her　love　for　Papa。　Although　she　only　spoke　the　truth

when　she　said　that　her　whole　life　was　bound　up　with　him；　and

although　she　proved　it　her　life　long；　we　considered　such

unrestrained；　continual　insistence　upon　her　affection　for　him　bad

form；　and　felt　more　ashamed　for　her　when　she　was　descanting　thus

before　strangers　even　than　we　did　when　she　was　perpetrating　bad

blunders　in　French。　Yet；　although；　as　I　have　said；　she　loved　her

husband　more　than　anything　else　in　the　world；　and　he　too　had　a

great　affection　for　her　（or　at　all　events　he　had　at　first；　and

when　he　saw　that　others　besides　himself　admired　her　beauty）；　it

seemed　almost　as　though　she　purposely　did　everything　most　likely

to　displease　himsimply　to　prove　to　him　the　strength　of　her

love；　her　readiness　to　sacrifice　herself　for　his　sake；　and　the

fact　that　her　one　aim　in　life　was　to　win　his　affection！　She　was

fond　of　display；　and　my　father　too　liked　to　see　her　as　a　beauty

who　excited　wonder　and　admiration；　yet　she　sacrificed　her

weakness　for　fine　clothes　to　her　love　for　him；　and　grew　more　and

more　accustomed　to　remain　at　home　in　a　plain　grey　blouse。　Again；

Papa　considered　freedom　and　equality　to　be　indispensable

conditions　of　family　life；　and　hoped　that　his　favourite　Lubotshka

and　his　kind…hearted　young　wife　would　become　sincere　friends；　yet

once　again　Avdotia　sacrificed　herself　by　considering　it　incumbent

upon　her　to　pay　the　〃real　mistress　of　the　house；〃　as　she　called

Lubotshka；　an　amount　of　deference　which　only　shocked　and　annoyed

my　father。　Likewise；　he　played　cards　a　great　deal　that　winter；

and　lost　considerable　sums　towards　the　end　of　it；　wherefore；

unwilling；　as　usual；　to　let　his　gambling　affairs　intrude　upon　his

family　life；　he　began　to　preserve　complete　secrecy　concerning　his

play；　yet　Avdotia；　though　often　ailing；　as　well　as；　towards　the

end　of　the　winter；　enceinte；　considered　herself　bound　always　to

sit　up　（in　a　grey　blouse；　and　with　her　hair　dishevelled）　for　my

father　when；　at；　say；　four　or　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he

returned　home　from　the　club　ashamed；　depleted　in　pocket；　and

weary。　She　would　ask　him　absent…mindedly　whether　he　had　been

fortunate　in　play；　and　listen　with　indulgent　attention；　little

nods　of　her　head；　and　a　faint　smile　upon　her　face　as　he　told　her

of　his　doings　at　the　club　and　begged　her；　for　about　the　hundredth

time；　never　to　sit　up　for　him　again。　Yet；　though　Papa's　winnings

or　losings　（upon　which　his　substance　practically　depended）　in　no

way　interested　her；　she　was　always　the　first　to　meet　him　when　he

returned　home　in　the　small　hours　of　the　morning。　This　she　was

incited　to　do；　not　only　by　the　strength　of　her　devotion；　but　by　a

certain　secret　jealousy　from　which　she　suffered。　No　one　in　the

world　could　persuade　her　that　it　was　REALLY　from　his　club；　and

not　from　a　mistress's；　that　Papa　came　home　so　late。　She　would　try

to　read　love　secrets　in　his　face；　and；　discerning　none　there；

would　sigh　with　a　sort　of　enjoyment　of　her　grief；　and　give

herself　up　once　more　to　the　contemplation　of　her　unhappiness。



As　the　result　of　these　and　many　other　constant　sacrifices　which

occurred　in　Papa's　relations　with　his　wife　during　the

latter　months　of　that　winter　（a　time　when　he　lost　much；　and　was

therefore　out　of　spirits）；　there　gradually　grew　up　between　the

two　an　intermittent　feeling　of　tacit　hostilityof　restrained

aversion　to　the　object　of　devotion　of　the　kind　which　expresses

itself　in　an　unconscious　eagerness　to　show　the　object　in　question

every　possible　species　of　petty　annoyance。



XLIII



NEW　COMRADES



The　winter　had　passed　imperceptibly　and　the　thaw　begun　when　the

list　of　examinations　was　posted　at　the　University；　and　I　suddenly

remembered　that　I　had　to　return　answers　to　questions　in　eighteen

subjects　on　which　I　had　heard　lectures　delivered；　but　with　regard

to　some　of　which　I　had　taken　no　notes　and　made　no　preparation

whatever。　It　seems　strange　that　the　question　〃How　am　I　going　to

pass？〃　should　never　have　entered　my　head；　but　the　truth　is　that

all　that　winter　I　had　been　in　such　a　state　of　haze　through　the

delights　of　being　both　grown…up　and　〃comme　il　faut〃　that；

whenever　the　question　of　the　examinations