a hero of our time-第20节

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eth　white？　　That　is　most　important！　　It　is　a　pity　that　she　did　not　smile　at　that　high…sounding　phrase　of　yours。〃

〃You　are　speaking　of　a　pretty　woman　just　as　you　might　of　an　English　horse；〃　said　Grushnitski　indignantly。

〃Mon　cher；〃　I　answered；　trying　to　mimic　his　tone；　〃je　meprise　les　femmes；　pour　ne　pas　les　aimer；　car　autrement　la　vie　serait　un　melodrame　trop　ridicule。〃

I　turned　and　left　him。　　For　half　an　hour　or　so　I　walked　about　the　avenues　of　the　vines；　the　limestone　cliffs　and　the　bushes　hanging　between　them。　　The　day　grew　hot；　and　I　hurried　home…　wards。　　Passing　the　sulphur　spring；　I　stopped　at　the　covered　gallery　in　order　to　regain　my　breath　under　its　shade；　and　by　so　doing　I　was　afforded　the　opportunity　of　witnessing　a　rather　interesting　scene。　　This　is　the　position　in　which　the　dramatis　personae　were　disposed：　Princess　Ligovski　and　the　Moscow　dandy　were　sitting　on　a　bench　in　the　covered　gallery　　apparently　engaged　in　serious　conversation。　　Princess　Mary；　who　had　doubtless　by　this　time　finished　her　last　tumbler；　was　walking　pensively　to　and　fro　by　the　well。　Grushnitski　was　standing　by　the　well　itself；　there　was　nobody　else　on　the　square。

I　went　up　closer　and　concealed　myself　behind　a　corner　of　the　gallery。　　At　that　moment　Grush…　nitski　let　his　tumbler　fall　on　the　sand　and　made　strenuous　efforts　to　stoop　in　order　to　pick　it　up；　but　his　injured　foot　prevented　him。　　Poor　fellow！　　How　he　tried　all　kinds　of　artifices；　as　he　leaned　on　his　crutch；　and　all　in　vain！　　His　expressive　countenance　was；　in　fact；　a　picture　of　suffering。

Princess　Mary　saw　the　whole　scene　better　than　I。

Lighter　than　a　bird　she　sprang　towards　him；　stooped；　picked　up　the　tumbler；　and　handed　it　to　him　with　a　gesture　full　of　ineffable　charm。　　Then　she　blushed　furiously；　glanced　round　at　the　gallery；　and；　having　assured　herself　that　her　mother　apparently　had　not　seen　anything；　im…　mediately　regained　her　composure。　　By　the　time　Grushnitski　had　opened　his　mouth　to　thank　her　she　was　a　long　way　off。　　A　moment　after；　she　came　out　of　the　gallery　with　her　mother　and　the　dandy；　but；　in　passing　by　Grushnitski；　she　assumed　a　most　decorous　and　serious　air。　　She　did　not　even　turn　round；　she　did　not　even　observe　the　passionate　gaze　which　he　kept　fixed　upon　her　for　a　long　time　until　she　had　descended　the　mountain　and　was　hidden　behind　the　lime　trees　of　the　boulevard。　。　。　Presently　I　caught　glimpses　of　her　hat　as　she　walked　along　the　street。　　She　hurried　through　the　gate　of　one　of　the　best　houses　in　Pyatigorsk；　her　mother　walked　behind　her　and　bowed　adieu　to　Raevich　at　the　gate。

It　was　only　then　that　the　poor；　passionate　cadet　noticed　my　presence。

〃Did　you　see？〃　he　said；　pressing　my　hand　vigorously。　　〃She　is　an　angel；　simply　an　angel！〃

〃Why？〃　I　inquired；　with　an　air　of　the　purest　simplicity。

〃Did　you　not　see；　then？〃

〃No。　　I　saw　her　picking　up　your　tumbler。　　If　there　had　been　an　attendant　there　he　would　have　done　the　same　thing　　and　quicker　too；　in　the　hope　of　receiving　a　tip。　　It　is　quite　easy；　however；　to　understand　that　she　pitied　you；　you　made　such　a　terrible　grimace　when　you　walked　on　the　wounded　foot。〃

〃And　can　it　be　that　seeing　her；　as　you　did；　at　that　moment　when　her　soul　was　shining　in　her　eyes；　you　were　not　in　the　least　affected？〃

〃No。〃

I　was　lying；　but　I　wanted　to　exasperate　him。　　I　have　an　innate　passion　for　contradiction　　my　whole　life　has　been　nothing　but　a　series　of　melan…　choly　and　vain　contradictions　of　heart　or　reason。　The　presence　of　an　enthusiast　chills　me　with　a　twelfth…night　cold；　and　I　believe　that　constant　association　with　a　person　of　a　flaccid　and　phleg…　matic　temperament　would　have　turned　me　into　an　impassioned　visionary。　　I　confess；　too；　that　an　unpleasant　but　familiar　sensation　was　coursing　lightly　through　my　heart　at　that　moment。　　It　was　　envy。　　I　say　〃envy〃　boldly；　because　I　am　accustomed　to　acknowledge　everything　to　myself。　It　would　be　hard　to　find　a　young　man　who；　if　his　idle　fancy　had　been　attracted　by　a　pretty　woman　and　he　had　suddenly　found　her　openly　singling　out　before　his　eyes　another　man　equally　unknown　to　her　　it　would　be　hard；　I　say；　to　find　such　a　young　man　（living；　of　course；　in　the　great　world　and　accustomed　to　indulge　his　self…love）　who　would　not　have　been　unpleasantly　taken　aback　in　such　a　case。

In　silence　Grushnitski　and　I　descended　the　mountain　and　walked　along　the　boulevard；　past　the　windows　of　the　house　where　our　beauty　had　hidden　herself。　　She　was　sitting　by　the　window。　Grushnitski；　plucking　me　by　the　arm；　cast　upon　her　one　of　those　gloomily　tender　glances　which　have　so　little　effect　upon　women。　　I　directed　my　lorgnette　at　her；　and　observed　that　she　smiled　at　his　glance　and　that　my　insolent　lorgnette　made　her　downright　angry。　　And　how；　indeed；　should　a　Caucasian　military　man　presume　to　direct　his　eyeglass　at　a　princess　from　Moscow？　。　。　。



CHAPTER　II

13th　May。

THIS　morning　the　doctor　came　to　see　me。　His　name　is　Werner；　but　he　is　a　Russian。　What　is　there　surprising　in　that？　　I　have　known　a　man　named　Ivanov；　who　was　a　German。

Werner　is　a　remarkable　man；　and　that　for　many　reasons。　　Like　almost　all　medical　men　he　is　a　sceptic　and　a　materialist；　but；　at　the　same　time；　he　is　a　genuine　poet　　a　poet　always　in　deeds　and　often　in　words；　although　he　has　never　written　two　verses　in　his　life。　　He　has　mastered　all　the　living　chords　of　the　human　heart；　just　as　one　learns　the　veins　of　a　corpse；　but　he　has　never　known　how　to　avail　himself　of　his　knowledge。　　In　like　manner；　it　sometimes　happens　that　an　excellent　anatomist　does　not　know　how　to　cure　a　fever。　　Werner　usually　made　fun　of　his　patients　in　private；　but　once　I　saw　him　weeping　over　a　dying　soldier。　。　。　　He　was　poor；　and　dreamed　of　millions；　but　he　would　not　take　a　single　step　out　of　his　way　for　the　sake　of　money。　　He　once　told　me　that　he　would　rather　do　a　favour　to　an　enemy　than　to　a　friend；　because；　in　the　latter　case；　it　would　mean　selling　his　beneficence；　whilst　hatred　only　increases　proportionately　to　the　magnanimity　of　the　adversary。　　He　had　a　malicious　tongue；　and　more　than　one　good；　simple　soul　has　acquired　the　reputation　of　a　vulgar　fool　through　being　labelled　with　one　of　his　epigrams。　　His　rivals；　envious　medical　men　of　the　watering…place；　spread　the　report　that　he　was　in　the　habit　of　drawing　caricatures　of　his　patients。　The　patients　were　incensed；　and　almost　all　of　them　discarded　him。　　His　friends；　that　is　to　say　all　the　genuinely　well…bred　people　who　were　serving　in　the　Caucasus；　vainly　endeavoured　to　restore　his　fallen　credit。

His　outward　appearance　was　of　the　type　which；　at　the　first　glance；　creates　an　unpleasant　impres…　sion；　but　which　you　get　to　like　in　course　of　time；　when　the　eye　learns　to　read　in　the　ir…　regular　features　the　stamp　of　a　tried　and　lofty　soul。　　Instances　have　been　known　of　women　falling　madly　in　love　with　men　of　that　sort；　and　having　no　desire　to　exchange　their　ugliness　for　the　beauty　of　the　freshest　and　rosiest　of　Endymions。　We　must　give　women　their　due：　they　possess　an　instinct　for　spiritual　beauty；　for　which　reason；　possibly；　men　such　as　Werner　love　women　so　passionately。

Werner　was　small　and　lean　and　as　weak　as　a　baby。　　One　of　his　legs　was　shorter　than　the　other；　as　was　the　case　with　Byron。　　In　comparison　with　his　body；　his　head　seemed　enormous。　　His　hair　was　cropped　close；　and　the　unevennesses　of　his　cranium；　thus　laid　bare；　would　have　struck　a　phrenologist　by　reason　of　the　strange　intertexture　of　con…　tradictory　propensities。　　His　little；　ever　restless；　black　eyes　seemed　as　if　they　were　endeavouring　to　fathom　your　thoughts。　　Taste　and　neatness　were　to　be　observed　in　his　dress。　　His　small；　lean；　sinewy　hands　flaunted　themselves　in　bright…yellow　gloves。　　His　frock…coat；　cravat　and　waistcoat　were　invariably　of　black。　　The　young　men　dubbed　him　Mephistopheles；　he　pretended　to　be　angry　at　the　nickname；　but　in　reality　it　flattered　his　vanity。　Werner　and　I　soon　understood　each　other　and　became　friends；　because　I；　for　my　part；　am　ill…　adapted　for　friendship。　　Of　two　friends；　one　is　always　the　slave　of　the　other；　although　frequently　neither　acknowledges　the　fact　to　himself。　　Now；　the　slave　I　could　not　be；　and　to　be　the　master　would　be　a　wearisome　trouble；　because；　at　the　same　time；　deception　would　be　required。　　Besides；　I　have　servants　and　money！

Our　friendship　originated　in　the　following　circumstances。　　I　met　Werner　at　S；　in　the　midst　of　a　numerous　and　noisy　circle　of　young　people。　　Towards　the　end　of　the　evening　the　conversation　took　a　philosophico…metaphysical　turn。　　We　discussed　the　subject　of　convictions；　and　each　of　us　had　some　different　conviction　to　declare。

〃So　far　as　I　am　concerned；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃I　am　convinced　of　one　thing　only〃　。　。　。

〃And　that　is　？〃　I　asked；　desirous　of　learning　the　opinion　of　a　man　who　had　been　silent　till　then。

〃Of　the　fact；〃　he　answered；　〃that　sooner　or　later；　one　fine　morning；　I　shall　die。〃

〃I　am　better　off　than　you；〃　I　said。　　〃In　addi…　tion　to　that；　I　have　a　further　conviction；　namely；　that；　one　very　nasty　evening；　I　had　the　misfor…　tune　to　be　born。〃

All　the　others　considered　that　we　were　talking　nonsense；　but　indeed　not　one　of　them　said　any…　thing　more　sensible。　　From　that　moment　we　singled　each　other　out　amongst　the　crowd。　　We　used　frequently　to