LITMIR.BIZ

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has no memory left, you know, and Mrs. Antipova will simply carry him off bodily to her house. He’ll think it’s all right —— They’re all afraid of you, you know; they think that you want to get hold of him — you understand! Zina, you know!”

      “Quelle horreur!”

      “Oh, yes, I know! I tell you — the whole town is talking about it! Mrs. Antipova is going to make him stay to dinner — and then she’ll just keep him! She’s doing it to spite you, my angel. I had a look in at her back premises. Such arrangements, my dear. Knives clattering, people running about for champagne. I tell you what you must do — go and grab him as he comes out from Natalia Dimitrievna’s to Antipova’s to dinner. He promised you first, he’s your guest. Tfu! don’t you be laughed at by this brace of chattering magpies — good for nothing baggage, both of them. ‘Procuror’s lady,’ indeed! Why, I’m a Colonel’s wife. Tfu! — Mais adieu, mon ange. I have my own sledge at the door, or I’d go with you.”

      Having got rid of this walking newspaper, Maria Alexandrovna waited a moment, to free herself of a little of her super-abundant agitation. Mrs. Colonel’s advice was good and practical. There was no use losing time, — none to lose, in fact. But the greatest difficulty of all was as yet unsettled.

      Maria Alexandrovna flew to Zina’s room.

      Zina was walking up and down, pale, with hands folded and head bent on her bosom: there were tears in her eyes, but Resolve was there too, and sparkled in the glance which she threw on her mother as the latter entered the room. She hastily dried her tears, and a sarcastic smile played on her lips once more.

      “Mamma,” she began, anticipating her mother’s speech “you have already wasted much of your eloquence over me — too much! But you have not blinded me; I am not a child. To do the work of a sister of mercy, without the slightest call thereto, — to justify one’s meanness — meanness proceeding in reality from the purest egotism, by attributing to it noble ends, — all this is a sort of Jesuitism which cannot deceive me. Listen! I repeat, all this could not deceive me, and I wish you to understand that!”

      “But, dearest child!” began her mother, in some alarm.

      “Be quiet, mamma; have patience, and hear me out. In spite of the full consciousness that all this is pure Jesuitism, and in spite of my full knowledge of the absolutely ignoble character of such an act, I accept your proposition in full, — you hear me — in full; and inform you hereby, that I am ready to marry the prince. More! I am ready to help you to the best of my power in your endeavours to lure the prince into making me an offer. Why do I do this? You need not know that; enough that I have consented. I have consented to the whole thing — to bringing him his boots, to serving him; I will dance for him, that my meanness may be in some sort atoned. I shall do all I possibly can so that he shall never regret that he married me! But in return for my consent I insist upon knowing how you intend to bring the matter about? Since you have spoken so warmly on the subject — I know you! — I am convinced you must have some definite plan of operation in your head. Be frank for once in your life; your candour is the essential condition upon which alone I give my consent. I shall not decide until you have told me what I require!”

      Maria Alexandrovna was so surprised by the unexpected conclusion at which Zina arrived, that she stood before the latter some little while, dumb with amazement, and staring at her with all her eyes. Prepared to have to combat the stubborn romanticism of her daughter — whose obstinate nobility of character she always feared, — she had suddenly heard this same daughter consent to all that her mother had required of her.

      Consequently, the matter had taken a very different complexion. Her eyes sparkled with delight:

      “Zina, Zina!” she cried; “you are my life, my — —”

      She could say no more, but fell to embracing and kissing her daughter.

      “Oh, mother, I don’t want all this kissing!” cried Zina, with impatience and disgust. “I don’t need all this rapture on your part; all I want is a plain answer to my question!”

      “But, Zina, I love you; I adore you, darling, and you repel me like this! I am working for your happiness, child!”

      Tears sparkled in her eyes. Maria Alexandrovna really loved her daughter, in her own way, and just now she actually felt deeply, for once in her life — thanks to her agitation, and the success of her eloquence.

      Zina, in spite of her present distorted view of things in general, knew that her mother loved her; but this love only annoyed her; she would much rather — it would have been easier for her — if it had been hate!

      “Well, well; don’t be angry, mamma — I’m so excited just now!” she said, to soothe her mother’s feelings.

      “I’m not angry, I’m not angry, darling! I know you are much agitated!” cried Maria Alexandrovna. “You say, my child, that you wish me to be candid: very well, I will; I will be quite frank, I assure you. But you might have trusted me! Firstly, then, I must tell you that I have no actually organized plan yet — no detailed plan, that is. You must understand, with that clever little head of yours, you must see, Zina, that I cannot have such a plan, all cut out. I even anticipate some difficulties. Why, that magpie of a woman has just been telling me all sorts of things. We ought to be quick, by the bye; you see, I am quite open with you! But I swear to you that the end shall be attained!” she added, ecstatically. “My convictions are not the result of a poetical nature, as you told me just now; they are founded on facts. I rely on the weakness of the prince’s intellect — which is a canvas upon which one can stitch any pattern one pleases!

      “The only fear is, we may be interfered with! But a fool of a woman like that is not going to get the better of me!” she added, stamping her foot, and with flashing eyes. “That’s my part of the business, though; and to manage it thoroughly I must begin as soon as possible — in fact, the whole thing, or the most important part of it, must be arranged this very day!”

      “Very well, mamma; but now listen to one more piece of candour. Do you know why I am so interested in your plan of operations, and do not trust it? because I am not sure of myself! I have told you already that I consent to this —— meanness; but I must warn you that if I find the details of your plan of operations too dirty, too mean and repulsive, I shall not be able to stand it, and shall assuredly throw you over. I know that this is a new pettiness, to consent to a wicked thing and then fear the dirt in which it floats! But what’s to be done? So it will be, and I warn you!”

      “But Zina, dear child, where is the wickedness in this?” asked Maria Alexandrovna timidly. “It is simply a matter of a marriage for profit; everybody does it! Look at it in this light, and you will see there is nothing particular in it; it is good ‘form’ enough!”

      “Oh, mamma, don’t try to play the fox over me! Don’t you see that I have consented to everything — to everything? What else do you require of me? Don’t be alarmed if I call things by their proper names! For all you know it may be my only comfort!” And a bitter smile played over her lips.

      “Very well, very well, dear! we may disagree as to ideas and yet be very fond of one another. But if you are afraid of the working of my plan, and dread that you will see any baseness or meanness about it, leave it all to me, dear, and I guarantee you that not a particle of dirt shall soil you! Your hands shall be clean! As if I would be the one to compromise you! Trust me entirely, and all shall go grandly and with dignity; all shall be done worthily; there shall be no scandal — even if there be a whisper afterwards, we shall all be out of the way, far off! We shall not stay here, of course! Let them howl if they like, we won’t care. Besides, they are not worth bothering about, and I wonder at your being so frightened of these people, Zina. Don’t be angry with me! how can you be so frightened, with your proud nature?”

      “I’m not frightened; you don’t understand me a bit!” said Zina, in a tone of annoyance.

      “Very well, darling; don’t be angry. I only talk like this because these people about here are always stirring up mud, if they can; while you — this is the first time in your life you have done

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