第254章

第254章berg’sproposalwasreceivedatfirstwithahesitationbynomeansflatteringforhim.itseemedastrangeideaatfirstthatthesonofanobscurelivoniangentlemanshouldproposeforthehandofacountessrostov.butberg’sleadingcharacteristicwasanegoismsona？veandgood-naturedthattherostovsunconsciouslybegantothinkthatitmustbeagoodthingsincehewashimselfsofirmlyconvincedthatitwouldbeagoodthing,andindeedaverygoodthing.therostovswere,moreover,seriouslyembarrassedintheirpecuniaryaffairs,afactofwhichthesuitorcouldnotbutbeaware;andwhatwasthechiefconsideration,verawasnowfour-and-twenty,andhadbeenbroughtouteverywhere;and,inspiteofthefactthatshewasundeniablygood-lookingandsensible,noonehadhithertomadeheranoffer.theofferwasaccepted.

“yousee,”bergsaidtoacomrade,whomhecalledhisfriend—onlybecauseheknewallpeopledohavefriends—“yousee,ihavetakeneverythingintoconsideration,andishouldnothavegotmarriedifihadnotthoughtitwellover,orifithadbeenunsuitableinanyway.butatpresentmypapaandmammaarewellprovidedfor,ihavesecuredthemtheleaseofthatplaceintheostseedistrict,andicanliveinpetersburgwithmypayandherfortuneandmycarefulhabits.wecangetalongnicely.i’mnotmarryingformoney,iconsiderthatungentlemanly,butthewifeoughttobringhershareandthehusbandhis.ihavemypositionintheservice;shehasconnectionsandsomesmallmeans.that’sworthsomethingnowadays,isn’tit？andwhat’sthechiefconsideration,she’shandsome,estimablegirl,andshelovesme.…”

bergblushedandsmiled.

“andiloveherbecauseshehasacharacterthatisreasonableandverynice.hersisternow—thoughtheyareofthesamefamily—isutterlydifferent,andhercharacterisdisagreeable,andshehasnoneofthatintelligence,butsomethingyouknow…idon’tlike.…butmybetrothed…youmustcomeandseeus;cometo…”berg,wenton;hewasgoingtosay“todinner,”butonsecondthoughtshesaid“totea,”andputtingouthistongueheblewalittleringofosmokethatembodiedforhimallhisdreamsofhappiness.

thefirstfeelingofhesitationarousedintheparentsbyberg’sproposalhadbeenfollowedbythefestivityandrejoicinginthefamilyusualonsuchoccasions,buttherejoicingwasapparentandnotgenuine.

acertainembarrassmentandshamefacednesscouldbedetectedinthefeelingsoftherelationsinregardtothismarriage.itwasasthoughtheirconsciencesmotethemfornothavingbeenveryfondofveraandofbeingsoreadynowtogetherofftheirhands.theoldcountwasmoredisconcertedoveritthananyone.hewouldmostlikelyhavebeenunabletosaywhatmadehimfeelso,buthisfinancialdifficultieswereattherootofthematter.heabsolutelydidnotknowwhathehad,howmuchhisdebtsamountedto,andwhathewouldbeinapositiontogiveforvera’sdowry.eachofhisdaughtershadattheirbirthbeenassignedaportion,consistingofanestatewiththreehundredserfsonit.butoneofthoseestateshadbynowbeensold,andtheotherhadbeenmortgaged,andtheinterestwassomuchinarrearsthatitwouldhavetobesold,sothattogivethisestatewasimpossible.therewasnomoneyeither.

berghadbeenbetrothedmorethanamonth,anditwasonlyaweekbeforethedatefixedforthewedding,butthecountwasstillunabletocometoadecisiononthesubjectofthedowry,andhadnotspokenofittohiswife.atonetimethecountthoughtofmakingovertheryazanestatetovera,thenhethoughtofsellinghisforest,thenofborrowingmoneyonanoteofhand.

afewdaysbeforethewedding,bergwentearlyinthemorningintothecount’sstudy,andwithanagreeablesmile,respectfullyinvitedhisfather-in-lawtolethimknowwhatfortunewouldbegivenwiththecountessvera.thecountwassomuchdisconcertedbythislong-foreseeninquirythat,withoutthinking,hesaidthefirstthingthatcameintohishead.

“ilikeyourbeingbusinesslikeaboutit,ilikeit;youwillbequitesatisfied…”

andclappingbergontheshoulder,hegotup,intendingtocutshorttheconversation.butberg,smilingblandly,announcedthatifhewerenottoknowforcertainwhatwouldbegivenwithvera,andtoreceiveatleastpartofthedowryinadvance,hewouldbeobligedtobreakoffthemarriage.“because,youmustconsider,count,ifiweretoallowmyselftomarrynowwithouthavingadefinitesecurityforthemaintenanceofmywifeishouldbeactinglikeascoundrel…”

theconversationendedbythecount,inhisanxietytobegenerousandtoavoidfurtherrequests,sayingthathewouldgivehimanoteofhandforeightythousand.bergsmiledgently,kissedthecountontheshoulder,andsaidthathewasverygrateful,butcouldnotmakehisarrangementsinhisnewlifewithoutreceivingthirtythousandinreadymoney.“twentythousandatleast,count,”headded,“andthenanoteofhandsimplyforsixtythousand.”

“yes,yes,verygood,”saidthecounthurriedly.“onlyexcuseme,mydearboy,i’llgiveyoutwentythousandandthenoteofhandforeightythousandaswell.that’sallright,kissme.”