"Wait a minute, I haven't finished.
Next day, in the evening I arrived at the monastery and went straight to the saint's chapel.
Evening service was being held, the choir was singing, candles were burning, fragrance was wafted from the censers. I simply did not know where I was—on earth or in Heaven.
I went from the service to Father Yon, and I said to him: 'Well, your Reverence, it was mighty good today at church.'
'No wonder, madam,' he said, 'Father Avvakum had a vision today at the evening service.
He had just raised his arms to begin praying when he beheld a light in the cupola and a dove looking down at him.'
Well, from that time, I came to the conclusion, sooner or later my last days will be spent at Trinity Monastery."
"And who will take care of us? Who will have your children's welfare at heart?
Ah, mamma, mamma!"
"Well, you're not babies any longer, and you'll be able to look after yourselves.
As for me, I'll go to the monastery with Annushka's orphans and live under the saint's wing.
Perhaps the desire will awaken in one of the girls to serve God. Well, then, the convent is right at hand.
I'll buy myself a little house, plant a little garden, potatoes, cabbage—there'll be enough of everything for me."
Such idle talk continued for several days, Arina Petrovna making the boldest plans, withdrawing them and remaking them, and then finally carrying the matter so far that she could not withdraw again.
Within half a year after Yudushka's visit this was the situation: Arina Petrovna not at the monastery, nor in a little house built near her husband's grave. Instead of that she had divided the estate, leaving only the capital for herself.
Porfiry Vladimirych received the better part and Pavel Vladimirych the worse part.
_____ CHAPTER III
Arina Petrovna remained at Golovliovo. This gave rise, of course, to a domestic comedy.
Yudushka shed tears and succeeded in inducing his mother dear to manage his household without accountability to him, to receive the income and to use it at her discretion. "And, dearest, whatever portion of the income you give me," he added, "I shall be satisfied with it."
Pavel, on the other hand, thanked his mother coldly ("as if he wanted to bite me," were her words), immediately retired from service ("just so, without his mother's blessing, like a madman, he escaped to freedom") and settled down at Dubrovino.
From that time on, Arina Petrovna's judgment became somewhat dimmed.
The image of Porfishka the Bloodsucker, whom she had once sized up so shrewdly, now went, as it were, behind a fog.
She seemed no longer to understand anything except that, despite the division of the estate and the emancipation of the peasants, she still lived at Golovliovo and still owed no account to anyone.
Here, at her side, lived another son, but what a difference!
While Porfisha had entrusted both himself and his household into his mother's care, Pavel not only never consulted her about anything, but even spoke to her through his teeth.
And as her mind became more clouded, her heart warmed more to her gentle son.
Porfiry Vladimirych asked nothing of her. She herself anticipated his desires.
Little by little she became dissatisfied with the shape of the Golovliovo property.
At such and such a place, a stranger's land jutted into it—it would be well to buy up that piece of land. In such and such a place it would be fine to have a separate farm, but there was too little meadow. And here, right next to it, was a meadow for sale, ah, a fine bit of meadow.
Arina Petrovna's enthusiasm was that of a mother and a woman of affairs who wants her affectionate son to view her capabilities in all their glory.
But Porfiry Vladimirych withdrew into his shell, impervious to all her suggestions.
In vain did Arina Petrovna tempt him with bargains. To all her propositions for acquiring a piece of woodland or meadowland, he invariably answered:
"Dear mother, I am perfectly satisfied with what you granted me in your kindness."
These answers only spurred Arina Petrovna on.
Carried away by her household zeal, and also by indignation against the "scoundrel Pavlusha," who lived beside her but refused to have anything to do with her, Arina Petrovna lost sight of her actual relationship to the estate.
Her former fever for acquiring possessed her with renewed strength, though now it was no longer aggrandizement for her own sake but for the sake of her beloved son.
The Golovliovo estate grew, rounded out, and flourished.
And at the very moment when Arina Petrovna's capital had dwindled to a point at which it was almost impossible for her to live on the interest, Yudushka sent her a most respectful letter along with an enormous package of blank forms, which were to guide her in the future in the making out of the annual balance sheet.
Beside the principal items of the household expenses were listed raspberries, gooseberries, mushrooms, etc.
There was a special account for every item, on the following plan:
Number of raspberry bushes, year 18—,------------------------pounds
Number of bushes planted this year ----------------------------------"
Quantity of berries picked ---------------------------------------------"
Out of this total you, mother dear, used for yourself----------------- --------------------------------"
Preserves used, or to be used, in the household of His Excellency Porfiry Vladimirych Golovlio- ------------------------------------"
Given to boy in reward for good behavior----------------------------"
Sold to the common people for a tidbit-------------------------------"
Decayed because of absence of buyers and for
other reasons --------------------- -----------------------------------" ------
NOTE.—In case the crop in the year in which the account is taken is less than that of the previous year, the reasons therefor, like drought, rain, hail, and so forth, should be indicated.