resurrection(复活)-第25章

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said　that　he　would　go　with　pleasure　if　the　princess　would　admit
him。

〃Oh；　yes！　Mamma　will　be　pleased。　You　may　smoke　there；　and　Ivan
Ivanovitch　is　also　there。〃

The　mistress　of　the　house；　Princess　Sophia　Vasilievna；　was　a
recumbent　lady。　It　was　the　eighth　year　that；　when　visitors　were
present；　she　lay　in　lace　and　ribbons；　surrounded　with　velvet；
gilding；　ivory；　bronze；　lacquer　and　flowers；　never　going　out；　and
only；　as　she　put　it；　receiving　intimate　friends；　i。e。；　those　who
according　to　her　idea　stood　out　from　the　common　herd。

Nekhludoff　was　admitted　into　the　number　of　these　friends　because
he　was　considered　clever；　because　his　mother　had　been　an　intimate
friend　of　the　family；　and　because　it　was　desirable　that　Missy
should　marry　him。

Sophia　Vasilievna's　room　lay　beyond　the　large　and　the　small
drawing…rooms。　In　the　large　drawing…room；　Missy；　who　was　in　front
of　Nekhludoff；　stopped　resolutely；　and　taking　hold　of　the　back　of
a　small　green　chair；　faced　him。

Missy　was　very　anxious　to　get　married；　and　as　he　was　a　suitable
match　and　she　also　liked　him；　she　had　accustomed　herself　to　the
thought　that　he　should　be　hers　（not　she　his）。　To　lose　him　would
be　very　mortifying。　She　now　began　talking　to　him　in　order　to　get
him　to　explain　his　intentions。

〃I　see　something　has　happened；〃　she　said。　〃Tell　me；　what　is　the
matter　with　you？〃

He　remembered　the　meeting　in　the　law　court；　and　frowned　and
blushed。

〃Yes；　something　has　happened；〃　he　said；　wishing　to　be　truthful；
〃a　very　unusual　and　serious　event。〃

〃What　is　it；　then？　Can　you　not　tell　me　what　it　is？〃　She　was
pursuing　her　aim　with　that　unconscious　yet　obstinate　cunning
often　observable　in　the　mentally　diseased。

〃Not　now。　Please　do　not　ask　me　to　tell　you。　I　have　not　yet　had
time　fully　to　consider　it；〃　and　he　blushed　still　more。

〃And　so　you　will　not　tell　me？〃　A　muscle　twitched　in　her　face　and
she　pushed　back　the　chair　she　was　holding。　〃Well　then；　come！〃　She
shook　her　head　as　if　to　expel　useless　thoughts；　and；　faster　than
usual；　went　on　in　front　of　him。

He　fancied　that　her　mouth　was　unnaturally　compressed　in　order　to
keep　back　the　tears。　He　was　ashamed　of　having　hurt　her；　and　yet
he　knew　that　the　least　weakness　on　his　part　would　mean　disaster；
i。e。；　would　bind　him　to　her。　And　to…day　he　feared　this　more　than
anything；　and　silently　followed　her　to　the　princess's　cabinet。


CHAPTER　XXVII。

MISSY'S　MOTHER。

Princess　Sophia　Vasilievna；　Missy's　mother；　had　finished　her　very
elaborate　and　nourishing　dinner。　（She　had　it　always　alone；　that
no　one　should　see　her　performing　this　unpoetical　function。）　By
her　couch　stood　a　small　table　with　her　coffee；　and　she　was
smoking　a　pachitos。　Princess　Sophia　Vasilievna　was　a　long；　thin
woman；　with　dark　hair；　large　black　eyes　and　long　teeth；　and　still
pretended　to　be　young。

Her　intimacy　with　the　doctor　was　being　talked　about。　Nekhludoff
had　known　that　for　some　time；　but　when　he　saw　the　doctor　sitting
by　her　couch；　his　oily；　glistening　beard　parted　in　the　middle；　he
not　only　remembered　the　rumours　about　them；　but　felt　greatly
disgusted。　By　the　table；　on　a　low；　soft；　easy　chair；　next　to
Sophia　Vasilievna；　sat　Kolosoff；　stirring　his　coffee。　A　glass　of
liqueur　stood　on　the　table。　Missy　came　in　with　Nekhludoff；　but
did　not　remain　in　the　room。

〃When　mamma　gets　tired　of　you　and　drives　you　away；　then　come　to
me；〃　she　said；　turning　to　Kolosoff　and　Nekhludoff；　speaking　as　if
nothing　had　occurred；　then　she　went　away；　smiling　merrily　and
stepping　noiselessly　on　the　thick　carpet。

〃How　do　you　do；　dear　friend？　Sit　down　and　talk；〃　said　Princess
Sophia　Vasilievna；　with　her　affected　but　very　naturally…acted
smile；　showing　her　fine；　long　teetha　splendid　imitation　of　what
her　own　had　once　been。　〃I　hear　that　you　have　come　from　the　Law
Courts　very　much　depressed。　I　think　it　must　be　very　trying　to　a
person　with　a　heart；〃　she　added　in　French。

〃Yes；　that　is　so；〃　said　Nekhludoff。　〃One　often　feels　one's　own
deone　feels　one　has　no　right　to　judge。〃

〃Comme；　c'est　vrai；〃　she　cried；　as　if　struck　by　the　truth　of　this
remark。　She　was　in　the　habit　of　artfully　flattering　all　those
with　whom　she　conversed。　〃Well；　and　what　of　your　picture？　It　does
interest　me　so。　If　I　were　not　such　a　sad　invalid　I　should　have
been　to　see　it　long　ago；〃　she　said。

〃I　have　quite　given　it　up；〃　Nekhludoff　replied　drily。　The
falseness　of　her　flattery　seemed　as　evident　to　him　to…day　as　her
age；　which　she　was　trying　to　conceal；　and　he　could　not　put
himself　into　the　right　state　to　behave　politely。

〃Oh；　that　IS　a　pity！　Why；　he　has　a　real　talent　for　art；　I　have　it
from　Repin's　own　lips；〃　she　added；　turning　to　Kolosoff。

〃Why　is　it　she　is　not　ashamed　of　lying　so？〃　Nekhludoff　thought；
and　frowned。

When　she　had　convinced　herself　that　Nekhludoff　was　in　a　bad
temper　and　that　one　could　not　get　him　into　an　agreeable　and
clever　conversation；　Sophia　Vasilievna　turned　to　Kolosoff；　asking
his　opinion　of　a　new　play。　She　asked　it　in　a　tone　as　if
Kolosoff's　opinion　would　decide　all　doubts；　and　each　word　of　this
opinion　be　worthy　of　being　immortalised。　Kolosoff　found　fault
both　with　the　play　and　its　author；　and　that　led　him　to　express
his　views　on　art。　Princess　Sophia　Vasilievna；　while　trying　at　the
same　time　to　defend　the　play；　seemed　impressed　by　the　truth　of
his　arguments；　either　giving　in　at　once；　or　at　least　modifying
her　opinion。　Nekhludoff　looked　and　listened；　but　neither　saw　nor
heard　what　was　going　on　before　him。

Listening　now　to　Sophia　Vasilievna；　now　to　Kolosoff；　Nekhludoff
noticed　that　neither　he　nor　she　cared　anything　about　the　play　or
each　other；　and　that　if　they　talked　it　was　only　to　gratify　the
physical　desire　to　move　the　muscles　of　the　throat　and　tongue
after　having　eaten；　and　that　Kolosoff；　having　drunk　vodka；　wine
and　liqueur；　was　a　little　tipsy。　Not　tipsy　like　the　peasants　who
drink　seldom；　but　like　people　to　whom　drinking　wine　has　become　a
habit。　He　did　not　reel　about　or　talk　nonsense；　but　he　was　in　a
state　that　was　not　normal；　excited　and　self…satisfied。
Nekhludoff　also　noticed　that　during　the　conversation　Princess
Sophia　Vasilievna　kept　glancing　uneasily　at　the　window；　through
which　a　slanting　ray　of　sunshine；　which　might　vividly　light　up
her　aged　face；　was　beginning　to　creep　up。

〃How　true；〃　she　said　in　reference　to　some　remark　of　Kolosoff's；
touching　the　button　of　an　electric　bell　by　the　side　of　her　couch。
The　doctor　rose；　and；　like　one　who　is　at　home；　left　the　room
without　saying　anything。　Sophia　Vasilievna　followed　him　with　her
eyes　and　continued　the　conversation。

〃Please；　Philip；　draw　these　curtains；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the
window；　when　the　handsome　footman　came　in　answer　to　the　bell。
〃No；　whatever　you　may　say；　there　is　some　mysticism　in　him；
without　mysticism　there　can　be　no　poetry；〃　she　said；　with　one　of
her　black　eyes　angrily　following　the　footman's　movements　as　he
was　drawing　the　curtains。　〃Without　poetry；　mysticism　is
superstition；　without　mysticism；　poetry　isprose；〃　she
continued；　with　a　sorrowful　smile；　still　not　losing　sight　of　the
footman　and　the　curtains。　〃Philip；　not　that　curtain；　the　one　on
the　large　window；〃　she　exclaimed；　in　a　suffering　tone。　Sophia
Vasilievna　was　evidently　pitying　herself　for　having　to　make　the
effort　of　saying　these　words；　and；　to　soothe　her　feelings；　she
raised　to　her　lips　a　scented；　smoking　cigarette　with　her　jewel…
bedecked　fingers。

The　broad…chested；　muscular；　handsome　Philip　bowed　slightly；　as
if　begging　pardon；　and　stepping　lightly　across　the　carpet　with
his　broad…calved；　strong；　legs；　obediently　and　silently　went　to
the　other　window；　and；　looking　at　the　princess；　carefully　began
to　arrange　the　curtain　so　that　not　a　single　ray　dared　fall　on
her。　But　again　he　did　not　satisfy　her；　and　again　she　had　to
interrupt　the　conversation　about　mysticism；　and　correct　in　a
martyred　tone　the　unintelligent　Philip；　who　was　tormenting　her　so
pitilessly。　For　a　moment　a　light　flashed　in　Philip's　eyes。

〃'The　devil　take　you！　What　do　you　want？'　was　probably　what　he
said　to　himself；〃　thought　Nekhludoff；　who　had　been　observing　all
this　scene。　But　the　strong；　handsome　Philip　at　once　managed　to
conceal　the　signs　of　his　impatienc