Zina escaped out of the room.

CHAPTER VI.

Mrs. Colonel Tarpuchin, or Sophia Petrovna, was only morally like a magpie; she was more akin to the sparrow tribe, viewed physically. She was a little bit of a woman of fifty summers or so, with lively eyes, and yellow patches all over her face. On her little wizened body and spare limbs she wore a black silk dress, which was perpetually on the rustle: for this little woman could never sit still for an instant.

This was the most inveterate and bitterest scandal-monger in the town. She took her stand on the fact that she was a Colonel's wife, though she often fought with her husband, the Colonel, and scratched his face handsomely on such occasions.

Add to this, that it was her custom to drink four gla.s.ses of "vodki" at lunch, or earlier, and four more in the evening; and that she hated Mrs.

Antipova to madness.

"I've just come in for a minute, _mon ange_," she panted; "it's no use sitting down-no time! I wanted to let you know what's going on, simply that the whole town has gone mad over this prince. Our 'beauties,' you know what I mean! are all after him, fishing for him, pulling him about, giving him champagne-you would not believe it! _would_ you now? How on earth you could ever have let him out of the house, I can't understand!

Are you aware that he's at Natalia Dimitrievna's at this moment?"

"At _Natalia Dimitrievna's_?" cried Maria Alexandrovna jumping up. "Why, he was only going to see the Governor, and then call in for one moment at the Antipova's!"

"Oh, yes, just for one moment-of course! Well, catch him if you can, there! That's all I can say. He found the Governor 'out,' and went on to Mrs. Antipova's, where he has promised to dine. There Natalia caught him-she is never away from Mrs. Antipova nowadays,-and persuaded him to come away with her to lunch. So there's your prince! catch him if you can!"

"But how-Mosgliakoff's with him-he promised-"

"Mosgliakoff, indeed,-why, he's gone too! and they'll be playing at cards and clearing him out before he knows where he is! And the things Natalia is saying, too-out loud if you please! She's telling the prince to his face that you, _you_ have got hold of him with certain views-_vous comprenez_?"

"She calmly tells him this to his face! Of course he doesn't understand a word of it, and simply sits there like a soaked cat, and says 'Ye-yes!'

And would you believe it, she has trotted out her Sonia-a girl of fifteen, in a dress down to her knees-my word on it? Then she has sent for that little orphan-Masha; she's in a short dress too,-why, I swear it doesn't reach her knees. I looked at it carefully through my pince-nez! She's stuck red caps with some sort of feathers in them on their heads, and set them to dance some silly dance to the piano accompaniment for the prince's benefit! You know his little weakness as to our s.e.x,-well, you can imagine him staring at them through his gla.s.s and saying, '_Charmant!_-What figures!' Tfu! They've turned the place into a music hall! Call that a dance! I was at school at Madame Jarne's, I know, and there were plenty of princesses and countesses there with me, too; and I know I danced before senators and councillors, and earned their applause, too: but as for this dance-it's a low can-can, and nothing more! I simply _burned_ with shame,-I couldn't stand it, and came out."

"How! have you been at Natalia Dimitrievna's? Why, you--!"

"What!-she offended me last week? is that what you you mean? Oh, but, my dear, I _had_ to go and have a peep at the prince-else, when should I have seen him? As if I would have gone _near_ her but for this wretched old prince. Imagine-chocolate handed round and _me left out_. I'll let her have it for that, some day! Well, good-bye, _mon ange_: I must hurry off to Akulina, and let her know all about it. You may say good-bye to the prince; he won't come near you again now! He has no memory left, you know, and Mrs. Antipova will simply carry him off bodily to her house. He'll think it's all right--They're all afraid of you, you know; they think that you want to get hold of him-you understand! Zina, you know!"

"_Quelle horreur!_"

"Oh, yes, I know! I tell you-the whole town is talking about it! Mrs.

Antipova is going to make him stay to dinner-and then she'll just keep him! She's doing it to spite _you_, my angel. I had a look in at her back premises. _Such_ arrangements, my dear. Knives clattering, people running about for champagne. I tell you what you must do-go and grab him as he comes out from Natalia Dimitrievna's to Antipova's to dinner. He promised _you_ first, he's _your_ guest. Tfu! don't you be laughed at by this brace of chattering magpies-good for nothing baggage, both of them. 'Procuror's lady,' indeed! Why, I'm a Colonel's wife. Tfu!-_Mais adieu, mon ange_. I have my own sledge at the door, or I'd go with you."

Having got rid of this walking newspaper, Maria Alexandrovna waited a moment, to free herself of a little of her super-abundant agitation. Mrs.

Colonel's advice was good and practical. There was no use losing time,-none to lose, in fact. But the greatest difficulty of all was as yet unsettled.

Maria Alexandrovna flew to Zina's room.

Zina was walking up and down, pale, with hands folded and head bent on her bosom: there were tears in her eyes, but Resolve was there too, and sparkled in the glance which she threw on her mother as the latter entered the room. She hastily dried her tears, and a sarcastic smile played on her lips once more.

"Mamma," she began, antic.i.p.ating her mother's speech "you have already wasted much of your eloquence over me-too much! But you have not blinded me; I am not a child. To do the work of a sister of mercy, without the slightest call thereto,-to justify one's meanness-meanness proceeding in reality from the purest egotism, by attributing to it n.o.ble ends,-all this is a sort of Jesuitism which cannot deceive _me_. Listen! I repeat, all _this could not deceive me_, and I wish you to understand that!"

"But, dearest child!" began her mother, in some alarm.

"Be quiet, mamma; have patience, and hear me out. In spite of the full consciousness that all this is pure Jesuitism, and in spite of my full knowledge of the absolutely ign.o.ble character of such an act, I accept your proposition in full,-you hear me-_in full_; and inform you hereby, that I am ready to marry the prince. More! I am ready to help you to the best of my power in your endeavours to lure the prince into making me an offer. Why do I do this? You need not know that; enough that I have consented. I have consented to the whole thing-to bringing him his boots, to serving him; I will dance for him, that my meanness may be in some sort atoned. I shall do all I possibly can so that he shall never regret that he married me! But in return for my consent I insist upon knowing _how_ you intend to bring the matter about? Since you have spoken so warmly on the subject-I know you!-I am convinced you must have some definite plan of operation in your head. Be frank for once in your life; your candour is the essential condition upon which alone I give my consent. I shall not decide until you have told me what I require!"

Maria Alexandrovna was so surprised by the unexpected conclusion at which Zina arrived, that she stood before the latter some little while, dumb with amazement, and staring at her with all her eyes. Prepared to have to combat the stubborn romanticism of her daughter-whose obstinate n.o.bility of character she always feared,-she had suddenly heard this same daughter consent to all that her mother had required of her.

Consequently, the matter had taken a very different complexion. Her eyes sparkled with delight:

"Zina, Zina!" she cried; "you are my life, my--"

She could say no more, but fell to embracing and kissing her daughter.

"Oh, mother, I don't _want_ all this kissing!" cried Zina, with impatience and disgust. "I don't need all this rapture on your part; all I want is a plain answer to my question!"

"But, Zina, I love you; I adore you, darling, and you repel me like this!

I am working for your happiness, child!"

Tears sparkled in her eyes. Maria Alexandrovna really loved her daughter, in her own way, and just now she actually felt deeply, for once in her life-thanks to her agitation, and the success of her eloquence.

Zina, in spite of her present distorted view of things in general, knew that her mother loved her; but this love only annoyed her; she would much rather-it would have been easier for her-if it had been hate!

"Well, well; don't be angry, mamma-I'm so excited just now!" she said, to soothe her mother's feelings.

"I'm not angry, I'm not angry, darling! I know you are much agitated!"

cried Maria Alexandrovna. "You say, my child, that you wish me to be candid: very well, I will; I will be _quite_ frank, I a.s.sure you. But you might have trusted me! Firstly, then, I must tell you that I have no actually organized plan yet-no _detailed_ plan, that is. You must understand, with that clever little head of yours, you must see, Zina, that I _cannot_ have such a plan, all cut out. I even antic.i.p.ate some difficulties. Why, that magpie of a woman has just been telling me all sorts of things. We ought to be quick, by the bye; you see, I am quite open with you! But I swear to you that the end shall be attained!" she added, ecstatically. "My convictions are not the result of a poetical nature, as you told me just now; they are founded on facts. I rely on the weakness of the prince's intellect-which is a canvas upon which one can st.i.tch any pattern one pleases!

"The only fear is, we may be interfered with! But a fool of a woman like that is not going to get the better of _me_!" she added, stamping her foot, and with flashing eyes. "That's my part of the business, though; and to manage it thoroughly I must begin as soon as possible-in fact, the whole thing, or the most important part of it, must be arranged this very day!"

"Very well, mamma; but now listen to one more piece of candour. Do you know why I am so interested in your plan of operations, and do not trust it? because I am not sure of myself! I have told you already that I consent to this--meanness; but I must warn you that if I find the details of your plan of operations _too_ dirty, too mean and repulsive, I shall not be able to stand it, and shall a.s.suredly throw you over. I know that this is a new pettiness, to consent to a wicked thing and then fear the dirt in which it floats! But what's to be done? So it will be, and I warn you!"

"But Zina, dear child, where is the wickedness in this?" asked Maria Alexandrovna timidly. "It is simply a matter of a marriage for profit; everybody does it! Look at it in this light, and you will see there is nothing particular in it; it is good 'form' enough!"

"Oh, mamma, don't try to play the fox over me! Don't you see that I have consented to everything-to _everything_? What else do you require of me?

Don't be alarmed if I call things by their proper names! For all you know it may be my only comfort!" And a bitter smile played over her lips.

"Very well, very well, dear! we may disagree as to ideas and yet be very fond of one another. But if you are afraid of the working of my plan, and dread that you will see any baseness or meanness about it, leave it all to me, dear, and I guarantee you that not a particle of dirt shall soil you!

Your hands shall be clean! As if I would be the one to compromise you!

Trust me entirely, and all shall go grandly and with dignity; all shall be done worthily; there shall be no scandal-even if there be a whisper afterwards, we shall all be out of the way, far off! We shall not stay here, of course! Let them _howl_ if they like, _we_ won't care. Besides, they are not worth bothering about, and I wonder at your being so frightened of these people, Zina. Don't be angry with me! how can you be so frightened, with your proud nature?"

"I'm not frightened; you don't understand me a bit!" said Zina, in a tone of annoyance.

"Very well, darling; don't be angry. I only talk like this because these people about here are always stirring up mud, if they can; while you-this is the first time in your life you have done a mean action.-_Mean_ action!

What an old fool I am! On the contrary, this is a most generous, _n.o.ble_ act! I'll prove this to you once more, Zina. Firstly, then, it all depends upon the point of view you take up--"

"Oh! bother your proofs, mother. I've surely had enough of them by now,"

cried Zina angrily, and stamped her foot on the floor.

"Well, darling, I won't; it was stupid of me-I won't!"

There was another moment's silence. Maria Alexandrovna looked into her daughter's eyes as a little dog looks into the eyes of its mistress.

"I don't understand how you are going to set about it," said Zina at last, in a tone of disgust. "I feel sure you will only plunge yourself into a pool of shame! I'm not thinking of these people about here. I despise their opinions; but it would be very ignominious for _you_."