pulling her hair severely. Finally she inserted her sharp nails into the lips of the grotto and, with a last pinch, which made the culprit scream, let her go. After the girl rose, she gave Grushenka a strange look of mingled astonishment and devotion. She curtsied and kissed her sleeve, then went humble to her work without wiping off the tears which trickled down her cheeks. From that day, all the girls looked up to Grushenka with respect, and some of them even told her how glad they were that Grushenka had punished that bitch who had been so fresh.
Grushenka herself had undergone a change by this experience. She now looked at her ten girls as her property, and she enjoyed feeling that she could do with them what she wanted. She felt a certain thrill when she pinched their bare arms. She did not hurry when she had them expose the inside of a thigh or even a breast, so that she could squeeze the flesh slowly between the knuckles of two fingers, pinch hard and twist her hand around. When her victim yelled or did not hold still, she did it over and over again, and she was aware that she got a thrill out of it. She took even more advantage of her girls and they did not dare complain to the Countess. Grushenka had no lover, and she often felt randy. What had Nelidova done? For what had those lazy brats their tongues? Remembering her one-time mistress, Grushenka had these girls make love to her. The fat girl, who had been her antagonist, became her favorite for this sport. She had a long, crafty tongue and used to alternate rimming and tickling without having to be told what to do. But if one of the younger girls did not satisfy her, Grushenka beat her with a clear conscience. She used to say to herself: “Who had pity on me when I was in the same position?”
All this was erased by an event. The Count and Countess gave a great party. Grushenka supervised the serf girls in the handling of the dishes at the great buffet overflowing with food. Of a sudden there stood next to her-she had not seen him approaching-her Mikhail.
He was attired in gala uniform, smart from foot to head, young, alert and in the best of moods. Grushenka only saw the bold, blue eyes which had captivated her so many months ago. She stared at him as if he were a ghost, and, finally, understanding that he was really there before her, a guest of the party, she uttered a faint cry and turned abruptly to run away. He seized her and drew her toward him.
“Hello, Mary!”-that was the name she had given him when he and his friend had picked her up on the road- “Hello, you mysterious lady…
Don't run away. I have been looking for you everywhere. If you knew how often we discussed you, my friend Vladislav and I-he is still in Petersburg. We even made bets as to who you were. Now again I can't tell. You don't seem to be a guest, you're not wearing an evening gown. But you certainly are not a servant.” (Grushenka wore a modish but simple gray silk gown and no wig.) “Let me go, let me go!”
Tears dimmed Grushenka's eyes, and she was all in a flutter. At this moment the Countess passed and Mihail called her to his assistance. “I can tell you all about my little brave friend,” said the Countess. “She is a fine girl and very sweet, too, isn't she?” “We are old friends,” continued Mihail with a twinkle of the eye, “but she doesn't like me any more. See, she wants to run away.” “Please don't tell him anything,” pleaded Grushenka with her mistress. “If-well, then, I'll tell him everything myself!” And she sighed so pathetically that they both laughed. “All right,” consented Mihail, “that will be much more to my liking.”
Grushenka took him by the hand and led him out of the room, away from the glamour of the thousand candles and the laughter and merriment of the aristocratic party. She seated him in a dark corner of one of the many pantries, and, while the servants passed the room, busy with their work, she poured a torrent of words out at him.
She made herself as humble and miserable as possible. She told him that she was only a serf girl; that when he and Vladislav had picked her up, she was running away in the stolen clothes of her mistress; that she was a low, dirty creature, not worthy even to speak with him. When she was through, she burst into a stream of tears, embraced him and kissed him and clung hysterically to his neck, telling him that she had been liberated and was free now to go wherever she wanted and she would never separate from him again.
Mihail understood only one thing of all this: she loved him and had ceaselessly dreamed about him. She was very beautiful, and in her tears she looked to him like a Venus. She felt that she pleased him and suddenly became normal again-quite reasonable, in fact. She chided herself on being stupid, tidied herself up and smiled at him with great charm. He kissed her without passion, rather in a brotherly manner, and teasingly asked her whether she would sleep with him again. He promised her to be more polite hereafter, and not to snore. Saying he would see her again very soon, he went back to the feast. The information which he received from the good-hearted Countess was quite contrary to what Grushenka had told him. Of course, the Countess knew nothing about Grushenka's past; in her good-heartedness and naivete, she had not even a suspicion of Grushenka's previous adventures. She supposed the girl to be still a virgin, probably born of as fine parents as a free girl, but forced to sell herself into serfdom to ward off poverty. In liberating the old Prince, she certainly had shown great intelligence and courage, for if Serge had detected the plot, he would have tortured her to death.
Jokingly she asked Mihail not to fall in love with Grushenka because she was no match for him. That they might start an affair did not even enter her mind. But of course, that was exactly what happened- and how happy Grushenka was! Mihail, under the pretext of paying his respects to the Countess, had made good his promise and seen her again, and they had set a rendezvous. Grushenka slipped secretly out of the palace that evening and they took a long drive in his carriage.
They had no intercourse that time, but loved each other like two good healthy young people. The next time, however, she went to his quarters, and they were passionately entwined on his bed before they themselves were aware of it Grushenka, who felt heavenly thrills pass through her body when he only touched her hands, gave him her young body with all the passion and strength she was able to muster. They loved and caressed and kissed each other until complete exhaustion overcame them. Mihail became almost more enamoured of her than she was of him. In fact, she soon became indispensable to him. They kept their meetings very secret and so enjoyed their happiness the more.
Summer was approaching. Mihail, whose full name was Mihail Stieven, had to go to one of the family estates which he administered for his father. He did not want to part from Grushenka. Naturally he conceived a bold plan to take her away with him as his mistress. Thus, one morning, the Countess received a very well composed letter from Grushenka, who thanked her for her kindness and advised her that she had left for an unknown destination. The night before, Grushenka had smuggled all her belongings out of the palace and had left in a carriage with young Baron Stieven. They enjoyed all the happiness of an elopement. The honeymoon in the country was too wonderful for words-at least Grushenka thought so as she silently said a prayer. In order to giver her standing, Mihail had introduced her as his young wife and Grushenka was the “beloved Baroness” and Tittle mother” of her entourage. He should not have done that, as it turned out later on-but for the present his “young wife” had a rosy time.
Grushenka, in her profound happiness, treated all the servants with great modesty and care. She was good to everyone, visited sick peasant women, brought food to their children, and the only quarrel she might have had with her beloved man was that he complained that she was too lenient and that she spoiled everyone. She certainly spoiled him with her love. Nightly she encircled his muscular, firm body with her slender form. She gave herself to him without holding back anything, thrilling him to the core with the passion of her love.
Not that she ever kissed his always-excited love-shaft; much as she wanted to, she did not dare let him know that she understood anything about that kind of love-making. Not that she had caressed or had even taken his instrument in her soft hand; no, as soon as they lay naked in bed together, she beneath him, his tool would find the entrance by itself. But then she would practice her art-moving her buttocks in subtle circles, prolonging moments by forcing him to keep still when she felt that he was too near his goals, stroking his back with her hands and kissing his face, neck and head over and over again.
Sometimes when he was already in bed and waiting for her impatiently, she would tease him, hiding her love nest and her breasts with her hands, beguiling him by shaking her hips. When she came too near the bed, he would pull her in and it would take no time until she felt his beloved shaft in her burning grotto. She learned to ride a horse; they drove around in his carriage; they took long walks, and they discussed heaven and earth together. His admiration for her intelligence, quick wit and sound judgment grew steadily. He promised himself never to part with this girl, and she was immeasurably happy to feel the grip she had on him. They avoided visiting their neighbors, lest the aristocratic landowners be insulted with her presence. So perfectly did they seem made for each other that the future looked as bright as the present. They never discussed Grushenka's past life; Mihail did not want to know where she came from nor what she had done. She, on the contrary, wanted to know everything about him and he had to tell her his Me from childhood on. One day, after many kisses and goodbyes, Mihail left her to see a neighbor with whom he had to discuss grain prices and other things relating to the accounting which he would have to make to his father about the affairs of the estate. He had been gone a few hours when the carriage returned with his
