I will be to you like in place of your own mother, but only remember, that I will not stand for laziness, or drunkenness, or notions of any sort; or any kind of disorder.
The kind Madam Shaibes, it must be said, held you in too loose reins.
O— o, I will be far more strict.
Discipline uber alles … before everything.
It’s a great pity, that the Russian people are lazy, dirty and stoopid, do not understand this rule; but don’t you trouble yourself, I will teach you this for your own good.
I say ‘for your own good,’ because my main thought is to kill the competition of Treppel.
I want that my client should be a man of substance, and not some charlatan and ragamuffin, some kind of student, now, or ham actor.
I want that my ladies should be the most beautiful, best brought-up, the healthiest and gayest in the whole city.
I won’t spare any money in order to set up swell furnishings; and you will have rooms with silk furniture and with genuine, beautiful rugs.
Your guests will no longer be demanding beer, but only genteel Bordeaux and Burgundy wines and champagne.
Remember, that a rich, substantial, elderly man never likes your common, ordinary, coarse love.
He requires Cayenne pepper; he requires not a trade, but an art, and you will soon acquire this.
At Treppel’s they take three roubles for a visit and ten roubles for a night … I will establish it so, that you will receive five roubles for a visit and twenty-five for a night.
They will present you with gold and diamonds.
I will contrive it so, that you won’t have to pass on into establishments of a lower sort, und so weiter … right down to the soldiers’ filthy den.
No!
Deposits will be put away and saved with me for each one of you every month; and will be put away in your name in a banker’s office, where there will increase interest upon them, and interest upon interest.
And then, if a girl feels herself tired, or wants to marry a respectable man, there will always be at her disposal not a large, but a sure capital.
So is it done in the best establishments in Riga, and everywhere abroad.
Let no one say about me, that Emma Edwardovna is a spider, a vixen, a cupping glass.
But for disobedience, for laziness, for notions, for lovers on the side, I will punish cruelly and, like nasty weeds, will throw out— on the street, or still worse.
Now I have said all that I had to.
Nina, come near me.
And all the rest of you come up in turn.”
Ninka irresolutely walked right up to Emma Edwardovna— and even staggered back in amazement: Emma Edwardovna was extending her right hand to her, with the fingers lowered downward, and slowly nearing it to Ninka’s lips.
“Kiss it! … ” impressively and firmly pronounced Emma Edwardovna, narrowing her eyes and with head thrown back, in the magnificent pose of a princess ascending her throne.
Ninka was so bewildered that her right arm gave a jerk in order to make the sign of the cross; but she corrected herself, loudly smacked the extended hand, and stepped aside.
Following her Zoe, Henrietta, Vanda and others stepped up also.
Tamara alone continued to stand near the wall with her back to the mirror; that mirror into which Jennka so loved to gaze, in gone-by times, admiring herself as she walked back and forth through the drawing room.
Emma Edwardovna let the imperious, obstinate gaze of a boa-constrictor rest upon her; but the hypnosis did not work.
Tamara bore this gaze without turning away, without flinching; but without any expression on her face.
Then the new proprietress put down her hand, produced on her face something resembling a smile, and said hoarsely:
“And with you, Tamara, I must have a little talk separately, eye to eye.
Let’s go!”
“I hear you, Emma Edwardovna!” calmly answered Tamara.
Emma Edwardovna came to the little bit of a cabinet, where formerly Anna Markovna loved to drink coffee with clotted cream; sat down on the divan and pointed out a place opposite her to Tamara.
For some time the women kept silent; searchingly, mistrustfully eyeing each other.
“You acted rightly, Tamara,” said Emma Edwardovna finally. “You did wisely in not stepping up, on the manner of those sheep, to kiss my hand.
But just the same, I would not have let you come to that.
I wanted right there, in the presence of all, when you walked up to me, to press your hand and to offer you the place of first housekeeper— you understand?— my chief assistant— and on terms very advantageous to you … ”
“I thank you … ”
“No, wait a while, don’t interrupt me.
I will have my say to the end, and then you will express your pros and cons.
But will you explain to me, please, when yesterday you were aiming at me out of a revolver, what did you want?
Can it possibly be, to kill me?”
“On the contrary, Emma Edwardovna,” retorted Tamara respectfully, “on the contrary; it seemed to me that you wanted to strike me.”
“PJUI!
What do you mean, Tamarochka! … Have you paid no attention to the fact that during all the time of our acquaintance I never permitted myself, not only to hit you, but even to address you with a rude word? … What do you mean, what do you mean? … I don’t confuse you with this poor Russian trash … Glory be to God, I am an experienced person and one who knows people well.
I can very well see that you are a genuinely cultured young lady; far more educated, for example, than I myself.
You are refined, elegant, smart.