A heap of horse trappings—collars, straps6, saddles, bridles—lay by the large, square, bare windows. During the winter nights wolves watched the gleam of yellow candlelight within them. Now outside was the tranquil7, genial8 atmosphere of Spring with all its multi-coloured splendour. Against a deep-blue sky with an orange streak9 like a pencil line drawn10 across the horizon, showed the sharp, knotted twigs11 of the crotegus and the lilac beneath the windows.
Ivanov lighted a candle and commenced manufacturing cartridges12 to pass away the time. Lydia Constantinovna entered the room.
"Will you have tea here or in the dining-room?" she inquired.
Ivanov declined tea with a wave of his hand.
All through the years of the Revolution Lydia Constantinovna had lived in the Crimea, coming to Marin-Brod for a fortnight the previous summer, afterwards leaving for Moscow. Now she had returned for the Easter holidays, but not alone—the artist Mintz accompanied her. Ivanov had never heard of him before.
Mintz was clean-shaven and had long fair hair; he wore steel-rimmed pince-nez over his cold grey eyes which he often took off and put on again; when he did so his eyes changed, looking helpless and malicious13 without the glasses, like those of little owlets in daylight; his thin, shaven lips were closely compressed, and there was often an expression of mistrust and decrepitude14 in his face; his conversation and movements were noisy.
Lydia Constantinovna had arrived with Mintz the day before at dusk; Ivanov was not at home. They had gone for a walk in the evening, returning only at two o'clock when dawn was just about to break, and a cold mist hung over the earth like a soft grey veil. They were met by barking dogs which were quickly silenced by the lash15 of Ignat's whip.
Ivanov had come home earlier, at eleven o'clock, and sat by his study window alone, listening to the gentle sounds of night and the ceaseless hootings of the owls16 in the park. Lydia Constantinovna did not come to him, nor did he go in to her.
It was in the daytime that Ivanov first saw the artist. Mintz was sitting in the park on a dried turf-bench, and gazing intently at the river. Ivanov passed him. The artist's shrunken ruffled17 figure had an air of desolation and abandonment.
The drawing-room was next to Ivanov's study. There still remained out of the ruin a carpet and some armchairs near the large, dirty windows, an old piano stood unmoved, and some portraits still hung on the walls.
Lydia Constantinovna and Mintz came in from the back-room. Lydia walked with her usual brisk, even tread, carrying herself with the smooth, elastic18 bearing and graceful19 swing of her beautiful body that Ivanov remembered so well.
She raised the piano-cover and began playing a dashing bravura20 that was strikingly out of place in the dismantled21 room, then she closed the piano-lid with a slam.
Aganka entered with the tea on a tray.
Mintz walked about the dim room, tapping his heels on the parquet22 floor, and though he spoke23 loudly, his voice held a note of yearning24 pain.
"I was in the park just now. That pond, those maple25 avenues— disintegrating26, dying, disappearing—drive me melancholy27 mad. The ice has already melted in the pond by the dam. Why can we not bring back the romantic eighteenth century, and sit in dressing-gowns, musing28 with delicious sadness over our pipes? Why are we not illustrious lords?"
Lydia Constantinovna smiled as she answered: "Why not indeed! That is a poetic29 fancy. But the reality is very much worse. Marin-Brod has never been a country house, it is a forest manor30, a forestry-office and nothing more … nothing more…. I always feel an interloper here. This is only my second day and I am already depressed31." Her tone was sad, yet it held just a perceptible note of anger.
"Reality and Fancy? Certainly I am an artist, for I always see the latter, the beautiful and spiritual side," Mintz declared; and added in an undertone: "Do you remember yesterday … the park?"
"Oh, yes, the park," Lydia replied in a tired, subdued32 tone. "They hold the Twelfth Gospel Service to-day; when I was a young girl, how I used to love standing33 in church with a candle—I felt so good. And now I love nothing!"
It was already quite dark in the drawing room. A wavering, greenish- golden light streamed in through the windows and played on the dim walls. Ivanov came out of his study. He was wearing high boots and a leather jacket, and carried a rifle under his arm. He went silently to the door. Lydia Constantinovna stopped him.
"Are you going out again, Sergius? Is it to hunt?"
"Yes."
Ivanov stood still and Lydia went up to him. She had dark shadows under her eyes, and the hand of time—already bearing away her youth and beauty—lay upon her marvellously white skin, at her lips and on her cheeks, in faint, scarcely visible wrinkles. Ivanov noticed it distinctly.
"Does one hunt at night—in the dark? I did not know that," Lydia said, repeating "I did not know…."
"I am going to the wood."
"I have come back here after not having seen you for months, and we have not yet spoken a word…."
Ivanov did not reply, but went out. His footsteps echoed through the great house, finally dying away in the distance. The front-door slammed, shaking the whole mansion34, which was old and falling to pieces.
Lydia Constantinovna remained in the middle of the room, her face turned to the door. Mintz approached, took her hand, and raised it to his lips.
She freed her hand and laid it on Mintz's shoulder.
"No, one should not take it to heart," she assented36 in a low voice, "One should not…. But listen, Mintz…. How strange it all is! Once he loved me very much, though I never loved him…. But my youth was spent here, and now I feel unhappy…. I remember all that happened in this drawing-room, it was the first time. If only I could have all over again! Perhaps I should act differently then. I feel sorry now for my youth and inexperience, though formerly37 I cursed them, and I am far from regretting all that followed afterwards. But I need a refuge now…. If you only knew how much he loved me in those days!…"
Lydia Constantinovna was silent a moment, her head bent38, then flinging it back she gave a hollow sardonic39 laugh.
"Oh, what nonsense I talk! Well, we will be cheerful yet. I am tired, that is all. How stuffy40 it is in here!… Open the windows, Mintz … Now let down the blinds … They live on milk and black bread here and are happy—but I have a bottle of brandy in my trunk. Get it out! Light the chandelier."
Mintz opened the windows. From outside came a cool, refreshing41 breeze laden42 with the moist and fragrant43 perfumes of spring. Dusk had crept over the sky, which was flecked with warm vernal clouds.
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1
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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copiously
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| adv.丰富地，充裕地 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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6
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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7
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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8
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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9
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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10
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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11
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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12
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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13
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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14
decrepitude
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| n.衰老；破旧 | |
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15
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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16
owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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17
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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18
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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19
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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bravura
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| n.华美的乐曲；勇敢大胆的表现；adj.壮勇华丽的 | |
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21
dismantled
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| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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22
parquet
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| n.镶木地板 | |
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23
spoke
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| 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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24
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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25
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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26
disintegrating
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| v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的现在分词 ) | |
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27
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
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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29
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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30
manor
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| n.庄园，领地 | |
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31
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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32
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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33
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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34
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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35
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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36
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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38
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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39
sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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40
stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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41
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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42
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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43
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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