"Let me alone, you devils! What business is it of yours? Why does that goat's-beard come forcing himself upon me?" she cried at De Grieux; "and you, my fine bird?" she cried, addressing Mile. Blanche, "what are you after?"
"Diantre!" whispered Mile. Blanche, with an angry flash of her eyes, but suddenly she burst out laughing and went out of the room.
"Elle vivra cewt ans!" she called to the Genend, as she went out of the door.
"Ah, so you are reckoning on my death?" Granny yelled to the General. "Get away! Turn them all out, Alexey Ivano-vitch! What business is it of yours? I've fooled away my own money, not yours!"
Tlje General shrugged his shoulders, bowed and went out. De Grieux followed Mm.
"Call Praskovya," Granny told Marfa.
Five minutes later Marfa returned with Polina. All this time Polina had been sitting in her own room with the children, and I fancy had purposely made up her mind not to go out all day. Her face was serious, sad and anxious.
"Praskovya," began Granny, "is it true, as I learned by accident just now, that that fool, your stepfather, means to marry that silly feather-head of a Frenchwoman—an actress is she, or something worse? Tell me, is it true?"
"I don't know anything about it for certain. Granny," answered Polina, "but from the words of Mile. Blanche herself, who does not feel it necessary to conceal anything, I conclude . . ."
"Enough," Granny broke in vigorously, "I understand! I always reckoned that he was capable of it and I have always thought him a most foolish and feather-headed man. He thinks no end of himself, because he is a General (he was promoted from a Colonel on retiring), and he gives himself airs. I know, my good girl, how you kept sending telegram after telegram to Moscow, to ask if your old Granny would soon be laid out. They were on the look-out for my money; without money that nasty hussy, what's her name—de Cominges—wouldn't take
him for her footman, especially with his false teeth. She has a lot of money herself, they say, lends at interest, has made a lot. I am not blaming you, Praskovya, it wasn't you who sent the telegrams; and I don't want to remember the past, either. I know you've got a bad temper—a wasp! You can sting to hurt; but I'm sorry for you because I was fond of your mother, Katerina. Well, you throw up everjTthing here and come with me. You've nowhere to go, you know; and it's not fitting for you to be with them now. Stop!" cried Granny, as Polina was about to speak; "I've not finished. I ask nothing of you. As you know, I have in Moscow a palace; you can have a whole storey to yourself and not come and see me for weeks at a time ii my temper does not suit youl Well, will you or not?"
"Let me ask you first: do you really mean to set off at once?"
"Do you suppose I'm joking, my good girl! I've said I'm going and I'm going. I've wasted fifteen thousand roubles today over your damned roulette. Five years ago I promised to rebuild a wooden church with stone on my estate near Moscow, and instead of that I've thrown away my money here. Now, my girl, I'm going home to build the ehurch."
"And the waters. Granny? You came to drink the waters?"
"Bother you and the waters, too. Don't irritate me, Praskovya; are you doing it on purpose? TeU me, will you come or not?"
"I thank you very, very much," Polina began, with feeling, "for the home you offer me. You have guessed my position to some extent. I am so grateful to you that I shall perhaps come to you soon; but now there are reasons . . . important reasons . . . and I can't decide at once, on the spur of the moment. If you were staying only a fortnight . . ."
"You mean you won't?"
"I mean I can't. Besides, in any case I can't leave my brother and sister, as ... as ... as it may actually happen that they may be left abandoned, so ... if you would take me with the children. Granny, I certainly would come, and, believe me, I would repay you for it!" she added warmly; "but without the children I can't come. Granny."
"Well, don't whimper" (Polina had no intention of whimpering—^indeed, I had never seen her cry). "Some place will be foimd for the chickens, my henhouse is big enough. Besides, it is time they were at school. Well, so you are not coming now! Well, Praskovya, mind! I wished for your good, but
I know why you won't come! I know all about it, Praskovya. That Frenchman will bring you no good."
Polina flushed crimson. I positively shuddered. (Everyone knows cdl about it. I am the only one to know nothing!)
"Come, come, don't frown. I am not going to say anything more. Only take care no harm comes of it, understand. You are a clever wench; I shall be sorry for you. Well, that's enough. I should not like to look on you as on the others 1 Go along, good-bye!"
"I'll come to see you off," said Polina.
"There's no need, don't you interfere; I am sick of you all."
Polina was kissing Granny's hand, but the latter pulled it away and kissed her on the cheek.
As she passed me, Polina looked at me quickly and immediately turned away her eyes.
"Well, good-bye to you, too, Alexey Ivanovitch, there's only an hour before tiie train starts, and I think you must be tired out with me. Here, take these fifty pieces of gold."
"I thank you very much. Granny; I'm ashamed . . ."
"Come, come!" cried Graimy, but so vigorously and angrily that I dared say no more and took it.
"When you are running about Moscow without a job come to me: I will give you some introductions. Now, get along with you!"
I went to my room and lay down on my bed. I lay there for half an hour on my back, with my hands clasped behind my head. The catastrophe had come at last, I had something to think about. I made up my mind to talk earnestly to Polina. The nasty Frenchman! So it was true then! But what could there be at the bottom of it? Polina and De Grieux! Heavens! what a pair!
It was all simply incredible. I suddenly jumped up, beside myself, to look for Mr. Astley, and at aU costs to make him speak out. No doubt in this matter, too, he knew more than I did. Mr. Astley? He was another riddle to me!
But suddenly there was a tap at my door. I looked up. It was Potapitch.
"Alexey Ivanovitch, you are wanted to come to my lady!"
"What's the matter? Is she setting off? The train does not start for twenty minutes."
"She's uneasy, she can't sit still. 'Make haste, make haste!' she says, meaning to fetch you, sir. For Christ's sake, don't delay."
I ran downstairs at once. Granny was being wheeled ovrt. into the passage, her pocket-book was in her hand.
"Alexey Ivanovitch, go on ahead; we're coining,"
"Where, Granny?"
"As sure as I'm aiive, I'll win it back. Come, march, don't ask questions I Does the play go on there till midnight?"
I was thunderstruck. I thought a moment, but at once made up my mind.
"Do as you please, Antonida Vassilyevna, I'm not coming."
"What's that for? What now? Have you all eaten too many pancakes, or what?"
"Do as you please, I should blame myself for it afterwards; I won't. I won't take part in it or look on at it; spare me, Antonida Vassilyevna. Here are your fifty friedrichs d'or back; good-bye!" And, laying the fifty friedrichs d'or on the Uttle table near which Graimy's chair was standing, I bowed and went out.
"What nonsense!" Granny shouted after me. "Don't come if you don't want to, I can find the way by myself! Potapitch, come with me! Come, hft me up, carry me!"
I did not find Mr. Astley and returned home. It was late, after midnight, when I learned from Potapitch how Granny's day ended. She lost all that I had changed for her that evening —^that is, in Russian money, another ten thousand roubles. The little Pole, to whom she had given two friedrichs d'or the day before, had attached himself to her and had directed her play the whole time. At first, before the Pole came, she had made Potapitch put down the stakes, but soon she dismissed him; it was at that moment the Pole turned up. As ill-luck would have it, he understood Russian and babbled away in a mixture of three languages, so that they understood each other after a fashion. Granny abused him mercilessly the whole time; and though he incessantly "laid himself at his lady's feet," "yet he couldn't be compared with you, Alexey Ivanovitch," said Potapitch. "She treated you Mke a gemiieman, while the other—I saw it with my own eyes, God strike me dead—stole her money oflE the table. She caught him at it herself twice. She did give it to him with all sorts of names, sir, even pulled his hair once, upon my word she did, so that folks were laughing round about. She's lost everything, sir, everything, all you changed for her; we brought her back here—she only asked for a drink of water, crossed herself and went to bed. She's worn out, to be sure; she fell asleep at once. God send her heavenly