Collected Shorter Fiction, Volume 2 полностью

Getting to know the retired General, a boon companion of Dolgov’s, which had at one time been a fantasy of his vanity, now ceased to give him any great satisfaction. On the contrary, he had the impression that he himself was bestowing honour and satisfaction on this General by speaking to him at all, since instead of speaking to the General he could have been speaking to her, or at least thinking about her. Until now he had never ventured to call Kornakov ‘thou’, although Kornakov frequently addressed him in the second person singular, but this evening he took the plunge, and using this intimate form of address gave him extraordinary pleasure. The Countess’s caressing look and her smile had given him a greater feeling of self-reliance than intelligence, academic distinction, good looks or constant praise could ever have done: in a single hour they had transformed him from boy to man. He suddenly felt within himself all those manly qualities which he had been only too well aware that he lacked: firmness, decision, courage, and a proud conviction of his own worth. An attentive observer might even have detected a change in his outward appearance that evening. His step had become more confident and freer, his body looked more upright, his arms no longer gave the impression that he was unsure what to do with them, his head was held higher, the childish softness and vagueness of his features was gone, the muscles of his brow and cheeks were more distinct, and his smile was bolder and firmer.

IX

Revelry

In a small and elegant back room of the Novotroitsky inn used only by patrons who were particularly well-known, our four acquaintances were sitting at a long table on which supper had been eaten.

‘You know who I want to drink to,’ said Seriozha to Prince Kornakov, pouring out a glass and raising it to his lips. Seriozha’s face was very red and his eyes had an oily, unnatural appearance.

‘Let us drink,’ replied Kornakov, his usual bored and impassive expression transformed by an affectionate smile.

This toast to an unnamed person was repeated several times. The General had taken off his tie and was lying on a divan with a bottle of cognac, a glass and some cheese beside him. His face was somewhat redder and puffier than usual and from his impudent and half screwed-up eyes it was evident that he was enjoying himself.

‘This is what I really like,’ he said, looking at Seriozha who was seated opposite him emptying one glass after another. ‘There was a time when I used to drink champagne, as you do. I would drink a whole bottle at supper at a ball, and then whatever happened I would dance and be even more charming than before.’

‘No, I have no regrets for those days,’ said N.N., leaning on his elbow and looking with a melancholy expression into Kornakov’s agreeably animated eyes. ‘I can still put away as many glasses as you could wish, but what of that? The only sad thing is that the time is long past when, like him, I would drink some lady’s health, and I would sooner have died than refuse to drink to anyone when I was dead set on reaching le fond de la bouteille,¹⁶ for I really believed that I would end up marrying the woman whose health I drank from this found de la bouteille. Oh, if only I could have married all the women to whom I’ve dedicated that last drop, how many wonderful wives I would have had! Ah yes, what wonderful wives – if you only knew, Seriozha …’ – and he waved his hand in the air. ‘Well, and here is your fond de la bouteille,’ he said, pouring out the last of the wine for him … ‘But what am I saying? You shouldn’t be doing this …’ – and he gave him a cheerful and affectionate smile.

‘Oh, don’t remind me. I had forgotten all about the things I should not be doing, and I don’t want to think about them, I feel so content here and now.’ And his eyes shone with the pure delight of a young man throwing himself fearlessly into his first passionate love.

‘Well, what about this, how delightful he is!’ said N.N., turning to the General. ‘You can’t imagine how much he reminds me of myself. Débouchons-le tout à fait.’¹⁷

‘Yes,’ said the General, ‘you know Allons au b …,¹⁸ and we’ll take him with us.’

Five minutes later Seriozha was sitting in N.N.’s evening sledge; the fresh, frosty air stung his face, and in front of him he could see the driver’s burly back, as dim streetlights and the walls of houses sped past on both sides.

Daydreams