第86章

第86章“icanhavenootheropinionofyourdaughter’sfuturehusband,”razumihinansweredfirmlyandwithwarmth,“andidon’tsayitsimplyfromvulgarpoliteness,butbecause…simplybecauseavdotyaromanovnahasofherownfreewilldeignedtoacceptthisman.ifispokesorudelyofhimlastnight,itwasbecauseiwasdisgustinglydrunkand…madbesides;yes,mad,crazy,ilostmyheadcompletely…andthismorningiamashamedofit.”

hecrimsonedandceasedspeaking.avdotyaromanovnaflushed,butdidnotbreakthesilence.shehadnotutteredawordfromthemomenttheybegantospeakofluzhin.

withouthersupportpulcheriaalexandrovnaobviouslydidnotknowwhattodo.atlast,falteringandcontinuallyglancingatherdaughter,sheconfessedthatshewasexceedinglyworriedbyonecircumstance.

“yousee,dmitriprokofitch,”shebegan.“i’llbeperfectlyopenwithdmitriprokofitch,dounia?”

“ofcourse,mother,”saidavdotyaromanovnaemphatically.

“thisiswhatitis,”shebeganinhaste,asthoughthepermissiontospeakofhertroubleliftedaweightoffhermind.“veryearlythismorningwegotanotefrompyotrpetrovitchinreplytoourletterannouncingourarrival.hepromisedtomeetusatthestation,youknow;insteadofthathesentaservanttobringustheaddressoftheselodgingsandtoshowustheway;andhesentamessagethathewouldbeherehimselfthismorning.butthismorningthisnotecamefromhim.you’dbetterreadityourself;thereisonepointinitwhichworriesmeverymuch…youwillsoonseewhatthatis,and…tellmeyourcandidopinion,dmitriprokofitch!youknowrodya’scharacterbetterthananyoneandnoonecanadviseusbetterthanyoucan.dounia,imusttellyou,madeherdecisionatonce,butistilldon’tfeelsurehowtoactandi…i’vebeenwaitingforyouropinion.”

razumihinopenedthenotewhichwasdatedthepreviouseveningandreadasfollows:

“dearmadam,pulcheriaalexandrovna,ihavethehonourtoinformyouthatowingtounforeseenobstaclesiwasrenderedunabletomeetyouattherailwaystation;isentaverycompetentpersonwiththesameobjectinview.ilikewiseshallbedeprivedofthehonourofaninterviewwithyouto-morrowmorningbybusinessinthesenatethatdoesnotadmitofdelay,andalsothatimaynotintrudeonyourfamilycirclewhileyouaremeetingyourson,andavdotyaromanovnaherbrother.ishallhavethehonourofvisitingyouandpayingyoumyrespectsatyourlodgingsnotlaterthanto-morroweveningateighto’clockprecisely,andherewithiventuretopresentmyearnestand,imayadd,imperativerequestthatrodionromanovitchmaynotbepresentatourinterview—asheofferedmeagrossandunprecedentedaffrontontheoccasionofmyvisittohiminhisillnessyesterday,and,moreover,sinceidesirefromyoupersonallyanindispensableandcircumstantialexplanationuponacertainpoint,inregardtowhichiwishtolearnyourowninterpretation.ihavethehonourtoinformyou,inanticipation,thatif,inspiteofmyrequest,imeetrodionromanovitch,ishallbecompelledtowithdrawimmediatelyandthenyouhaveonlyyourselftoblame.iwriteontheassumptionthatrodionromanovitchwhoappearedsoillatmyvisit,suddenlyrecoveredtwohourslaterandso,beingabletoleavethehouse,mayvisityoualso.iwasconfirmedinthatbeliefbythetestimonyofmyowneyesinthelodgingofadrunkenmanwhowasrunoverandhassincedied,towhosedaughter,ayoungwomanofnotoriousbehaviour,hegavetwenty-fiveroublesonthepretextofthefuneral,whichgravelysurprisedmeknowingwhatpainsyouwereattoraisethatsum.herewithexpressingmyspecialrespecttoyourestimabledaughter,avdotyaromanovna,ibegyoutoaccepttherespectfulhomageof

“yourhumbleservant,

“p.luzhin.”

“whatamitodonow,dmitriprokofitch?”beganpulcheriaalexandrovna,almostweeping.“howcaniaskrodyanottocome?yesterdayheinsistedsoearnestlyonourrefusingpyotrpetrovitchandnowweareorderednottoreceiverodya!hewillcomeonpurposeifheknows,and…whatwillhappenthen?”

“actonavdotyaromanovna’sdecision,”razumihinansweredcalmlyatonce.