第57章

“Theveryfactthatshecouldaddressmewithsomuchsympathyandkindnessstruckmedumb。AsregardsDoctorKliachka，Imaymentionthathewasagood-looking，blotchy-faced，heavy-jowledfellowwithamoustachethatreachedtohisshoulders，andlipsthatwereforeverlaughingandvociferating。’Nothinghaseitherabeginningoranend。Theonlythingreallyexistentispleasure。’ “Nay，eventheGeneralcould，attimes，makesportofthefellow，andsayasheshookwithmerriment: “’Adoctor-comedianisthesortofmanthatyouare。’ “Now，attheperiodofwhichIamspeakingIwasasstraightasadart，andhadashockofluxurianthairoverasetofruddyfeatures。Also，Iwaslivingalifecleanineveryway，andmaintainingacautiousattitudetowardswomenfolk，andholdingprostitutesinacontemptbornofthefactthatIhadhigherviewswithregardtomylife’sdestiny。Lastly，Ineverindulgedinliquor，forIactuallydislikedit，andgavewaytoitsinfluenceonlyindayssubsequenttotheepisodewhichIamnarrating。Yes，and，lastofall，IwasinthehabitoftakingabatheverySaturday。 “ThesameeveningKliachkaandtherestofthepartywentouttothetheatre(for，naturally，theGeneralhadhorsesandacarriageofhisown)，andI，formypart，wenttoinformLukianovofwhathadhappened。 “Hesaid:’Imustcongratulateyou，andamreadytowageryoutwobottlesofbeerthatyouraffairisasgoodassettled。Inafewsecondsafreshlotofversesshallbeturnedout，forpoetryconstitutesaspeciesoftalismanorcharm。’ “And，sureenough，hethenandtherecomposedthepieceabout’thewondrousValentina。’Whatatenderthingitis，andhowfullofunderstanding！MyGod，myGod！“ And，withathoughtfulshakeofhisbead，Kalininraisedhisboyisheyestowardsthebluepatchesintherain-washedsky。 “Dulyshefoundtheverses，“hecontinuedafterawhile，andwithavehemencethatseemedwhollyindependentofhiswill。“Andthereuponshesummonedmetoherroom。 “’Whatarewetodoaboutitall？’sheinquired。 “Shewasbuthalf-dressed，andpracticallythewholeofherbosomwasvisibletomysight。Also，hernakedfeethadonthemonlyslippers，andasshesatinherchairshekeptrockingonefoottoandfroinamaddeningway。 “’Whatarewetodoaboutitall？’sherepeated。 “’WhatamItosayaboutit，atlengthIreplied，’savethatI feelasthoughIwerenotreallyexistingonearth？’ “’Areyouonewhocanholdyourtongue？’washernextquestion。 “Inodded——nothingelsecouldIcompass，forfurtherspeechhadbecomeimpossible。Whereupon，risingwithbrowspuckered，shefetchedacoupleofsmallphials，and，withtheaidofingredientsthence，mixedapowderwhichshewrappedinpaper，andhandedmewiththewords: “’OnlyonewayofescapeoffersfromthePlaguesofEgypt。HereIhaveacertainpowder。Tonightthedoctoristodinewithus。 Placethepowderinhissoup，andwithinafewdaysIshallbefree！——yes，freeforyou！’ “Icrossedmyself，anddulytookfromherthepaper，whilstamistrose，andswambeforemyeyes，asIdidso，andmylegsbecameperfectlynumb。WhatInextdidIhardlyknow，forinwardlyIwasswooning。Indeed，untilKliachka’sarrivalthesameeveningIremainedpracticallyinastateofcoma。“ HereKalininshuddered——thenglancedatmewithdrawnfeaturesandchatteringteeth，andstirreduneasily。 “Supposewelightafire？“heventured。“Iamgrowingshiveryallover。Butfirstwemustmoveoutside。“ Thetorncloudswerecastingtheirshadowswearilyathwartthesoddenearthandglitteringstonesandsilver-dustedherbage。 Onlyonasinglemountaintophadablurofmistsettledlikeanarrestedavalanche，andwasrestingtherewithitsedgessteaming。Theseatoohadgrowncalmerundertherain，andwassplashingwithmoregentlemournfulness，evenasthebluepatchesinthefirmamenthadtakenonasofter，warmerlook，andstraysunbeamsweretouchinguponlandandseainturn，and，wheretheychancedtofalluponherbage，causingpearlsandemeraldstosparkleoneveryleaf，andkaleidoscopictintstoglowwherethedark-blueseareflectedtheirgenerousradiance。Indeed，sogoodly，sofullofpromise，wasthescenethatonemighthavesupposedautumntohavefledawayforeverbeforethewindandtherain，andbeneficentsummertohavebeenrestored。 Presentlythroughthemoist，squelchingsoundofourfootsteps，andthecheerfulpatteroftherain-drippings，Kalinin’snarrativeresumeditslanguid，querulouscourse: “When，thatevening，IopenedthedoortothedoctorIcouldnotbringmyselftolookhimintheface——Icouldmerelyhangmyhead； whereupon，takingmebythechin，andraisingit，heinquired: “Whyisyourfacesoyellow？Whatisthematterwithyou？’ “Yes，akind-heartedmanwashe，andonewhohadneverfailedtotipmewell，andtospeaktomewithasmuchconsiderationasthoughIhadnotbeenafootmanatall。 “’Iamnotinverygoodhealth，’Ireplied。’I，I——’ “’Come，come！’washisinterjection。’AfterdinnerImustlookyouover，andinthemeanwhile，dokeepupyourspirits。’ “ThenIrealisedthatpoisonhimIcouldnot，butthatthepowdermustbeswallowedbymyself——yes，bymyself！Aye，overmyheartaflashoflightninghadgleamed，andshownmethatnowI wasnolongerfollowingtheroadproperlyassignedmebyfate。 “Rushingawaytomyroom，Ipouredoutaglassofwater，andemptiedintoitthepowder；whereuponthewaterthickened，fizzed，andbecametoppedwithfoam。Oh，aterriblemomentitwas！……ThenIdrankthemixture。Yetnoburningsensationensued，andthoughIlistenedtomyvitals，nothingwastobeheardinthatquarter，but，onthecontrary，myheadbegantolighten，andIfoundmyselflosingthesenseofself-pitywhichhadbroughtmealmosttothepointoftears……Shallwesettleourselveshere？“ Beforeusalargestone，cappedwithgreenmossandclimbingplants，wasgood-humouredlythrustingupwardsabroad，flatfacebeneathwhichthebodyhad，likethatoftheheroSviatogov，sunkenintotheearththroughitsownweightuntilonlytheface，avisagewornwithaeonsofmeditation，wasnowvisible。Oneveryside，also，hadoak-treesovergrownandencompassedthebulkoftheprojection，asthoughtheytoohadbeenmadeofstone，withtheirbranchesdroopingsufficientlylowtobrushthewrinklesoftheancientmonolith。Kalininseatedhimselfonhishaunchesundertheoverhangingrimofthestone，andsaidashesnappedsometwigsinhalf: “Thisiswhereweoughttohavebeensittingwhilsttherainwascomingdown。“ “AndsosayI，“Irejoined。“Butpraycontinueyourstory。“ “Yes，whenyouhaveputamatchtothefire。“ Whereafter，furtherwithdrawinghisspareframeunderthestone，sothathemightstretchhimselfatfulllength，Kalinincontinued: “Iwalkedtothepantryquietlyenough，thoughmylegsweretotteringbeneathme，andIhadacoldsensationinmybreast。 SuddenlyIheardthedining-roomechotoamerrypealoflaughterfromValentinaIgnatievna，andtheGeneralreplytothatoutburst: “’Ah，thatman！Ah，theseservantsofours！Why，thefellowwoulddoANYTHINGforapiatak’[Asilverfive-kopeckpiece，equalinvalueto21/4pence。] “Tothismybelovedoneretorted: “’Oh，uncle，uncle！IsitonlyapiatakthatIamworth？ AndthenIheardthedoctorputin: “’Whatwasityougavehim？’ “’Merelysomesodaandtartaricacid。Tothinkofthefunthatweshallhave！’“ Here，closinghiseyes，Kalininremainedsilentforamoment，whilstthemoistbreezesighedasitdrovedense，wetmistagainsttheblackbranchesofthetrees。 “AtfirstmyfeelingwasoneofoverwhelmingjoyatthethoughtthatatleastnotDEATHwastobemyfate。ForImaytellyouthat，sofarfrombeingharmful，sodaandtartaricacidarefrequentlytakenasaremedyagainstdrunkenheadache。Thenthethoughtoccurredtome:’But，sinceIamnotatippler，whyshouldsuchajokehavebeenplayeduponME？’However，fromthatmomentIbegantofeeleasier，andwhenthecompanyhadsatdowntodinner，and，amidageneralsilence，Iwashandingroundthesoup，thedoctortastedhisportion，and，raisinghisheadwithafrown，inquired: “’Forgiveme，butwhatsoupisthis？’ “’Ah！’Iinwardlyreflected。’Soon，goodgentlefolk，youwillseehowyourjesthasmiscarried。’ “AloudIreplied——repliedwithcompleteboldness: “’Donotfear，sir。Ihavetakenthepowdermyself。’ UponthistheGeneralandhiswife，whowerestillinignorancethatthejesthadgoneamiss，begantotitter，buttheotherssaidnothing，thoughValentinaIgnatievna’seyesgrewrounderandrounder，untilinanundertoneshemurmured: “’DidyouKNOWthatthestuffwasharmless？’ “’Ididnot，’Ireplied。’Atleast，notatthemomentofmydrinkingit。’ “Whereafterfallingheadlongtothefloor，Ilostconsciousness。“