United States or Åland ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The object of his passion was a niece of Winterkeller's, a fair-haired, pretty little German, with a chubby, almost childish little face, and confidingly soft blue eyes. She was very kind and sentimental: she loved Mattison, Uhland, and Schiller, and repeated their verses very sweetly in her timid, musical voice. Pasinkov's love was of the most platonic.
'Yasha! I cried at last; 'what's wrong with you? 'Nothing, he answered in a faint voice; 'I'm a bit feeble. What chance brought you here? I sat down on a chair beside Pasinkov's bed, and, never letting his hands out of my hands, I began gazing into his face. I recognised the features I loved; the expression of the eyes and the smile were unchanged; but what a wreck illness had made of him!
This Masha, her relations with Pasinkov, his letters, the hidden love of Sophia Nikolaevna's sister for him.... 'Poor fellow! poor fellow! I whispered, with a catching in my breath. I thought of all Pasinkov's life, his childhood, his youth, Fraeulein Frederike.... 'Well, I thought, 'much fate gave to thee! much cause for joy! Next day I went again to see Sophia Nikolaevna.
The gloomy light of a night light, set on the floor, and shaded off by a book, lay, an unmoving patch on the ceiling; Pasinkov's face seemed paler than ever in the half darkness. I went up to him, called him by his name he did not answer. I began listening to his whispering: he was talking of Siberia, of its forests. From time to time there was sense in his ravings.
'Give her money, I thought; 'but how's one to do it? 'Listen, Maria Petrovna, I began, not without faltering; 'you must, please, excuse me, but you know from Pasinkov's own words what a friend of his I was ... won't you allow me to offer you for the immediate present a small sum? ... Masha glanced at me. 'What? she asked. 'Aren't you in want of money? I said.
'Here, look. She took several letters out of her pocket, and handed them to me. 'Read them, she added. I opened one letter and recognised Pasinkov's hand. I'll tell you what I was thinking; I was thinking how nice it would be for Masha to learn to read and write! She could make out this letter ... Masha glanced at the letter.
I've never spoken of it to any one, to any one in the world, and I never meant to ... but there! "On earth, so they tell me, I have not long to stay." ... What does it matter? Pasinkov's unexpected avowal so utterly astonished me that I could positively say nothing. I could only wonder, 'Is it possible? how was it I never suspected it?
There was a slight noise in the passage. I opened the door quickly. The doctor was already coming out of Pasinkov's room. 'Well? I questioned him in a whisper. 'It's all right. I have prescribed a mixture. 'I have decided, doctor, to send to the chief town. I have no doubt of your skill, but as you're aware, two heads are better than one.
'Yes, he was delirious last night, too; only to-day it is something terrible. I went to Pasinkov's room. He was not lying down, but sitting up in bed, his whole body bent forward. He was slowly gesticulating with his hands, smiling and talking, talking all the time in a weak, hollow voice, like the whispering of rushes. His eyes were wandering.
I recalled Asanov's visit after the fatal dinner, Pasinkov's intervention, and I could not help flinging up my hands in astonishment. 'You learnt it all from me, poor fellow! I cried; 'and you undertook to go and see her then!
Word Of The Day