What a spectacle met him there! Two grooms, in the Count's livery, were holding saddle-horses. On to one of them the Count and a servant were mounting Nadinka ; the other stood ready for the Count himself. On the steps was standing Maria Mihalovna. She was looking on at this scene with a frown of anxiety.
"Sit firmer, Nadinka," she said, "For Heaven's sake, Count, look at her ! Ah ! I'm frightened, hold on to the horse's ear, Nadinka; you see what a wicked thing she is to coax me into it."
" Nonsense, maman? said Nadinka, gaily; " of course I can ride now—look."
She switched the horse, which sprang forward and plunged and reared.
" Ah, ah ! keep still !" shrieked Maria Mihalovna, waving her hand; " leave off, it'll be the death of you! "
But Nadinka pulled the curb and the horse stood still.
" You see how she obeys me ! " said Nadinka, stroking the horse's neck.
No one noticed Adouev. With a white face he looked at Nadinka without speaking, and as though in mockery of him, she had never looked so handsome as that moment. How well the hat with its green veil and the riding habit
became her I how well it defined her figure! Her face was animated by a shy pride and the delicious feeling of a new sensation. The colour came and went on her cheeks from delight. The horse plunged slightly and made the slender rider bow gracefully backwards and forwards. Her figure was shaken on the saddle like the stem of a flower quivering in the wind. Next the groom brought a horse up to the Count.
" Count! shall we go to the copse again ?" asked Nadinka.
" Again !" thought Adouev. " Very well," answered the Count. The horses were just starting.
" Nadyezhda Alexandrovna! " cried Adouev, suddenly, in a strange voice.
All stood still, rooted to the ground, as though they had been changed to stone and looked in perplexity at Alexandr. This lasted for a minute.
" Ah! its Alexandr Fedoritch !" said the mother, the first to recover herself. The Count bowed affably. Nadinka quickly drew her veil back from her face, turned round and looked at him with dismay, her lips parted, then she swiftly turned her back, switched her horse, who dashed forward, and in two bounds had disappeared through the gates; the Count followed her.
" Gently, gently, for Heaven's sake, gently !" screamed the mother after them—" hold on ! Ah ! Lord have mercy on us ! she'll be off to a certainty; what a frightful thing it is!"
And all was gone; only the sound of the horses' hoofs could be heard, and the dust^was thrown up in a cloud from the road. Alexandr remained with Madame Lubetzky. He looked at her without speaking, as though asking her with his eyes, " What does this mean ? " She did not keep him long waiting for an answer.
" They have gone," she said, " out of sight now! Well, let the young people amuse themselves, and I will have a little chat with you, Alexandr Fedoritch. But why has there been no sight nor sound of you this fortnight past; have you grown tired of us ? "
tl I have been ill, Maria Mihalovna," he replied, sullenly. " Yes, one can see you have; you're so thin and pale 1
no A COMMON STORY
Sit down directly, rest a little; but won't you let me tell them to cook some eggs, soft-boiled, for you ? it's a long time still till dinner."
" Thanks, I don't want anything."
" Why not ? they'll be ready in a minute; and they are capital eggs; the Finnish woman only brought them today."
" Oh, no, thank you."
" What's the matter with you ? I kept expecting and expecting you; what does it mean ? I thought; he doesn't come himself, nor send any French books? Do you remember, you promised me something: * Peau de Chagrin, 7 wasn't it ? I expect it and expect it. No ! is Alexandr Fedoritch tired of us, I thought; upon my word, he's tired of us."
" I'm afraid, Maria Mihalovna, haven't you grown tired ofme?"
"It's too bad of you to be afraid of that, Alexandr Fedoritch! I love you as though you were one of the family. I can't tell of course about Nadinka, for she's still a child; what does she know ? how can she value people properly ! Every day I kept repeating to her : ' Why is it, I wonder, Alexandr Fedoritch doesn't call, why doesn't he come ?' and I was always expecting you. Would you believe that I would not sit down to dinner every day till five o'clock. I kept thinking he's sure to come in. And Nadinka said sometimes: * What is it, maman ? whom are you waiting for ? I'm hungry, and so is the Count, I think.'"
"And the Count—has he been here often?" asked Alexandr.
" Yes, nearly every day, and sometimes twice in the same day; he is so kind, he has taken such a fancy to us. . . . 'Well,' said Nadinka, 'I want my dinner, and that's all about it! it's time to begin.' 'But since Alexandr Fedoritch,' said I, ' will be coming ?'"
"' He won't come,' she said, " would you like me to bet you a wager he won't? it's useless to wait." Madame Lubetzky stabbed Alexandr with these words as with a knife.
" She—she said so ? " he asked, trying to smile.
"Yes, that's just how she talked and hurried us. You know lam severe, though I do look good-tempered. I scolded
her: one time you're for waiting till five o'clock for him, and won't eat any dinner, and then you don't want to wait at all —you're absurd ! it's wrong of you ! Alexandr Fedoritch is an old friend of ours, he is fond of us, and his uncle, Piotr Ivanitch, has given us many proofs of his friendliness; it's not right to neglect people so 1 He is vexed, I daresay, and will not come "
" What did she say ? " asked Alexandr.
"Oh, nothing. You know how saucy she is with me, skips away, begins to sing, and runs off- or says, ' He'll come, jjf he wants to !' such an imp she is ! I too thought —he'll come! I look out, another day passed—and no sign of you! I said again, * What can it be, Nadinka, is Alexandr Fedoritch well ?' 'I don't know, mamanj she said,. * how can I tell ?' * Shall we send to find out what's wrong with him ?' We were going to send and going to send, and so we never sent; I somehow forgot it, left it to her, and she's so thoughtless.—See now how she's given herself up to this r iding! She saw the Count once on horseback from the ivtnaow and kept on at me, * I want to ride' and so on again and again ! I said this and that; but all of no use. * I want to!' Mad thing ! No, there was no riding on horseback in my young days ; we were brought up altogether differently ! But nowadays, shocking to relate, ladies have begun to smoke : over opposite us lives a young widow ; she sits on the balcony all day and smokes; people go by, and pass on horseback—she doesn't care! Sometimes in our days if there were a smell of tobacco in the drawing-room even from the men "
" Has it been going on long ? " asked Alexandr.
" I don't know, they say it's been in fashion the last five years : I suppose it's from the French "
" No, I asked; is it long since Nadyezhda Alexandrovna began to learn riding ? "
" Ten days about. The Count is so kind, so polite: what is there he isn't ready to do for us; how he spoils her! Look what heaps of flowers ! all from his garden. Sometimes I'm really ashamed. ' Why do you, Count,' I say,' spoil her like that ? there'll be no putting up with her soon!' and I scold her too. I have been with Maria Ivanovna and Nadinka to see his covered court. As you know, I look after her myself; who can see after a daughter better than
her own mother ? I myself undertook her education and though I say it who shouldn't—God grant every one such a daughter ! And Nadinka had her lessons in my presence. Then we breakfasted in his garden, and now they go riding every day. Ah! what a splendid house he has ! we went over it; all in such taste, so luxurious! "
" Every day ! " said Alexandr almost to himself. "Why not let her enjoy herself! I was young myself once."
" And do they go for long rides ? " " For three hours at a time. Come, and what has ailed you."
" I don't know; there was something wrong with my chest," he said, laying his hand on his heart. " Didn't you take anything for it ? " " No."