She suddenly burst into tears and pressed her face on my shoulder.
“Hush, Natasha,” I hastened to reassure her.
“I’ve been very ill all night, and I can hardly stand now; that’s why I didn’t come yesterday or today, and you’ve been thinking I was angry. Dearest, do you suppose I don’t understand what’s going on in your heart now?”
“Well, that’s right then ... then you’ve forgiven me as you always do,” she said, smiling through her tears, and squeezing my hand till it hurt.
“The rest later.
I’ve a lot I must say to you, Vanya.
But now come back to him...”
“Make haste, Natasha, we left him so suddenly...”
“You’ll see, you’ll see what’s coming directly,” she whispered to me.
“Now I understand it all, I see through it all.
It’s all his doing.
A great deal will be decided this evening.
Come along!”
I didn’t understand, but there was no time to ask.
Natasha came up to the prince with a serene expression.
He was still standing with his hat in his hand.
She apologized goodhumouredly, took his hat from him, moved up a chair for him and we three sat down round her little table.
“I was beginning about my featherheaded boy,” the prince went on. “I’ve only seen him for a moment and that was in the street when he was getting into his carriage to drive to the Countess Zinaida Fyodorovna.
He was in a terrible hurry and, would you believe it, wouldn’t even stop to come to my room, after four days of absence, and I believe it’s my fault, Natalya Nikolaevna, that he’s not here and that we’ve arrived before him. I seized the chance. As I couldn’t be at the countess’s myself today, I gave him a message to her.
But he will be here in a minute or two.”
“I supposed he promised you to come today?” asked Natasha, looking at the prince with a look of perfect simplicity.
“Good heavens, as though he wouldn’t have come anyway! How can you ask!” he exclaimed, looking at her in wonder.
I understand though, you are angry with him.
Indeed, it does seem wrong of him to be the last to come.
But I repeat that it’s my fault.
Don’t be angry with him.
He’s shallow, frivolous I don’t defend him, but certain special circumstances make it necessary that he should not give up the countess and some other connexions, but, on the contrary, should go to see them as often as possible.
And as now he never leaves your side, I expect, and has forgotten everything else on earth, please do not be angry if I sometimes take him off for an hour or two, not more, to do things for me.
I dare say he has not been to see Princess A. once since that evening, and I’m vexed that I have not had time to question him yet! . . .”
I glanced towards Natasha.
She was listening to Prince Valkovsky with a slight, halfmocking smile.
But he spoke so frankly, so naturally.
It seemed impossible to suspect him.
“And did you really not know that he has not been near me all these days?” asked Natasha in a quiet and gentle voice, as though she were talking of the most ordinary matter.
“What? not been here once?
Good heavens, what are you saying!” said the prince, apparently in extreme astonishment.
“You were with me late on Tuesday evening. Next morning he came in to see me for half an hour, and I’ve not seen him once since then.”
“But that’s incredible! (He was more and more astonished.) “I expected that he would never leave your side, Excuse me, this is so strange ... it’s simply beyond belief.”
“But it’s true, though, and I’m so sorry. I was looking forward to seeing you. I was expecting to learn from you where he has been.”
“Upon my soul!
But he’ll be here directly.
But what you tell me is such a surprise to me that ... I confess I was prepared for anything from him, but this, this!”
“How it surprises you!
While I thought that, so far from being surprised, you knew beforehand that it would be so.”
“Knew!
I?
But I assure you, Natalya Nikolaevna, that I’ve only seen him for one moment today, and I’ve questioned no one about him. And it strikes me as odd that you don’t seem to believe me,” he went on, scanning us both.
“God forbid! “ Natasha exclaimed. “I’m quite convinced that what you say is true.”
And she laughed again, right in Prince Valkovsky’s face, so that he almost winced.
“Explain yourself!” he said in confusion.