Peter drove off.
Returning to the dining-room, Gavril Afanassievitch seemed much troubled; angrily bade the servants clear the table, sent Natasha to her apartments, and informed his sister and father-in-law that he must talk with them. He led them into the bedroom, where he usually took his after-dinner nap. The old Prince lay down upon the oak bed; Tatiana Afanassievna sat down upon the ancient damask easy chair, and drew the footstool towards her; Gavril Afanassievitch locked all the doors and sat down at Prince Lykoffs feet. In a low voice he began:
"The Tzar had a reason for coming here to-day. Guess what it was."
"How can we know, dear brother?" replied Tatiana Afanassievna.
"Has he commanded you to a voievod?" asked his father-in-law. It is time he did so long ago. Or he has proposed a mission to you? Why not? Not always clerks. Important people are sometimes sent to foreign monarchs3.
"No," replied his son-in-law, scowling5. "I am a man of the old pattern; our services are not required in the present day, though perhaps an Orthodox Russian nobleman is superior to modern[Pg 252] upstarts, pancake hawkers, and Mussulmen. But that is a different matter."
"Then what was it, brother?" asked Tatiana Afanassievna crossing, herself.
"The maiden6 is ready for marriage, the bridegroom must be in keeping with the proposer. God grant them love and discretion7; of honour there is plenty."
"On whose behalf then does the Tzar propose?"
"Hum, whose? indeed!" exclaimed Gavril Afanassievitch. "Whose! That is just the point."
"Whose?" repeated Prince Lykoff half dozing8 already.
"Guess," said Gavril Afanassievitch.
"Dear brother," replied the old lady, "how can we guess? There are many gentlemen at court. Any one of them would be delighted to marry your Natasha. Is it Dolgoruki?"
"No, not Dolgoruki."
"The Lord be with him, he is so haughty9. Shein? Troekuroff?"
"Neither of them."
"I don't care for them either. They are flighty and too German. Then it is Miloslavsky?"
"No, not he."
"God be with him, he is rich and stupid. Who then? Is it Eletsky, Lvof? It cannot be Ragusinski? Well, I cannot imagine. Then whom does the Tzar wish Natasha to marry?"
[Pg 253]
"The Negro Ibrahim."
The old lady exclaimed and threw up her arms. Prince Lykoff raised his head from the pillows, and in astonishment10 repeated: "The negro Ibrahim?"
"Dear brother!" said the old lady in a voice full of tears. "Do not destroy your darling daughter, do not deliver Natashinka into the claws of the black devil."
"But how then?" replied Gavril Afanassievitch, "refuse the Tzar, who in return promises us his protection to me and all our house."
"What!" exclaimed the old Prince, who was wide awake now. "Natasha, my granddaughter, to be married to a bought negro?"
"He's of good birth," said Gavril Afanassievitch, "he is the son of a negro Sultan. He was not taken prisoner by the Mussulmen but sold at Constantinople. Our ambassador bought him and presented him to Peter. The negro's eldest11 brother came to Russia with a handsome ransom12 and——"
"We have the legend of Bova Koroleviteh and Eruslana Lasarevitch."
"Gavril Afanassievitch," added the old lady, "tell us rather how you replied to the Tzar's proposal."
"I said that he was in authority over us, and that it was our duty to submit to him in everything."
[Pg 254]
At that moment a noise was heard behind the door. Gavril Afanassievitch went to open it, but something obstructed13; he gave a hard push, the door opened, and he beheld14 Natasha unconscious lying on the blood-smeared floor.
Her heart misgave15 her when the Tzar was closeted with her father. A sort of presentiment16 whispered to her that the matter concerned her; and when Gavril Afanassievitch bade her to retire, while he conferred with her aunt and grandfather, she could not resist feminine curiosity, crawled quietly through the back rooms to the bedroom door, and missed no word of their terrible conversation. When she heard her father's last sentence, the poor girl fainted, and falling, struck her head against the metal-bound chest which held her dowry.
The servants rushed in, lifted Natasha, carried her to her own suite17 of apartments, and laid her upon her bed. After a little she came to and opened her eyes, but recognised neither father nor aunt. Fever set in; in her delirium18 she spoke19 of marriage and the Tzar's negro, and suddenly cried in a plaintive20 and piercing voice: "Valerian, dear Valerian, my life, save me: There they are, there they are."
Tatiana Afanassievna glanced anxiously at her brother, who turned white, bit his lip, and left the room in silence. He returned to the old Prince,[Pg 255] who, unable to mount the stairs, had remained below.
"How is Natasha?" he asked.
"Poorly," replied the sad father; "worse than I thought: in her delirium she raves21 about Valerian."
"Who is this Valerian?" inquired the anxious old man. "Can it be the orphan22 son of the musketeer whom you brought up in your house?"
"The same, to my sorrow!" replied Gavril Afanassievitch. "His father saved my life during the insurrection, and the devil induced me to take home the accursed young wolf. Two years ago, at his own request, he was drafted into the army. Natasha cried at parting with him, while he stood as if turned to stone. I thought it suspicious, and spoke to my sister about it. But Natasha has never mentioned him since; and nothing has been heard of him. I hoped she had forgotten him, but it seems not. I have decided23; she shall marry the negro."
Prince Lykoff did not contradict him; it would have been useless. He returned home. Tatiana Afanassievna remained by Natasha's bedside. Gavril Afanassievitch, after sending for the doctor, locked himself in his own room, and in his house all was still and sad. This unexpected proposal of marriage surprised Ibrahim, at any rate, quite as much as it surprised Gavril Afanassievitch. It happened thus.
[Pg 256]
Peter, while busy at work with Ibrahim, said to him:
"I have remarked, my friend, that you are low-spirited; tell me frankly24 what it is you want."'
Ibrahim assured the Tsar that he was contented25 with his lot, and wished for nothing better.
"Good," said the monarch4; "if you are sad without a cause, then I know how to cheer you."
At the conclusion of their work, Peter inquired of Ibrahim:
"Do you admire the young lady with whom you danced the minuet at the last ball?"
"Sire, she is very nice, and seems a modest, amiable26 girl."
"Then you shall make her more intimate acquaintance. Should you like to marry her?"
"I, sire?"
"Listen, Ibrahim; you are a lonely man, without birth or clan27, a stranger to everybody but myself. If I were to die to-day what would become of you to-morrow, my poor negro? You must get settled while there is yet time, find support in new ties, connect yourself with the Russian nobility."
"Sire, I am contented with you; the protection and favour of your Majesty28. God grant I may not survive my Tsar and benefactor29. I desire nothing[Pg 257] more, and even if I had any views of matrimony, would the young girl or her relations consent? My personal appearance——"
"Your personal appearance? What nonsense! How, are you not a fine fellow? A young girl must obey her parent's wishes; but we will see what old Gavril Rjevski will say when I go myself as your matchmaker."
With these words the Tsar ordered his sledge, and left Ibrahim wrapped in deep meditation30.
"Marry," thought the African; "and why not? Surely I am not destined31 to pass my life alone, and never know the greatest happiness and the most sacred duties of manhood, simply because I was born in the torrid zone? I cannot hope to be loved; what a childish thought! Is it possible to believe in love? Can it exist in the frivolous32 heart of woman? The Tsar is right; I must assure my own future. Marriage with young Rjevski will unite me to the haughty Russian nobility, and I shall cease to be a stranger in my new country. From my wife I shall not require love; I shall content myself with her fidelity33 and friendship."
Ibrahim wished to work according to his custom, but his imagination was too excited. He left the papers, and went out to stroll along the banks of the Neva. Suddenly he heard Peter's voice, looked round, and saw the Tsar, who had dismissed his[Pg 258] sledge and was following "him with a lively countenance34.
"It is all settled, my friend," said Peter, taking him by the arm; "I have betrothed35 you. Tomorrow, call upon your father-in-law, but be careful to honour the pride of the boyar; leave your sledge at the gates, and go across the yard on foot, talk to him of his honours and distinction, and he will be delighted with you. And now," he added, shaking his cudgel, "take me to the rogue36 Danileitch, with whom I must have an interview about his latest pranks37."
Ibrahim thanked Peter most sincerely for his fatherly care, accompanied him as far as the magnificent mansion38 of Prince Menshikoff, and returned home.
点击收听单词发音
1 salute | |
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
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2 sledge | |
n.雪橇,大锤;v.用雪橇搬运,坐雪橇往 | |
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3 monarchs | |
君主,帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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4 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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5 scowling | |
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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6 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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7 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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8 dozing | |
v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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9 haughty | |
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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10 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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11 eldest | |
adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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12 ransom | |
n.赎金,赎身;v.赎回,解救 | |
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13 obstructed | |
阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 ); 堵塞; 阻碍; 阻止 | |
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14 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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15 misgave | |
v.使(某人的情绪、精神等)疑虑,担忧,害怕( misgive的过去式 ) | |
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16 presentiment | |
n.预感,预觉 | |
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17 suite | |
n.一套(家具);套房;随从人员 | |
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18 delirium | |
n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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19 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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20 plaintive | |
adj.可怜的,伤心的 | |
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21 raves | |
n.狂欢晚会( rave的名词复数 )v.胡言乱语( rave的第三人称单数 );愤怒地说;咆哮;痴心地说 | |
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22 orphan | |
n.孤儿;adj.无父母的 | |
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23 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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24 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
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25 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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26 amiable | |
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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27 clan | |
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派 | |
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28 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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29 benefactor | |
n. 恩人,行善的人,捐助人 | |
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30 meditation | |
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录 | |
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31 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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32 frivolous | |
adj.轻薄的;轻率的 | |
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33 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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34 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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35 betrothed | |
n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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36 rogue | |
n.流氓;v.游手好闲 | |
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37 pranks | |
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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38 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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