Shrewd and clever! At the same time it shows plainly Beaumont’s intention of marrying Kátya; a mere acquaintance would not be sufficient reason to take such a careful step.
XIV
For the next two or three visits Beaumont was met very coolly by Katerina Vasílyevna. In truth, she began to feel a certain distrust in this person with whom her acquaintance was so slight, and who expressed a puzzling desire to learn about a family where he was not acquainted, and at the same time, according to his own words, he feared to become acquainted because he feared that his acquaintance might not be agreeable there. But although Katerina Vasílyevna met him suspiciously during these first calls, yet she was soon drawn into a lively conversation with him. In her former life, before she had ever known Kirsánof, she had never met such a man; he was so sympathetic in regard to all that interested her; he understood her so well, even among her dearest friends—by the way, there was only one who was a real friend, Paulina, who had long ago moved to Moscow, and there married a Muscovite manufacturer, and even with Paulina she could not speak with as much ease as with him.
And he, at first he came not so much on her account as for the purpose of learning through her about the Kirsánofs; but from the very beginning of their acquaintance, from the very moment when they spoke about melancholy and the means of curing it, it could be seen that he respected her, that he sympathized with her. At his second call he was still more attracted to her by her enthusiasm at finding a new field of activity. Now, with every new meeting, his inclination to her was more and more evident to her. Very soon there arose between them most simple and friendly relations. At the end of a week Katerina Vasílyevna told him about the Kirsánofs; she was sure that this man could have no unworthy thoughts.
It is true that when she began to speak about the Kirsánofs, he stopped her: “Why so soon? You know me too slightly.”
“No; sufficiently, Mr. Beaumont; I see that if you did not want to explain to me what seemed strange in your desire, you must have had good reason; and there are so many mysteries in this world.”
And he replied, “You see that I have no longer that great impatience to know what I wanted to know about them.”
XV
Katerina Vasílyevna’s enthusiasm continued without diminution, but changed into a constant, habitual mood, earnest, eager, and bright. And, as it seemed to her, this enthusiasm drew Beaumont closer to her. And he thought a great deal about her; this was sufficiently apparent. Having heard two or three times what she had to tell about the Kirsánofs, on the fourth time he said: “I now know everything that I wanted to know about them. Thank you.”
“But what do you know? I only told you that they love each other, and are perfectly happy in their married life.”
“More than that I did not care to know. However, all that I knew already.”
The conversation turned on something else.
Of course Katerina Vasílyevna’s first thought was when he asked about Mrs. Kirsánova, that he was in love with Viéra Pavlovna. But no; it was perfectly evident that such was not the case. So far as Katerina Vasílyevna was able to judge him now, she thought that Beaumont was not even able to fall in love. Truly, to love was in his power; that is true. “But if he loves anyone now, it is I,” thought Katerina Vasílyevna.
XVI
But the main thing was, did they love each other? Let us begin with her. There was one case when she showed some solicitude about Beaumont; but how did this case end? Quite otherwise from what might have been expected at the beginning. Beaumont got into the habit of calling at the Pólozofs’ literally every day, sometimes making longer calls than at others, but every day just the same. And this caused Pólozof to think that he was going to offer himself to Katerina Vasílyevna; he had no other foundations for such a belief. But one evening it happened that Beaumont did not come. “You don’t know what is the matter with him, do you, papa?”
“I have not heard; I guess there is nothing the matter. He probably did not have time.”
A second evening passed, and still there was no Beaumont. On the following morning, Katerina Vasílyevna was evidently going somewhere. “Where are you going. Kátya?”
“Somewhere, papa, on my own business.” She went to find about Beaumont. He was sitting in his wide-sleeved overcoat, and was reading; he lifted his eyes from the book when the door opened.
“Katerina Vasílyevna, is this you? I am very glad and very grateful to you,” he said in the same tone as he would have addressed her father; possibly the tone was a little more cordial.
“What is the matter, Mr. Beaumont, that you have not been to see us for so long? You made me worry about you, and besides, you made me feel my lonesomeness.”
“It was nothing particular, Katerina Vasílyevna; as you see, I am well. Won’t you take some tea with me? You see I am just having mine.”
“Of course I will; but why have you stayed away from us so long?”
“Piotr, bring a glass. You see I am well; a mere trifle; this is the reason: I was at the factory with Mr. Lotter, and while I was explaining something to him, I was rather careless; and putting my arm on a screw, it turned around and scratched my arm through the sleeve, and so I have not been able to put on my coat for the last three days.”
“Let me see it; else I shall be worried lest it is not a scratch, but a serious wound.”
“Yes, it
