the gambler-第15部分

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here；　and　do　you；　Alexis　Ivanovitch；　show　me　everything；　and　do
you；　Potapitch；　make　me　a　list　of　excursions。　What　IS　there　to　be
seen？〃　again　she　inquired　of　Polina。

〃There　is　a　ruined　castle；　and　the　Shlangenberg。〃

〃The　Shlangenberg？　What　is　it？　A　forest？〃

〃No；　a　mountain　on　the　summit　of　which　there　is　a　place　fenced
off。　From　it　you　can　get　a　most　beautiful　view。〃

〃Could　a　chair　be　carried　up　that　mountain　of　yours？〃

〃Doubtless　we　could　find　bearers　for　the　purpose；〃　I　interposed。

At　this　moment　Theodosia；　the　nursemaid；　approached　the　old　lady
with　the　General's　children。

〃No；　I　DON'T　want　to　see　them；〃　said　the　Grandmother。　〃I　hate　
kissing　children；　for　their　noses　are　always　wet。　How
are　you　getting　on；　Theodosia？〃

〃I　am　very　well；　thank　you；　Madame；〃　replied　the　nursemaid。　
〃And　how　is　your　ladyship？　We　have　been　feeling　so　anxious　about
you！〃

〃Yes；　I　know；　you　simple　soulBut　who　are　those　other　guests？〃
the　old　lady　continued；　turning　again　to　Polina。　〃For　instance；
who　is　that　old　rascal　in　the　spectacles？〃

〃Prince　Nilski；　Grandmamma；〃　whispered　Polina。

〃Oh；　a　Russian？　Why；　I　had　no　idea　that　he　could　understand　me！
Surely　he　did　not　hear　what　I　said？　As　for　Mr。　Astley；　I　have
seen　him　already；　and　I　see　that　he　is　here　again。　How　do　you
do？〃　she　added　to　the　gentleman　in　question。

Mr。　Astley　bowed　in　silence

〃Have　you　NOTHING　to　say　to　me？〃　the　old　lady　went　on。　〃Say
something；　for　goodness'　sake！　Translate　to　him；　Polina。〃

Polina　did　so。

〃I　have　only　to　say；〃　replied　Mr。　Astley　gravely；　but　also　with
alacrity；　〃that　I　am　indeed　glad　to　see　you　in　such　good
health。〃　This　was　interpreted　to　the　Grandmother；　and　she　seemed
much　gratified。

〃How　well　English　people　know　how　to　answer　one！〃　she　remarked。
〃That　is　why　I　like　them　so　much　better　than　French。　Come
here；〃　she　added　to　Mr。　Astley。　〃I　will　try　not　to　bore　you　too
much。　Polina；　translate　to　him　that　I　am　staying　in　rooms　on　a
lower　floor。　Yes；　on　a　lower　floor；〃　she　repeated　to　Astley；
pointing　downwards　with　her　finger。

Astley　looked　pleased　at　receiving　the　invitation。

Next；　the　old　lady　scanned　Polina；　from　head　to　foot　with　minute
attention。

〃I　could　almost　have　liked　you；　Prascovia；〃　suddenly　she
remarked；　〃for　you　are　a　nice　girlthe　best　of　the　lot。　You
have　some　character　about　you。　I　too　have　character。　Turn　round。
Surely　that　is　not　false　hair　that　you　are　wearing？〃

〃No；　Grandmamma。　It　is　my　own。〃

〃Well；　well。　I　do　not　like　the　stupid　fashions　of　today。　You
are　very　good　looking。　I　should　have　fallen　in　love　with　you　if
I　had　been　a　man。　Why　do　you　not　get　married？　It　is　time　now
that　I　was　going。　I　want　to　walk；　yet　I　always　have　to　ride。　Are
you　still　in　a　bad　temper？〃　she　added　to　the　General。

〃No；　indeed；〃　rejoined　the　now　mollified　General。

〃I　quite　understand　that　at　your　time　of　life〃

〃Cette　vieille　est　tombee　en　enfance；〃　De　Griers　whispered　to
me。

〃But　I　want　to　look　round　a　little；〃　the　old　lady　added　to　the
General。　Will　you　lend　me　Alexis　Ivanovitch　for　the　purpose？

〃As　much　as　you　like。　But　I　myselfyes；　and　Polina　and　Monsieur
de　Griers　toowe　all　of　us　hope　to　have　the　pleasure　of
escorting　you。〃

〃Mais；　madame；　cela　sera　un　plaisir；〃　De　Griers　commented　with
a　bewitching　smile。

〃'Plaisir'　indeed！　Why；　I　look　upon　you　as　a　perfect　fool；
monsieur。〃　Then　she　remarked　to　the　General：　〃I　am　not　going　to
let　you　have　any　of　my　money。　I　must　be　off　to　my　rooms　now；　to
see　what　they　are　like。　Afterwards　we　will　look　round　a　little。
Lift　me　up。〃

Again　the　Grandmother　was　borne　aloft　and　carried　down　the
staircase　amid　a　perfect　bevy　of　followersthe　General　walking
as　though　he　had　been　hit　over　the　head　with　a　cudgel；　and　De
Griers　seeming　to　be　plunged　in　thought。　Endeavouring　to　be　left
behind；　Mlle。　Blanche　next　thought　better　of　it；　and　followed
the　rest；　with　the　Prince　in　her　wake。　Only　the　German　savant
and　Madame　de　Cominges　did　not　leave　the　General's　apartments。


X

At　spasand；　probably；　all　over　Europehotel　landlords　and
managers　are　guided　in　their　allotment　of　rooms　to　visitors；　not
so　much　by　the　wishes　and　requirements　of　those　visitors；　as　by
their　personal　estimate　of　the　same。　It　may　also　be　said　that
these　landlords　and　managers　seldom　make　a　mistake。　To　the
Grandmother；　however；　our　landlord；　for　some　reason　or　another；
allotted　such　a　sumptuous　suite　that　he　fairly　overreached
himself；　for　he　assigned　her　a　suite　consisting　of　four
magnificently　appointed　rooms；　with　bathroom；　servants'
quarters；　a　separate　room　for　her　maid；　and　so　on。　In　fact；
during　the　previous　week　the　suite　had　been　occupied　by　no　less
a　personage　than　a　Grand　Duchess：　which　circumstance　was　duly
explained　to　the　new　occupant；　as　an　excuse　for　raising　the
price　of　these　apartments。　The　Grandmother　had　herself　carried
or；　rather；　wheeledthrough　each　room　in　turn；　in　order　that　she
might　subject　the　whole　to　a　close　and　attentive　scrutiny；　while
the　landlordan　elderly；　bald…headed　manwalked　respectfully　by
her　side。

What　every　one　took　the　Grandmother　to　be　I　do　not　know；　but　it
appeared；　at　least；　that　she　was　accounted　a　person　not　only　of
great　importance；　but　also；　and　still　more；　of　great　wealth；　and
without　delay　they　entered　her　in　the　hotel　register　as　〃Madame
la　Generale；　Princesse　de　Tarassevitcheva；〃　although　she　had
never　been　a　princess　in　her　life。　Her　retinue；　her　reserved
compartment　in　the　train；　her　pile　of　unnecessary　trunks；
portmanteaux；　and　strong…boxes；　all　helped　to　increase　her
prestige；　while　her　wheeled　chair；　her　sharp　tone　and　voice；　her
eccentric　questions　（put　with　an　air　of　the　most　overbearing　and
unbridled　imperiousness）；　her　whole　figureupright；　rugged；　and
commanding　as　it　wascompleted　the　general　awe　in　which　she　was
held。　As　she　inspected　her　new　abode　she　ordered　her　chair　to　be
stopped　at　intervals　in　order　that；　with　finger　extended　towards
some　article　of　furniture；　she　might　ply　the　respectfully
smiling；　yet　secretly　apprehensive；　landlord　with　unexpected
questions。　She　addressed　them　to　him　in　French；　although　her
pronunciation　of　the　language　was　so　bad　that　sometimes　I　had　to
translate　them。　For　the　most　part；　the　landlord's　answers　were
unsatisfactory；　and　failed　to　please　her；　nor　were　the　questions
themselves　of　a　practical　nature；　but　related；　generally；　to　God
knows　what。

For　instance；　on　one　occasion　she　halted　before　a　picture　which；
a　poor　copy　of　a　well…known　original；　had　a　mythological　subject。

〃Of　whom　is　this　a　portrait？〃　she　inquired。

The　landlord　explained　that　it　was　probably　that　of　a　countess。

〃But　how　know　you　that？〃　the　old　lady　retorted。

〃You　live　here；　yet　you　cannot　say　for　certain！　And　why　is　the
picture　there　at　all？　And　why　do　its　eyes　look　so　crooked？〃

To　all　these　questions　the　landlord　could　return　no　satisfactory
reply；　despite　his　floundering　endeavours。

〃The　blockhead！〃　exclaimed　the　Grandmother　in　Russian。

Then　she　proceeded　on　her　wayonly　to　repeat　the　same　story　in
front　of　a　Saxon　statuette　which　she　had　sighted　from　afar；　and
had　commanded；　for　some　reason　or　another；　to　be　brought　to　her。
Finally；　she　inquired　of　the　landlord　what　was　the　value　of　the
carpet　in　her　bedroom；　as　well　as　where　the　said　carpet　had　been
manufactured；　but；　the　landlord　could　do　no　more　than　promise　to
make　inquiries。

〃What　donkeys　these　people　are！〃　she　commented。　Next；　she
turned　her　attention　to　the　bed。

〃What　a　huge　counterpane！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Turn　it　back；
please。〃　The　lacqueys　did　so。

〃Further　yet；　further　yet；〃　the　old　lady　cried。　〃Turn　it　RIGHT
back。　Also；　take　off　those　pillows　and　bolsters；　and　lift　up　the
feather　bed。〃

The　bed　was　opened　for　her　inspection。

〃Mercifully　it　contains　no　bugs；〃　she　remarked。

〃Pull　off　the　whole　thing；　and　then　put　on　my　own　pillows　and
sheets。　The　place　is　too　luxurious　for　an　old　woman　like　myself。
It　is　too　large　for　any　one　person。　Alexis　Ivanovitch；　come　and
see　me　whenever　you　are　not　teaching　your　pupils；〃

〃After　tomorrow　I　shall　no　longer　be　in　the　General's
service；〃　I　replied；　〃but　merely　living　in　the　hotel　on　my　own
account。〃

〃Why　so？〃

〃Because；　the　other　day；　there　arrived　from　Berlin　a　German　and
his　wifepersons　of　some　importance；　and；　it　chanced　that；　when
taking　a　walk；　I　spoke　to　them　in　German　without　having　properly
compassed　the　Berlin　accent。〃

〃Indeed？〃

〃Yes：　and　this　action　on　my　part　the　Baron　held　to　be　an
insult；　and　complained　about　it　to　the　General；　who　yesterday
dismissed　me　from　his　employ。〃

〃But　I　suppose　you　must　have　threatened　that　precious　Baron；　or
something　of　the　kind？　However；　even　if　you　did　so；　it　was　a
matter　of　no　moment。〃

〃No；　I　did　not。　The　Baron　was　the　aggressor　by　raising　his
stick　at　me。〃

Upon　that　the　Grandmother　turned　sharply　to　the　General。

〃What？　You　permitted　yourself　to　treat　your　tutor　thus；　you
nincompoop；　and　to　dismiss　him　from　his　post？　You　are　a
blockheadan　utter　blockhead！　I　can　see　that　clearly。〃

〃Do　not　alarm　yourself；　my　dear　mother；〃　the　General　replied
with　a　lofty　airan　air　in　which　there　was　also　a　tinge　of
familiarity。　〃I　am　quite　capable　of　managing　my　own　affairs。
Moreover；　Alexis　Ivanovitch　has　not　given　you　a　true　account　of
the　matter。〃

〃What　did　you　do　next？〃　The　old　lady　inquired　of　me。

〃I　wanted　to　challenge　the　Baron　to　a　duel；〃　I　replied　as
modestly　as　possible；　〃but　the　General　protested　against　my
doing　so。〃

〃And　WHY　did　you　so　protest？　〃　she　inquired　of　the　General。
Then　she　turned　to　the　landlord；　and　questioned　him　as　to
whether　HE　would　not　have　fought　a　duel；　if　challenged。　〃For；〃
she　added；　〃I　can　see　no　difference　between　you　and　the　Baron；
nor　can　I　bear　that　German　visage　of　yours。〃　Upon　this　the
landlord　bowed　and　departed；　though　he　could　not　have　understood
the　Grandmother's　compliment。

〃Pardon　me；　Madame；〃　the　General　continued　with　a　sneer；　〃but
are　duels　really　feasible？〃

〃Why　not？　All　men　are　crowing　cocks；　and　that　is　why　they
quarrel。　YOU；　though；　I　perceive；　are　a　blockheada　man　who　does
not　even　know　how　to　carry　his　breeding。　Lift　me　up。　Potapitch；
see　to　it　that　y