A Reckless Character | Page 2

a matter of course," did not understand her; but she respected, she tolerated him; and as she was a thoroughly honest and perfectly cold being, she never once so much as thought of any other "object." Moreover, she was constantly engrossed by anxieties: in the first place, over her really feeble health; in the second place, over the health of her husband, whose fits always inspired her with something akin to superstitious terror; and, in conclusion, over her only son, M��sha, whom she reared herself with great zeal. Andr��i Nikol��evitch did not prevent his wife's busying herself with M��sha--but on one condition: she was never, under any circumstances, to depart from the limits, which had been defined once for all, wherein everything in his house must revolve! Thus, for example: during the Christmas holidays and Vas��ly's evening preceding the New Year, M��sha was not only permitted to dress up in costume along with the other "lads,"--doing so was even imposed upon him as an obligation....[4] On the other hand, God forbid that he should do it at any other time! And so forth, and so forth.

II
I remember this M��sha at the age of thirteen. He was a very comely lad with rosy little cheeks and soft little lips (and altogether he was soft and plump), with somewhat prominent, humid eyes; carefully brushed and coifed--a regular little girl!--There was only one thing about him which displeased me: he laughed rarely; but when he did laugh his teeth, which were large, white, and pointed like those of a wild animal, displayed themselves unpleasantly; his very laugh had a sharp and even fierce--almost brutal--ring to it; and evil flashes darted athwart his eyes. His mother always boasted of his being so obedient and polite, and that he was not fond of consorting with naughty boys, but always was more inclined to feminine society.
"He is his mother's son, an effeminate fellow," his father, Andr��i Nikol��evitch, was wont to say of him:--"but, on the other hand, he likes to go to God's church.... And that delights me."
Only one old neighbour, a former commissary of the rural police, once said in my presence concerning M��sha:--"Good gracious! he will turn out a rebel." And I remember that that word greatly surprised me at the time. The former commissary of police, it is true, had a habit of descrying rebels everywhere.
Just this sort of exemplary youth did M��sha remain until the age of eighteen,--until the death of his parents, whom he lost on almost one and the same day. As I resided constantly in Moscow, I heard nothing about my young relative. Some one who came to town from his government did, it is true, inform me that M��sha had sold his ancestral estate for a song; but this bit of news seemed to me altogether too incredible!--And lo! suddenly, one autumn morning, into the courtyard of my house dashes a calash drawn by a pair of splendid trotters, with a monstrous coachman on the box; and in the calash, wrapped in a cloak of military cut with a two-arsh��n[5] beaver collar, and a fatigue-cap over one ear--_�� la diable m'emporte_--sits M��sha!
On catching sight of me (I was standing at the drawing-room window and staring in amazement at the equipage which had dashed in), he burst into his sharp laugh, and jauntily shaking the lapels of his cloak, he sprang out of the calash and ran into the house.
"M��sha! Mikha��l Andr��evitch!" I was beginning ... "is it you?"
"Call me 'thou' and 'M��sha,'" he interrupted me.--"'Tis I ... 'tis I, in person.... I have come to Moscow ... to take a look at people ... and to show myself. So I have dropped in on you.--What do you think of my trotters?... Hey?" Again he laughed loudly.
Although seven years had elapsed since I had seen M��sha for the last time, yet I recognised him on the instant.--His face remained thoroughly youthful and as comely as of yore; his moustache had not even sprouted; but under his eyes on his cheeks a puffiness had made its appearance, and an odour of liquor proceeded from his mouth.
"And hast thou been long in Moscow?" I inquired.--"I supposed that thou wert off there in the country, managing thy estate...."
"Eh! I immediately got rid of the village!--As soon as my parents died,--may the kingdom of heaven be theirs,"--(M��sha crossed himself with sincerity, without the slightest hypocrisy)--"I instantly, without the slightest delay ... _ein, zwei, drei_! Ha-ha! I let it go cheap, the rascally thing! Such a scoundrel turned up.--Well, never mind! At all events, I shall live at my ease--and amuse others.--But why do you stare at me so?--Do you really think that I ought to have spun the affair out indefinitely?... My dear relative, can't I have a drink?"
M��sha talked with frightful rapidity,