Chapter 26 seven

The young man who accompanied the general was about twenty-eight years old, tall, well-proportioned, with a handsome and intelligent face, a pair of big black eyes, sparkling, full of wit and mockery.Aglaya did not even look back at him, and went on reciting her poems, continuing to recite only to the prince, and to him only, with an affected air.The Duke knew very well that she had other plans and special intentions in doing this.But in any case, the presence of the new guest at least slightly changed his embarrassing situation.When he saw them, he bowed slightly, nodded politely to the general from a distance, and at the same time signaled to them not to interrupt Aglaya's reading. Leaning on the back of the chair with the elbow of his left hand, he continued to listen to this lyrical narrative poem. His posture can be said to be more natural, not as "ridiculous" as sitting in an easy chair.As for Lizaveta Prokofievna, she, too, waved twice to the newcomers with an orderly gesture, telling them to stop and not go any further.As he listened, the prince was very interested in the guest who had accompanied the general, and he guessed clearly that this was the Yevgeny Pavlovich Radomsky, of whom he had long known. Heard, heard many things about him, and thought of him more than once.Only his civilian clothes puzzled him, for he had heard that Yevgeny Pavlovitch was a soldier.While Aglaya was reciting the poem, the new guest had a mocking smile on his lips, as if he had heard some gossip about this "poor knight".

"Perhaps he came up with it out of thin air," thought the duke. But Aglaya's demeanor changed completely.Her face was serious, and she seemed to understand the spirit and content of the poem so well that it overshadowed the affectation and pompousness with which she began to read.She recited every word in the poem with a deep understanding, and she recited the whole poem with a high degree of simplicity, so when she was about to finish recitation, not only attracted everyone's attention, but also because she conveyed this The sublime spirit of the first lyrical ballad, therefore, partly justifies her solemn approach to the center of the balcony with an overly affected solemnity.In her serious appearance, what everyone can see now is that she is full of infinite, even naive admiration for what she wants to convey.Her eyes gleamed, and twice a barely perceptible slight shudder of a combination of inspiration and elation flashed across her pretty face.She recited:

Later, when the prince recalled Aglaya's reading of the poem, there was a question that puzzled him and troubled him all the time: how could such true and beautiful emotions be combined with such blatant and vicious ridicule? ?He had no doubt that it was a mockery, he knew it very well, and there was a reason for it. When Aglaya recited the poem, she secretly replaced the three letters AMD with it. wrong. —He was sure of this (and later confirmed it).Aglaya's obedient behavior (jokingly, of course, although the joke was too exaggerated and too frivolous) must have been premeditated.Everyone had talked about (and "made fun of") this "poor knight" a month ago.However, no matter how the Duke recalled later, he always felt that when Aglaia said these three letters, not only was there no joke, nor did she have the slightest taste of mockery, she even did not deliberately emphasize these three letters in order to highlight these three letters. The hidden meaning of the letters, but on the contrary, when she said these three letters, she was still so serious, so pure, innocent, and natural, that one could not help but think that there were these three letters in the poem and in the book. printed.A heavy uneasiness seemed to gnaw at the Duke's heart.Lizaveta Prokofievna, of course, understood nothing, neither noticed the subterfuge nor Aglaya's insinuations.Ivan Fyodorovitch knew only that they were reciting poems.As for the rest of the audience, many understood, and were amazed at the audacity and ingenuity of this perverse behavior, but they all kept it secret and tried to look as if nothing had happened.But Yevgeny Pavlovitch (the prince was even willing to bet) not only understood, but even tried to put on an appearance of understanding: he smiled in an overly mocking manner.

"Simply beautiful!" the general's wife exclaimed joyfully as soon as the recitation was over, "whose poem is this?" "Pushkin's poem. Don't embarrass us, Maman, you don't know, how embarrassing you are!" cried Adelaida. "It's no wonder that you're not a fool, and a fool, if you're with you brilliant people!" replied Lizaveta Prokofievna sadly, "what a shame! I'll be back later, Show me this poem by Pushkin!" "There seems to be no Pushkin in our family." "Since a long time ago, our family has only two tattered volumes of books, and we don't know where to throw them away." Alexandra added.

"Send someone to the city at once to buy them, send Fyodor or Alexei on the first train - just send Alexei. Come here, Aglaya! Kiss me, You recite very well, but if you recite it from the bottom of your heart," she added almost in a whisper, "I'm sorry for you, and if you recite it to satirize him, then I don't approve of it. So, whatever you say, it's best not to read at all. Do you see what I mean? You go, miss, I've got something to tell you in a minute, but we've been sitting here too long." At that moment the prince came up to greet Ivan Fyodorovich, and the general introduced Yevgeny Pavlovitch Radomsky to him.

"I dragged him halfway. He just got off the train. I heard that I came here, and our family is here..." "I heard that you are here too," interrupted Yevgeny Pavlovitch, "because I had long intended not only to get to know you, but to make friends with you, so I came here. Hurry up and come here. Are you in good health? I just heard..." "I'm all right. I'm very glad to have known you. I've heard about you often, and I've even talked about you to Prince Shy," replied Lev Nikolayevich, holding out his hand. The two greeted each other politely, shook hands and greeted each other, and then looked at each other carefully.In a blink of an eye, everyone was talking.The prince's discovery (he now pays attention to everything and is eager to find out, even to see things that do not exist) that Yevgeny Pavlovich's civilian clothes caused a general outcry. , very strong surprise, and even all other impressions were temporarily put aside and ignored.It can be imagined that there must be something particularly important in this change of costume.Puzzled, Adelaida and Alexandra asked Yevgeny Pavlovich what was the matter.His kinsman, the Duke, even expressed great uneasiness, and the General spoke almost agitatedly.Only Aglaya looked at Yevgeny Pavlovich curiously, but quite calmly. She seemed to want to compare whether he looked better in military uniform or in civilian clothes, but a minute later she came back again. She turned her head away and never looked at him again.Lizaveta Prokofievna had no intention of asking, although, perhaps, she too was a little disturbed.It seemed to the prince that she did not like Yevgeny Pavlovitch.

"What a wonder, what a surprise!" Ivan Fyodorovitch repeated the same answer to all his questions. "When I met him just now in Petersburg, I couldn't believe it. Why? What happened suddenly? It’s really puzzling! He was also the one who took the lead in yelling, saying that he must not smash the top chair.” We found out from the ensuing discussion that Yevgeny Pavlovich had long ago declared that he was going to retire from the army and quit his job, but every time he said this, his expression was not serious, Therefore it cannot be believed.But then again, even when he talked about serious matters, he was always half-joking and half-serious, which made people almost puzzled, especially when he himself didn't want people to find out his details. The letters are mixed, like falling into the fog.

"My disarmament and return to the fields are only temporary, a few months, a year at most." Radomski laughed. "It's not necessary, at least I'm clear about your situation." The general was still very excited. "Isn't it necessary to inspect the manor? You have persuaded me yourself. Besides, I still want to go abroad..." However, the subject quickly changed.The Duke had been watching from the sidelines, but in his opinion, the uneasiness was so peculiar, and it was still going on, after all, that it was more than it should be, and there must be another reason for it.

"So the 'poor knight' is on stage again?" Yevgeny Pavlovich asked, walking up to Aglaya. To the prince's surprise, Aglaya gave him a bewildered and questioning look, as if to make him understand that they had nothing to say about the "poor knight" and that she did not even understand what he was asking. . "It's too late, it's too late to send people into town to buy Pushkin's poems, it's too late!" Kolya argued desperately with Lizaveta Prokofievna, "I told you three times A thousand times: it's too late." "Yes, it's really too late to send people into the city now," Yevgeny Pavlovich interrupted abruptly, leaving Aglaya behind in a hurry, "I think the Petersburg bookstores are closed. It's nine o'clock." He took out his pocket watch to confirm.

"I didn't expect to buy it after waiting for so long, just bear with it, it's okay to wait until tomorrow." Adelaida interjected. "Besides," Kolya added, "it's disrespectful for people of high society to be so interested in literature. If you don't believe me, ask Yevgeny Pavlovitch. The far more respectable ones would be pretending." A yellow buggy with red wheels." "Kolya, you're picking up passages from the book again," Adelaida pointed out. "He just loves to drop his bookbags," Evgeny Pavlovitch continued, "and recites long passages from literary reviews. I've had Nikolai Ardalionovich's conversations for a long time. But this time he didn't lose his bookbag. Nikolai Ardalionovitch was evidently alluding to my yellow chaise with red wheels. But I've changed carriages, you're too late."

The prince was listening to Radomsky... He found him well-mannered, modest, and easy-going, and he especially liked to see him talking to Kolya, who challenged him, in a completely equal and friendly manner. "What is this?" said Lizaveta Prokofievna, turning to Lebedev's daughter Vera, who was standing before her with large volumes of beautifully decorated and Another almost brand new book. "Pushkin," said Vera, "our Pushkin anthology. Papa asked me to bring it to you." "How is this possible? How is this possible?" said Lizaveta Prokofievna in astonishment. "It's not for you, it's not for you! If I wanted to, I wouldn't dare!" Lebedev jumped out from behind his daughter, "Sell at the original price, you. This is my family's treasured ancestral Pushkin Anthology, Annenkov's edition, this edition is no longer available - sold at the original price, my dear. I brought it to you with all respect, in order to transfer it to you, so as to satisfy your noble, madam. Can't wait to appreciate the sublime sensibility of literature." "Ah, thank you for selling it to me. I won't let you suffer. But, sir, please don't be pretentious. I have heard about your situation. It is said that you have read a lot of books. Let's chat if you have the opportunity .Would you send me the book yourself?" "Respectfully and...respectfully!" Lebedev was very proud. He took the book from his daughter and said pretendingly. "Okay, it's okay to send it to me, but don't lose it, and you don't need to be respectful, and there is a condition." She looked at him carefully and added, "Only at the door, because I don't want to receive him today." You. If you send your daughter Vera, even now, I like her very much." "Why don't you mention those people?" Vera said impatiently to her father. "You ignore them, they will come in by themselves: there is already a lot of noise. Lev Nikolayevich," She said to the Duke, who had already picked up his top hat, "Several people have come over there long ago, looking for you. There are four people in total, waiting by our side, cursing, but Dad won't let them in." "What guest?" asked the Duke. "They say it's something, and if you don't let them in now, they'll stop you halfway. Let them in, Lev Nikolayevich, and you don't have to worry about it in the future. Gavrila Al Dalionovich and Ptitsyn are trying to persuade them there, but they won't listen." "It's Pavlishev's son! It's Pavlishev's son! It's not worth it, it's not worth seeing!" Lebedev waved his hands again and again, "It's not worth listening to their unreasonable troubles, my lord, you are fighting for them It would be unseemly to keep yourself quiet. That's all, you. It's not worth talking about them..." "Son of Pavlishev! My God!" cried the prince in great confusion, "I know . . . but I . . . Gavrila Ardalionovitch also told me..." But Gavrila Ardalionovitch had already come out of the back room to the verandah, followed by Ptitsyn.In the next room one could hear the uproar and General Iwolkin's sonorous voice, which seemed to be trying to drown out several voices.Kolya immediately ran to the noisy place. "That's very interesting!" Yevgeny Pavlovitch said aloud. "So he knows about it!" thought the prince. "Where did Pavlishev have any son? And ... how could Pavlishev have any son?" General Ivan Fyodorovich asked inexplicably, looking at everyone's faces curiously, Surprised to find that he alone did not know the news. Sure enough, this matter has aroused everyone's general interest and expectations.The Duke was very surprised that such a purely personal matter would arouse such strong interest from all the princes present. "It would be great if you would settle the matter immediately and personally," said Aglaya, approaching the prince with a particularly serious air; "permit us all to be your witnesses. They want to discredit you, duke, and you must solemnly prove that you are a man of honor, and I wish you success with great pleasure." "I hope, too, that this vile black-and-white racketeering will come to an end," cried the General's wife. "Show them, duke, and don't spare them! I've been deafened by the chatter about it, I'm not less angry about your business. But it's interesting to see. Call them, and let's sit down first. Aglaya's idea is very good. Have you heard about it, Duke?" She turned Ask the Duke of Xi in the past. "Of course I've heard of it, I heard it at the mansion. But I really want to see these young people." Duke Xi replied. "Is this the gang of nihilists?" "No, you, they're not exactly nihilists," Lebedev stepped forward, almost trembling with excitement, "they're a different kind of people, with their own peculiarities, my nephew said, they're more nihilistic than The Nihilists. General, don’t think that they will be ashamed if you testify by your side, they will not be ashamed, you. After all, the Nihilists are sometimes people with expertise in learning, even scholars, but These people are far behind, because they are first of all people who do practical things and seek material gains. In fact, this is a certain consequence of nihilism, but it is not a true legacy, but hearsay and indirect hearing, and they also Not writing articles in magazines, making public appearances, but directly putting them into action. They don’t talk about, for example, that Pushkin is boring and meaningless, and they don’t talk about, for example, that Russia must be divided into parts, etc., these They don't talk about it, they now straight up think they have the right, if they want something badly, to do whatever it takes, and nothing will stop them, even if it means killing eight people, you. But , Duke, I still advise you to..." But the duke had already gone to open the door for the guests. "You are slandering, Lebedev," he said, laughing, "because your nephew has broken your heart. Don't believe him, Lizaveta Prokofievna. I assure you, Go It's just a coincidence that Ersky and Danilov and the like are just ... confused ... But I don't want to talk to them here, in front of everyone. I'm sorry, Lizaveta When they come in, Prokofievna, let them see you, and I will take them away. Come in, gentlemen!" What disturbed him was another thought that troubled him.He vaguely felt: Will someone deliberately embarrass him, but at this moment, at this moment, and in front of these people, premeditatedly let them witness it with their own eyes, make him ashamed, instead of celebrating Woolen cloth?But he was very sorry that he himself should have this "absurd and detestable paranoia."He would have been ashamed if anyone had known what was going on in his head now, when his new guest walked in, and he was willing to admit with all his heart that, of all those around him, he He is the worst, the lowest in terms of morals. Five men entered, four newcomers, and the fifth General Iworkin who followed them.General Iwolkin was impassioned and very excited, and he was eloquently fighting against the scholars. "This man must be on my side!" thought the Duke, with a smile on his lips.Kolya slipped in with the others: he was talking warmly to Hippolyte.Hippolyte was also among the visitors, listening with a slight sneer. The duke made the guests sit down.They are all very young, even some minors.One cannot help but be amazed at the sight of this situation, and the manners which result from it.For example, Ivan Fedorovich.Ye Panqin, because he knew nothing about this "new case" and didn't understand the mystery at all, so he couldn't help feeling angry when he saw that the visitors were all young. He felt strangely zealous, and would have protested had he not been in a public outburst.He stayed, however, partly out of curiosity, partly out of good-heartedness, and even wishing to help the duke, because authority was useful after all.But General Ivolkin came in and bowed to him at a distance, which annoyed him so much that he frowned and decided to keep his mouth shut and say nothing. However, among the four young visitors, there was one in his thirties, a retired "Lieutenant" who had been fooling around with Rogozhin's gang, the one who had given ten to each of those who stretched out their hands. Five rubles, master of boxing.It is not difficult to guess that he accompanied the others here to cheer, as a good friend, if necessary, he can help with his fists.Among the rest, at the head and leading role was the master, who called himself "Prince Pavlischev," although he introduced himself as Antip Burdovsky.This is a young man with shabby clothes and a disheveled hat. He wears an ordinary jacket with two oil-stained sleeves that are polished to shine like a mirror. An oil-stained vest is buttoned down to the neck. Unseen underwear, probably tucked inside, a black silk scarf around the neck, covered with oil stains, dirtier than ever, and twisted, unwashed hands, dirty, face covered with acne, shallow Dark hair, if you may call it that, and eyes that are both innocent and impudent.He can't be considered short, thin, twenty-two or three-year-old.There was neither a trace of sarcasm nor a trace of self-determining hesitation in the expression of his face; Another look, as if he had a strange, constant need—to look wronged by the boss.He spoke excitedly, and spoke quickly, and stammered as if unable to express himself, unable to speak, like a clumsy, inarticulate person, or like a foreigner, although By birth, he was a Russian through and through. Accompanying him was first Lebedev's nephew, whom the reader already knew, and secondly Hippolyte.Hippolyte was young, seventeen or eighteen, with an intelligent but often impulsive face, sickly and horribly marked.He was as thin as a skeleton, his face was pale and yellowish, but his eyes were piercing, and there were two blushes on his cheeks.He kept coughing, and every word he said, and almost every breath he took, was accompanied by wheezing and wheezing.It can be seen that his consumption has reached a very serious stage.It seemed that he could only live two or three weeks at most.He looked tired and was the first to slump down on the chair.When the others came in, they were a little polite, and almost didn't show embarrassment, but their expressions were very arrogant, probably afraid of losing their status, which was similar to their denial of all useless red tape in high society, denial of all prejudices, denial of their The title of almost everything in the world outside one's own interests feels strangely incongruous. "My name is Antip Burdovsky," declared the man who called himself "Prince Pavlishev," in a hurried and stammering voice. "My name is Vladimir Doctorenko," Lebedev's nephew introduced himself clearly and articulately, as if boasting of his surname Doctorenko. "My name is Keller!" the retired lieutenant muttered. "My name is Ippolit Terentyev," cried the last one unexpectedly, in a shrill voice.At last they all sat down in their chairs, facing the Duke in a row.Immediately after they introduced themselves, they frowned again. They all moved their hats from one hand to the other for courage. Everyone was about to speak, but they didn't open their mouths. They waited in a provocative posture. What, that look seems to say: "No, buddy, you are talking nonsense, you can't fool me!" I can feel that as soon as someone speaks, everyone will immediately speak together, scrambling to speak first.