“Yes, I meant it as a reproach, my friend! I am a man easily offended, and very severe!”
“A reproach? How dare you make me reproaches? I do not want to hear you!”
“You don’t?”
“Certainly I don’t. What is there for me to hear? You have told me everything already—that the matter will be arranged, that it will be decided tomorrow; you see, my friend, you yourself don’t know anything more today. What is there to hear? Goodbye, my dear (Dō svidánya, moï drūg)!”
“But listen to me, my friend; my friend, do listen!”
“I am not going to listen; I am going away.” She came back. “Speak quick! I will not interrupt you. Akh, bozhe moï! if you only knew how happy you have made me! Give me your hand! See how warmly, warmly, I press it!”
“But why are your eyes full of tears?”
“I thank you, I thank you!”
“This morning Kirsánof gave me the address of a lady who made an appointment for me to call on her tomorrow. I am not personally acquainted with her, but I have heard much about her from a mutual friend who acted as go-between. I know her husband though; we have met at our friend’s many times. Judging from all this, I am sure that one could get along well in her family; and when she gave her address to her friend, she said that she was certain that we should agree about terms. Consequently, the matter can be looked upon as almost absolutely settled.”
“Akh! how good it will be! what joy!” murmured Viérotchka. “But I want to have it settled soon, as soon as possible! Will you come from her directly to us?”
“No, my dear; that would rouse suspicions. I never come here except during lesson hours. I’ll do this way. I will send a letter to Marya Alekséyevna by mail, saying that I shall not be able to give the lesson on Tuesday, and shall have to postpone it till Wednesday. If the letter says Wednesday morning, you will understand that the matter is arranged; if it says Wednesday evening, you will know that it has fallen through. But it is almost certain to read in the morning. Marya Alekséyevna will tell it to Feódor, and to you and to Pavel Konstantinuitch.”
“When will the letter get here?”
“In the evening.”
“It’s so long! No, I shall not have enough patience! And then what shall I learn from the letter? Only yes, and then I shall have to wait till Wednesday! It is torturing. If it is yes, I shall go and call on the lady as soon as I can. I shall want to know all about it. But how can it be managed? This is the way I’ll do; I’ll be waiting for you on the street when you leave that lady’s.”
“My friend, that would be still more risky than for me to call on you. No! it would be much better for me to call on you!”
“No! perhaps it would be impossible for us to have a word together. At any rate, mámenka might become suspicious. No! it would be better as I suggested first. I have such a thick veil that no one would recognize me through it.”
“Well, I admit that your plan seems feasible. Let me think!”
“There’s no time to think! Mámenka may be here any minute. Where does the lady live?”
“On Galernaïa Street, near the bridge.”
“What time shall you call on her?”
“She appointed twelve o’clock.”
“At twelve I shall be sitting on the Konno-Gvardéïsky Boulevard, on the last bench, and at the end nearest the bridge. I said that I would wear a thick veil; but here’s a sign for you: I will carry a roll of music in my hand. If I am not there on time you will know that I am detained. But you sit down on that bench and wait. I may be late, but I shall be there without fail. How well I have planned it! How grateful I am to you! How happy I shall be! How is your bride, Dmitri Sergéitch? See, I call you Dmitri Sergéitch instead of my friend! How glad, how glad I am!”
Viérotchka ran to the piano, and began to play.
“My dear! What a degradation to art! How ruinous to your taste to give up operas for galops!”
“Certainly, certainly!”
In a few minutes Marya Alekséyevna returned. Dmitri Sergéitch played two-handed “preference” with her. At first he won; then he allowed her to win. He even lost thirty-five kopeks. This was the first time, and it filled her with victorious glory, and when he went away he left her greatly pleased; not so much on account of the money as on account of the victory. There are purely ideal pleasures even for hearts soiled with materialism, and this is proof positive, that a materialistic explanation of life is unsatisfactory.
XII
Viérotchka’s First Dream
And Viérotchka dreamed a dream.
She dreamed that she was locked up in a damp, gloomy cellar, and suddenly the door opened, and Viérotchka found herself in a field. She was running, frolicking, and she thinks: “How is it that I did not die in the cellar? It is because I had never seen the fields before! Had I seen them, I must have died in the cellar.” And again she seemed to be running and frolicking. Then she dreamed that she was paralyzed, and she said to herself: “How is it that I have the paralysis? Old men, old women, have the paralysis, but young girls never have it!”
“Oh, yes, they do, very often,” an unknown voice seemed to reply, “and very soon you will be well. Let me only touch your hand; you see you are well already; now get up!”
“Who was it that spoke? How relieved I am! All the pain has gone!”
And Viérotchka got up and began to walk, to run, and again she
