登陆注册
5382300000138

第138章 CHAPTER XXI(2)

But what kind of service? Ivan had no natural inclination for any kind of activity. The project of entering him as a Junker in a cavalry regiment, the colonel of which was an old friend of the family, did not at all please him. He had no love for military service, and positively disliked the prospect of an examination.

Whilst seeming, therefore, to bow implicitly to the paternal authority, he induced his mother to oppose the scheme.

The dilemma in which Ivan found himself was this: in deference to his father he wished to be in the service and gain that official rank which every Russian noble desires to possess, and at the same time, in deference to his mother and his own tastes, he wished to remain at home and continue his indolent mode of life. The Marshal of the Noblesse, who happened to call one day, helped him out of the difficulty by offering to inscribe him as secretary in the Dvoryanskaya Opeka, a bureau which acts as curator for the estates of minors. All the duties of this office could be fulfilled by a paid secretary, and the nominal occupant would be periodically promoted as if he were an active official. This was precisely what Ivan required. He accepted eagerly the proposal, and obtained, in the course of seven years, without any effort on his part, the rank of "collegiate secretary," corresponding to the "capitaine-en-

second" of the military hierarchy. To mount higher he would have had to seek some place where he could not have fulfilled his duty by proxy, so he determined to rest on his laurels, and sent in his resignation.

Immediately after the termination of his official life his married life began. Before his resignation had been accepted he suddenly found himself one morning on the high road to matrimony. Here again there was no effort on his part. The course of true love, which is said never to run smooth for ordinary mortals, ran smooth for him. He never had even the trouble of proposing. The whole affair was arranged by his parents, who chose as bride for their son the only daughter of their nearest neighbour. The young lady was only about sixteen years of age, and was not remarkable for beauty, talent, or any other peculiarity, but she had one very important qualification--she was the daughter of a man who had an estate contiguous to their own, and who might give as a dowry a certain bit of land which they had long desired to add to their own property. The negotiations, being of a delicate nature, were entrusted to an old lady who had a great reputation for diplomatic skill in such matters, and she accomplished her mission with such success that in the course of a few weeks the preliminaries were arranged and the day fixed for the wedding. Thus Ivan Ivan'itch won his bride as easily as he had won his tchin of "collegiate secretary."

Though the bridegroom had received rather than taken to himself a wife, and did not imagine for a moment that he was in love, he had no reason to regret the choice that was made for him. Maria Petrovna was exactly suited by character and education to be the wife of a man like Ivan Ivan'itch. She had grown up at home in the society of nurses and servant-maids, and had never learned anything more than could be obtained from the parish priest and from "Ma'mselle," a personage occupying a position midway between a servant-maid and a governess. The first events of her life were the announcement that she was to be married and the preparations for the wedding. She still remembers the delight which the purchase of her trousseau afforded her, and keeps in her memory a full catalogue of the articles bought. The first years of her married life were not very happy, for she was treated by her mother-in-law as a naughty child who required to be frequently snubbed and lectured; but she bore the discipline with exemplary patience, and in due time became her own mistress and autocratic ruler in all domestic affairs. From that time she has lived an active, uneventful life. Between her and her husband there is as much mutual attachment as can reasonably be expected in phlegmatic natures after half a century of matrimony. She has always devoted her energies to satisfying his simple material wants--of intellectual wants he has none--and securing his comfort in every possible way. Under this fostering care he "effeminated himself"

(obabilsya), as he is wont to say. His love of shooting died out, he cared less and less to visit his neighbours, and each successive year he spent more and more time in his comfortable arm-chair.

同类推荐
  • 诗镜总论

    诗镜总论

    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。
  • 根本说一切有部毗奈耶羯耻那衣事

    根本说一切有部毗奈耶羯耻那衣事

    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。
  • 孔易阐真

    孔易阐真

    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。
  • 祁生天缘奇遇

    祁生天缘奇遇

    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。
  • 晏子春秋集释

    晏子春秋集释

    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
  • 傲妃谋略

    傲妃谋略

    她,是现代让人闻风丧胆的头号通缉犯--慕容小小一朝惊梦,睁开眼那一瞬间,成了慕容世家十一小姐。听取慕容老爷的话,阴差阳错嫁入段王府痴傻的段王爷为妃.她横眉傲视天下:伤我夫者,死!一袭将军袍,坐在马背上捧着大肚子的少女,英姿飒爽的举起长枪,低吼一声:“若不交出我相公,就别怪老娘下手无情。”当他登上皇位,谁料婆婆当众揭穿她冒牌千金身份,为夫夺回皇权,而她非是一国之母。皇宫三千佳丽,她算什么?到头来只是一场梦。他自小被御赐凌王,一双狡长黑眸,受尽冷暖,外表疯疯癫癫,内心睿智冷冽,直到她选择离开他后,他的心随之被掏空,他心会追随她,无法再放开手。“如果不能重新来过,就算是死,你也只能属于我的。”他是楚国的大皇子,一双罕见金瞳,看穿人心,从来都是呼风唤雨的他,在遇到她那一时学会了忍气吞声,用那颗赤热的心融化那颗冰冷的心,他这辈子赖定她了。“如果你觉得所做决定是对的,那我一直都会在你身后支持你。”穿越异国,是巧合还是命中注定?当前夫咄咄逼人追求,面对太子爷似水柔情,她将如何做选择?月光简介无能,请乃们直接点击看文,喜欢请【收藏】【留言】推荐师傅的新文:呆子王妃好友连接:神秘逃妻(好文)庶女狂妃(女强文)便宜郡主妾室谋略惹火黑帮冷主三个总裁一个蜜重生校园之商女
  • 几乎爱人

    几乎爱人

    成年人的爱情,是Tom Ford口红的致命吸引,是双人舞的信赖和专注,是Harry Winston的庄重承诺,然而更多的,是略丧的“人生如梦,际遇无常”。在这本书里,他和她于陌生的异国相遇,是知己,是神交,是一生所爱,但他们没有在一起;他和她于宿命的窄巷相遇,纠缠半生,浩荡起伏,但他们没有在一起;他和她于污浊的职场相遇,一见钟情,灵肉合一,但他们没有在一起……这些他们,几乎成了爱人。几乎,就是没有。没有也没关系,因为——有些人不属于自己,但遇见了也很好。
  • 长安我许你一世长安

    长安我许你一世长安

    在这几年里,她总要独自前行,谁都不知道她真正的伤口。直到那天,他像一束暖阳照进她的心房。当她爱上他时,现实是多么的苍白。我们在青春得到爱,又在成长中失去爱。butlalwaysloveyouasbefore———我爱你,天知地知你知我知。———拼我性命,护你周全。———长安啊,我许你一世长安·····我不是喜欢你,我只是无法失去你。林长安啊,我想许你一世,安然无恙。
  • 故事会(2018年2月下)

    故事会(2018年2月下)

    《故事会》是中国最通俗的民间文学小本杂志,是中国的老牌刊物之一。先后获得两届中国期刊的最高奖——国家期刊奖。1998年,它在世界综合类期刊中发行量排名第5。从1984年开始,《故事会》由双月刊改为月刊,2003年11月份开始试行半月刊,2007年正式改为半月刊。现分为红、绿两版,其中红版为上半月刊,绿版为下半月刊。
  • 重生魔女之繁花锦绣

    重生魔女之繁花锦绣

    前世,她是最窝囊的魔君之女,被所信之人欺骗,所爱之人抛弃;今生,她携天界圣物归来,敌在明,她在暗,该如何逆转自己的结局?
  • 至仙道

    至仙道

    李春明,本是娇贵的豪门少爷,一夜之间被人灭门,沦落成乞丐,却不想偶然救了修真仙人,获得修真奇法“庚金诀”,从此踏上一条不归的求仙之路。仙道茫茫,物竞天择。没有最强,只有更强……人法地、地法天,天法道,道法自然……叱咤修真界,驰骋仙界,乃为至仙之道也。
  • 网游之数据为王

    网游之数据为王

    一副融合进眼球的隐形眼镜,让余枫得到了一个神奇的能力。只要他愿意,在他的眼中,游戏中的一个个11C、一个个的玩家、一只只的怪物,一切都能看成一堆堆二进制数据。游戏库中的一切数据,完全展露到他的面前。这个地方能采集出什么东西、这个时间锻造武器成功率是多少、这个玩家接下来准备发什么技能、这个怪物的特点跟爆率是什么,一切都有数据可参!意外的能力,让余枫注定走上一条不同于常人的升级道路。越级副本、单杀BOSS、隐藏任务……一切从不可能变成了可能!只因:网游世界,数据为王!
  • 重生嫡女复仇忙

    重生嫡女复仇忙

    前世惨遭渣男庶妹虐待而死,为了渣男付出一切,到最后却连自己的家人都害死,重来一世,定要手刃仇人。
  • 百年“厚得福”

    百年“厚得福”

    厚德福是哈尔滨的著名老饭庄,在上世纪三四十年代被誉为哈埠三大饭庄之一,与另外两大饭庄新世界和宴宾楼齐名。与新世界和宴宾楼饭庄不同,厚德福是北京厚德福饭庄在哈埠的一家分号。1929年7月25日创办,地址在今天道外区南六道街1号,其旧址仍然有一部分保留到现在,成为这座城市的保护建筑。在素有“东方莫斯科”之称的哈尔滨,当年厚德福与新世界和宴宾楼各领风骚,食客云集,生意兴隆。许多老辈儿人现在还耳熟能详,对饭庄的美味佳肴,如糖醋溜瓦块鱼、铁锅蛋、纸包鸡、焖炉烤鸭等,特别是两道绝菜:扒熊掌和烧鹿筋,更是让人赞不绝口。
  • 大悲心陀罗尼修行念诵略仪

    大悲心陀罗尼修行念诵略仪

    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。