第165章

第165章“aboarding-school,ha-ha-ha!acastleintheair,”criedkaterinaivanovna,herlaughendinginacough.“no,rodionromanovitch,thatdreamisover!allhaveforsakenus!…andthatgeneral.…youknow,rodionromanovitch,ithrewaninkpotathim—ithappenedtobestandinginthewaiting-roombythepaperwhereyousignyourname.iwrotemyname,threwitathimandranaway.oh,thescoundrels,thescoundrels!butenoughofthem,nowi’llprovideforthechildrenmyself,iwon’tbowdowntoanybody!shehashadtobearenoughforus!”shepointedtosonia.“polenka,howmuchhaveyougot?showme!what,onlytwofarthings!oh,themeanwretches!theygiveusnothing,onlyrunafterus,puttingtheirtonguesout.there,whatisthatblockheadlaughingat?”(shepointedtoamaninthecrowd.)“it’sallbecausekolyahereissostupid;ihavesuchabotherwithhim.whatdoyouwant,polenka?tellmeinfrench,parlez-moifrancais.why,i’vetaughtyou,youknowsomephrases.elsehowareyoutoshowthatyouareofgoodfamily,wellbrought-upchildren,andnotatalllikeotherorgan-grinders?wearen’tgoingtohaveapunchandjudyshowinthestreet,buttosingagenteelsong.…ah,yes,…whatarewetosing?youkeepputtingmeout,butwe…yousee,wearestandinghere,rodionromanovitch,tofindsomethingtosingandgetmoney,somethingkolyacandanceto.…for,asyoucanfancy,ourperformanceisallimpromptu.…wemusttalkitoverandrehearseitallthoroughly,andthenweshallgotonevsky,wheretherearefarmorepeopleofgoodsociety,andweshallbenoticedatonce.lidaknows‘myvillage’only,nothingbut‘myvillage,’andeveryonesingsthat.wemustsingsomethingfarmoregenteel.…well,haveyouthoughtofanything,polenka?ifonlyyou’dhelpyourmother!mymemory’squitegone,orishouldhavethoughtofsomething.wereallycan’tsing‘anhussar.’ah,letussinginfrench,‘cinqsous,’ihavetaughtityou,ihavetaughtityou.andasitisinfrench,peoplewillseeatoncethatyouarechildrenofgoodfamily,andthatwillbemuchmoretouching.…youmightsing‘marlboroughs’enva-t-enguerre,’forthat’squiteachild’ssongandissungasalullabyinallthearistocratichouses.

“marlboroughs’enva-t-enguerre

nesaitquandreviendra…”

shebegansinging.“butno,bettersing‘cinqsous.’now,kolya,yourhandsonyourhips,makehaste,andyou,lida,keepturningtheotherway,andpolenkaandiwillsingandclapourhands!

“cinqsous,cinqsous

pourmonternotremenage.”

(cough-cough-cough!)“setyourdressstraight,polenka,it’sslippeddownonyourshoulders,”sheobserved,pantingfromcoughing.“nowit’sparticularlynecessarytobehavenicelyandgenteelly,thatallmayseethatyouarewell-bornchildren.isaidatthetimethatthebodiceshouldbecutlonger,andmadeoftwowidths.itwasyourfault,sonia,withyouradvicetomakeitshorter,andnowyouseethechildisquitedeformedbyit.…why,you’reallcryingagain!what’sthematter,stupids?come,kolya,begin.makehaste,makehaste!oh,whatanunbearablechild!

“cinqsous,cinqsous.

“apolicemanagain!whatdoyouwant?”

apolicemanwasindeedforcinghiswaythroughthecrowd.butatthatmomentagentlemanincivilianuniformandanovercoat—asolid-lookingofficialofaboutfiftywithadecorationonhisneck(whichdelightedkaterinaivanovnaandhaditseffectonthepoliceman)—approachedandwithoutawordhandedheragreenthree-roublenote.hisfaceworealookofgenuinesympathy.katerinaivanovnatookitandgavehimapolite,evenceremonious,bow.

“ithankyou,honouredsir,”shebeganloftily.“thecausesthathaveinducedus(takethemoney,polenka:youseetherearegenerousandhonourablepeoplewhoarereadytohelpapoorgentlewomanindistress).yousee,honouredsir,theseorphansofgoodfamily—imightevensayofaristocraticconnections—andthatwretchofageneralsateatinggrouse…andstampedatmydisturbinghim.‘yourexcellency,’isaid,‘protecttheorphans,foryouknewmylatehusband,semyonzaharovitch,andontheverydayofhisdeaththebasestofscoundrelsslanderedhisonlydaughter.’…thatpolicemanagain!protectme,”shecriedtotheofficial.“whyisthatpolicemanedginguptome?wehaveonlyjustrunawayfromoneofthem.whatdoyouwant,fool?”

“it’sforbiddeninthestreets.youmustn’tmakeadisturbance.”

“it’syou’remakingadisturbance.it’sjustthesameasifiweregrindinganorgan.whatbusinessisitofyours?”

“youhavetogetalicenceforanorgan,andyouhaven’tgotone,andinthatwayyoucollectacrowd.wheredoyoulodge?”

“what,alicense?”wailedkaterinaivanovna.“iburiedmyhusbandto-day.whatneedofalicense?”

“calmyourself,madam,calmyourself,”begantheofficial.“comealong;iwillescortyou.…thisisnoplaceforyouinthecrowd.youareill.”

“honouredsir,honouredsir,youdon’tknow,”screamedkaterinaivanovna.“wearegoingtothenevsky.…sonia,sonia!whereisshe?sheiscryingtoo!what’sthematterwithyouall?kolya,lida,whereareyougoing?”shecriedsuddenlyinalarm.“oh,sillychildren!kolya,lida,wherearetheyoffto?…”

kolyaandlida,scaredoutoftheirwitsbythecrowd,andtheirmother’smadpranks,suddenlyseizedeachotherbythehand,andranoffatthesightofthepolicemanwhowantedtotakethemawaysomewhere.weepingandwailing,poorkaterinaivanovnaranafterthem.shewasapiteousandunseemlyspectacle,assheran,weepingandpantingforbreath.soniaandpolenkarushedafterthem.

“bringthemback,bringthemback,sonia!ohstupid,ungratefulchildren!…polenka!catchthem.…it’sforyoursakesi…”

shestumbledassheranandfelldown.

“she’scutherself,she’sbleeding!oh,dear!”criedsonia,bendingoverher.