The gathering of tramps, scratching, yawning, working out their accustomed dislocations, were getting into their places.
Zavorotny, at a distance, with his keen eyes caught sight of Platonov and began to yell over the whole port:
“You did manage to get here in time, you round-shouldered devil … But I was already wanting to take you by the tail and chase you out of the gang … Well, get in your place! … ”
“Well, but I did get a he-dog in you, Serejka! … ” he added, in a kindly manner. “If only it was night; but no,— look you, he starts in playing ring-around-a-rosie in broad daylight… ”
Chapter 5
Saturday was the customary day of the doctor’s inspection, for which they prepared very carefully and with quaking in all the houses; as, however, even society ladies prepare themselves, when getting ready for a visit to a physician-specialist; they diligently made their intimate toilet and inevitably put on clean underthings, even as dressy as possible.
The windows toward the street were closed with shutters, while at one of those windows, which gave out upon the yard, was put a table with a hard bolster to put under the back.
All the girls were agitated …
“And what if there’s a disease, which I haven’t noticed myself? … And then the despatch to a hospital; disgrace; the tedium of hospital life; bad food; the hard course of treatment… ”
Only Big Manka— or otherwise Manka the Crocodile— Zoe, and Henrietta— all thirty years old, and, therefore, in the reckoning of Yama, already old prostitutes, who had seen everything, had grown inured to everything, grown indifferent to their trade, like white, fat circus horses— remained imperturbably calm.
Manka the Crocodile even often said of herself:
“I have gone through fire and water and pipes of brass … Nothing will stick to me any more.”
Jennka, since morning, was meek and pensive.
She presented to Little White Manka a golden bracelet; a medallion upon a thin little chain with her photograph; and a silver neck crucifix.
Tamara she moved through entreaty into taking two rings for remembrance: one of silver, in three hoops, that could be moved apart, with a heart in the middle, and under it two hands that clasped one another when all the three parts of the ring were joined; while the other was of thin gold wire with an almandine.
“As for my underwear, Tamarochka— you give it to Annushka, the chambermaid.
Let her wash it out well and wear it in good health, in memory of me.”
The two of them were sitting in Tamara’s room.
Jennka had in the very morning sent after cognac; and now slowly, as though lazily, was imbibing wine-glass after wine-glass, eating lemon and a piece of sugar after drinking.
Tamara was observing this for the first time and wondered, because Jennka had always disliked wine, and drank very rarely; and then only at the constraint of guests.
“What are you giving stuff away so to-day?” asked Tamara. “Just as though you’d gotten ready to die, or to go into a convent?”
“Yes, and I will go away,” answered Jennka listlessly. “I am weary, Tamarochka! … ”
“Well, which one of us has a good time?”
“Well, no! … It isn’t so much that I’m weary; but somehow everything— everything is all the same … I look at you, at the table, at the bottle; at my hands and feet; and I’m thinking, that all this is alike and everything is to no purpose … There’s no sense in anything … Just like on some old, old picture.
Look there— there’s a soldier walking on the street, but it’s all one to me, as though they had wound up a doll, and it’s moving … And that he’s wet under the ram, is also all one to me … And that he’ll die, and I’ll die, and you, Tamara, will die— in this also I see nothing frightful, nothing amazing… So simple and wearisome is everything to me… ”
Jennka was silent for a while; drank one more wine-glass; sucked the sugar, and, still looking out at the street, suddenly asked:
“Tell me, please, Tamara, I’ve never asked you about it— from where did you get in here, into the house?
You don’t at all resemble all of us; you know everything; for everything that turns up you have a good, clever remark … Even French, now— how well you spoke it that time!
But none of us knows anything at all about you … Who are you?”
“Darling Jennechka, really, it’s not worth while … A life like any life … I went to boarding school; was a governess; sang in a choir; then kept a shooting gallery in a summer garden; and then got mixed up with a certain charlatan and taught myself to shoot with a Winchester … I traveled with circuses— I represented an American Amazon.
I used to shoot splendidly … Then I found myself in a monastery.
There I passed two years … I’ve been through a lot … Can’t recall everything … I used to steal… ”
“You’ve lived through a great deal … Checkered-like.”
“But then, my years are not a few. Well, what do you think— how many?”
“Twenty-two, twenty-four? … ”
“No, my angel!
It just struck thirty-two a week ago.
I, if you like, am older than all of you here in Anna Markovna’s.
Only I didn’t wonder at anything, didn’t take anything near to heart.
As you see, I never drink … I occupy myself very carefully with the care of rny body; and the main thing, the very main thing— I don’t allow myself ever to be carried away with men… ” “Well, but what about your Senka? … ”
“Senka— that’s a horse of another colour; the heart of woman is foolish, inconsistent … Can it possibly live without love?
And even so, I don’t love him, but just so … a self-deception … But, however, I shall be in very great need of Senka soon.”
Jennka suddenly grew animated and looked at her friend with curiosity.
“But how did you come to get stuck right here, in this hole? So clever, handsome, sociable… ”
“I’d have to take a long time in telling it … And then I’m too lazy … I got in here out of love; I got mixed up with a certain young man and went into a revolution with him.
For we always act so, we women: where the dearie is looking, there we also look; what the dearie sees, that we also see … I didn’t believe at soul in his work, but I went.
A flattering man he was; smart, a good talker, a good looker … Only he proved to be a skunk and a traitor afterwards.
He played at revolution; while he himself gave his comrades away to the gendarmes. A stool-pigeon, he was.
When they had killed and shown him up, then all the foolishness left me.
However, it was necessary to conceal myself … I changed my passport.