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Updated: June 1, 2025
"I will wait here," he stammered. "I should like to surprise her. ...." Colia entered first, and as the door stood open, the mistress of the house peeped out. The surprise of the general's imagination fell very flat, for she at once began to address him in terms of reproach. Marfa Borisovna was about forty years of age.
And now go, go, good-bye, you had better not stay here!" she added, in alarm, as he turned as though to come back. "Don't go after him just now, Colia, or he'll be vexed, and the benefit of this moment will be lost!" said the prince, as the boy was hurrying out of the room. "Quite true! Much better to go in half an hour or so said Mrs. Epanchin.
They parted on affectionate terms, and, without speaking of what had happened, Colia promised to come very early the next day. He said later that the prince had given no hint of his intentions when they said good-bye, but had hidden them even from him. Soon there was hardly anyone left in the house. Burdovsky had gone to see Hippolyte; Keller and Lebedeff had wandered off together somewhere.
The prince seemed quite distracted for the moment. "You must tell me all about it tomorrow! Don't be afraid. I wish you success; we agree so entirely I that can do so, although I do not understand why you are here. Good-bye!" cried Colia excitedly. "Now I will rush back and tell Hippolyte all about our plans and proposals! But as to your getting in don't be in the least afraid. You will see her.
"What on earth does all this mean? What's he going to read?" muttered several voices. Others said nothing; but one and all sat down and watched with curiosity. They began to think something strange might really be about to happen. Vera stood and trembled behind her father's chair, almost in tears with fright; Colia was nearly as much alarmed as she was.
Every one of them had heard the snap of the trigger, and yet they saw a live and apparently unharmed man before them. Hippolyte himself sat quite unconscious of what was going on, and gazed around with a senseless expression. Lebedeff and Colia came rushing up at this moment. "What is it?" someone asked, breathlessly "A misfire?" "Perhaps it wasn't loaded," said several voices.
Colia insisted, in discussing the matter with his mother, that all this was but the outcome of abstinence from drink, or perhaps of pining after Lebedeff, with whom up to this time the general had been upon terms of the greatest friendship; but with whom, for some reason or other, he had quarrelled a few days since, parting from him in great wrath. There had also been a scene with the prince.
The next annoying circumstance was when an apparently strong and healthy young fellow, well dressed, and smiling, came forward to meet her on the terrace, instead of the half-dying unfortunate whom she had expected to see. She was astonished and vexed, and her disappointment pleased Colia immensely.
Colia had asked an explanation of the latter, but had been forced to conclude that he was not told the whole truth. If Hippolyte and Nina Alexandrovna had, as Gania suspected, had some special conversation about the general's actions, it was strange that the malicious youth, whom Gania had called a scandal-monger to his face, had not allowed himself a similar satisfaction with Colia.
"I dare swear that you went up to town yesterday on purpose to get the little wretch to do you the great honour of coming to stay at your house. You did go up to town, you know you did you said so yourself! Now then, did you, or did you not, go down on your knees and beg him to come, confess!" "No, he didn't, for I saw it all myself," said Colia.
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