IT was already ten o'clock in the evening; in the drawing-room of the Arjanov house Sipiagin, his wife, and Kollomietzev were sitting over a game at cards when a footman entered and announced that an unknown gentleman, a certain Mr.Paklin, wished to see Boris Andraevitch upon a very urgent business.
"So late!" Valentina Mihailovna exclaimed, surprised.
What? "Boris Andraevitch asked, screwing up his handsome nose;"what did you say the gentleman's name was?"Mr.Paklin, sir."
"Paklin!" Kollomietzev exclaimed; "a real country name.Paklin.
..Solomin...De vrais noms ruraux, hein?""Did you say," Boris Andraevitch continued, still turned towards the footman with his nose screwed up, "that the business was an urgent one?""The gentleman said so, sir."
"H'm....No doubt some beggar or intriguer.""Or both," Kollomietzev chimed in.
"Very likely.Ask him into my study." Boris Andraevitch got up.
"Pardon, ma bonne.Have a game of ecarte till I come back, unless you would like to wait for me.I won't he long.""Nous causerons...Allez!" Kollomietzev said.
When Sipiagin entered his study and caught sight of Paklin's poor, feeble little figure meekly leaning up against the door between the wall and the fireplace, he was seized by that truly ministerial sensation of haughty compassion and fastidious condescension so characteristic of the St.Petersburg bureaucrat.
"Heavens! What a miserable little wretch!" he thought; "and lame too, I believe!""Sit down, please," he said aloud, making use of some of his most benevolent baritone notes and throwing back his head, sat down before his guest did."You are no doubt tired from the journey.
Sit down, please, and tell me about this important matter that has brought you so late.""Your excellency," Paklin began, cautiously dropping into an arm-chair, "I have taken the liberty of coming to you--""Just a minute, please," Sipiagin interrupted him, "I think I've seen you before.I never forget faces.But er...er...
really...where have I seen you?"
You are not mistaken, your excellency.I had the honour of meeting you in St.Petersburg at a certain person's who...who has since...unfortunately...incurred your displeasure--"Sipiagin jumped up from his chair.
"Why, at Mr.Nejdanov's? I remember now.You haven't come from him by the way, have you?""Not at all, your excellency; on the contrary...I--"Sipiagin sat down again.
"That's good.For had you come on his account I should have asked you to leave the house at once.I cannot allow any mediator between myself and Mr.Nejdanov.Mr.Nejdanov has insulted me in a way which cannot be forgotten...I am above any feelings of revenge, but I don't wish to know anything of him, nor of the girl-- more depraved in mind than in heart " (Sipiagin had repeated this phrase at least thirty times since Mariana ran away), "who could bring herself to abandon a home that had sheltered her, to become the mistress of a nameless adventurer!
It is enough for them that I am content to forget them."At this last word Sipiagin waved his wrist into space.
"I forget them, my dear sir!"
"Your excellency, I have already told you that I did not come from them in particular, but I may inform your excellency that they are legally married..." ("It's all the same," Paklin thought; "I said that I would lie and so here I am.Never mind!")Sipiagin moved his head from left to right on the back of his chair.
"It does not interest me in the least, sir.It only makes one foolish marriage the more in the world-- that's all.But what is this urgent matter to which I am indebted for the pleasure of your visit?""Ugh! you cursed director of a department!" Paklin thought, "I'll soon make you pull a different face! "Your wife's brother," he said aloud, "Mr.Markelov, has been seized by the peasants whom he had been inciting to rebellion, and is now under arrest in the governor's house."Sipiagin jumped up a second time.
"What...what did you say?" he blurted out, not at all in his accustomed ministerial baritones, but in an extremely undignified manner.
"I said that your brother-in-law has been seized and is in chains.As soon as I heard of it, I procured horses and came straight away to tell you.I thought that I might be rendering a service to you and to the unfortunate man whom you may be able to save!""I am extremely grateful to you," Sipiagin said in the same feeble tone of voice, and violently pressing a bell, shaped like a mushroom, he filled the whole house with its clear metallic ring."I am extremely grateful to you," he repeated more sharply, "but I must tell you that a man who can bring himself to trample under foot all laws, human and divine, were he a hundred times related to me-- is in my eyes not unfortunate; he is a criminal!"A footman came in quickly.
"Your orders, sir?
"The carriage! the carriage and four horses this minute! I am going to town.Philip and Stepan are to come with me!" The footman disappeared."Yes, sir, my brother-in-law is a criminal!
I am going to town not to save him! Oh, no!""But, your excellency--"
"Such are my principles, my dear sir, and I beg you not to annoy me by your objections!"Sipiagin began pacing up and down the room, while Paklin stared with all his might."Ugh! you devil!" he thought, "I heard that you were a liberal, but you're just like a hungry lion!"The door was flung open and Valentina Mihailovna came into the room with hurried steps, followed by Kollomietzev.
"What is the matter, Boris? Why have you ordered the carriage?
Are you going to town? What has happened?"Sipiagin went up to his wife and took her by the arm, between the elbow and wrist."Il faut vous armer de courage, ma chere.Your brother has been arrested.""My brother? Sergai? What for?"
He has been preaching socialism to the peasants." (Kollomietzev gave a faint little scream.) "Yes! preaching revolutionary ideas, making propaganda! They seized him--and gave him up.He is now under arrest in the town.""Madman! But who told you?"
