Chapter 29 third quarter

Pnin turned cautiously onto a sandy road lined with wild lupines, and sat upright, hands stiffly gripping the steering wheel, like a farmer more used to driving a tractor than a car, driving at ten miles an hour. , shifted into first gear, and drove into the chaotic and absolutely authentic circle of old pine trees that separated Cook Castle from the gravel road, while the Brotovs and the little woman in trousers Mrs. Sporianski was the first to discover him. Varvara got up briskly from her chair in the arbor where she and Rosa Sporianski had just discovered Brotov reading a torn book and secretly smoking a cigarette.She applauded Pnin, and her husband closed the book, tucked his thumb over the page just read, shook it slowly a few times, and offered Pnin the deepest kindness he could.Pnin turned off the engine, sat in the car and smiled at his friends.His green sweatshirt was open at the collar; the trench coat, which was only half zipped, looked a little tight around his impressive torso; Wrinkled, with obvious worm-like veins on his temples, struggled to open the car door, and finally jumped out of the car.

"Avtomobil', kostyum—nu pryamo amerikanets (a real Yankee), pryamo Ayzenliauer!" said Varvara, and then introduced Pnin to Rosa Abramovna Spolyansky. "We have some mutual friends from forty years ago," said the lady, looking at Pnin curiously. "Oh, forget about the astronomical figure," said Brotov, coming closer, replacing the thumb that had been a bookmark with a blade of grass. "You know," he continued, shaking Pnin's hand. , "I'm watching it for the seventh time, and I'm no less fascinated than I was when I was seven years old sixty years ago rather than forty years ago. And I can find something new in it every time-for example, I pay attention now Lev Nikolayevich did not know when the plot of his novel began: it seemed to be Friday, because the watchmaker came to the Oblonskys to wind the bells, and Levin and Kitty's mother were skating The talk on the court was about Thursday."

"What's the big deal," Varvara exclaimed, "who has time to figure out what day of the week it is?" "I can tell you the exact day," said Pnin, blinking in the flickering sunlight and inhaling the familiar rich scent of the northern pines, "the novel begins in early 1872, according to the new calendar. The calculation was Friday, February 23. Oblonsky read the morning papers and read rumors that Peist had gone to Wiesbaden. Duke of East, who had just been appointed Austrian ambassador to the court of St. James. After submitting his credentials, Peist went to the Continent for a considerable period of Christmas holidays - where he lived with his family According to his two-volume memoirs, as the Prince of Wales recovered from typhoid fever, London was preparing to hold a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's Church on February 27. .But (odnako), it’s hot enough for you here (i zharko zhe u vas)! I think I should report to Alexander Petrovich’s witty eyes (presvetlie ochi, witty words) now, and then to his letter Take a plunge (okupnutsya, still a witticism) in that brook so vividly described."

"Aleksandar Petrovich won't be home until Monday, either on business or pleasure," said Varvara Brotov, "but I think you can find Suzanne in the backyard; You are sunbathing on the lawn. When you get close to her, don’t forget to shout first.”