登陆注册
5251300000060

第60章 VI(5)

My uncle stooped down rapidly and sniffed at a tulip. Everything he saw moved him to rapture and excitement, as though he had never been in a garden on a sunny day before. The queer man moved about as though he were on springs, and chattered incessantly, without allowing mother to utter a single word. All of a sudden Pobyedimsky came into sight from behind an elder-tree at the turn of the avenue. His appearance was so unexpected that my uncle positively started and stepped back a pace. On this occasion my tutor was attired in his best Inverness cape with sleeves, in which, especially back-view, he looked remarkably like a windmill. He had a solemn and majestic air. Pressing his hat to his bosom in Spanish style, he took a step towards my uncle and made a bow such as a marquis makes in a melodrama, bending forward, a little to one side.

"I have the honour to present myself to your high excellency," he said aloud: "the teacher and instructor of your nephew, formerly a pupil of the veterinary institute, and a nobleman by birth, Pobyedimsky!"

This politeness on the part of my tutor pleased my mother very much. She gave a smile, and waited in thrilled suspense to hear what clever thing he would say next; but my tutor, expecting his dignified address to be answered with equal dignity -- that is, that my uncle would say "H'm!" like a general and hold out two fingers -- was greatly confused and abashed when the latter laughed genially and shook hands with him. He muttered something incoherent, cleared his throat, and walked away.

"Come! isn't that charming?" laughed my uncle. "Just look! he has made his little flourish and thinks he's a very clever fellow! I do like that -- upon my soul I do! What youthful aplomb, what life in that foolish flourish! And what boy is this?" he asked, suddenly turning and looking at me.

"That is my Andryushenka," my mother introduced me, flushing crimson. "My consolation. . ."

I made a scrape with my foot on the sand and dropped a low bow.

"A fine fellow . . . a fine fellow . . ." muttered my uncle, taking his hand from my lips and stroking me on the head. "So your name is Andrusha? Yes, yes. . . . H'm! . . . upon my soul! .

. . Do you learn lessons?"

My mother, exaggerating and embellishing as all mothers do, began to describe my achievements in the sciences and the excellence of my behaviour, and I walked round my uncle and, following the ceremonial laid down for me, I continued making low bows. Then my mother began throwing out hints that with my remarkable abilities it would not be amiss for me to get a government nomination to the cadet school; but at the point when I was to have burst into tears and begged for my uncle's protection, my uncle suddenly stopped and flung up his hands in amazement.

"My goo-oodness! What's that?" he asked.

Tatyana Ivanovna, the wife of our bailiff, Fyodor Petrovna, was coming towards us. She was carrying a starched white petticoat and a long ironing-board. As she passed us she looked shyly at the visitor through her eyelashes and flushed crimson.

"Wonders will never cease . . ." my uncle filtered through his teeth, looking after her with friendly interest. "You have a fresh surprise at every step, sister . . . upon my soul!"

"She's a beauty . . ." said mother. "They chose her as a bride for Fyodor, though she lived over seventy miles from here. . . ."

Not every one would have called Tatyana a beauty. She was a plump little woman of twenty, with black eyebrows and a graceful figure, always rosy and attractive-looking, but in her face and in her whole person there was not one striking feature, not one bold line to catch the eye, as though nature had lacked inspiration and confidence when creating her. Tatyana Ivanovna was shy, bashful, and modest in her behaviour; she moved softly and smoothly, said little, seldom laughed, and her whole life was as regular as her face and as flat as her smooth, tidy hair. My uncle screwed up his eyes looking after her, and smiled. Mother looked intently at his smiling face and grew serious.

"And so, brother, you've never married!" she sighed.

"No; I've not married."

"Why not?" asked mother softly.

"How can I tell you? It has happened so. In my youth I was too hard at work, I had no time to live, and when I longed to live --I looked round -- and there I had fifty years on my back already.

I was too late! However, talking about it . . . is depressing."

My mother and my uncle both sighed at once and walked on, and I left them and flew off to find my tutor, that I might share my impressions with him. Pobyedimsky was standing in the middle of the yard, looking majestically at the heavens.

"One can see he is a man of culture!" he said, twisting his head round. "I hope we shall get on together."

An hour later mother came to us.

"I am in trouble, my dears!" she began, sighing. "You see brother has brought a valet with him, and the valet, God bless him, is not one you can put in the kitchen or in the hall; we must give him a room apart. I can't think what I am to do! I tell you what, children, couldn't you move out somewhere -- to Fyodor's lodge, for instance -- and give your room to the valet? What do you say?"

We gave our ready consent, for living in the lodge was a great deal more free than in the house, under mother's eye.

"It's a nuisance, and that's a fact!" said mother. "Brother says he won't have dinner in the middle of the day, but between six and seven, as they do in Petersburg. I am simply distracted with worry! By seven o'clock the dinner will be done to rags in the oven. Really, men don't understand anything about housekeeping, though they have so much intellect. Oh, dear! we shall have to cook two dinners every day! You will have dinner at midday as before, children, while your poor old mother has to wait till seven, for the sake of her brother."

同类推荐
  • THE WAR IN THE AIR

    THE WAR IN THE AIR

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西湖游览志余

    西湖游览志余

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Uncles Josh's Punkin Centre Stories

    Uncles Josh's Punkin Centre Stories

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三时伏气外感篇

    三时伏气外感篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Brother Jacob

    Brother Jacob

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 超强兵王在都市

    超强兵王在都市

    三年前,他为了一个女人闯下大祸,被迫服役三年。三年后,他王者归来,这个女人却已转投仇人怀抱,最好的兄弟也因此家破人亡。这一生很简单,天在上地在下,兄弟在心中,爱人在怀中,便足矣。这一生不简单,神挡杀神,佛挡杀佛,我愿屠尽三千世界,让这天下再无可阻我之物!书友群已建好,河帅1群:39836259,朋友们可以进群与河帅一起商讨剧情啦~~
  • 鱼篮宝卷

    鱼篮宝卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 下堂悍妇:君王前夫惹不得

    下堂悍妇:君王前夫惹不得

    若是不相逢,又将如何?今夕何夕,君已陌路。心生乱,意难忘,理不清寸寸愁绪;恨只恨,情之一字误苍生。这是一个由电视剧宝莲灯观后感叹延续出来的故事
  • 世界各地的他

    世界各地的他

    苏孑:“系统,你能不能靠点谱,怎么每次任务都在你的意料之外?”系统:“宿主,我只是个系统,这无权无势的我也控制不住我自己”攻略目标:“没事,我喜欢就好”
  • 不服输的人生,不会输!

    不服输的人生,不会输!

    不服外貌的输——她从168斤的胖妹,半年,变身成为98斤的苗条靓女;不服职场的输——她从不被看好的公关实习生,5年间,成为国际奢侈品助理公关经理、公关公司副总裁;不服爱情的输——她从“爱情绝缘体”,变身“幸福小妇人”,成功获得暗恋11年男生的芳心;不服人际的输——她从没人看好的丑小鸭,成为备受欢迎的白天鹅,上百家媒体争相报道;不服自己的输——她是公司高管、节目主持人、畅销书作者、形象大使……身兼数职,样样不服输的贾玮写下首本励志书《不服输的人生,不会输!》。
  • 图解曾国藩家书

    图解曾国藩家书

    《曾国藩家书》记录了曾国藩在清道光三十年至同治十年前后达30年的翰苑经历和从武生涯,包含书信近1500封,所涉及的内容极为广泛,小到人际琐事和家庭生计的指陈,大到进德修业、定国安邦之道的阐述.是曾国藩一生的主要活动和其治政、治家、治学之道的精要总结。
  • 力绝神途

    力绝神途

    神秘女子,崖洞托孤,少年昊天一身洪荒之力,只身闯荡大千世界,揭秘身世的同时,一步步打开一个全新的世界。
  • 已畦琐语

    已畦琐语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 囚宠逃妃:殿下别撩火

    囚宠逃妃:殿下别撩火

    他,绝世风貌,痞性邪魅强势霸道却唯独只对她。她,美貌如仙,虐他,气他,刺激他,最后一跑了之。有一天,她憋了很久,说道:“喂,人妖,你能不能不要每晚都占我的床睡觉,本来我就嫌床小。”他邪魅一笑,说道:“要不为夫在下,你在上,这样就够宽敞了。”她捂额,汗颜,“你能再无耻点吗?”话音落,他欺压上身,痞性十足,“原来娘子是嫌弃为夫不够无耻呀,为夫这就给你来点猛的。”说罢,床咯吱声响彻不停......前世今生,皆有因果,因果循环,因为情债难还。1V1强势宠,爽甜到爆!
  • 兵行异世

    兵行异世

    他是少林弃徒。他是黑拳高手。他是一件彻头彻尾的兵器。兵者,诡道也,兵行天下,傲视群雄。人生总有许多无法回避的身不由己,屈怀戈为了自己的目标而努力成为一个强者,但他能否摆脱自己是一件“兵器”的事实?当懵懂的主角经历了生存与死亡,爱情与背叛,他究竟会有怎样的选择?