After dinner,about six o'clock,I went on to the boulevard.It was crowded.The two princesses were sitting on a bench,surrounded by young men,who were vying with each other in paying them attention.I took up my position on another bench at a little distance off,stopped two Dragoon officers whom I knew,and proceeded to tell them something.Evidently it was amusing,because they began to laugh loudly like a couple of mad-men.Some of those who were surrounding Princess Mary were attracted to my side by curiosity,and gradually all of them left her and joined my circle.I did not stop talking;my anecdotes were clever to the point of absurdity,my jests at the expense of the queer people passing by,malicious to the point of frenzy.Icontinued to entertain the public till sunset.
Princess Mary passed by me a few times,arm-in-arm with her mother,and accompanied by a certain lame old man.A few times her glance as it fell upon me expressed vexation,while en-deavouring to express indifference...
"What has he been telling you?"she inquired of one of the young men,who had gone back to her out of politeness."No doubt a most interesting story --his own exploits in battle?"...
This was said rather loudly,and probably with the intention of stinging me.
"Aha!"I thought to myself."You are downright angry,my dear Princess.Wait awhile,there is more to follow."Grushnitski kept following her like a beast of prey,and would not let her out of his sight.Iwager that to-morrow he will ask somebody to present him to Princess Ligovski.She will be glad,because she is bored.
CHAPTER III
16th May.
IN the course of two days my affairs have gained ground tremendously.Princess Mary positively hates me.Already I have had repeated to me two or three epigrams on the subject of myself --rather caustic,but at the same time very flattering.She finds it exceedingly strange that I,who am accustomed to good society,and am so intimate with her Petersburg cousins and aunts,do not try to make her acquaintance.
Every day we meet at the well and on the boule-vard.I exert all my powers to entice away her adorers,glittering aides-de-camp,pale-faced visitors from Moscow,and others --and I almost always succeed.I have always hated entertaining guests:now my house is full every day;they dine,sup,gamble,and alas!my champagne triumphs over the might of Princess Mary's magnetic eyes!
I met her yesterday in Chelakhov's shop.She was bargaining for a marvellous Persian rug,and implored her mother not to be niggardly:the rug would be such an ornament to her boudoir...
I outbid her by forty rubles,and bought it over her head.I was rewarded with a glance in which the most delightful fury sparkled.About dinner-time,I ordered my Circassian horse,covered with that very rug,purposely to be led past her windows.Werner was with the princesses at the time,and told me that the effect of the scene was most dramatic.Princess Mary wishes to preach a crusade against me,and I have even noticed that,already,two of the aides-de-camp salute me very coldly,when they are in her pre-sence --they dine with me every day,however.
Grushnitski has assumed an air of mystery;he walks with his arms folded behind his back and does not recognise anyone.His foot has got well all at once,and there is hardly a sign of a limp.
He has found an opportunity of entering into conversation with Princess Ligovski and of paying Princess Mary some kind of a compliment.
The latter is evidently not very fastidious,for,ever since,she answers his bow with a most charming smile.
"Are you sure you do not wish to make the Ligovskis'acquaintance?"he said to me yester-day.
"Positive."
"Good gracious!The pleasantest house at the waters!All the best society of Pyatigorsk is to be found there"...
"My friend,I am terribly tired of even other society than that of Pyatigorsk.So you visit the Ligovskis?""Not yet.I have spoken to Princess Mary once or twice,but that is all.You know it is rather awkward to go and visit them without being invited,although that is the custom here...
It would be a different matter if I was wearing epaulettes"...
"Good heavens!Why,you are much more interesting as it is!You simply do not know how to avail yourself of your advantageous position...
Why,that soldier's cloak makes a hero and a martyr of you in the eyes of any lady of senti-ment!"
Grushnitski smiled complacently.
"What nonsense!"he said.
"I am convinced,"I continued,"that Princess Mary is in love with you already."He blushed up to the ears and looked big.
Oh,vanity!Thou art the lever with which Archimedes was to lift the earthly sphere!...
"You are always jesting!"he said,pretending to be angry."In the first place,she knows so little of me as yet"...
"Women love only those whom they do not know!""But I have no pretensions whatsoever to pleasing her.I simply wish to make the ac-quaintance of an agreeable household;and it would be extremely ridiculous if I were to cherish the slightest hope...With you,now,for instance,it is a different matter!You Petersburg con-querors!You have but to look --and women melt...But do you know,Pechorin,what Princess Mary said of you?"...
"What?She has spoken to you already about me?"...
"Do not rejoice too soon,though.The other day,by chance,I entered into conversation with her at the well;her third word was,'Who is that gentleman with such an unpleasant,heavy glance?He was with you when'...she blushed,and did not like to mention the day,remembering her own delightful little exploit.
'You need not tell me what day it was,'Ianswered;'it will ever be present to my memory!'...Pechorin,my friend,I cannot congratulate you,you are in her black books...
And,indeed,it is a pity,because Mary is a charming girl!"...
It must be observed that Grushnitski is one of those men who,in speaking of a woman with whom they are barely acquainted,call her my Mary,my Sophie,if she has had the good fortune to please them.
