"I did not wish to make your acquaintance,"Icontinued,"because you are surrounded by too dense a throng of adorers,in which I was afraid of being lost to sight altogether.""You need not have been afraid;they are all very tiresome"...
"All?Not all,surely?"
She looked fixedly at me as if endeavouring to recollect something,then blushed slightly again and finally pronounced with decision:
"All!"
"Even my friend,Grushnitski?"
"But is he your friend?"she said,manifesting some doubt.
"Yes."
"He,of course,does not come into the category of the tiresome"...
"But into that of the unfortunate!"I said,laughing.
"Of course!But do you consider that funny?I should like you to be in his place"...
"Well?I was once a cadet myself,and,in truth,it was the best time of my life!""Is he a cadet,then?"...she said rapidly,and then added:"But I thought"...
"What did you think?"...
"Nothing!Who is that lady?"
Thereupon the conversation took a different direction,and it did not return to the former subject.
And now the mazurka came to an end and we separated --until we should meet again.The ladies drove off in different directions.I went to get some supper,and met Werner.
"Aha!"he said:"so it is you!And yet you did not wish to make the acquaintance of Princess Mary otherwise than by saving her from certain death.""I have done better,"I replied."I have saved her from fainting at the ball"...
"How was that?Tell me."
"No,guess!--O,you who guess everything in the world!"CHAPTER VI
30th May.
ABOUT seven o'clock in the evening,I was walking on the boulevard.Grushnitski perceived me a long way off,and came up to me.
A sort of ridiculous rapture was shining in his eyes.He pressed my hand warmly,and said in a tragic voice:
"I thank you,Pechorin...You understand me?""No;but in any case it is not worth grati-tude,"I answered,not having,in fact,any good deed upon my conscience.
"What?But yesterday!Have you for-gotten?...Mary has told me everything"...
"Why!Have you everything in common so soon as this?Even gratitude?"...
"Listen,"said Grushnitski very earnestly;"pray do not make fun of my love,if you wish to remain my friend...You see,I love her to the point of madness ...and I think --Ihope --she loves me too...I have a request to make of you.You will be at their house this even-ing;promise me to observe everything.I know you are experienced in these matters,you know women better than I...Women!Women!
Who can understand them?Their smiles contra-dict their glances,their words promise and allure,but the tone of their voice repels...At one time they grasp and divine in a moment our most secret thoughts,at another they cannot under-stand the clearest hints...Take Princess Mary,now:yesterday her eyes,as they rested upon me,were blazing with passion;to-day they are dull and cold"...
"That is possibly the result of the waters,"Ireplied.
"You see the bad side of everything ...
materialist,"he added contemptuously."How-ever,let us talk of other matters."
And,satisfied with his bad pun,he cheered up.
At nine o'clock we went to Princess Ligovski's together.
Passing by Vera's windows,I saw her looking out.We threw a fleeting glance at each other.
She entered the Ligovskis'drawing-room soon after us.Princess Ligovski presented me to her,as a relation of her own.Tea was served.The guests were numerous,and the conversation was general.I endeavoured to please the Princess,jested,and made her laugh heartily a few times.
Princess Mary,also,was more than once on the point of bursting out laughing,but she restrained herself in order not to depart from the role she had assumed.She finds languor becoming to her,and perhaps she is not mistaken.Grushnitski appears to be very glad that she is not infected by my gaiety.
After tea we all went into the drawingroom.
"Are you satisfied with my obedience,Vera?"I said as I was passing her.
She threw me a glance full of love and grati-tude.I have grown accustomed to such glances;but at one time they constituted my felicity.
The Princess seated her daughter at the piano-forte,and all the company begged her to sing.
I kept silence,and,taking advantage of the hubbub,I went aside to the window with Vera,who wished to say something of great import-ance to both of us...It turned out to be --nonsense...
Meanwhile my indifference was vexing Princess Mary,as I was able to make out from a single angry,gleaming glance which she cast at me...
Oh!I understand the method of conversation wonderfully well:mute but expressive,brief but forceful!...
She began to sing.She has a good voice,but she sings badly...However,I was not listening.
Grushnitski,on the contrary,leaning his elbows on the grand piano,facing her,was devouring her with his eyes and saying in an undertone every minute:"Charmant!Delicieux!""Listen,"said Vera to me,"I do not wish you to make my husband's acquaintance,but you must,without fail,make yourself agreeable to the Princess;that will be an easy task for you:
you can do anything you wish.It is only here that we shall see each other"...
"Only here?"...
She blushed and continued:
