The Precipice Part 7

"Don't tease me," said Tatiana Markovna.

"Marfinka, you don't want to leave home?" asked Boris.

"Not for anything in the world. How could such a thing be?"

"What would Veroshka say about it?"

"She would never be separated from the old house."

"She loves the old house?"

"Yes. She is only happy when she is here. If she were taken away from it she would die. We both should."

"That matter is settled then, little sister. You two, Veroshka and you, will accept the gift from me, won't you?"

"I will if Veroshka agrees."

"Agreed, dear sister. You are not so proud as Granny," he said, as he kissed her forehead.

"What is agreed?" suddenly grumbled Tatiana Markovna. "You have accepted?

Who told you you might accept? Grandmother will never permit you to live at a stranger's expense. Be so kind, Boris Pavlovich, as to take over books, accounts, inventories and sales. I am not your paid servant." She pushed papers and books towards him.

"Granny!"

"Granny! My name is Tatiana Markovna Berezhkov." She stood up, and opened the door into the servants' room. "Send Savili here."

A quarter of an hour later, a peasant of almost forty-five years of age opened the door with a casual greeting. He was strongly-built, big boned, and was robust, without being fat. His eyes with their overhanging brows and wide heavy lids, wasted no idle glances; he neither spoke an unnecessary word, nor made a superfluous gesture.

"The proprietor is here," said Tatiana Markovna, indicating Raisky. "You must now make your reports to him. He intends to administer the estate himself."

Savili looked askance at Raisky.

"At your orders," he said stiffly, slowly raising his eyes. "What orders are you pleased to give?" he asked, lowering his eyes again.

Raisky thought for a moment before he replied:

"Do you know an official who could draw up a doc.u.ment for the transfer of the estate?"

"Gavril Ivanov Meshetshnikov draws up the papers we require," he said.

"Send for him."

As Savili bowed, and slowly retired, Raisky followed him with his eyes.

"An anxious rascal," was his comment.

"How should he be other than anxious," said his aunt, "when he is tied to a wife like Marina Antipovna? Do you remember Antip? Well, she is his daughter. But for his marriage he is a treasure. He does my important business, sells the corn, and collects the money. He is honest and practical, but fate deals her blows where she will, and every man must bear his own burden. But what idea have you in your head now? Are you beside yourself?"

"Something must be done. I am going away, and you will not administer the estate, so some arrangement must be made."

"And is that your reason for going? I thought you were now going to take over the management of your estate. You have done enough gadding about.

Why not marry and settle here?"

She was visibly struggling with herself. It had never entered her head to give up the administration; she would not have known what to do with herself. Her idea had been to alarm Raisky, and he was taking her seriously.

"What is to be done?" she said. "I will see after the estate as long as I have the strength to do so. How else should you live, you strange creature?"

"I receive two thousand roubles from my other estate, and that is a sufficient income. I want to work, to draw, to write, to travel for a little; and for that purpose I might mortgage or sell the other estate."

"G.o.d bless you, Borushka, what next? Are you so near beggary? You talk of drawing, writing, alienating your land; next it will be giving lessons or school teaching. Instead of arriving with four horses and a travelling carriage you sneak in, without a servant, in a miserable _kibitka_, you, a Raisky. Look at the old house, at the portraits of your ancestors, and take shame to yourself. Shame, Borushka! How splendid it would have been if you had come epauletted like Sergei Ivanovich, and had married a wife with a dowry of three thousand souls."

Raisky burst out laughing.

"Why laugh? I am speaking seriously when I tell you what a joy it would have been for your Grandmother. Then you would have wanted the lace and the silver, and not be flinging it away."

"But as I am not marrying, I don't need these things. Therefore it is settled that Veroshka and Marfinka shall have them."

"Your decision is final?"

"It is final. And it is further settled that if you do not like this arrangement, everything pa.s.ses into the hands of strangers. You have my word for it."

"Your word for it," cried his aunt. "You are a lost man. Where have you lived, and what have you done. Tell me, for Heaven's sake, what your purpose in life is, and what you really are?"

"What I am, Grandmother? The unhappiest of men!" He leaned his head back on the cus.h.i.+on as he spoke.

"Never say such a thing," she interrupted. "Fate hears and exacts the penalty, and you will one day be unhappy. Either be content or feign content."

She looked anxiously round, as if Fate were already standing at her shoulder.

Raisky rose from the divan.

"Let us be reconciled," he said. "Agree to keep this little corner of G.o.d's earth under your protection."

"It is an estate, not a 'corner.'"

"Resign yourself to my gift of this old stuff to the dear girls. A lonely man like me has no use for it, but they will be mistresses of a house. If you don't agree, I will present it to the school...."

"The school-children! Those rascals who steal our apples, shall not have it."

"Come to the point, Granny! You don't really want to leave this nest in your old age."

"We'll see, we'll see. Give them the lace on their wedding-day. I can do nothing with you; talk to Tiet Nikonich who is coming to dinner." And she wondered what would come of such strangeness.

Raisky took his cap to go out, and Marfinka went with him. She showed him the park, her own garden, the vegetable and flower gardens, and the arbours. When they came to the precipice she looked anxiously over the edge, and drew back with a shudder. Raisky looked down on the Volga, which was in flood, and had overflowed into the meadows. In the distance were s.h.i.+ps which appeared to be motionless, and above hung heaped banks of cloud. Marfinka drew closer to Raisky, and looked down indifferently on the familiar picture.

"Come down!" he said suddenly, and seized her hand.

"No, I am afraid," she answered trembling, and drew back.