第16章

第16章“ihavementionedalreadythatpyotrpetrovitchisjustsettingoffforpetersburg,wherehehasagreatdealofbusiness,andhewantstoopenalegalbureau.hehasbeenoccupiedformanyyearsinconductingcivilandcommerciallitigation,andonlytheotherdayhewonanimportantcase.hehastobeinpetersburgbecausehehasanimportantcasebeforethesenate.so,rodyadear,hemaybeofthegreatestusetoyou,ineverywayindeed,anddouniaandihaveagreedthatfromthisverydayyoucoulddefinitelyenteruponyourcareerandmightconsiderthatyourfutureismarkedoutandassuredforyou.oh,ifonlythiscomestopass!thiswouldbesuchabenefitthatwecouldonlylookuponitasaprovidentialblessing.douniaisdreamingofnothingelse.wehaveevenventuredalreadytodropafewwordsonthesubjecttopyotrpetrovitch.hewascautiousinhisanswer,andsaidthat,ofcourse,ashecouldnotgetonwithoutasecretary,itwouldbebettertobepayingasalarytoarelationthantoastranger,ifonlytheformerwerefittedfortheduties(asthoughtherecouldbedoubtofyourbeingfitted!)butthenheexpresseddoubtswhetheryourstudiesattheuniversitywouldleaveyoutimeforworkathisoffice.thematterdroppedforthetime,butdouniaisthinkingofnothingelsenow.shehasbeeninasortoffeverforthelastfewdays,andhasalreadymadearegularplanforyourbecomingintheendanassociateandevenapartnerinpyotrpetrovitch’sbusiness,whichmightwellbe,seeingthatyouareastudentoflaw.iamincompleteagreementwithher,rodya,andshareallherplansandhopes,andthinkthereiseveryprobabilityofrealisingthem.andinspiteofpyotrpetrovitch’sevasiveness,verynaturalatpresent(sincehedoesnotknowyou),douniaisfirmlypersuadedthatshewillgaineverythingbyhergoodinfluenceoverherfuturehusband;thissheisreckoningupon.ofcoursewearecarefulnottotalkofanyofthesemoreremoteplanstopyotrpetrovitch,especiallyofyourbecominghispartner.heisapracticalmanandmighttakethisverycoldly,itmightallseemtohimsimplyaday-dream.norhaseitherdouniaoribreathedawordtohimofthegreathopeswehaveofhishelpingustopayforyouruniversitystudies;wehavenotspokenofitinthefirstplace,becauseitwillcometopassofitself,lateron,andhewillnodoubtwithoutwastingwordsoffertodoitofhimself,(asthoughhecouldrefusedouniathat)themorereadilysinceyoumaybyyourowneffortsbecomehisrighthandintheoffice,andreceivethisassistancenotasacharity,butasasalaryearnedbyyourownwork.douniawantstoarrangeitalllikethisandiquiteagreewithher.andwehavenotspokenofourplansforanotherreason,thatis,becauseiparticularlywantedyoutofeelonanequalfootingwhenyoufirstmeethim.whendouniaspoketohimwithenthusiasmaboutyou,heansweredthatonecouldneverjudgeofamanwithoutseeinghimclose,foroneself,andthathelookedforwardtoforminghisownopinionwhenhemakesyouracquaintance.doyouknow,mypreciousrodya,ithinkthatperhapsforsomereasons(nothingtodowithpyotrpetrovitchthough,simplyformyownpersonal,perhapsold-womanish,fancies)ishoulddobettertogoonlivingbymyself,apart,thanwiththem,afterthewedding.iamconvincedthathewillbegenerousanddelicateenoughtoinvitemeandtourgemetoremainwithmydaughterforthefuture,andifhehassaidnothingaboutithitherto,itissimplybecauseithasbeentakenforgranted;butishallrefuse.ihavenoticedmorethanonceinmylifethathusbandsdon’tquitegetonwiththeirmothers-in-law,andidon’twanttobetheleastbitinanyone’sway,andformyownsake,too,wouldratherbequiteindependent,solongasihaveacrustofbreadofmyown,andsuchchildrenasyouanddounia.ifpossible,iwouldsettlesomewherenearyou,forthemostjoyfulpieceofnews,dearrodya,ihavekeptfortheendofmyletter:knowthen,mydearboy,thatwemay,perhaps,bealltogetherinaveryshorttimeandmayembraceoneanotheragainafteraseparationofalmostthreeyears!itissettledforcertainthatdouniaandiaretosetoffforpetersburg,exactlywhenidon’tknow,butvery,verysoon,possiblyinaweek.italldependsonpyotrpetrovitchwhowillletusknowwhenhehashadtimetolookroundhiminpetersburg.tosuithisownarrangementsheisanxioustohavetheceremonyassoonaspossible,evenbeforethefastofourlady,ifitcouldbemanaged,orifthatistoosoontobeready,immediatelyafter.oh,withwhathappinessishallpressyoutomyheart!douniaisallexcitementatthejoyfulthoughtofseeingyou,shesaidonedayinjokethatshewouldbereadytomarrypyotrpetrovitchforthatalone.sheisanangel!sheisnotwritinganythingtoyounow,andhasonlytoldmetowritethatshehassomuch,somuchtotellyouthatsheisnotgoingtotakeupherpennow,forafewlineswouldtellyounothing,anditwouldonlymeanupsettingherself;shebidsmesendyouherloveandinnumerablekisses.butalthoughweshallbemeetingsosoon,perhapsishallsendyouasmuchmoneyasicaninadayortwo.nowthateveryonehasheardthatdouniaistomarrypyotrpetrovitch,mycredithassuddenlyimprovedandiknowthatafanasyivanovitchwilltrustmenoweventoseventy-fiveroublesonthesecurityofmypension,sothatperhapsishallbeabletosendyoutwenty-fiveoreventhirtyroubles.iwouldsendyoumore,butiamuneasyaboutourtravellingexpenses;forthoughpyotrpetrovitchhasbeensokindastoundertakepartoftheexpensesofthejourney,thatistosay,hehastakenuponhimselftheconveyanceofourbagsandbigtrunk(whichwillbeconveyedthroughsomeacquaintancesofhis),wemustreckonuponsomeexpenseonourarrivalinpetersburg,wherewecan’tbeleftwithoutahalfpenny,atleastforthefirstfewdays.butwehavecalculateditall,douniaandi,tothelastpenny,andweseethatthejourneywillnotcostverymuch.itisonlyninetyverstsfromustotherailwayandwehavecometoanagreementwithadriverweknow,soastobeinreadiness;andfromtheredouniaandicantravelquitecomfortablythirdclass.sothatimayverylikelybeabletosendtoyounottwenty-five,butthirtyroubles.butenough;ihavecoveredtwosheetsalreadyandthereisnospaceleftformore;ourwholehistory,butsomanyeventshavehappened!andnow,mypreciousrodya,iembraceyouandsendyouamother’sblessingtillwemeet.lovedouniayoursister,rodya;loveherasshelovesyouandunderstandthatshelovesyoubeyondeverything,morethanherself.sheisanangelandyou,rodya,youareeverythingtous—ouronehope,ouroneconsolation.ifonlyyouarehappy,weshallbehappy.doyoustillsayyourprayers,rodya,andbelieveinthemercyofourcreatorandourredeemer?iamafraidinmyheartthatyoumayhavebeenvisitedbythenewspiritofinfidelitythatisabroadto-day;ifitisso,iprayforyou.remember,dearboy,howinyourchildhood,whenyourfatherwasliving,youusedtolispyourprayersatmyknee,andhowhappyweallwereinthosedays.good-bye,tillwemeetthen—iembraceyouwarmly,warmly,withmanykisses.