down the snuffers.
' All is over I' he siid.
' It is over!' repeated Piotr Ivauitch.
' Ah !' ejaculated Alexandr, ' I am free !'
' Now I have helped you a second time to clear your rooms,' said Piotr Ivanitch, ' I hope that this time '
' It is irrevocable, uncle.'
' Amen !' said his uncle, laying his hand on his shoulder. ' Come, Alexandr, I advise you not to delay: write at once to Ivan Ivanitch, to send you work on the subject of agriculture. He always says, what is your nephew about ? '
Alexandr shook his head mournfully. ' I cannot,' he a said, ' no, I cannot; all is over.'
' What are you going to do now ? '
' What ?' he asked and relapsed into gloom—' now there is nothing to do.'
'But it's only in the provinces people are able to do nothing, but here .... why did you come here ? It's incomprehensible ! Meantime enough about that. I have a request to make to you.'
Alexandr slowly raised his head and looked inquiringly at his uncle.
a I think you know,' began Piotr Ivanitch, moving his armchair up to Alexandr, ' my partner Surkoff ? '
Alexandr nodded assent.
u He is a good fellow, but rather frivolous. His ruling weakness is women. Unluckily, as you have seen for yourself, he's not bad-looking; that's to say, he is rosy, sleek, tall, always curled and scented, dressed like a fashion-plate; and so he imagines all the women are out of their senses over him—yes, the coxcomb! directly he's smitten by a fresh flame, he begins spending money. Then he is taken up with surprises, presents, polite services; he gives himself up, too, to extravagant smartness, begins to get new
carriages, horses—it's simply ruin! He even ran after my wife. I used not to trouble to send a servant to get theatre tickets; Surkoff was certain to send them-^-he was invaluable! you couldn't get such a man for any salary; but he bored my wife so I was obliged to get rid of him. Now when he abandons himself to extravagance in this way, his income is not enough for him; he begins to ask me for money—to talk about his capital. ' What's your factory to me ?' he says ; ' I never have any cash to spend!' It would be all very well if he would fix on some—hm —but no: he always seeks his liaisons in society; he says to me, 'I must have an honourable intrigue; I can't live without love !' Isn't he an ass ? Not far off forty, and he can't live without love ! '
Alexandr thought of himself and smiled gloomily.
' Meantime, continued Piotr Ivanitch, ' the result is that these so-called honourable intrigues—curse them ! —are far more expensive than dishonourable ones. It's not worth the cost, the idiot! '
' What is all this leading up to, uncle ? ' asked Alexandr. ' I don't see what I can do in the matter.'
'You shall see. The young wi dow, Julia Pavlovna Taphaev, ha s lately returned here from abroad, ane is 'ratner gooa-looking. Surkoff and I were friends of her husband's. Taphaev died abroad. Come, do you guess at last ? '
' I guess so much; Surkoff has fallen in love with the widow.'
' Yes, he is completely crazy ! but what more ? '
' More ! I don't know.'
' What a fellow! Come, I will tell you; Surkoff has twice announced to me that he will soon want money. I at once surmised what this meant, only which quarter the wind was in I couldn't conjecture. I tried to find out what he wanted money for. He hesitated and hesitated; at last said he wanted to rent a suite of rooms in Litaynoy Street, and I recollected that Madame Taphaev lived there, and just opposite the place he has fixed on. Trouble is threatening, and no escape unless you aid me. Now do you guess ? '
'Surkoff is asking for money; 'you have none. You want me to ' He did not say what.
A COMMON STORY 169
Piotr Ivanitch smiled. Alexandr did not finish the sentence, and looked at his uncle in perplexity.
' No, not at all!' said Piotr Ivanitch. ' Am I ever without money ? Try applying, when you want some; you will see! But this is what it is ; Madame Taphaev through him reminded me of my acquaintance with her husband. I went to see her. She asked me to go often; I promised to do so and said I would bring you ^ come, now, I hope you understand ? '
' Me ?' repeated Alexandr, looking with round eyes at his uncle. ' I'll be banged if I understand.' ' This is the matter in question; y ou are to make Madame 1 Taphaev fall, injove with^ou.' '~
Alexandr raised his eyebrows at once and looked at his uncle.
'You are joking, uncle? it's absurd! ' he said.
' What is there absurd in it ? This is all I want you to do. Lay yourself out to please Madame Taphaev; be attentive, don't let Surkoff be with her tite-d-tete —in fact, to put it simply, make him angry. He is vain to folly. Then he will not want his new apartments; his capital will not be touched; the factory business will go on its usual course ; come, do you understand? This will be the fifth time I have played him a trick; before, when I was unmarried and rather younger, I used to do it myself, but since now I can't, I get one of my friends to.'
' But I am not acquainted with her,' said Alexandr.
'For that reason I will introduce you on Wednesday. On Wednesday some of her old friends meet at her house.'
' But if she responds to SurkofFs love, then you must allow that my civilities and attentions will make her too angry.'
' Oh, that's enough ! She is a good sort of woman ; when she sees he is a fool, she will cease to take any notice of him, especially before others: her vanity would not allow her to. In this case another will be at hand, cleverer and better-looking; she will be persuaded to get rid of him the quicker. That's why I fixed on you.'
Alexandr bowed.
' Surkoff is not so formidable,' continued his uncle; but Madame Taphaev sees very few people, so that he might perhaps in her little circle pass for a great man and a wit.
Externals produce a great effect upon women. Even clever women fall in love when a man commits follies for their sake, especially expensive follies.' 1
' But Surkoff, very likely, will not be there on Wednesdays. I might interfere with him a little on Wednesdays; but how about other days ? '
' Find out all that for yourself! You must flatter her a bit, play the lover a little. The next time she will invite you, not for Wednesday, but for Thursday or Friday; you redouble your civility, and I will prepare her a little. I will drop a hint as if you were really .... she seems—as far as I can observe—so emotional—she must be over-nervous; she too, I fancy, is not averse to sympathy—outpourings.'
' How is it possible ? ' said Alexandr, ruminating. ' If I could fall in love myself. . . . but since I cannot there can be no success for the scheme.'
' On the contrary, for that very reason it will be successful. If you fell in love, you could not play your part; she would notice it at once and would proceed to make fools of you both. As it is, you have only to make Surkoff angry; as soon as he sees that he won't gain the day, he won't spend his money for nothing, and that's all I want. Let me tell you, Alexandr, this is a very important matter to me; if you do this, you remember those two vases you liked in the factory ? they shall be yours.'
' Really, uncle, can you imagine that I '
' But why should you take trouble and waste your time for nothing ? That's a fine idea ! No! the vases are very handsome.'
' It's a strange commission!' said Alexandr irresolutely.
' I hope you won't refuse to carry it out for me. I am ready on my part to do what I can for you ; when you want money, apply to me. So on Wednesday! This business will last a month or two. I will tell you when it will not be necessary to do more, then drop it.
' Certainly, uncle, I am ready; but it's a queer 1 won't
answer for the success .... if I could fall in love myself .... then, but since I can't . . . .'
' Indeed, it's very well you can't, that would spoil the whole thing. I answer for the success of it myself. Goodbye.'
He went away, and Alexandr sat long by the fire over the ashes of his treasures.
When Piotr Ivanitch returned home, his wife asked him: ' How was Alexandr, what of his novel, would he ever
