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The bushy, frightful eyebrows of Emma Edwardovna rose upward; the eyes widened joyously; and a real, uncounterfeited smile spread over her cheeks of a behemoth. She quickly extended both hands to Tamara. "And is this all? O, MEIN KIND? And I thought ... God knows what I imagined!
Tamara bore this gaze without turning away, without flinching; but without any expression on her face. Then the new proprietress put down her hand, produced on her face something resembling a smile, and said hoarsely: "And with you, Tamara, I must have a little talk separately, eye to eye. Let's go!" "I hear you, Emma Edwardovna!" calmly answered Tamara.
"Don't know him, someone who's an entire stranger," she says in a low voice. "He has never been in our place. Some daddy or other, fat, in gold eye-glasses and a uniform." Emma Edwardovna commands in a voice which sounds like a summoning cavalry trumpet: "Ladies, into the drawing room! Into the drawing room, ladies!"
But there was no answer of any sort. All exchanged glances with fear in their eyes, with one and the same thought in mind. Emma Edwardovna shook the door by the brass knob, but the door did not yield. "Go after Simeon!" Anna Markovna directed. Simeon was called ... He came, sleepy and morose, as was his wont.
But Lichonin, in answer to this professional beggary, only nodded his head gravely and good-naturedly, just like Emma Edwardovna, and repeated over and over again, mimicking her German accent: "Itt can pe done, itt can pe done, itt can pe done..." "Then I will tell the waiter, honey, to carry my friend some sweets and apples?" pestered Vera.
In order to be useful in some way, he has learned, through self-instruction, to play the fiddle, and now at night plays dance tunes, as well as a funeral march for shopmen far gone on a spree and craving some maudlin tears. Then, there are the two housekeepers senior and junior. The senior is Emma Edwardovna.
"Jennechka, you're so clever, so brave, so kind; beg Emma Edwardovna for me the little housekeeper will listen to you," she implored Jennka and kissed her bare shoulders and wetted them with tears. "She won't listen to anybody," gloomily answered Jennka. "And you did have to tie up with a fool and a low-down fellow like that." "Jennechka, but you yourself advised me to," timidly retorted Liubka.
Emma Edwardovna started nodding her head willingly, just like an old, fat circus horse. "It can be done ... it can be done ... Pass this way, gentlemen, into the parlor. It can be done, it can be done ... What liqueur? We have only Benedictine ... Benedictine, then? It can be done, it can be done ... And will you allow the young ladies to come in?" "Well, if that is so indispensable?"
Then Tamara, just released by the doctor, moved a little forward and said: "She isn't here. She hasn't had a chance to get herself ready yet. Excuse me, Mr. Doctor, I'll go right away and call her." She ran into the corridor and did not return for a long time. After her went, at first Emma Edwardovna, then Zociya, several girls, and even Anna Markovna herself.
The girls, dressed only in their chemises, stockings, and slippers, were standing and sitting at a distance. Nearer the table was standing the proprietress herself Anna Markovna while a little behind her were Emma Edwardovna and Zociya.
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