‘The first stray comer that appears! and father and all forgotten, and she runs upstairs, and does up her hair, and rigs herself out, and doesn’t know what she’s doing! She’s glad to abandon her father! And she knew I should notice it. Fr . . . fr . . . fr . . . And don’t I see the fool has no eyes but for Bourienne (must get rid of her). And how can she have so little pride, as not to see it? If not for her own sake, if she has no pride, at least for mine. I must show her that the blockhead doesn’t give her a thought, and only looks at Bourienne. She has no pride, but I’ll make her see it . . .’
By telling his daughter that she was making a mistake, that Anatole was getting up a flirtation with Mademoiselle Bourienne, the old prince knew that he would wound her self-respect, and so his object (not to be parted from his daughter) would be gained, and so at this reflection he grew calmer. He called Tihon and began undressing.
‘The devil brought them here!’ he thought, as Tihon slipped his nightshirt over his dried-up old body and his chest covered with grey hair.
‘I didn’t invite them. They come and upset my life. And there’s not much of it left. Damn them!’ he muttered, while his head was hidden in the nightshirt. Tihon was used to the prince’s habit of expressing his thoughts aloud, and so it was with an unmoved countenance that he met the wrathful and inquiring face that emerged from the nightshirt.
‘Gone to bed?’ inquired the prince.
Tihon, like all good valets, indeed, knew by instinct the direction of his master’s thoughts. He guessed that it was Prince Vassily and his son who were meant.
‘Their honours have gone to bed and put out their lights, your excellency.’
‘They had no reason, no reason . . .’ the prince articulated rapidly, and slipping his feet into his slippers and his arms into his dressing-gown, he went to the couch on which he always slept.
Although nothing had been said between Anatole and Mademoiselle Bourienne, they understood each other perfectly so far as the first part of the romance was concerned, the part previous to the pauvre mere episode. They felt that they had a great deal to say to each other in private, and so from early morning they sought an opportunity of meeting alone. While the princess was away, spending her hour as usual with her father, Mademoiselle Bourienne was meeting Anatole in the winter garden.
That day it was with even more than her usual trepidation that Princess Marya went to the door of the study. It seemed to her not only that every one was aware that her fate would be that day decided, but that all were aware of what she was feeling about it. She read it in Tihon’s face and
in the face of Prince Vassily’s valet, who met her in the corridor with hot water, and made her a low bow.
The old prince’s manner to his daughter that morning was extremely affectionate, though strained. That strained expression Princess Marya knew well. It was the expression she saw in his face at the moments when his withered hands were clenched with vexation at Princess Marya’s not understanding some arithmetical problem, and he would get up and walk away from her, repeating the same words over several times in a low voice.
Pie came to the point at once and began talking. ‘A proposal has been made to me on your behalf,’ he said, with an unnatural smile. ‘I dare say, you have guessed,’ he went on ‘that Prince Vassily has not come here and brought his protege’ (for some unknown reason the old prince elected to refer to Anatole in this way) ‘for the sake of my charms. Yesterday, they made me a proposal on your behalf. And as you know my principles, I refer the matter to you.’
‘How am I to understand you, mon pere?’ said the princess, turning pale and red.
‘How understand me!’ cried her father angrily. ‘Prince Vassily finds you to his taste as a daughter-in-law, and makes you a proposal for his protege. That’s how to understand it. How understand it! ... Why, I ask you.’
‘I don’t know how you, mon pere . . .’ the princess articulated in a whisper.
‘I? I? what have I to do with it? leave me out of the question. I am not going to be married. What do you say? that’s what it s desirable to learn.’
The princess saw that her father looked with ill-will on the project, but at that instant the thought had occurred to her that now or never the fate of her life would be decided. She dropped her eyes so as to avoid the gaze under which she felt incapable of thought, and capable of nothing but her habitual obedience: ‘My only desire is to carry out your wishes,’ she said; ‘if I had to express my own desire . . .’
She had not time to finish. The prince cut her short. ‘Very good, then! ’ he shouted. ‘He shall take you with your dowry, and hook on Mademoiselle Bourienne into the bargain. She'll be his wife, while you . . .’ The prince stopped. He noticed the effect of these words on his daughter. She had bowed her head and was beginning to cry.
