登陆注册
19593600000193

第193章

"Well, let them! Let them!" said Grushenka sententiously, with an ecstatic expression on her face."When they do get a day to enjoy themselves; why shouldn't folks be happy?"Kalgonov looked as though he had been besmirched with dirt.

"It's swinish, all this peasant foolery," he murmured, moving away; "it's the game they play when it's light all night in summer."He particularly disliked one "new" song to a jaunty dance-tune.It described how a gentleman came and tried his luck with the girls, to see whether they would love him:

The master came to try the girls:

Would they love him, would they not?

But the girls could not love the master:

He would beat me cruelly And such love won't do for me.

Then a gypsy comes along and he, too, tries:

The gypsy came to try the girls:

Would they love him, would they not?

But they couldn't love the gypsy either:

He would be a thief, I fear, And would cause me many a tear.

And many more men come to try their luck, among them a soldier:

The soldier came to try the girls:

Would they love him, would they not?

But the soldier is rejected with contempt, in two indecent lines, sung with absolute frankness and producing a furore in the audience.The song ends with a merchant:

The merchant came to try the girls:

Would they love him, would they not?

And it appears that he wins their love because:

The merchant will make gold for me And his queen I'll gladly be.

Kalgonov was positively indignant.

"That's just a song of yesterday," he said aloud."Who writes such things for them? They might just as well have had a railwayman or a Jew come to try his luck with the girls; they'd have carried all before them."And, almost as though it were a personal affront, he declared, on the spot, that he was bored, sat down on the sofa and immediately fell asleep.His pretty little face looked rather pale, as it fell back on the sofa cushion.

"Look how pretty he is," said Grushenka, taking Mitya up to him.

"I was combing his hair just now; his hair's like flax, and so thick..."And, bending over him tenderly, she kissed his forehead.

Kalgonov instantly opened his eyes, looked at her, stood up, and with the most anxious air inquired where was Maximov?

"So that's who it is you want." Grushenka laughed."Stay with me a minute.Mitya, run and find his Maximov."Maximov, it appeared, could not tear himself away from the girls, only running away from time to time to pour himself out a glass of liqueur.He had drunk two cups of chocolate.His face was red, and his nose was crimson; his eyes were moist, and mawkishly sweet.He ran up and announced that he was going to dance the "sabotiere.""They taught me all those well-bred, aristocratic dances when Iwas little..."

"Go, go with him, Mitya, and I'll watch from here how he dances," said Grushenka.

"No, no, I'm coming to look on, too," exclaimed Kalganov, brushing aside in the most naive way Grushenka's offer to sit with him.They all went to look on.Maximov danced his dance.But it roused no great admiration in anyone but Mitya.It consisted of nothing but skipping and hopping, kicking the feet, and at every skip Maximov slapped the upturned sole of his foot.Kalgonov did not like it at all, but Mitya kissed the dancer.

"Thanks.You're tired perhaps? What are you looking for here?

Would you like some sweets? A cigar, perhaps?""A cigarette."

"Don't you want a drink?"

"I'll just have a liqueur....Have you any chocolates?""Yes, there's a heap of them on the table there.Choose one, my dear soul!""I like one with vanilla...for old people.He he!

"No, brother, we've none of that special sort.""I say," the old man bent down to whisper in Mitya's ear."That girl there, little Marya, he he! How would it be if you were to help me make friends with her?""So that's what you're after! No, brother, that won't do!""I'd do no harm to anyone," Maximov muttered disconsolately.

"Oh, all right, all right.They only come here to dance and sing, you know, brother.But damn it all, wait a bit!...Eat and drink and be merry, meanwhile.Don't you want money?""Later on, perhaps," smiled Maximov.

"All right, all right..."

Mitya's head was burning.He went outside to the wooden balcony which ran round the whole building on the inner side, overlooking the courtyard.The fresh air revived him.He stood alone in a dark corner, and suddenly clutched his head in both hands.His scattered thoughts came together; his sensations blended into a whole and threw a sudden light into his mind.A fearful and terrible light!

"If I'm to shoot myself, why not now?" passed through his mind."Why not go for the pistols, bring them here, and here, in this dark dirty corner, make an end?" Almost a minute he undecided.A few hours earlier, when he had been dashing here, he was pursued by disgrace, by the theft he had committed, and that blood, that blood!...But yet it was easier for him then.Then everything was over: he had lost her, given her up.She was gone, for him- oh, then his death sentence had been easier for him; at least it had seemed necessary, inevitable, for what had he to stay on earth for?

But now? Was it the same as then? Now one phantom, one terror at least was at an end: that first, rightful lover, that fateful figure had vanished, leaving no trace.The terrible phantom had turned into something so small, so comic; it had been carried into the bedroom and locked in.It would never return.She was ashamed, and from her eyes he could see now whom she loved.Now he had everything to make life happy...but he could not go on living, he could not; oh, damnation!

同类推荐
  • 无量门破魔陀罗尼经

    无量门破魔陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • John Jacob Astor

    John Jacob Astor

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说八正道经

    佛说八正道经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

    DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 杂纂三续

    杂纂三续

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 万古圣尊

    万古圣尊

    绝世强者林凡,被人偷袭陨落,十年后转世重生,附身在一名少年武徒身上,面对着今生同门的嘲笑和欺压,凭借前世的修为知识,将敌人狠狠踩踏,用他们的鲜血,成就自己万古圣尊的辉煌。
  • 诞辰与丧葬习俗(中国文化史丛书)

    诞辰与丧葬习俗(中国文化史丛书)

    中华民族是世界上最古老的民族,中华文明是世界上最悠久的文明之一。中国有文字记载的历史近5000年之久,从公元前841年开始,有文献可考的编年史从未间断,至今已近3000年,这在人类历史的长河中是绝无仅有的。世界四大文明古国中,只有中国的历史始终传承有序,从未中断。
  • 明婚暗娶:boss请息怒

    明婚暗娶:boss请息怒

    萍水相逢,他们只是彼此生活中的陌生人。阴差阳错,被人下药,她失了身,他失了心,原本想要一笑而过,他却因为一句负责而不肯放人。她逃离,他紧追不放,当心开始沦陷,却是一场阴谋的浮现,是真心是假意,谁能看清,谁又能明了情关难过?将她紧紧困住,即使天涯海角也不肯放手,只因为第一眼的宿命,只因为,婚礼正在进行时,而两颗悸动的心能否在最后交给永恒?苏芙说,我们之间,真的存在爱情吗?古沂南,你是我害怕触碰的回忆,却也是我向往的风景……古沂南说,苏芙,你是这辈子唯一一个让我既心疼又心痛得女人!
  • 命运之风暴骑士

    命运之风暴骑士

    李暮生两世为人,前世的悲惨际遇在重生后依然摆脱不掉身世凄惨的命运,然而世事茫茫难自料,重生后的李暮生决定不在顺从命运的安排,要自己操控其一生,既然世界不尽人意,那么,活着,就要改变这个世界。
  • 我的青春期日记

    我的青春期日记

    半夜我在酒吧救了个大美女带回了宾馆,一夜过去,没想到她竟然是我的班主任老师!我该怎么办?
  • 妖孽皇子:独宠倾世皇子妃

    妖孽皇子:独宠倾世皇子妃

    她,21世纪的金牌杀手,为报仇死于一场爆炸。本以为就这样与世界saygoodbye,却不料老天待她不薄,让她穿越到了夏王府的嫡出大小姐身上。天生痴傻,从不说话?不不不,来看她如何破茧成蝶,步步走向巅峰。他,天元国的第一战神,当今圣上最宠爱的四皇子,传闻从不让人靠近两步,否则必死无疑,却次次为她破例,一世的柔情只对她。惊鸿一瞥,注定为之沦陷……
  • 风云之都市孽种

    风云之都市孽种

    少林俗家弟子孙泰,自出生起便被冠以孽种之名!好吧,孽种又如何?照样在一次次阴谋中逢凶化吉,一场场搏斗中御敌致胜,即便深陷桃花劫一样可以左右逢源,这就是都市的种马,战神!
  • 探秘:世界未解之谜(历史篇)

    探秘:世界未解之谜(历史篇)

    古人在漫漫历史长河中创造了一个又一个奇迹,很多令拥有高科技的今人汗颜。记载在史书上的文字无法将那些历史完整地展现给今人,我们只能通过现存的蛛丝马迹去按图索骥。
  • 那年我们一起寻找的世界

    那年我们一起寻找的世界

    Minrcraft,这款2009年出版的游戏,在2023年依然充满着不可抵挡的魅力。一天,有一伙人在完成minecraft的游戏后纷纷下线,他们没有去休息依然玩着自己以前的存档。就在打开存档的不久后他们在各自的箱子里找到了一封“请函”,对这个世界失去希望的他们,在海瑞布朗恩的“请函”签上了“许可”的指令。。。接下来,究竟发生了什么请我们一起去书中详细了解。
  • 鹿晗,我想对你说

    鹿晗,我想对你说

    她与他分手后,遇见了十二只,我和心中他会产生怎样的火花呢?尽情期待《鹿晗,我想对你说》(紫嫣第一次写小说,倘若写不好,请大家宽容宽容指教指教)