She put her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, moving her thighs between his. But, apparently because she desired him, he cooled off and let her go with the crisp order, “March to bed!” He simply could not make love to the bed companion of his uncle whom he detested. He would pick one of the hand maidens and have a good party. “One of you girls,” the young man ordered, and he was quite excited by this erotic venture which was new to him-“One of you girls come to my chambers… now!” And he turned and left, leaving it to the giggling maids to decide who should be his partner for the night. Grushenka stretched herself out on the bed after the Prince had gone and turned around to try to sleep. She felt empty and unsatisfied. She did not say a word. She did not want to hear a word.
Soon the room was empty and she began to cry softly. During the next few days of getting acquainted with his duties, the Prince decided the question of the females in his household. The former bedmates of the old Prince were sent away to the different estates from which they came. The personal maids of the Princess were commanded to constitute his personal harem. He resolved to try them out one after the other, keeping those he liked to replace the rest.
The next evening he sent his orderly to bring one of them to his bed.
And so it went, a different girl every night. The girls were most happy about it and discussed it at great length. As he did not take a special fancy to any one of them he had a group of most ambitious bedfellows competing for his favor. They liked him and all spoke well of him, because he was a nice chap and kept them well satisfied.
Grushenka had been one of Nelidowa's handmaids and was therefore now assigned to the Prince's personal staff. There she remained for over six months. He never touched her nor spoke with her again. She had several times tried to make him take notice of her, once even went into his bedroom claiming he had sent for her. But he would have none of her. It was of more importance that Grushenka, during this period of idleness, began to learn to read and write. Serfs were not permitted this privilege and for that very reason they made it their business, whenever they could, to learn their “A-B-C's.” Grushenka soon could read simple stories. In fact, she-and with her, the other girls-got her first contact with the outer world by stealing from Prince Leo the current gazettes and magazines which were delivered to him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The hot summer days had gone by. The huge oak and maple trees on the lawn of the Sokolow country estate turned from deep green to yellow. Fall was approaching and with it the whole household would return to Moscow. Every year at that time, Madame Sophia Schukow made her appearance. She came in her small coach with two horses, followed by a big rented carriage with four horses and nobody in it. This carriage was to be filled. Madame Sophia was buying girls from all over the country for her famous establishment in Moscow. This year she needed at least six new girls and her first stop was at Sokolow's where she could hope to pick up the majority of them.
The business of renting out serf girls to whorehouses had become so prevalent that a few special laws existed about it. For example: what was to be done if one of the girls became syphilitic? She was not suitable at that time and she was of no use to her owner or to the whorehouse. Therefore the law provided that she was to be sent to Siberia, the cost to be divided by the owner and the Madame. Or what price was to be paid when a girl should run away? The girls were not sold, but rented out; quarterly installments had to be sent to the owner, ranging from five to thirty rubles, and after a year or two, the girl had to be returned. Madame Sophia was a thin, agile person with a never-ending flow of words. She talked so much that customers of her house quickly made their choice of the girl they wanted in order to get away from her. She was very elegant, treated her girls with candied words and most brutal beatings, and was very successful in her trade. Sophia's visit to the summer palace was of special concern to Katerina, for whom she brought many little gifts, from French candies to Viennese stays, and whom she did not leave for a minute during her stay. Katerina looked forward to these visits because Sophia told the gossip about the fine men of Moscow, men whom she watched during their intercourse with her girls, and knew more about than their own wives. During the eating hours, Sophia looked over the crop of serf girls at the palace. She did not make her choice quickly. She picked her prey with sharp eyes and watched for a few days before the bargaining began. Katerina was not easily persuaded to let a girl go, but in the end she always succumbed to Sophia's clever tongue. There were three girls Sophia wanted.
Then, by accident, she met Grushenka. She had not seen her before because the bedfellows of the Prince had their own quarters and their own meals. Sophia made up her mind that, cost what it might, she was going to get Grushenka, even if she should have to go on her knees before the young Prince, who was taken up by hunting parties, riding, and cursing his farmer serfs. She broached the subject to Katerina and was astonished to find no resistance. Katerina knew very well that the Prince made no use of Grushenka and Grushenka was a sore spot on Katerina's mind. It was on her account that the old and rightful owner of the estate was now away from the holy ground of Russia and that this young ne'er-do-well, his nephew, was in charge. She therefore promised her help and took the matter up with Prince Leo, who after a moment's thought consented. When his uncle came back it might be an unpleasant reminder to find the substitute of his former wife still there. While he did not know whether it would be wise to sell Grushenka outright, to rent her to a whorehouse for a couple of years was a very good way out. Hence Grushenka was looked over by Sophia, who indulged in a stream of praise about her beauty and who secretly congratulated herself on her find. What a tidbit for her customers, to be told that they could have a girl who had played the part of the Princess Sokolow! Before Grushenka knew what it was all about she was sitting in the large carriage with three other girls, being driven drowsily over rough country roads heading apparently nowhere. After many night stops the four girls were put up in a public house, a station where express horses were changed, while Sophia went for a few days to a nearby estate to do more of her shopping. The girls were in the charge of the big coachman, a drunken and brazen fellow who was told to exercise his whip on them in case they should not behave. That they might try to run away did not occur to Sophia, who had told them a thousand alluring stories of the wonderful gowns they were to wear, of the many rich lovers they were going to have, of the food served on silver platters and so on.
The other girls believed her and praised their luck that they could get away from the hard work in the household and be “Ladies” on their own. Not so Grushenka. She knew what was coming; she had heard enough stories of girls who had been mistreated in whorehouses, of sickness and abuse. The moral element of the matter did not enter her mind. To her it was perfectly right that her owner should use her body to gain money. But having had it easy in Sokolow's house, she nourished the idea of making a getaway. Of course she knew that if she were caught the hot branding iron would be the least of her punishments, yet she could not help thinking and planning. The girls stayed two or three days in the public house; sleeping in the mornings as long as they wanted, taking walks over the fields, sitting about in the one big guest room which the place offered for travelers.
All kinds of people passed through the roadhouse. Farmers driving their cattle, officials in express coaches, tradesmen and monks. The girls looked at them with lazy eyes; they were not interested in getting acquainted with them or having affairs with them. One night, Sophia not yet having returned, a fine carriage drove into the yard. Two youngish, aristocratic men sat in the cushions. They did not leave the carriage, but admonished the coachman to change the horses quickly because they wanted to reach another roadhouse that night.
Grushenka lingered around the yard, avoiding the heavy atmosphere of the crowded guest room. She walked slowly over to the carriage. Her face and figure, not clearly visible in the twilight and the light from the coach lanterns, intrigued one of the men, the smaller of the two. “Will the young lady,” he said to her, “charm two hurried travelers with a friendly good evening?” And he tipped his hat in a respectful manner. He was not sure who Grushenka might be. She had a fine dress on, one of Nelidowa's traveling dresses, which Katerina had given her because she had no use for Nelidowa's things any more, and she had a fine bearing and presence. But why should an aristocratic girl stay in such a second-rate roadhouse overnight? That was usually not done. Grushenka went leisurely to the coach, leaned over the low door and slowly looked the men over. The smaller fellow spoke again, this time more enthusiastically because of the girl's beauty.
“If we can do anything for you, my Lady, let your word be a command.
Be sure that my friend and I will do anything we can for such a lovely Lady as you are.” He gave his friend a slight poke in the side, indicating that he should help along the same line. But this young man was absorbed in his own thoughts. He had not paid much attention to the girl and seemed a bit annoyed that his companion was trying
