Liza | Page 7

be. Properly brought-up
people should of course be ashamed to speak German really well; but
to throw out a German word now and then, and generally on facetious
topics--that is allowable; "c'est même très chic," as the Petersburg
Parisians say. Moreover, by the time Vladimir Nikolaevich was fifteen,
he already knew how to enter any drawing-room whatsoever without
becoming nervous, how to move about it in an agreeable manner, and
how to take his leave exactly at the right moment.
The elder Panshine made a number of useful connections for his son;
while shuffling the cards between two rubbers, or after a lucky "Great
Schlemm,"[A] he never lost the opportunity of saying a word about his
young "Volodka" to some important personage, a lover of games of
skill. On his part, Vladimir Nikolaevich, during the period of his stay at
the university, which he left with the rank of "effective student,"[B]
made acquaintance with several young people of distinction, and
gained access into the best houses. He was cordially received
everywhere, for he was very good looking, easy in manner, amusing,
always in good health, and ready for every thing. Where he was obliged,
he was respectful; where he could, he was overbearing. Altogether, an

excellent companion, un charmant garçon. The Promised Land lay
before him. Panshine soon fathomed the secret of worldly wisdom, and
succeeded in inspiring himself with a genuine respect for its laws. He
knew how to invest trifles with a half-ironical importance, and to
behave with the air of one who treats all serious matters as trifles. He
danced admirably; he dressed like an Englishman. In a short time he
had gained the reputation of being one of the pleasantest and most
adroit young men in St. Petersburg.
[Footnote A: "A bumper."]
[Footnote B: A degree a little inferior to that of Bachelor of Arts.]
Panshine really was very adroit--not less so than his father had been.
And besides this, he was endowed with no small talent; nothing was
too difficult for him. He sang pleasantly, drew confidently, could write
poetry, and acted remarkably well.
He was now only in his twenty eighth year, but he was already a
Chamberlain, and he had arrived at a highly respectable rank in the
service. He had thorough confidence in himself, in his intellect, and in
his sagacity. He went onwards under full sail, boldly and cheerfully;
the stream of his life flowed smoothly along. He was accustomed to
please every one, old and young alike; and he imagined that he
thoroughly understood his fellow-creatures, especially women--that he
was intimately acquainted with all their ordinary weaknesses.
As one who was no stranger to Art, he felt within him a certain
enthusiasm, a glow, a rapture, in consequence of which he claimed for
himself various exemptions from ordinary rules. He led a somewhat
irregular life, he made acquaintance with people who were not received
into society, and in general he behaved in an unconventional and
unceremonious manner. But in his heart of hearts he was cold and
astute; and even in the midst of his most extravagant rioting, his keen
hazel eye watched and took note of every thing. It was impossible for
this daring and unconventional youth ever quite to forget himself, or to
be thoroughly carried away. It should be mentioned to his credit, by the
way, that he never boasted of his victories. To Maria Dmitrievna's

house he had obtained access as soon as he arrived in O., and he soon
made himself thoroughly at home in it. As to Maria Dmitrievna herself,
she thought there was nobody in the world to be compared with him.
Panshine bowed in an engaging manner to all the occupants of the
room; shook hands with Maria Dmitrievna and Elizaveta Mikhailovna,
lightly tapped Gedeonovsky on the shoulder, and, turning on his heels,
took Lenochka's head between his hands and kissed her on the
forehead.
"Are not you afraid to ride such a vicious horse?" asked Maria
Dmitrievna.
"I beg your pardon, it is perfectly quiet. No, but I will tell you what I
really am afraid of. I am afraid of playing at preference with Sergius
Petrovich. Yesterday, at the Bielenitsines', he won all the money I had
with me."
Gedeonovsky laughed a thin and cringing laugh; he wanted to gain the
good graces of the brilliant young official from St. Petersburg, the
governor's favorite. In his conversations with Maria Dmitrievna, he
frequently spoke of Panshine's remarkable faculties. "Why, really now,
how can one help praising him?" he used to reason. "The young man is
a success in the highest circles of society, and at the same time he does
his work in the most perfect manner, and he isn't the least bit proud."
And indeed, even at St. Petersburg, Panshine was looked