“I thank you, Pechorin... You understand me?”
“No; but in any case it is not worth gratitude3,” I answered, not having, in fact, any good deed upon my conscience.
“What? But yesterday! Have you forgotten?... 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—I hope—she loves me too... I have a request to make of you. You will be at their house this evening; 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 contradict their glances, their words promise and allure4, but the tone of their voice repels5... At one time they grasp and divine in a moment our most secret thoughts, at another they cannot understand 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,” I replied.
“You see the bad side of everything... materialist,” he added contemptuously. “However, 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 fleeting6 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 heartily7 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 languor8 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 obedience9, Vera?” I said as I was passing her.
She threw me a glance full of love and gratitude. I have grown accustomed to such glances; but at one time they constituted my felicity. The Princess seated her daughter at the pianoforte, and all the company begged her to sing. I kept silence, and, taking advantage of the hubbub10, I went aside to the window with Vera, who wished to say something of great importance to both of us... It turned out to be—nonsense...
Meanwhile my indifference11 was vexing12 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 expressive13, 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 devouring14 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:
“You know that I am your slave: I have never been able to resist you... and I shall be punished for it, you will cease to love me! At least, I want to preserve my reputation... not for myself—that you know very well!... Oh! I beseech15 you: do not torture me, as before, with idle doubts and feigned16 coldness! It may be that I shall die soon; I feel that I am growing weaker from day to day... And, yet, I cannot think of the future life, I think only of you... You men do not understand the delights of a glance, of a pressure of the hand... but as for me, I swear to you that, when I listen to your voice, I feel such a deep, strange bliss17 that the most passionate18 kisses could not take its place.”
Meanwhile, Princess Mary had finished her song. Murmurs19 of praise were to be heard all around. I went up to her after all the other guests, and said something rather carelessly to her on the subject of her voice.
She made a little grimace20, pouting21 her lower lip, and dropped a very sarcastic22 curtsey.
“That is all the more flattering,” she said, “because you have not been listening to me at all; but perhaps you do not like music?”...
“On the contrary, I do... After dinner, especially.”
“Grushnitski is right in saying that you have very prosaic23 tastes... and I see that you like music in a gastronomic24 respect.”
“You are mistaken again: I am by no means an epicure25. I have a most wretched digestion26. But music after dinner puts one to sleep, and to sleep after dinner is healthful; consequently I like music in a medicinal respect. In the evening, on the contrary, it excites my nerves too much: I become either too melancholy27 or too gay. Both are fatiguing28, where there is no positive reason for being either sorrowful or glad. And, moreover, melancholy in society is ridiculous, and too great gaiety is unbecoming”...
She did not hear me to the end, but went away and sat beside Grushnitski, and they entered into a sort of sentimental29 conversation. Apparently30 the Princess answered his sage31 phrases rather absent-mindedly and inconsequently, although endeavouring to show that she was listening to him with attention, because sometimes he looked at her in astonishment32, trying to divine the cause of the inward agitation33 which was expressed at times in her restless glance...
But I have found you out, my dear Princess! Have a care! You want to pay me back in the same coin, to wound my vanity—you will not succeed! And if you declare war on me, I will be merciless!
In the course of the evening, I purposely tried a few times to join in their conversation, but she met my remarks rather coldly, and, at last, I retired34 in pretended vexation. Princess Mary was triumphant35, Grushnitski likewise. Triumph, my friends, and be quick about it!... You will not have long to triumph!... It cannot be otherwise. I have a presentiment36... On making a woman’s acquaintance I have always unerringly guessed whether she would fall in love with me or not.
The remaining part of the evening I spent at Vera’s side, and talked to the full about the old days... Why does she love me so much? In truth, I am unable to say, all the more so because she is the only woman who has understood me perfectly37, with all my petty weaknesses and evil passions... Can it be that wickedness is so attractive?...
Grushnitski and I left the house together. In the street he took my arm, and, after a long silence, said:
“Well?”
“You are a fool,” I should have liked to answer. But I restrained myself and only shrugged38 my shoulders.
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1
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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4
allure
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| n.诱惑力，魅力；vt.诱惑，引诱，吸引 | |
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repels
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| v.击退( repel的第三人称单数 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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6
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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7
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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8
languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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10
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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12
vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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13
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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14
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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15
beseech
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| v.祈求，恳求 | |
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16
feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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18
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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19
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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20
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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21
pouting
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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22
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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24
gastronomic
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| adj.美食（烹饪）法的，烹任学的 | |
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epicure
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| n.行家，美食家 | |
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26
digestion
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| n.消化，吸收 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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28
fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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30
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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31
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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32
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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33
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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34
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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35
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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36
presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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38
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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