白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot IV. Page 1
ALL three of the Miss Epanchins were fine, healthy girls, well-grown, with good shoulders and busts, and strong--almostmasculine--hands; and, of course, with all the above attributes,they enjoyed capital appetites, of which they were not in theleast ashamed.
Elizabetha Prokofievna sometimes informed the girls that theywere a little too candid in this matter, but in spite of theiroutward deference to their mother these three young women, insolemn conclave, had long agreed to modify the unquestioningobedience which they had been in the habit of according to her;and Mrs. General Epanchin had judged it better to say nothingabout it, though, of course, she was well aware of the fact.
It is true that her nature sometimes rebelled against thesedictates of reason, and that she grew yearly more capricious andimpatient; but having a respectful and well-disciplined husbandunder her thumb at all times, she found it possible, as a rule,to empty any little accumulations of spleen upon his head, andtherefore the harmony of the family was kept duly balanced, andthings went as smoothly as family matters can.
Mrs. Epanchin had a fair appetite herself, and generally took hershare of the capital mid-day lunch which was always served forthe girls, and which was nearly as good as a dinner. The youngladies used to have a cup of coffee each before this meal, at teno'clock, while still in bed. This was a favourite and unalterablearrangement with them. At half-past twelve, the table was laid inthe small dining-room, and occasionally the general himselfappeared at the family gathering, if he had time.
Besides tea and coffee, cheese, honey, butter, pan-cakes ofvarious kinds (the lady of the house loved these best), cutlets,and so on, there was generally strong beef soup, and othersubstantial delicacies.
the quiet, pleasant current of the family life of theEpanchins was about to undergo a change.by.
On the particular morning on which our story has opened, thefamily had assembled in the dining-room, and were waiting thegeneral's appearance, the latter having promised to come thisday. If he had been one moment late, he would have been sent forat once; but he turned up punctually.
As he came forward to wish his wife good-morning and kiss herhands, as his custom was, he observed something in her look whichboded ill. He thought he knew the reason, and had expected it,but still, he was not altogether comfortable. His daughtersadvanced to kiss him, too, and though they did not look exactlyangry, there was something strange in their expression as well.
The general was, owing to certain circumstances, a littleinclined to be too suspicious at home, and needlessly nervous;but, as an experienced father and husband, he judged it better totake measures at once to protect himself from any dangers theremight be in the air.
However, I hope I shall not interfere with the proper sequence ofmy narrative too much, if I diverge for a moment at this point,in order to explain the mutual relations between GeneralEpanchin's family and others acting a part in this history, atthe time when we take up the thread of their destiny. I havealready stated that the general, though he was a man of lowlyorigin, and of poor education, was, for all that, an experiencedand talented husband and father. Among other things, heconsidered it undesirable to hurry his daughters to thematrimonial altar and to worry them too much with assurances ofhis paternal wishes for their happiness, as is the custom amongparents of many grown-up daughters. He even succeeded in ranginghis wife on his side on this question, though he found the featvery difficult to accomplish, because unnatural; but thegeneral's arguments were conclusive, and founded upon obviousfacts. The general considered that the girls' taste and goodsense should be allowed to develop and mature deliberately, andthat the parents' duty should merely be to keep watch, in orderthat no strange or undesirable choice be made; but that theselection once effected, both father and mother were bound fromthat moment to enter heart and soul into the cause, and to seethat the matter progressed without hindrance until the altarshould be happily reached.
Besides this, it was clear that the Epanchins' position gainedeach year, with geometrical accuracy, both as to financialsolidity and social weight; and, therefore, the longer the girlswaited, the better was their chance of making a brilliant match.
But again, amidst the incontrovertible facts just recorded, onemore, equally significant, rose up to confront the family; andthis was, that the eldest daughter, Alexandra, had imperceptiblyarrived at her twenty-fifth birthday. Almost at the same moment,Afanasy Ivanovitch Totski, a man of immense wealth, highconnections, and good standing, announced his intention ofmarrying. Afanasy Ivanovitch was a gentleman of fifty-five yearsof age, artistically gifted, and of most refined tastes. Hewished to marry well, and, moreover, he was a keen admirer andjudge of beauty.
Now, since Totski had, of late, been upon terms of greatcordiality with Epanchin, which excellent relations wereintensified by the fact that they were, so to speak, partners inseveral financial enterprises, it so happened that the former nowput in a friendly request to the general for counsel with regardto the important step he meditated. Might he suggest, forinstance, such a thing as a marriage between himself and one ofthe general's daughters?
Evidently the quiet, pleasant current of the family life of theEpanchins was about to undergo a change.
The undoubted beauty of the family, par excellence, was theyoungest, Aglaya, as aforesaid. But Totski himself, though anegotist of the extremest type, realized that he had no chancethere; Aglaya was clearly not for such as he.
Perhaps the sisterly love and friendship of the three girls hadmore or less exaggerated Aglaya's chances of happiness. In theiropinion, the latter's destiny was not merely to be very happy;she was to live in a heaven on earth. Aglaya's husband was to bea compendium of all the virtues, and of all success, not to speakof fabulous wealth. The two elder sisters had agreed that all wasto be sacrificed by them, if need be, for Aglaya's sake; herdowry was to be colossal and unprecedented.
The general and his wife were aware of this agreement, and,therefore, when Totski suggested himself for one of the sisters,the parents made no doubt that one of the two elder girls wouldprobably accept the offer, since Totski would certainly make nodifficulty as to dowry. The general valued the proposal veryhighly. He knew life, and realized what such an offer was worth.
The answer of the sisters to the communication was, if notconclusive, at least consoling and hopeful. It made known thatthe eldest, Alexandra, would very likely be disposed to listen toa proposal.
Alexandra was a good-natured girl, though she had a will of herown. She was intelligent and kind-hearted, and, if she were tomarry Totski, she would make him a good wife. She did not carefor a brilliant marriage; she was eminently a woman calculated tosoothe and sweeten the life of any man; decidedly pretty, if notabsolutely handsome. What better could Totski wish?
So the matter crept slowly forward. The general and Totski hadagreed to avoid any hasty and irrevocable step. Alexandra'sparents had not even begun to talk to their daughters freely uponthe subject, when suddenly, as it were, a dissonant chord wasstruck amid the harmony of the proceedings. Mrs. Epanchin beganto show signs of discontent, and that was a serious matter. Acertain circumstance had crept in, a disagreeable and troublesomefactor, which threatened to overturn the whole business.
This circumstance had come into existence eighteen years before.Close to an estate of Totski's, in one of the central provincesof Russia, there lived, at that time, a poor gentleman whoseestate was of the wretchedest description. This gentleman wasnoted in the district for his persistent ill-fortune; his namewas Barashkoff, and, as regards family and descent, he was vastlysuperior to Totski, but his estate was mortgaged to the lastacre. One day, when he had ridden over to the town to see acreditor, the chief peasant of his village followed him shortlyafter, with the news that his house had been burnt down, and thathis wife had perished with it, but his children were safe.
Even Barashkoff, inured to the storms of evil fortune as he was,could not stand this last stroke. He went mad and died shortlyafter in the town hospital. His estate was sold for thecreditors; and the little girls--two of them, of seven and eightyears of age respectively,--were adopted by Totski, who undertooktheir maintenance and education in the kindness of his heart.They were brought up together with the children of his Germanbailiff. Very soon, however, there was only one of them left-Nastasia Philipovna--for the other little one died of whooping-cough. Totski, who was living abroad at this time, very soonforgot all about the child; but five years after, returning toRussia, it struck him that he would like to look over his estateand see how matters were going there, and, arrived at hisbailiff's house, he was not long in discovering that among thechildren of the latter there now dwelt a most lovely little girlof twelve, sweet and intelligent, and bright, and promising todevelop beauty of most unusual quality-as to which last Totskiwas an undoubted authority.
He only stayed at his country scat a few days on this occasion,but he had time to make his arrangements. Great changes tookplace in the child's education; a good governess was engaged, aSwiss lady of experience and culture. For four years this ladyresided in the house with little Nastia, and then the educationwas considered complete. The governess took her departure, andanother lady came down to fetch Nastia, by Totski's instructions.The child was now transported to another of Totski's estates in adistant part of the country. Here she found a delightful littlehouse, just built, and prepared for her reception with great careand taste; and here she took up her abode together with the ladywho had accompanied her from her old home. In the house therewere two experienced maids, musical instruments of all sorts, acharming "young lady's library," pictures, paint-boxes, a lap-dog, and everything to make life agreeable. Within a fortnightTotski himself arrived, and from that time he appeared to havetaken a great fancy to this part of the world and came down eachsummer, staying two and three months at a time. So passed fouryears peacefully and happily, in charming surroundings.
At the end of that time, and about four months after Totski'slast visit (he had stayed but a fortnight on this occasion), areport reached Nastasia Philipovna that he was about to bemarried in St. Petersburg, to a rich, eminent, and lovely woman.The report was only partially true, the marriage project beingonly in an embryo condition; but a great change now came overNastasia Philipovna. She suddenly displayed unusual decision ofcharacter; and without wasting time in thought, she left hercountry home and came up to St. Petersburg, straight to Totski'shouse, all alone.
extremest type, realized that he had no chancethere; Aglaya was clearly not for such as he. decision ofcharacter!
The latter, amazed at her conduct, began to express hisdispleasure; but he very soon became aware that he must changehis voice, style, and everything else, with this young lady; thegood old times were gone. An entirely new and different woman satbefore him, between whom and the girl he had left in the countrylast July there seemed nothing in common.
Her character was absolutely changed. No more of the girlishalternations of timidity and petulance, the adorable naivete, thereveries, the tears, the playfulness... It was an entirely new andhitherto unknown being who now sat and laughed at him, andinformed him to his face that she had never had the faintestfeeling for him of any kind, except loathing and contempt--contempt which had followed closely upon her sensations ofsurprise and bewilderment after her first acquaintance with him.
This new woman gave him further to understand that though it wasabsolutely the same to her whom he married, yet she had decidedto prevent this marriage--for no particular reason, but that shechose to do so, and because she wished to amuse herself at hisexpense for that it was "quite her turn to laugh a little now!"
children of his Germanbailiff. Very soon, however, there was only one of them left-Nastasia Philipovna--for the other little.
Meanwhile, Totski thought the matter over as well as hisscattered ideas would permit. His meditations lasted a fortnight,however, and at the end of that time his resolution was taken.The fact was, Totski was at that time a man of fifty years ofage; his position was solid and respectable; his place in societyhad long been firmly fixed upon safe foundations; he lovedhimself, his personal comforts, and his position better than allthe world, as every respectable gentleman should!
At the same time his grasp of things in general soon showedTotski that he now had to deal with a being who was outside thepale of the ordinary rules of traditional behaviour, and whowould not only threaten mischief but would undoubtedly carry itout, and stop for no one.
There was evidently, he concluded, something at work here; somestorm of the mind, some paroxysm of romantic anger, goodnessknows against whom or what, some insatiable contempt--in a word,something altogether absurd and impossible, but at the same timemost dangerous to be met with by any respectable person with aposition in society to keep up.
For a man of Totski's wealth and standing, it would, of course,have been the simplest possible matter to take steps which wouldrid him at once from all annoyance; while it was obviouslyimpossible for Nastasia Philipovna to harm him in any way, eitherlegally or by stirring up a scandal, for, in case of the latterdanger, he could so easily remove her to a sphere of safety.However, these arguments would only hold good in case of Nastasiaacting as others might in such an emergency. She was much morelikely to overstep the bounds of reasonable conduct by someextraordinary eccentricity.
Here the sound judgment of Totski stood him in good stead. Herealized that Nastasia Philipovna must be well aware that shecould do nothing by legal means to injure him, and that herflashing eyes betrayed some entirely different intention.
at the idea of being murdered, or wounded, orinsulted, as at .
Nastasia Philipovna was quite capable of ruining herself, andeven of perpetrating something which would send her to Siberia,for the mere pleasure of injuring a man for whom she haddeveloped so inhuman a sense of loathing and contempt. He hadsufficient insight to understand that she valued nothing in theworld--herself least of all--and he made no attempt to concealthe fact that he was a coward in some respects. For instance, ifhe had been told that he would be stabbed at the altar, orpublicly insulted, he would undoubtedly have been frightened; butnot so much at the idea of being murdered, or wounded, orinsulted, as at the thought that if such things were to happen hewould be made to look ridiculous in the eyes of society.
He knew well that Nastasia thoroughly understood him and where towound him and how, and therefore, as the marriage was still onlyin embryo, Totski decided to conciliate her by giving it up. Hisdecision was strengthened by the fact that Nastasia Philipovnahad curiously altered of late. It would be difficult to conceivehow different she was physically, at the present time, to thegirl of a few years ago. She was pretty then . . . but now! . . .Totski laughed angrily when he thought how short-sighted he hadbeen. In days gone by he remembered how he had looked at herbeautiful eyes, how even then he had marvelled at their darkmysterious depths, and at their wondering gaze which seemed toseek an answer to some unknown riddle. Her complexion also hadaltered. She was now exceedingly pale, but, curiously, thischange only made her more beautiful. Like most men of the world,Totski had rather despised such a cheaply-bought conquest, but oflate years he had begun to think differently about it. It hadstruck him as long ago as last spring that he ought to be findinga good match for Nastasia; for instance, some respectable andreasonable young fellow serving in a government office in anotherpart of the country. How maliciously Nastasia laughed at the ideaof such a thing, now!
However, it appeared to Totski that he might make use of her inanother way; and he determined to establish her in St.Petersburg, surrounding her with all the comforts and luxuriesthat his wealth could command. In this way he might gain glory incertain circles.
Five years of this Petersburg life went by, and, of course,during that time a great deal happened. Totski's position wasvery uncomfortable; having "funked" once, he could not totallyregain his ease. He was afraid, he did not know why, but he wassimply afraid of Nastasia Philipovna. For the first two years orso he had suspected that she wished to marry him herself, andthat only her vanity prevented her telling him so. He thoughtthat she wanted him to approach her with a humble proposal fromhis own side, But to his great, and not entirely pleasurableamazement, he discovered that this was by no means the case, andthat were he to offer himself he would be refused. He could notunderstand such a state of things, and was obliged to concludethat it was pride, the pride of an injured and imaginative woman,which had gone to such lengths that it preferred to sit and nurseits contempt and hatred in solitude rather than mount to heightsof hitherto unattainable splendour. To make matters worse, shewas quite impervious to mercenary considerations, and could notbe bribed in any way.
Finally, Totski took cunning means to try to break his chains andbe free. He tried to tempt her in various ways to lose her heart;he invited princes, hussars, secretaries of embassies, poets,novelists, even Socialists, to see her; but not one of them allmade the faintest impression upon Nastasia. It was as though shehad a pebble in place of a heart, as though her feelings andaffections were dried up and withered for ever.
She lived almost entirely alone; she read, she studied, she lovedmusic. Her principal acquaintances were poor women of variousgrades, a couple of actresses, and the family of a poorschoolteacher. Among these people she was much beloved.
She received four or five friends sometimes, of an evening.Totski often came. Lately, too, General Epanchin had been enabledwith great difficulty to introduce himself into her circle. Ganiamade her acquaintance also, and others were Ferdishenko, an ill-bred, and would-be witty, young clerk, and Ptitsin, a money-lender of modest and polished manners, who had risen frompoverty. In fact, Nastasia Philipovna's beauty became a thingknown to all the town; but not a single man could boast ofanything more than his own admiration for her; and thisreputation of hers, and her wit and culture and grace, allconfirmed Totski in the plan he had now prepared.