SUMMARY Vernal waters
IS Turgenev The
spring waters of the
Tale are prefaced by a quatrain from an ancient Russian romance:
Funny years,
Happy days –
Like spring waters
Rushed they are
visible, it will be about love, youth. Maybe in the form of memories? Yes indeed. “He returned to his office in the second night, sent a servant who lit a candle, and, throwing himself into an armchair near the fireplace, covered his face with both hands.”
Well, apparently, it is not bad for him (from our point of view), whoever he is: the servant lights candles, flooded the fireplace for him. As it turns out later, he spent the evening with nice ladies, with educated men. In addition: some of the ladies were beautiful, almost all men differed in intelligence and talents. He himself also flashed in conversation. Why is it now strangled by “aversion to life”?
And what is he, (Sanin Dmitry Pavlovich), reflects in the quiet of a cozy warm
He is 52 years old, he remembers all ages and does not see a lumen. “Everywhere is the same eternal transfusion from the empty to the empty, the same pumping of water, the same half conscientious, half conscious self-delusion…, – and there, suddenly, just like the snow on your head the old age will come – and with it… fear of death… and booze into the abyss! ” And before the end of infirmity, suffering…
To distract from unpleasant thoughts, he sat down at the desk, rummaged in his papers, in old women’s letters, about to burn this unnecessary rubbish. Suddenly he screamed weakly: in one of the boxes was a box in which lay a small pomegranate cross.
He again sat down in an armchair by the fireplace – and again covered his face with his hands. “… And he remembered a lot, long past… That’s what he remembered…”
In the summer of 1840, he was in Frankfurt, returning from Italy to Russia.
At that time, tourists traveled in diligence: there were still few railways. Sanin on this day was to leave for Berlin.
Walking around the city, at six o’clock in the evening he went into the “Italian confectionery” to drink a glass of lemonade. In the first room there was no one, then a girl of about 19 years old ran into the room from the next room, with dark curls scattered over her bare shoulders, with outstretched arms stretched forward. Seeing Sanin, the stranger grabbed his arm and led him along. “Hurry, hurry, here, save!” she would say in a gasping voice.
In the next room was lying on the couch, her brother, a boy of about 14, pale, with blue lips. It was a sudden faint. A tiny shaggy little old man was crouched in the room with curved legs, reported that he had sent for the doctor…
“But Emil is going to die!” – exclaimed the girl and held out her hands to Sanin, begging for help. He took off his coat, unbuttoned his shirt and, taking a brush, began rubbing his chest and arms. At the same time he glanced sideways at the extraordinary beauty of the Italian. The nose is a bit too big, but “beautiful, eagle fret”, dark gray eyes, long dark curls…
Finally, the boy came to, soon there was a lady with silvery-gray hair and a swarthy face, it turns out, the mother of Emile and his sister. At the same time, a maid was with the doctor.
Fearing that now he was superfluous, Sanin went out, but the girl caught up with him and begged to return an hour later “for a cup of chocolate.” “We are so obliged to you – maybe you saved your brother – we want to thank you – my mother wants you.” You must tell us who you are, you should rejoice with us… “An
hour and a half later he appeared. All the inhabitants of the confectionery seemed unspeakably happy. On a round table covered with a clean tablecloth stood a huge porcelain pot filled with fragrant chocolate; around the cup, decanters with syrup, biscuits, rolls. Candles burned in the old silver candala.
Sanina was seated in a soft armchair, forced to tell about herself; in turn, the ladies dedicated it to the details of their lives. They are all Italians. Mother – a lady with silvery-gray hair and a swarthy face “almost completely danced”, as her deceased husband, an experienced confectioner, settled in Germany 25 years ago; daughter of Gemma and son Emil “very good and obedient children”; a little old man named Pantaleone, was, it turns out, once a long time an opera singer, but now “was in the Roselli family something in between a friend of the house and a servant.”
The mother of the family, Frau Lenore, imagined Russia: “eternal snow, everyone walks in fur coats and all the military – but the hospitality is extraordinary!” Sanin tried to inform her and her daughter more precise information. ” He even sang “Sarafan” and “Along street street”, and then Pushkin’s “I remember a wonderful moment” to the music of Glinka, somehow accompanying myself on the piano. Ladies admired the lightness and sonority of the Russian language, then sang several Italian duets. The former singer Pantaleone also tried to perform something, some “unusual grace”, but he did not manage. And then Emil suggested that the sister read the guest “one of the comedies of Maltse, which she reads so well.”
Gemma read “completely in an actor’s way,” “putting into play her own facial expressions.” Sanin admired her so much that he did not notice how the evening had flown by and completely forgot that at about half past eleven his stagecoach departs. When the clock struck 10 in the evening, he jumped up as if stung. Late!
“Did you pay all the money or only give me a deposit?” Frau Lenore
asked curiously. “That’s all!” Sanin cried with sad grief. ”
“You must stay in Frankfurt for a few days now,” Gemma said to him, “where should you hurry?”
He knew that he would have to stay “by virtue of the emptiness of his purse” and ask one Berlin friend to send money.
“” Stay, stay, “Frau Lenore said,” we’ll introduce you to Gemma’s fiancé, Mr. Carl Kluber. “
Sanin this news was a little embarrassed.
And the next day, guests came to his hotel: Emil and with him a tall young man “with a handsome face” – Gemma’s fiancé.
The groom said that “he wished to express his respect and his gratitude to the foreigner who had rendered such an important service to a future relative, the brother of his bride.”
Mr. Kluber hurried to his store – “business first of all!” – and Emil still stayed at Sanin and told him that his mother, under the influence of Mr. Kluber, wants to make him a merchant, whereas his calling is a theater.
Sanin was invited to his new friends for breakfast and stayed until evening. Next to Gemma, everything seemed pleasant and sweet. “In the monotonously quiet and smooth flow of life, there are great charms” … With the nightfall, when he went home, Gemma’s “image” did not leave him. And the next day Emil came to see him in the morning and announced that Herr Klueber, (who had invited everyone on a fun trip on the eve of the day), would now come with a carriage. In a quarter of an hour Klueber, Sanin and Emil drove up to the porch of the confectioner’s. Frau Lenore remained at home because of a headache, but she sent Gemma with them.
We went to Soden – a small town near Frankfurt. Sanin furtively watched Gemma and her fiancé. She kept calm and simple, but still somewhat more serious than the ordinary, and the groom “looked like an indulgent mentor”; he also treated nature “with the same indulgence, through which occasionally the usual commander’s strictness broke through.”
Then dinner, coffee; nothing remarkable. But behind one of the next tables were quite drunk officers, and suddenly one of them approached Gemma. He already had time to visit Frankfurt and, apparently, knew her. “I drink to the health of the most beautiful coffee in the whole Frankfurt, in the whole world (he at once” slammed “the glass) – and in retaliation I take this flower, torn by its divine fingers!” At the same time he took the rose that lay before her. She was frightened at first, then anger flared in her eyes! Her look confused the drunk, who muttered something, “went back to his own”.
Mr. Kluber, wearing a hat, said: “This is unheard of! Unheard of impudence!” and demanded that the waiter immediately calculate. He also ordered a coach, because “decent people can not go here, because they are insulted!”
“Stand up, Maine Fraulein,” said Mr. Kluber, with the same severity, “it’s not good for you to stay here.” We’ll settle down there in the tavern! ”
Under his arm with Gemma, he marched majestically to the tavern. Emil followed them.
Meanwhile Sanin, as befits a nobleman, went to the table where the officers sat and said in French to the offender: “You are a badly educated impudent man.” He jumped up, and another older officer stopped him and asked Sanin, also in French, what he was doing to that girl.
Sanin, throwing his business card on the table, said that he was a stranger to a girl, but he could not indifferently see such impudence. He grabbed the rose taken from Gemma, and left, assured that “tomorrow morning one of the officers of their regiment will have the honor of coming to his apartment.”
The groom pretended not to notice Sanin’s act. Gemma did not say anything either. And Emil was ready to rush to the hero’s neck or go with him to fight with the offenders together.
Kluber ranted all the way: that he had been vainly disobeyed when he offered to dine in a closed gazebo, about morality and immorality, about propriety and sense of dignity… Gradually, Gemma was clearly embarrassed for his fiancé. And Sanin secretly rejoiced at everything that happened, and at the end of the trip handed her the very rose. She flared up and squeezed his hand.
That’s how this love began.
In the morning a second appeared and informed that his friend, Baron von Dongof, “would have been satisfied with slight apologies.” It was not there. Sanin responded by saying that he did not intend to give any heavy or light apology, and when the second was gone, he could not understand: “How did this suddenly turn out to be a life? All the past, the whole future suddenly faded away, and nothing remained but that I’m in Frankfurt with someone for something to fight. “
Suddenly, Pantaleone appeared with a note from Gemma: she was worried, asked Sanin to come. Sanin promised and at the same time invited Pantaleone in seconds: there were no other candidates. The old man, shaking hands with him, pompously said: “A noble youth, a great heart!” And promised to give an answer soon. An hour later he appeared very solemnly, handed Sanin his old business card, agreed, and said that “honor above all!” and so on.
Then negotiations between two seconds… Developed the conditions: “To shoot Baron von Dongof and Monsieur de Sanin for tomorrow, at 10 o’clock in the morning… at a distance of 20 steps.” Old Pantaleone seemed younger, as if they had moved his in the era when he himself on stage “accepted and made calls”: opera baritones, “as is known,
After spending an evening in the house of the Roselli family, Sanin went out late at night on the porch, walked along the street. “And how many they poured out, these stars… All of them and rdeli, and swarmed, gambling with rays”, Having come to the house in which the confectionery was located, he saw: a dark window was opened and a female figure appeared in it. Gemma!
The surrounding nature seems to react sensitively to what is happening in the shower. A sudden gust of wind blew up suddenly, “the earth seemed to tremble underfoot, the thin starlight shook and began to…” And again the silence. Sanin saw such a beauty, “that his heart froze in him.”
“I wanted to give you this flower… She threw him a withered rose, which he had won the day before.” And the window slammed shut. “
He fell asleep only in the morning. “Instantly, like that whirlwind, love fell upon him.” And in front of a stupid duel! “And suddenly he will be killed or mutilated?”
Sanin and Pantaleone came first to the forest, where a duel was to take place. Then the two officers appeared, accompanied by a doctor; “bag with surgical instruments and bandages dangling on his left shoulder.”
What are the characteristics of the participants?
Doctor. “It was clear that he was accustomed to such excursions extremely… every duel brought him 8 chervontsov – 4 on each of the belligerents.” Sanin, a romantic in love. “Pantaleone!” Sanin whispered to the old man, “if… if they kill me, anything can happen,” get a piece of paper from my side pocket – the flower is wrapped in it – give this piece to Signor Gemma. ” Do you hear? You promise? “
But Pantaleone hardly heard anything. By this time, he had lost all the theatrical pathetic, and at the decisive moment he suddenly shouted:
“And la-la-la… What wildness! Two such young men are fighting-why?” “Go home!”
Sanin shot first and did not hit, the bullet “rang about the tree.” Baron Dengoff purposely “shot to the side, into the air.”
“Why did you shoot into the air?” Sanin asked,
“it’s none of your business.
” “Will you shoot for the second time in the air?” Sanin asked again.
“Maybe, I do not know.”
Of course, Dongof felt that during lunch he behaved in a bad way and did not want to kill an innocent man. Still no one’s conscience, apparently, he had.
“I refuse my shot,” Sanin said, and threw the gun to the ground.
“And I, too, do not intend to continue the duel,” Dongof exclaimed, and also threw down his gun… ”
Both shook hands. Then the second proclaimed:
“Honor is satisfied – and the duel is over!”
Returning after the duel in the carriage, Sanin felt relief in his heart and at the same time “was a little bit ashamed and ashamed…” And Pantaleone again ascended and now behaved like a “victorious general returning from the field of the battle he won.” Emil was waiting for them on the road. “- You are alive, you are not injured!”
They arrived at the hotel and suddenly a woman emerged from the dark corridor, “her face was covered with a veil”. She immediately disappeared, but Sanin recognized Jemma “
Then Mrs. Lenore appeared to Sanin: Gemma told her that she did not want to marry Mr. Kluber.
“You acted like a noble man, but what an unfortunate combination of circumstances!”
The circumstances were really unhappy, as usual, largely due to social reasons.
“I’m not talking about… it’s a shame for us that it never happened in the world that the bride refused the groom, but this is for us a ruin… We can no longer live incomes from our store. .., and Mr. Kluber is very rich and will be even richer, and for which he refuses? Because he did not stand up for his bride? Let’s say it’s not very good of him, but he’s a civilian, was educated and, as a respectable merchant, had to despise the frivolous prank of an unknown officer. And what an offense…! ”
Frau Lenore had her own understanding of the situation.
“- And how will Mr. Kluber trade in the store if he fights with the buyers? It’s completely inconvenient! And now… refuse? But what will we live?”
It turned out that the dish, which before only their confectionery was preparing, now everyone began to do, many competitors appeared.
Perhaps, unwittingly, Turgenev uncovered all the ins and outs of the mores, relations, and sufferings of those times. It’s a hard way, for centuries and centuries people have come to a new understanding of life; or rather, to that which arose at the dawn of human civilization, but has by no means mastered the mass consciousness because it is intertwined with many erroneous and cruel ideas. People go through suffering, through trial and error… “Do everything to be exactly” … – Christ called. He spoke about the social structure, and not about the terrain. And not about the general barracks equality of incomes, but about the equality of opportunities for self-realization; and about the level of mass spiritual development, probably.
The main moral law is the idea of universal equality of opportunity. Without any privileges, advantages. When this idea is fully realized, all people will be able to love each other. After all, there can not be true friendship not only between the oppressor and the oppressed, but also between the privileged and those who are deprived of these privileges.
And so, it seems, almost the culmination of this tragic, though in its own way, history. Sanin must ask Jemma not to reject Mr. Kluber. About it he begs Frau Lenore.
“She must believe you, because you risked your life! .. You will prove to her that she and herself, and all of us will ruin.” You saved my son-save your daughter! You yourself God sent here… I’m ready on my knees ask you… ”
What should Sanin do?
“- Frau Lenore, think, why should I…
” “You promise, do not you want me to die right now, right now?”
How could he help them when there was nothing to buy a return ticket for? After all, they are, in fact, on the brink of death; the confectioner does not feed them anymore.
“I’ll do anything you want,” he exclaimed, “I’ll speak to Fraulein Gemma…”
He was in a terrible position! First this duel… If you are a more barbaric man, you could easily kill or maim. And now the situation is even worse.
“Now,” he thought, “life has begun to spin!” And so it turned like a head went round. “
Sensations, impressions, unspoken, not fully realized thoughts… And above all this – the image of Gemma, the image that so indelibly crashed into his memory that warm, night, in a dark window, under the rays of swarming stars! ”
What to say Gemma? “Frau Lenore was waiting for him.” – Go into the garden; she is there. See also: I rely on you! ”
Gemma sat on the bench, selecting from a large basket with cherries ripest at the plate he sat down beside him..
” – Are you fighting today in a duel, “- Gemma said, her eyes shining with gratitude..
” – and all this is because of me… for me… I will never forget this. “
Here are just excerpts, pieces of this conversation. At the same time, he saw “her thin, clean profile, and it seemed to him that he had never seen anything like it – and did not feel anything like what he felt at that moment.” His soul flared up. ”
It was about Mr. Klueber.
“What advice do you give me…?” She asked after a while. ”
Her hands were shaking. “He quietly put his hand on those pale, trembling fingers.
” “I’ll listen to you… but what advice will you give me?”
He began to explain: “Your mother believes that to refuse to Mr. Kluber only because he did not show special courage the day before…
” “Only because?” Gemma said…
“What… in general… refuse.. .
– But what is your opinion?
“Mine?” – … He felt something came up to him under his throat and took his breath away. “I think so too,” he began with an effort… ”
Gemma straightened up.
– Also? You too?
– Yes… that is… – Sanin could not, absolutely could not add a single word. ”
She promised:” I’ll tell my mother… I’ll think about it. ”
On the threshold of the door leading from the house to the garden, Frau appeared Lenore.
“- No, no, no, for God’s sake do not tell her anything yet,” Sanin said almost hastily, almost frightened. “Wait… I’ll tell you, I’ll write to you… and until then you do not dare for anything… wait!”
At home, he woefully and hollerously exclaimed: “I love her, I love insanely!”
Without warning, he rushed forward carelessly. “Now he did not think about anything, did not think anything, did not expect and did not foresee…”
He immediately, “with almost one stroke of the pen,” wrote a letter:
“Dear Jemma!
You know what advice I took on myself to teach you, you know what your mother wants and what she asked me for – but what you do not know and what I owe you now is that I love you, I love you with all the passion of the heart, fallen in love for the first time! This fire broke out in me suddenly, but with such force that I can not find the words!! When your mother came to me and asked me – he was still smoldering in me – otherwise I, as an honest person, probably would not have been able to fulfill her mission… The most recognition that I now make to you is the recognition of an honest person. You should know with whom you are dealing – there should be no misunderstandings between us. You see that I can not give you any advice… I love you, I love you, I love you – and there is nothing else in me – either in your mind or in your heart!!
Dm. Sanin “.
It’s night already. How to send a letter. Through the waiter it’s awkward… He left the hotel and suddenly met Emil, who gladly undertook to deliver the letter and soon brought an answer.
“I beg you, I beg you – it’s a whole day not coming to us, not showing up, I need it, it’s absolutely necessary – and there everything will be decided.” I know, you will not refuse me, because…
Gemma. ”
The next day Sanin and Emil walked in the neighborhood of Frankfurt, chatting. All the time Sanin felt that tomorrow would bring him unprecedented happiness! Finally, his hour came, the veil rose… ”
Returning to the hotel, he found a note, Gemma gave him a meeting the next day, in one of the gardens surrounding Frankfurt, at 7 o’clock in the morning.
“There was that happy man in Frankfurt that night…”
“Seven, watched the clock on the tower.” We omit all the numerous details. There are so many of them everywhere. Experiences of a lover, the weather, the surrounding landscape…
Gemma soon came. “She was wearing a gray mantilla and a small dark hat, with a small umbrella in her hands.
” “Are not you angry with me?” Sanin finally said. It was difficult for Sanin to say anything more stupid than these words… he himself was aware of this… ”
Well, so on.” How sincere, naive enthusiasm! How happy he is, how selflessly, selflessly in love!
“- Believe me, believe me, he kept saying. “
And in this cloudless happy moment the reader no longer believes… nor Sanin, who is boundlessly honest, turned the whole soul inside out; nor to the author, who is truthful and talented; neither Gemma, recklessly rejected a very profitable bridegroom; no, the reader does not believe that in life such a cloudless, full of happiness is possible. It can not be… “There is no happiness in the world…”, Pushkin asserted with knowledge. Something must happen. We are seized with some sad vigilance, we are sorry for these young and beautiful lovers, so gullible, so recklessly honest. “I’ve loved you from the very moment I saw you, but I did not immediately understand what you became for me!” Moreover, I heard that you are a betrothed bride… ”
And then Gemma announced that she had refused the bridegroom!
“- Himself?
“Himself.” In our house. He came to us.
“Gemma!” So, do you love me?
She turned to him.
“Otherwise… Would I have come here?” she whispered, and both her hands fell to the bench.
Sanin grabbed those impotent hands with palms upward, and pressed them to his eyes, to his lips… Here it is, happiness, here is his radiant face! ”
Another whole page will be occupied with talking about happiness.
” – Could I think – went on Sanin, – could I think, approaching Frankfurt, where I thought I would stay only a few hours, that I would find the happiness of my life here!
– The whole life? Right? Gemma asked.
– The whole life, forever and forever! exclaimed Sanin with a new impulse. “
“If she had told him at that moment:” Throw yourself into the sea… “- he would have flown to the abyss.”
Sanin had to go to Russia before the wedding to sell the estate. Frau Lenore was surprised: “So you will sell the peasants too?” (He somehow once expressed indignation about serfdom in the conversation.)
“I will try to sell my estate to a man whom I will know on the good side,” he said. he is not without a hitch – or perhaps the peasants themselves will want to pay off.
“” That’s best, “Frau Lenore agreed.” And then sell living people… ”
In the garden after lunch, Jemma presented Sanina with a pomegranate cross, but reminded selflessly and modestly: “You should not esteem yourself bound” …
8
How to sell the estate as soon as possible? At the top of happiness, this practical question tormented Sanin. With the hope of something to think of, he went out the next morning to take a walk, “to ventilate” and suddenly met Ippolit Polozov, whom he had once studied with at a boarding school.
Appearance Polozov quite remarkable: fat, plump, small pork eye with white eyelashes and eyebrows, sour expression. And the nature of fit appearance. It was a sleepy phlegmatic, indifferent to everything except food. Sanin heard that his wife was beautiful and, in addition, very rich. And now they, it turns out, live in Wiesbaden next year to Frankfurt; Polozov came for a day for shopping: his wife instructed, and today he returns back.
The friends went to breakfast together at one of the best hotels in Frankfurt, where Polozov occupied the best room.
And suddenly Sanin suddenly had an unexpected thought. If the wife of this sleepy phlegmatic is very rich – “they say she is the daughter of a tax-farmer” – will she buy an estate for a “fair price”?
“I do not buy estates: there are no capitals,” the phlegmatic said. “Will my wife buy it, you talk to her.” And before that, he mentioned that he did not interfere in the affairs of his wife. “She – in itself… well, I’m on my own”.
Learning that Sanin “started to marry,” and the bride “without capital,” he asked:
“So, the love is very strong?”
“How ridiculous you are! Yes, it is strong.
” “And you need money for that?”
“Yes. .. Yes,
In the end, Polozov promised to take a friend in his carriage to Wiesbaden.
Now everything depends on Mrs. Polozova. Would she want to help? How would it speed up the wedding!
Saying good-bye to Gemma, for a minute left alone with her, Sanin “fell at the feet of a nice girl.”
“Are you mine?” She whispered, “will you be back soon?”
“I’m your… I’ll be back,” he gasped,
“I’ll wait for you, my dear!”
The hotel in Wiesbaden was like a palace. Sanin took his room cheaper and, resting, went to Polozov. He sat “in a magnificent velvet armchair in the middle of a magnificent salon.” Sanin wanted to speak, but suddenly a “young, beautiful lady in a white silk dress, with black lace,
“- Yes, indeed they told me: this lady, at least where!” thought Sanin. His soul was filled with Gemma, other women for him now did not matter.
“In Mrs. Polozova, the traces of her plebeian origin were quite clearly evident: her forehead was low, her nose somewhat fleshy and turned up” … Well, the low forehead still, apparently, does not say anything: she is clever, it will soon become clear, and in her there is a huge charm, something powerful, bold, “not that Russian, not that gypsy” … That’s about conscientiousness, humanity… How is this? The environment could have influenced, certainly; and some long-standing impressions… Let’s see.
In the evening a thorough conversation took place. She asked about marriage and about the estate.
“He is decisively charming,” she said, not thoughtfully or absent-mindedly, “Knight, believe then people who claim that the idealists are all out!”
And when he promised to take the inexpensive price for the estate, she said: “I will not accept any sacrifice from you.” Instead of encouraging you… Well, how could I say it better? .. noble feelings, or what? I’ll scold you like a sticky? It’s not in my habits. “When it happens, I do not spare people – just not in that manner.”
“Oh, yes, keep your ears open!” Sanin thought at the same time.
Or maybe she just wants to show herself on the best side? Show off? But why would she?
Finally, she asked to give her “two days deadline,” and then she immediately decided the question. “
But she did not try to charm him all the time; gradually, insinuatingly, skillfully? Oh, does she entice Sanin on the sly? What for? Well, at least for the purpose of self-affirmation. And he, an irresponsible romanticist…
“” You must come early tomorrow, do you hear? “She called out to him after the
night, Sanin wrote to Gemma in the morning, took him to the post office and went for a walk in the park where the orchestra was playing. his shoulder. “was omnipresent Marya Nikolaevna She’s not here at the resort for some unknown reason, in front of him. (” since I is not it great? “) were forced to drink some water, after which it is necessary hour walk She offered to take a walk together..
” – well, give me your hand. Do not be afraid: your bride is not here – she will not see you. “
As for her husband, he ate and slept a lot, but apparently did not claim her attention at all.
“We will not talk about this purchase now, we’ll talk about it after breakfast, and you must tell me about yourself now… So that I know who I’m dealing with. And then, if you want, I’ll tell you about myself I shall tell “.
He wanted to protest, evade, but she did not allow it.
“I want to know not only what I’m buying, but from whom I buy.”
And an interesting long conversation took place. “Marya Nikolaevna listened very cleverly,
and besides, she herself seemed so frank that she involuntarily and others caused frankness.” And this is a long stay together, when from it it was breathing “a quiet, ugly temptation”! ..
On the same day, in a hotel in the presence of Polozov, there was a business talk about buying an estate. It turned out that this lady has outstanding commercial and administrative capabilities! “All the details of the household were well known to her, she inquired about everything carefully, went into everything, her every word hit the target…”
“Well, well,” finally decided Marya Nikolaevna, “I now know your estate…” not worse than you. What price do you put for the soul? (At that time, the prices of the estates, as you know, were determined heart to heart). ” Agreed on the price.
Will she let him go tomorrow? It’s all decided. Did she “drive up to him?” “What is it for? What does she want? .. These gray, predatory eyes, these dimples on the cheeks, these serpentine braids” … He was already unable to shake it all off, discarded from himself.
In 1840, the theater in Wiesbaden, (as well as many others then and subsequently), was characterized by “phrasal and miserable mediocrity”, “diligent and vulgar routine.”
It was unbearable to look at the actors. But behind the box there was a small room, furnished with sofas, and Marya Nikolaevna invited Sanin there.
They are alone again, next to each other. He is 22 years old and has the same number. He is someone else’s fiancé, and she seems to be attracting him. Caprice? Desire to feel your strength? “Take everything from life”?
“My father himself scarcely understood literacy, but he gave us a good education,” she confides. “Do not think, however, that I am very learned.” Oh, my God, no, I’m not learned, and I have no talents. I hardly know how to write… I can not read loudly, I can neither read piano nor draw, no sewing – nothing! Here I am – all here! “
After all, Sanin realized that he was deliberately attracted? But at first he paid no attention to this, in order to wait for the solution of his question. If he simply insisted on getting a response in a businesslike manner, avoiding all these intimacies, then, perhaps, the capricious lady would refuse to buy the estate altogether. Agreeing to give her a couple of days to think, he waited… But now, in private, he began to feel that he was once again enveloped by some “child from whom he could not get off for the second day.” Conversation “in a low voice, almost in a whisper – and this even more irritated him and worried him…”
As she deftly owns the situation, how convincingly, skillfully justifies herself!
“I’m telling you all this,” she continued, “firstly, in order not to listen to these fools (she pointed to the stage where at that moment the actress was booing instead of the actor…), and secondly, for that I am in your debt: you told me about yourself yesterday. ”
And, finally, it was a question of her strange marriage.
“Well – and you asked yourself… what could be the reason for such a strange… act on the part of a woman who is not poor… and not stupid… and not bad?”
Yes, of course, and Sanin asked himself this question, and the reader is perplexed. This her sleepy, inert phlegmatic! Well, if she is poor, weak, unsettled. On the contrary, he is poor and helpless! We’ll listen to her. How does she explain all this?
“Do you want to know what I like most of all?”
“Freedom,” Sanin prompted.
Marya Nikolayevna laid her hand on his arm.
“Yes, Dmitri Pavlovich,” she said, and her voice sounded something special, some undeniable sincerity and importance, “freedom, most of all and above all.” And do not think that I boasted about this – there is nothing commendable about it – only it is so, and it has always been and will be so for me; until my death. As a child, I must have seen a lot of slavery and suffered from it. “
Why would she even have this marriage? But a secular society of the mid-19th century… She needed the social status of a married lady. Otherwise, who is she? A rich courtesan, lady of half-light? Or an old maid? How many prejudices, conventions. The husband was a sign, a screen in this case. He, in essence, also suited this role. He could eat, sleep, live in luxury, not interfere in anything, only occasionally carry out small assignments.
So that’s why this strange marriage! She calculated everything in advance.
“Now you, perhaps, understand why I married Ippolit Sidorych, with him I’m free, completely free, like air, like the wind… And this I knew before the wedding…”
What is active, active energy in it? Mind, talent, beauty, reckless daring… She will not, like other heroines of Turgenev, sacrifice herself, she will break anyone, adapt herself.
And she adapted well to society, although she knows in her heart that all this is “not divine.”
“- After all, they will not demand a report from me here – on this earth, but there (she raised her finger up) – well, let them dispose of how they know.”
Having talked “heart to heart” and thus preparing the ground, she then proceeded cautiously to the offensive.
“- I ask myself, why are you telling me all this?” Sanin confessed.
Marya Nikolayevna moved slightly on the couch.
– You ask yourself… Are you so slow-witted? Or so modest? “
And suddenly: “I’m telling you all this, … because I like you very much, yes, do not be surprised, I’m not joking, because after meeting you I would be uncomfortable thinking that you will save me a bad memory. .. or even not bad, it’s all the same to me, but the wrong one. That’s why I got you here, and I stayed with you alone, and I’m talking to you so frankly Yes, yes, frankly, I’m not lying, and notice, Dmitry Pavlovich, I know that you are in love with another, that you are going to marry her… Give me the same justice to my disinterestedness…
She laughed, but her laughter suddenly broke… and in her eyes, at the usual time so cheerful and bold, something resembled a timidity similar to sadness.
“Snake! ah, she’s a snake! meanwhile Sanin thought – but what a beautiful snake. “
Then they watched the play for a while, then talked again. Finally Sanin began to talk, even began to argue with her. She secretly rejoiced: “If he argues, it means inferior or yield.”
When the play was over, the clever lady asked Sanin to throw a shawl over her and did not move while he wrapped her really regal shoulders with a soft cloth. ”
When they came out of the box, they suddenly met Dongof, who could hardly control rabies. Apparently, he believed that he had some rights to this lady, but she was immediately unceremoniously rejected.
“Are you very familiar with him?” Sanin asked.
– With him? With this boy? He’s at my beck and call. Do not worry!
– Yes, I do not worry at all.
Marya Nikolaevna sighed.
“Ah, I know that you are not worried.” But listen, you know what: you are so cute, you do not have to refuse me one last request. ”
What was the request? To ride on horseback outside the city.” Then we’ll come back, we’re done – and amen!
How could you not believe when the decision is so close. Only one last day remained.
– Here’s my hand, without a glove, right, business. Take her – and believe her shake. What kind of woman I am, I do not know; but I’m an honest man – and you can have business with me.
Sanin, himself without realizing what he was doing, put his hand to his lips. Marya Nikolaevna quietly accepted it, and suddenly fell silent – and remained silent until the carriage stopped!
She began to go out… What is this? Did Sanin appear, or did he feel on his cheek some kind of quick and burning touch?
– Till tomorrow! – whispered Mary Nikola
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)