“Akh!” Anna Petrovna shut her eyes.
Mikhaïl Ivanuitch had to yield before Marya Alekséyevna, to Julie, to Viérotchka, because they were women of sense and strong character; but here, as far as sense was concerned, the battle was drawn, and if the mother was stronger by reason of her character, still the son felt solid ground under his feet; he had stood in awe of his mother hitherto through habit, but they both remembered very well that in reality the khozyáïka was not the khozyáïka, but only the mother of the khozyáïn; and again that the khozyáïka’s son is in reality not the khozyáïka’s son, but the khozyáïn. And therefore the khozyáïka hesitated to use the decided word “forbid”; she prolonged the conversation, hoping to defeat her son and get him tired out before a genuine battle was fought. But the son had gone to such lengths that it was impossible to withdraw, and he was compelled by the necessity of the case to fight it out.
“Maman, I assure you that a better daughter you could not have.”
“You torment! your mother’s murderer!”
“Maman, let us reason about it coolly. Sooner or later I shall have to get married, and a married man must have greater expenses than a bachelor. I could, of course, marry such a woman that all the income of the estate would have to be spent on my establishment. But she will be a dutiful daughter, and we could live with you just as I always have.”
“Torment! my murderer! get out of my sight!”
“Maman, don’t be angry; I am not in the least to blame!”
“Marry such a wench, and not to blame!”
“Now, maman, I am going to leave you. I do not want you to call her such names in my presence.”
“My murderer!”
Anna Petrovna fell in a swoon, and Michel went off, satisfied with the courageous way in which he had carried out the first scene, which was the most important of all.
Seeing that her son was gone, Anna Petrovna recovered from her swoon. Her son has absolutely escaped from her power! In response to her “I forbid” he explains that the house is his! Anna Petrovna thought and thought; she poured out her grief before the senior chambermaid, who in these circumstances shared absolutely in the khozyáïka’s feelings of contempt for the manager’s daughter; she consulted with her and sent for the manager.
“Hitherto I have been very well satisfied with you, Pavel Konstantinuitch; but now these intrigues, in which possibly you have had no share, may compel me to quarrel with you.”
“Your ladyship,8 I am not to blame in the slightest degree, ’fore God!”
“I knew long ago that Michel was hanging around your daughter. I did not put a stop to it, because a young man cannot live without recreation. I am willing to make allowances for the mischief of young men, but I cannot endure that my family should be degraded. How did your daughter dare to think of entertaining such an ambition?”
“Your ladyship, she has not dared to entertain any such ambition. She is a modest girl; we have brought her up respectably.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Your ladyship, she would never dare to do anything against your will.”
Anna Petrovna did not believe her ears. Can it be possible that this good news is true?
“You must be aware what my will is. I cannot consent to such an unnatural and, I may say, disreputable marriage.”
“We are sensible of that, your ladyship, and Viérotchka feels it also. She said so; ‘I do not dare to offend her ladyship,’ were her very words.”
“How could that be?”
“It happened, your ladyship, that Mikhaïl Ivanuitch named his intentions to my wife, and my wife told him that she could not give him an answer till to-morry mornin’, and my wife and me intended, your ladyship, to call on you and tell you all about it, because, bein’ as it was late, we did not dare to disturb your ladyship. And when Mikhaïl Ivanuitch went, we told Viérotchka, and she said, ‘I perfectly agree with you, pápenka and mámenka, that it is not to be dreamed of.’ ”
“Is she such a sensible and honest girl?”
“Certainly, your ladyship, she is a virtuous girl.”
“Well, I am very glad that we can remain friends with you. I will pay you for this. I am even now ready to pay you for this. On the front stairs, where the tailor lives, the apartment on the second floor is vacant, isn’t it?”
“It will be vacant in three days, your ladyship.”
“Take it for yourself. You may spend a hundred rubles to have it put in order, and I will add to your salary two hundred and forty rubles a year.”
“Allow me to kiss your ladyship’s little hand!”
“Very well, that will do.—Tatiana!” The senior chambermaid came in. “Find me my blue velvet cloak. I want to give this to your wife. It cost me one hundred and fifty rubles [really eighty-five!] I have only worn it twice [in reality, more than twenty times]. And this I give to your daughter.” Anna Petrovna handed the manager a lady’s small watch. “I paid three hundred rubles” (in reality one hundred and twenty) “for it. I can make presents, and I shall not forget you in the future either. I make allowances for the mischief of young men.”
After dismissing the manager, Anna Petrovna again summoned Tatiana: “Ask Mikhaïl Ivanuitch to come to me—or, no, it’s better, I will go him myself.” She was afraid that her messenger would tell the news to her son’s valet, and the valet would tell her son what news the manager brought, and the bouquet would vanish, and not make the impression on her son’s nose as if it were fresh
