youth-第13章

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after　the　manner　of　Papa；　and　reshuffling　the　cards。



〃How　persistent　you　are！〃　said　Dubkoff。　〃We　can　play　all　we　want

to　afterwards。　Well；　one　more　round；　then。〃



During　the　play；　I　looked　at　their　hands。　Woloda's　hands　were

large　and　red；　whilst　in　the　crook　of　the　thumb　and　the　way　in

which　the　other　fingers　curved　themselves　round　the　cards　as　he

held　them　they　so　exactly　resembled　Papa's　that　now　and　then　I

could　not　help　thinking　that　Woloda　purposely　held　the　cards　thus

so　as　to　look　the　more　like　a　grownup。　Yet　the　next　moment；

looking　at　his　face；　I　could　see　that　he　had　not　a　thought　in　his

mind　beyond　the　game。　Dubkoff's　hands；　on　the　contrary；　were

small；　puffy；　and　inclined　to　clench　themselves；　as　well　as

extremely　neat　and　small…fingered。　They　were　just　the　kind　of

hands　which　generally　display　rings；　and　which　are　most　to　be

seen　on　persons　who　are　both　inclined　to　use　them　and　fond　of

objets　de　vertu。



Woloda　must　have　lost；　for　the　gentleman　who　was　watching　the

play　remarked　that　Vladimir　Petrovitch　had　terribly　bad　luck；

while　Dubkoff　reached　for　a　note　book；　wrote　something　in　it；　and

then；　showing　Woloda　what　he　had　written；　said：



〃Is　that　right？〃



〃Yes。〃　said　Woloda；　glancing　with　feigned　carelessness　at　the

note　book。　〃Now　let　us　go。〃



Woloda　took　Dubkoff；　and　I　gave　Dimitri　a　lift　in　my　drozhki。



〃What　were　they　playing　at？〃　I　inquired　of　Dimitri。



〃At　piquet。　It　is　a　stupid　game。　In　fact；　all　such　games　are

stupid。〃



〃And　were　they　playing　for　much？〃



〃No；　not　very　much；　but　more　than　they　ought　to。〃



〃Do　you　ever　play　yourself？〃



〃No；　I　swore　never　to　do　so；　but　Dubkoff　will　play　with　any　one

he　can　get　hold　of。〃



〃He　ought　not　to　do　that；〃　I　remarked。　〃So　Woloda　does　not　play

so　well　as　he　does？〃



〃Perhaps　Dubkoff　ought　not　to；　as　you　say；　yet　there　is　nothing

especially　bad　about　it　all。　He　likes　playing；　and　plays　well；

but　he　is　a　good　fellow　all　the　same。〃



〃I　had　no　idea　of　this；〃　I　said。



〃We　must　not　think　ill　of　him；〃　concluded　Dimitri；　〃since　he　is　a

simply　splendid　fellow。　I　like　him　very　much；　and　always　shall

like　him；　in　spite　of　his　weakness。〃



For　some　reason　or　another　the　idea　occurred　to　me　that；　just

BECAUSE　Dimitri　stuck　up　so　stoutly　for　Dubkoff；　he　neither　liked

nor　respected　him　in　reality；　but　was　determined；　out　of

stubbornness　and　a　desire　not　to　be　accused　of　inconstancy；　never

to　own　to　the　fact。　He　was　one　of　those　people　who　love　their

friends　their　life　long；　not　so　much　because　those　friends　remain

always　dear　to　them；　as　because；　having　oncepossibly

mistakenlyliked　a　person；　they　look　upon　it　as　dishonourable　to

cease　ever　to　do　so。



XV



I　AM　FETED　AT　DINNER



Dubkoff　and　Woloda　knew　every　one　at　the　restaurant　by　name；　and

every　one；　from　the　waiters　to　the　proprietor；　paid　them　great

respect。　No　time　was　lost　in　allotting　us　a　private　room；　where　a

bottle　of　iced　champagne…upon　which　I　tried　to　look　with　as　much

indifference　as　I　couldstood　ready　waiting　for　us；　and　where　we

were　served　with　a　most　wonderful　repast　selected　by　Dubkoff　from

the　French　menu。　The　meal　went　off　most　gaily　and　agreeably；

notwithstanding　that　Dubkoff；　as　usual；　told　us　blood…curdling

tales　of　doubtful　veracity　（among　others；　a　tale　of　how　his

grandmother　once　shot　dead　three　robbers　who　were　attacking　her

a　recital　at　which　I　blushed；　closed　my　eyes；　and　turned　away

from　the　narrator）；　and　that　Woloda　reddened　visibly　whenever　I

opened　my　mouth　to　speakwhich　was　the　more　uncalled　for　on　his

part；　seeing　that　never　once；　so　far　as　I　can　remember；　did　I　say

anything　shameful。　After　we　had　been　given　champagne；　every　one

congratulated　me；　and　I　drank　〃hands　across〃　with　Dimitri　and

Dubkoff；　and　wished　them　joy。　Since；　however；　I　did　not　know　to

whom　the　bottle　of　champagne　belonged　（it　was　explained　to　me

later　that　it　was　common　property）；　I　considered　that；　in　return；

I　ought　to　treat　my　friends　out　of　the　money　which　I　had　never

ceased　to　finger　in　my　pocket。　Accordingly；　I　stealthily　extracted

a　ten…rouble　note；　and；　beckoning　the　waiter　to　my　side；　handed

him　the　money；　and　told　him　in　a　whisper　（yet　not　so　softly　but

that　every　one　could　hear　me；　seeing　that　every　one　was　staring

at　me　in　dead　silence）　to　〃bring；　if　you　please；　a　half…bottle　of

champagne。〃　At　this　Woloda　reddened　again；　and　began　to　fidget　so

violently；　and　to　gaze　upon　myself　and　every　one　else　with　such　a

distracted　air；　that　I　felt　sure　I　had　somehow　put　my　foot　in　it。

However；　the　half…bottle　came；　and　we　drank　it　with　great　gusto。

After　that；　things　went　on　merrily。　Dubkoff　continued　his

unending　fairy　tales；　while　Woloda　also　told　funny　storiesand

told　them　well；　tooin　a　way　I　should　never　have　credited　him：　so

that　our　laughter　rang　long　and　loud。　Their　best　efforts　lay　in

imitation；　and　in　variants　of　a　certain　well…known　saw。　〃Have　you

ever　been　abroad？〃　one　would　say　to　the　other；　for　instance。

〃No；〃　the　one　interrogated　would　reply；　〃but　my　brother　plays　the

fiddle。〃　Such　perfection　had　the　pair　attained　in　this　species　of

comic　absurdity　that　they　could　answer　any　question　by　its　means；

while　they　would　also　endeavour　to　unite　two　absolutely

unconnected　matters　without　a　previous　question　having　been　asked

at　all；　yet　say　everything　with　a　perfectly　serious　face　and

produce　a　most　comic　effect。　I　too　began　to　try　to　be　funny；　but

as　soon　as　ever　I　spoke　they　either　looked　at　me　askance　or　did

not　look　at　me　until　I　had　finished：　so　that　my　anecdotes　fell

flat。　Yet；　though　Dubkoff　always　remarked；　〃Our　DIPLOMAT　is

lying；　brother；〃　I　felt　so　exhilarated　with　the　champagne　and　the

company　of　my　elders　that　the　remark　scarcely　touched　me。　Only

Dimitri；　though　he　drank　level　with　the　rest　of　us；　continued　in

the　same　severe；　serious　frame　of　minda　fact　which　put　a

certain　check　upon　the　general　hilarity。



〃Now；　look　here；　gentlemen；〃　said　Dubkoff　at　last。　〃After　dinner

we　ought　to　take　the　DIPLOMAT　in　hand。　How　would　it　be　for　him　to

go　with　us　to　see　Auntie？　There　we　could　put　him　through　his

paces。〃



〃Ah；　but　Nechludoff　will　not　go　there；〃　objected　Woloda。



〃O　unbearable；　insupportable　man　of　quiet　habits　that　you　are！〃

cried　Dubkoff；　turning　to　Dimitri。　〃Yet　come　with　us；　and　you

shall　see　what　an　excellent　lady　my　dear　Auntie　is。〃



〃I　will　neither　go　myself　nor　let　him　go；〃　replied　Dimitri。



〃Let　whom　go？　The　DIPLOMAT？　Why；　you　yourself　saw　how　he

brightened　up　at　the　very　mention　of　Auntie。〃



〃It　is　not　so　much　that　I　WILL　NOT　LET　HIM　go；〃　continued

Dimitri；　rising　and　beginning　to　pace　the　room　without　looking　at

me；　〃as　that　I　neither　wish　him　nor　advise　him　to　go。　He　is　not　a

child　now；　and　if　he　must　go　he　can　go　alonewithout　you。　Surely

you　are　ashamed　of　this；　Dubkoff？ashamed　of　always　wanting

others　to　do　all　the　wrong　things　that　you　yourself　do？〃



〃But　what　is　there　so　very　wrong　in　my　inviting　you　all　to　come

and　take　a　cup　of　tea　with　my　Aunt？〃　said　Dubkoff；　with　a　wink　at

Woloda。　〃If　you　don't　like　us　going；　it　is　your　affair；　yet　we

are　going　all　the　same。　Are　you　coming；　Woloda？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　assented　Woloda。　〃We　can　go　there；　and　then　return　to

my　rooms　and　continue　our　piquet。〃



〃Do　you　want　to　go　with　them　or　not？〃　said　Dimitri；　approaching

me。



〃No；〃　I　replied；　at　the　same　time　making　room　for　him　to　sit　down

beside　me　on　the　divan。　〃I　did　not　wish　to　go　in　any　case；　and

since　you　advise　me　not　to；　nothing　on　earth　will　make　me　go　now。

Yet；〃　I　added　a　moment　later；　〃I　cannot　honestly　say　that　I　have

NO　desire　to　go。　All　I　say　is　that　I　am　glad　I　am　not　going。〃



〃That　is　right；〃　he　said。　〃Live　your　own　life；　and　do　not　dance

to　any　one's　piping。　That　is　the　better　way。〃



This　little　tiff　not　only　failed　to　mar　our　hilarity；　but　even

increased　it。　Dimitri　suddenly　reverted　to　the　kindly　mood　which

I　lo