youth-第34章

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mother；　I　found　it　hard　to　believe　that　she　did　not　come　of　a

family　of　negroes。　All　the　same；　I　had　the　lowest　possible

opinion　of　the　family；　and；　for　all　that　we　saw　much　of　them　that

summer；　continued　to　be　strongly　prejudiced　against　them。　As　a

matter　of　fact；　their　household　only　consisted　of　the　mother　（a

widow　of　fifty；　but　a　very　well…preserved；　cheery　old　woman）；　a

beautiful　daughter　named　Avdotia；　and　a　son；　Peter；　who　was　a

stammerer；　unmarried；　and　of　very　serious　disposition。



For　the　last　twenty　years　before　her　husband's　death；　Madame

Epifanov　had　lived　apart　from　himsometimes　in　St。　Petersburg；

where　she　had　relatives；　but　more　frequently　at　her　village　of

Mitishtchi；　which　stood　some　three　versts　from　ours。　Yet　the

neighbourhood　had　taken　to　circulating　such　horrible　tales

concerning　her　mode　of　life　that　Messalina　was；　by　comparison；　a

blameless　child：　which　was　why　my　mother　had　requested　her　name

never　to　be　mentioned。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　not　one…tenth　part　of

the　most　cruel　of　all　gossipthe　gossip　of　country…housesis

worthy　of　credence；　and　although；　when　I　first　made　Madame's

acquaintance；　she　had　living　with　her　in　the　house　a　clerk　named

Mitusha；　who　had　been　promoted　from　a　serf；　and　who；　curled；

pomaded；　and　dressed　in　a　frockcoat　of　Circassian　pattern；　always

stood　behind　his　mistress's　chair　at　luncheon；　while　from　time　to

time　she　invited　her　guests　to　admire　his　handsome　eyes　and

mouth；　there　was　nothing　for　gossip　to　take　hold　of。　I　believe；

too；　that　since　the　timeten　years　earlierwhen　she　had　recalled

her　dutiful　son　Peter　from　the　service；　she　had　wholly　changed

her　mode　of　living。　It　seems　her　property　had　never　been　a　large

onemerely　a　hundred　souls　or　so＇This　refers；　of　course；　to　the

days　of　serfdom。＇and　that　during　her　previous　life　of　gaiety　she

had　spent　a　great　deal。　Consequently；　when；　some　ten　years　ago；

those　portions　of　the　property　which　had　been　mortgaged　and　re…

mortgaged　had　been　foreclosed　upon　and　compulsorily　sold　by

auction；　she　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　all　these　unpleasant

details　of　distress　upon　and　valuation　of　her　property　had　been

due　not　so　much　to　failure　to　pay　the　interest　as　to　the　fact

that　she　was　a　woman：　wherefore　she　had　written　to　her　son　（then

serving　with　his　regiment）　to　come　and　save　his　mother　from　her

embarrassments；　and　he；　like　a　dutiful　sonconceiving　that　his

first　duty　was　to　comfort　his　mother　in　her　old　agehad

straightway　resigned　his　commission　（for　all　that　he　had　been

doing　well　in　his　profession；　and　was　hoping　soon　to　become

independent）；　and　had　come　to　join　her　in　the　country。



Despite　his　plain　face；　uncouth　demeanour；　and　fault　of

stuttering；　Peter　was　a　man　of　unswerving　principles　and　of　the

most　extraordinary　good　sense。　Somehowby　small　borrowings；

sundry　strokes　of　business；　petitions　for　grace；　and　promises　to

repayhe　contrived　to　carry　on　the　property；　and；　making　himself

overseer；　donned　his　father's　greatcoat　（still　preserved　in　a

drawer）；　dispensed　with　horses　and　carriages；　discouraged　guests

from　calling　at　Mitishtchi；　fashioned　his　own　sleighs；　increased

his　arable　land　and　curtailed　that　of　the　serfs；　felled　his　own

timber；　sold　his　produce　in　person；　and　saw　to　matters　generally。

Indeed；　he　swore；　and　kept　his　oath；　that；　until　all　outstanding

debts　were　paid；　he　would　never　wear　any　clothes　than　his

father's　greatcoat　and　a　corduroy　jacket　which　he　had　made　for

himself；　nor　yet　ride　in　aught　but　a　country　waggon；　drawn　by

peasants'　horses。　This　stoical　mode　of　life　he　sought　to　apply

also　to　his　family；　so　far　as　the　sympathetic　respect　which　he

conceived　to　be　his　mother's　due　would　allow　of；　so　that；

although；　in　the　drawing…room；　he　would　show　her　only　stuttering

servility；　and　fulfil　all　her　wishes；　and　blame　any　one　who　did

not　do　precisely　as　she　bid　them；　in　his　study　or　his　office　he

would　overhaul　the　cook　if　she　had　served　up　so　much　as　a　duck

without　his　orders；　or　any　one　responsible　for　sending　a　serf

（even　though　at　Madame's　own　bidding）　to　inquire　after　a

neighbour's　health　or　for　despatching　the　peasant　girls　into　the

wood　to　gather　wild　raspberries　instead　of　setting　them　to　weed

the　kitchen…garden。



Within　four　years　every　debt　had　been　repaid；　and　Peter　had　gone

to　Moscow　and　returned　thence　in　a　new　jacket　and　tarantass。　＇A

two…wheeled　carriage。＇　Yet；　despite　this　flourishing　position　of

affairs；　he　still　preserved　the　stoical　tendencies　in　which；　to

tell　the　truth；　he　took　a　certain　vague　pride　before　his　family

and　strangers；　since　he　would　frequently　say　with　a　stutter：　〃Any

one　who　REALLY　wishes　to　see　me　will　be　glad　to　see　me　even　in　my

dressing…gown；　and　to　eat　nothing　but　shtchi　＇Cabbage…soup。＇　and

kasha　＇Buckwheat　gruel。＇　at　my　table。〃　〃That　is　what　I　eat

myself；〃　he　would　add。　In　his　every　word　and　movement　spoke　pride

based　upon　a　consciousness　of　having　sacrificed　himself　for　his

mother　and　redeemed　the　property；　as　well　as　contempt　for　any　one

who　had　not　done　something　of　the　same　kind。



The　mother　and　daughter　were　altogether　different　characters　from

Peter；　as　well　as　altogether　different　from　one　another。　The

former　was　one　of　the　most　agreeable；　uniformly　good…tempered；

and　cheerful　women　whom　one　could　possibly　meet。　Anything

attractive　and　genuinely　happy　delighted　her。　Even　the　faculty　of

being　pleased　with　the　sight　of　young　people　enjoying　themselves

（it　is　only　in　the　best…natured　of　elderly　folk　that　one　meets

with　that　TRAIT）　she　possessed　to　the　full。　On　the　other　hand；

her　daughter　was　of　a　grave　turn　of　mind。　Rather；　she　was　of　that

peculiarly　careless；　absent…minded；　gratuitously　distant　bearing

which　commonly　distinguishes　unmarried　beauties。　Whenever　she

tried　to　be　gay；　her　gaiety　somehow　seemed　to　be　unnatural　to

her；　so　that　she　always　appeared　to　be　laughing　either　at　herself

or　at　the　persons　to　whom　she　was　speaking　or　at　the　world　in

generala　thing　which；　possibly；　she　had　no　real　intention　of

doing。　Often　I　asked　myself　in　astonishment　what　she　could　mean

when　she　said　something　like；　〃Yes；　I　know　how　terribly　good…

looking　I　am；〃　or；　〃Of　course　every　one　is　in　love　with　me；〃　and

so　forth。　Her　mother　was　a　person　always　busy；　since　she　had　a

passion　for　housekeeping；　gardening；　flowers；　canaries；　and

pretty　trinkets。　Her　rooms　and　garden；　it　is　true；　were　small　and

poorly　fitted…up；　yet　everything　in　them　was　so　neat　and

methodical；　and　bore　such　a　general　air　of　that　gentle　gaiety

which　one　hears　expressed　in　a　waltz　or　polka；　that　the　word

〃toy〃　by　which　guests　often　expressed　their　praise　of　it　all

exactly　suited　her　surroundings。　She　herself　was　a　〃toy〃being

petite；　slender；　fresh…coloured；　small；　and　pretty…handed；　and

invariably　gay　and　well…dressed。　The　only　fault　in　her　was　that　a

slight　over…prominence　of　the　dark…blue　veins　on　her　little　hands

rather　marred　the　general　effect　of　her　appearance。　On　the　other

hand；　her　daughter　scarcely　ever　did　anything　at　all。　Not　only

had　she　no　love　for　trifling　with　flowers　and　trinkets；　but　she

neglected　her　personal　exterior；　and　only　troubled　to　dress

herself　well　when　guests　happened　to　call。　Yet；　on　returning　to

the　room　in　society　costume；　she　always　looked　extremely

handsomesave　for　that　cold；　uniform　expression　of　eyes　and

smile　which　is　common　to　all　beauties。　In　fact；　her　strictly

regular；　beautiful　face　and　symmetrical　figure　always　seemed　to

be　saying　to　you；　〃Yes；　you　may　look　at　me。〃



At　the　same　time；　for　all　the　mother's　liveliness　of　disposition

and　the　daughter's　air　of　indifference　and　abstraction；　something

told　one　that　the　former　was　incapable　of　feeling　affection　for

anything　that　was　not　pretty　and　gay；　but　that　Avdotia；　on　the

contrary；　was　one　of　those　natures　which；　once　they　love；　are

willing　to　sacrifice　their　whole　life　for　the　man　they　adore。



XXXIV



MY　FATHER'S　SECOND　MARRIAGE



MY　f