So every one would have been astonished if he were nowhere to be seen at a dinner or a supper. "But where is Anton Ivanitch ?" every one would be sure to ask in surprise. " What's wrong with him ?—why isn't he here ? " And the dinner would hardly seem a dinner at all.
Anton Ivanitch came in and took Anna Pavlovna's hand.
" Good-morning, ma'am, good-morning, Anna Pavlovna! I have the honour of congratulating you on something new."
"W T hat is that, Anton Ivanitch?" inquired Anna Pavlovna, looking at herself from head to foot.
" Why the little bridge at the gates! You must have only just had it put up. Why, I listened—the planks didn't dance under my feet. I looked, and it was new !"
He always used when he met acquaintances to congratulate them on something or other, either on Lent, or on the spring* or on the autumn; if, after a spell of warm weather, frost had set in, then he would congratulate them on the frost, if the frost had just broken up, then on the thaw.
On this occasion there was nothing of this kind to fix on, but he still managed to find something.
" Kind regards to you from Alexandra Vassilievna, Matrena Mihailovna and Piotr Sergeitch," said he.
"I thank you sincerely, Anton Ivanitch! Are their children well ? "
B
" Yes, thanks be to God. I bring you the blessing of the church, the good father is just on my heels. But have you heard, ma'am, our good Semen Arkhipytch ? "
" What is it ? " asked Anna Pavlovna, in dismay,
" Ah, he has taken leave of us for ever."
" You don't say it ? When did it happen ? "
" Yesterday morning. They sent to let me know in the evening; a lad galloped up; and I set off and did not sleep all night. They were all in tears; I had to console them and see to everything; every one in the house was quite overcome, nothing but weeping. I was all alone."
"Merciful heavens," said Anna Pavlovna, shaking her head, " such is life ! But how could it happen ? Only this week he sent us his greetings."
" Yes, ma'am—ah ! but he had been ailing a long while, the old man was a good age, the wonder is that he had never been laid up till now."
"A good age? He was only a year older than my poor husband. Well, God's peace be with him!" said Anna Pavlovna, crossing herself. "I am grieved for poor Fedosia Petrovna, she is left with little children on her hands, it's a serious matter—five, and almost all little girls. And when is the funeral to be ? "
" To-morrow."
"Ah, every heart has its own sorrow, Anton Ivanitch, here am I seeing my son off."
"There's no help for it, Anna Pavlovna, we are all mortal;' man is born to sorrow,' is written in the Scriptures."
"Well, don't be vexed with me for distressing you a little, let us sorrow together; you love us like one of our own family."
" Ah, Anna Pavlovna ! and whom could I love as I do you? Have I many friends like you? You know how precious you are. 1 have so many cares, and that reminds me of my building. Only yesterday I was disputing all the morning with the contractor, but somehow we could not agree on anything. Yet how, thought I, am I to keep away ? What, thought I, will she do without me ? She is no longer young. Why she will be beside herself!"
" God reward you, Anton Ivanitch, for not forgetting us! And, indeed, I am not myself; my head is in such a whirl.
I can see nothing; my throat is sore with crying. I beg you to take a little to eat; you must be tired and hungry."
" I thank you sincerely. I confess that I had a drop at Piotr Sergeitch's as I was passing and took a mouthful with him. But that is no hindrance. The father is comipg; let him give the benediction. Yes, here he is on the stairs !"
The priest came in. Maria Karpovna, too, arrived with her daughter, a plump and rosy girl, with a smile and tearful eyes. The eyes and the whole expression of face of Sophia said plainly : " I will love simply without caprice, I will be married like a nursemaid, and will obey my husband in everything and never think I know better than he; indeed, and how could one know better than one's husband ? it would be a sin. I will be diligent in housekeeping and sewing; I will bear him half-a-dozen children, and will suckle them, tend them, dress them and make their clothes." The plumpness and brilliance of her cheeks and the fine contours of her throat confirmed the promise of robust motherhood. But the tears in her eyes and her pathetic smile lent her at this moment a more romantic interest
Before anything else they listened to a prayer, for which Anton Ivanitch called in the domestics, lighted the candle, and took the book from the priest, when he had finished reading it, and handed it to the deacon, and afterwards poured the holy water into a little flask and put it into his pocket, saying " That's for Agafea Nikitishnya." They sat down to table. Except Anton Ivanitch and the priest, they could hardly eat a morsel, but to make up for this, Anton Ivanitch did full justice to the Homeric breakfast. Anna Pavlovna kept weeping and stealthily wiping her eyes.
" Don't keep on so, ma'am," said Anton Ivanitch with assumed vexation, pouring out some liqueur for himself. "Why, are you sending him to certain death, do you imagine ? " Then he drank up half the liqueur and smacked his lips.
" What liqueur! What an aroma it has ! Ah, ma'am, you wouldn't find such liqueur anywhere in the district!" he said, with an expression of great pleasure.
" It is no more than thr-ee-ee years old!" said Anna Pavlovna, sobbing, " it has—only to-day—been uncorked for you.
" Ah, Anna Pavlovna, it makes me ill to see you,
ao A COMMON STORY
began Anton Ivanitch again, "I don't know what you deserve."
" But only imagine, Anton Ivanitch, an only son, and he going out of my sight; it will kill me and there will be no one to bury me."
"And what do we count for? What? Am la stranger or what ? And why in such a hurry to die ? More likely to be married than that—I would dance at the wedding. But do give over crying."
"I cannot, Anton Ivanitch, indeed I cannot; I don't know myself why my tears will come."
" The idea of keeping such a young man shut up ! Let him have his freedom, he will find bis wings, and then he will do wonders; there he will gain a position."
" Good luck to your words! And why have you taken so little pie ? Take some more."
" Yes, I will have some; just this piece. To your health, Alexandr Fedoritch ! A lucky journey, and come home quickly and get married ! Why do you blush, Sophia Vassilievna ? "
" I ?—oh, no. I'm so "
" Ah, young people, young people—he ! he ! he !"
" In your company one cannot feel one's sorrow, Anton Ivanitch," said Anna Pavlovna, " you know so well how to comfort one. God give you health! But do take a little liqueur."
" I will drink a little, ma'am, I will indeed; who would not drink at such a leave-taking ! "
The breakfast came to an end. The coachman had long ago packed the carriage. They brought it round to the steps. The seivants ran about one after another. One carried a trunk, another a bundle, a third a little bag, and then ran back after something else. Like flies round a drop of syrup, the servants clustered round the carriage, and every one wanted to have a hand in it.
" Better lay the trunk so," said one, " and here the hamper with the provisions."
" And where are they to put their legs then ? " answered the other, "the trunk's better lengthways, and the hamper we can fix alongside."
" The feather bed will roll off, if the trunk goes lengthways; better across. What next ? Were the slippers packed ? "
" I don't know. Who packed them ? "
" I didn't. Go and see whether they are still there upstairs."
" You go yourself."
" And why not you ? I haven't time !"
" Here, don't forget this," screamed a girl, holding up a small parcel above her head.