And immediately Liubka would appear before him, appear at a distance, as though out of the misty depths of time; awkward, timid, with her homely and endearing face, which had at once come to seem of infinitely close kinship; long, long familiar, and at the same time unpleasant— unjustly, without cause.
“Can it be that I’m a coward and a rag?” cried Lichonin inwardly and wrung his hands. “What am I afraid of, before whom am I embarrassed?
Have I not always prided myself upon being sole master of my life?
Let’s suppose, even, that the phantasy, the extravagance, of making a psychological experiment upon a human soul— a rare experiment, unsuccessful in ninety-nine percent— has entered my head.
Is it possible that I must render anybody an account in this, or fear anybody’s opinion?
Lichonin!
Look down upon mankind from above!”
Jennie walked into the room, dishevelled, sleepy, in a night jacket on top of a white underskirt.
“A-a!” she yawned, extending her hand to Lichonin. “How d’you do, my dear student!
How does your Liubochka feel herself in the new place?
Call me in as a guest some time.
Or are you spending your honeymoon on the quiet?
Without any outside witnesses?”
“Drop the silly stuff, Jennechka.
I came about the passport.”
“So-o.
About the passport,” Jennka went into thought. “That is, there’s no passport here, but you must take a blank from the housekeeper.
You understand, our usual prostitute’s blank; and then they’ll exchange it for you for a real book at the station house.
Only you see, my dear, I will be but ill help to you in this business.
They are as like as not to beat me up if I come near a housekeeper or a porter.
But here’s what you do.
You’d best send the maid for the housekeeper; tell her to say that a certain guest, now, a steady one, has come on business; that it’s very urgent to see her personally.
But you must excuse me— I’m going to back out, and don’t you be angry, please.
You know yourself— charity begins at home.
But why should you hang around by yourself in this here darkness?
You’d better go into the cabinet.
If you want to, I’ll send you beer there.
Or, perhaps you want coffee?
Or else,” and her eyes sparkled slyly, “or else a girlie, perhaps?
Tamara is busy, but may be Niura or Verka will do?”
“Stop it, Jennie!
I came about a serious and important matter, but you … ”
“Well, well, I won’t, I won’t!
I said it just so.
I see that you observe faithfulness.
That’s very noble on your part.
Let’s go, then.”
She led him into the cabinet, and, opening the inner bolt of the shutter, threw it wide open.
The daylight softly and sadly splashed against the red and gold walls, over the candelabra, over the soft red velveteen furniture.
“Right here it began,” reflected Lichonin with sad regret.
“I am going,” said Jennka. “Don’t you knuckle down too much before her, and Simeon too.
Abuse them for all you’re worth.
It’s daytime now, and they won’t dare do anything to you.
If anything happens, tell them straight that, now, you’re going to the governor immediately and are going to tell on them.
Tell ’em, that they’ll be closed up and put out of town in twenty-four hours.
Bawl ’em out and they get like silk.
Well, now, I wish you success.”
She went away.
After ten minutes had passed, into the cabinet floated Emma Edwardovna, the housekeeper, in a blue satin PEGNOIR; corpulent, with an important face, broadening from the forehead down to the cheeks, just like a monstrous squash; with all her massive chins and breasts; with small, keen eyes, without eyelashes; with thin, malicious, compressed lips.
Lichonin, arising, pressed the puffy hand extended to him, studded with rings, and suddenly thought with aversion: