The Permanent Husband

Chapter 5

Pavel Pavlovitch was not thinking of running away, and goodness knows why Velchaninoff should have asked him such a question last nighthe did not know himself why he had said it!

He was directed to the Petrofsky Hotel, and found the building at once. At the hotel he was told that Pavel Pavlovitch had now engaged a furnished lodging in the back part of the same house.

Mounting the dirty and narrow stairs indicated, as far as the third storey, he suddenly became aware of someone crying. It sounded like the weeping of a child of some seven or eight years of age; it was a bitter, but a more or less suppressed sort of crying, and with it came the sound of a grown man's voice, apparently trying to quiet the childanxious that its sobbing and crying should not be heard,and yet only succeeding in making it cry the louder.

The man's voice did not seem in any way sympathetic with the child's grief; and the latter appeared to be begging for forgiveness.

Making his way into a narrow dark passage with two doors on each side of it, Velchaninoff met a stout-looking, elderly woman, in very careless morning attire, and inquired for Pavel Pavlovitch.

She tapped the door with her fingers in response to his inquirythe same door, apparently, whence issued the noises just mentioned. Her fat face seemed to flush with indignation as she did so.

He appears to be amusing himself in there! she said, and proceeded downstairs.

Velchaninoff was about to knock, but thought better of it and opened the door without ceremony.

In the very middle of a room furnished with plain, but abundant furniture, stood Pavel Pavlovitch in his shirt-sleeves, very red in the face, trying to persuade a little girl to do something or other, and using cries and gestures, and what looked to Velchaninoff very like kicks, in order to effect his purpose. The child appeared to be some seven or eight years of age, and was poorly dressed in a short black stuff frock. She seemed to be in a most hysterical condition, crying and stretching out her arms to Pavel Pavlovitch, as though begging and entreating him to allow her to do whatever it might be she desired.

On Velchaninoff's appearance the scene changed in an instant. No sooner did her eyes fall on the visitor than the child made for the door of the next room, with a cry of alarm; while Pavel Pavlovitchthrown out for one little instantimmediately relaxed into smiles of great sweetnessexactly as he had done last night, when Velchaninoff suddenly opened his front door and caught him standing outside.

Alexey Ivanovitch! he cried in real surprise; who ever would have thought it! Sit downsit downtake the sofaor this chair,sit down, my dear sir! I'll just put on and he rushed for his coat and threw it on, leaving his waistcoat behind.

Don't stand on ceremony with me, said Velchaninoff sitting down; stay as you are!

No, sir, no! excuse meI insist upon standing on ceremony. There, now! I'm a little more respectable! Dear me, now, who ever would have thought of seeing you here!not I, for one!

Pavel Pavlovitch sat down on the edge of a chair, which he turned so as to face Velchaninoff.

And pray why shouldn't you have expected me? I told you last night that I was coming this morning!

I thought you wouldn't come, sirI did indeed; in fact, when I thought over yesterday's visit, I despaired of ever seeing you again: I did indeed, sir!

Velchaninoff glanced round the room meanwhile. The place was very untidy; the bed was unmade; the clothes thrown about the floor; on the table were two coffee tumblers with the dregs of coffee still in them, and a bottle of champagne half finished, and with a tumbler standing alongside it. He glanced at the next room, but all was quiet there; the little girl had hidden herself, and was as still as a mouse.

You don't mean to say you drink that stuff at this time of day? he asked, indicating the champagne bottle.

It's only a remnant, explained Pavel Pavlovitch, a little confused.

My word! You are a changed man!

Bad habits, sir; and all of a sudden. All dating from that time, sir. Give you my word, I couldn't resist it. But I'm all right nowI'm not drunkI shan't talk twaddle as I did last night; don't be afraid sir, it's all right! From that very day, sir; give you my word it is! And if anyone had told me half a year ago that I should become like this,if they had shown me my face in a glass then as I should be now, I should have given them the lie, sir; I should indeed!

Hem! Then you were drunk last night?

YesI was! admitted Pavel Pavlovitch, a little guiltilynot exactly drunk, a little beyond drunk!I tell you this by way of explanation, because I'm always worse after being drunk! If I'm only a little drunk, still the violence and unreasonableness of intoxication come out afterwards, and stay out too; and then I feel my grief the more keenly. I daresay my grief is responsible for my drinking. I am capable of making an awful fool of myself and offending people when I'm drunk. I daresay I seemed strange enough to you last night?

Don't you remember what you said and did?

Assuredly I doI remember everything!

Listen to me, Pavel Pavlovitch: I have thought it over and have come to very much the same conclusion as you did yourself, began Velchaninoff gently; besidesI believe I was a little too irritable towards you last nighttoo impatient,I admit it gladly; the fact isI am not very well sometimes, and your sudden arrival, you know, in the middle of the night

In the middle of the night: you are quite rightit was! said Pavel Pavlovitch, wagging his head assentingly; how in the world could I have brought myself to do such a thing? I shouldn't have come in, though, if you hadn't opened the door. I should have gone as I came. I called on you about a week ago, and did not find you at home, and I daresay I should never have called again; for I am rather proudAlexey Ivanovitchin spite of my present state. Whenever I have met you in the streets I have always said to myself, What if he doesn't know me and rejects menine years is no joke! and I did not dare try you for fear of being snubbed. Yesterday, thanks to that sort of thing, you know, (he pointed to the bottle), I didn't know what time it was, andit's lucky you are the kind of man you are, Alexey Ivanovitch, or I should despair of preserving your acquaintance, after yesterday! You remember old times, Alexey Ivanovitch!

Velchaninoff listened keenly to all this. The man seemed to be talking seriously enough, and even with some dignity; and yet he had not believed a single word that Pavel Pavlovitch had uttered from the very first moment that he entered the room.

Tell me, Pavel Pavlovitch, said Velchaninoff at last, I see you are not quite alone here,whose little girl is that I saw when I came in?

Pavel Pavlovitch looked surprised and raised his eyebrow; but he gazed back at Velchaninoff with candour and apparent amiability:

Whose little girl? Why that's our Liza! he said, smiling affably.

What Liza? asked Velchaninoff,and something seemed to cause him to shudder inwardly.

The sensation was dreadfully sudden. Just now, on entering the room and seeing Liza, he had felt surprised more or less,but had not been conscious of the slightest feeling of presentiment,indeed he had had no special thought about the matter, at the moment.

Whyour Liza!our daughter Liza! repeated Pavel Pavlovitch, smiling.

Your daughter? Do you mean to say that you and Natalia Vasilievna had children? asked Velchaninoff timidly, and in a very low tone of voice indeed!

Of coursebutwhat a fool I amhow in the world should you know! Providence sent us the gift after you had gone!

Pavel Pavlovitch jumped off his chair in apparently pleasurable excitement.

I heard nothing of it! said Velchaninoff, looking very pale.

How should you? how should you? repeated Pavel Pavlovitch with ineffable sweetness. We had quite lost hope of any childrenas you may remember,when suddenly Heaven sent us this little one. And, oh! my feelingsHeaven alone knows what I felt! Just a year after you went, I thinkno, wait a bitnot a year by a long way!Let's see, you left us in October, or November, didn't you?

I left T on the twelfth of September, I remember well.

Hum! September was it? Dear me! Well, then, let's seeSeptember, October, November, December, January, February, March, Aprilto the 8th of Maythat was Liza's birthdayeight months all but a bit; and if you could only have seen the dear departed, how rejoiced

Show her to mecall her in! the words seemed to tear themselves from Velchaninoff, whether he liked it or no.

Certainlythis moment! cried Pavel Pavlovitch, forgetting that he had not finished his previous sentence, or ignoring the fact; and he hastily left the room, and entered the small chamber adjoining.

Three or four minutes passed by, while Velchaninoff heard the rapid interchange of whispers going on, and an occasional rather louder sound of Liza's voice, apparently entreating her father to leave her aloneso Velchaninoff concluded.

At last the two came out.

There you areshe's dreadfully shy and proud, said Pavel Pavlovitch; just like her mother.

Liza entered the room without tears, but with eyes downcast, her father leading her by the hand. She was a tall, slight, and very pretty little girl. She raised her large blue eyes to the visitor's face with curiosity; but only glanced surlily at him, and dropped them again. There was that in her expression that one always sees in children when they look on some new guest for the first timeretiring to a corner, and looking out at him thence seriously and mistrustingly; only that there was a something in her manner beyond the usual childish mistrustso, at least thought Velchaninoff.

Her father brought her straight up to the visitor.

Therethis gentleman knew mother very well. He was our friend; you mustn't be shy,give him your hand!

The child bowed slightly, and timidly stretched out her hand.

Natalia Vasilievna never would teach her to curtsey; she liked her to bow, English fashion, and give her hand, explained Pavel Pavlovitch, gazing intently at Velchaninoff.

Velchaninoff knew perfectly well that the other was keenly examining him at this moment, but he made no attempt to conceal his agitation: he sat motionless on his chair and held the child's hand in his, gazing into her face the while.

But Liza was apparently much preoccupied, and did not take her eyes off her father's face; she listened timidly to every word he said.

Velchaninoff recognised her large blue eyes at once; but what specially struck him was the refined pallor of her face, and the colour of her hair; these traits were altogether too significant, in his eyes! Her features, on the other hand, and the set of her lips, reminded him keenly of Natalia Vasilievna. Meanwhile Pavel Pavlovitch was in the middle of some apparently most interesting taleone of great sentiment seemingly,but Velchaninoff did not hear a word of it until the last few words struck upon his ear:

... So that you can't imagine what our joy was when Providence sent us this gift, Alexey Ivanovitch! She was everything to me, for I felt that if it should be the will of Heaven to deprive me of my other joy, I should still have Liza left to me; that's what I felt, sir, I did indeed!

And Natalia Vasilievna? asked Velchaninoff.

Oh, Natalia Vasilievna began Pavel Pavlovitch, smiling with one side of his mouth; she never used to like to say muchas you know yourself; but she told me on her deathbeddeathbed! you know, sirto the very day of her death she used to get so angry and say that they were trying to cure her with a lot of nasty medicines when she had nothing the matter but a simple little feverish attack; and that when Koch arrived (you remember our old doctor Koch?) he would make her all right in a fortnight. Why, five hours before she died she was talking of fixing that day three weeks for a visit to her Aunt, Liza's godmother, at her country place! Velchaninoff here started from his seat, but still held the child's hand. He could not help thinking that there was something reproachful in the girl's persistent stare in her father's face.

Is she ill? he asked hurriedly, and his voice had a strange tone in it.

No! I don't think so said Pavel Pavlovitch; but, you see our way of living here, and all that: she's a strange child and very nervous, besides! After her mother's death she was quite ill and hysterical for a fortnight. Just before you came in she was crying like anything; and do you know what about, sir? Do you hear me, Liza?You listen!Simply because I was going out, and wished to leave her behind, and because she said I didn't love her so well as I used to in her mother's time. That's what she pitches into me for! Fancy a child like this getting hold of such an idea!a child who ought to be playing at dolls, instead of developing ideas of that sort! The thing is, she has no one to play with here.

Thenthenare you two quite alone here?

Quite! a servant comes in once a day, that's all!

And when you go out, do you leave her quite alone?

Of course! What else am I to do? Yesterday I locked her in that room, and that's what all the tears were about this morning. What could I do? the day before yesterday she went down into the yard all by herself, and a boy took a shot at her head with a stone! Not only that, but she must needs go and cling on to everybody she met, and ask where I had gone to! That's not so very pleasant, you see! But I oughtn't to complain when I say I am going out for an hour and then stay out till four in the morning, as I did last night! The landlady came and let her out: she had the door broken open! Nice for my feelings, eh! It's all the result of the eclipse that came over my life; nothing but that, sir!

Papa! said the child, timidly and anxiously.

Now, then! none of that again! What did I tell you yesterday?

I won't; I won't! cried the child hurriedly, clasping her hands before her entreatingly.

Come! things can't be allowed to go on in this way! said Velchaninoff impatiently, and with authority. In the first place, you are a man of property; how can you possibly live in a hole like this, and in such disorder?

This place! Oh, but we shall probably have left this place within a week; and I've spent a lot of money here, as it is, though I may be 'a man of property;' and

Very well, that'll do, interrupted Velchaninoff with growing impatience, now, I'll make you a proposition: you have just said that you intend to stay another weekperhaps two. I have a house hereor rather I know a family where I am as much at home as at my own fireside, and have been so for twenty years. The family I mean is the PogoryeltseffsAlexander Pavlovitch Pogoryeltseff is a state councillor (he may be of use to you in your business!) They are now living in the countrythey have a beautiful country villa; Claudia Petrovna, the lady of the house, is like a sisterlike a mother to me; they have eight children. Let me take Liza down to them without loss of time! they'll receive her with joy, and they'll treat her like their own little daughterthey will, indeed!

Velchaninoff was in a great hurry, and much excited, and he did not conceal his feelings.

I'm afraid it's impossible! said Pavel Pavlovitch with a grimace, looking straight into his visitor's eyes, very cunningly, as it seemed to Velchaninoff.

Why! why, impossible?

Oh, why! to let the child goso suddenly, you know, of course with such a sincere well-wisher as yourselfit's not that!but a strange houseand such swells, too!I don't know whether they would receive her!

But I tell you I'm like a son of the house! cried Velchaninoff, almost angrily. Claudia Petrovna will be delighted to take her, at one word from me! She'd receive her as though she were my own daughter. Deuce take it, sir, you know you are only humbugging me,what's the use of talking about it?

He stamped his foot.

Nono! I mean to saydon't it look a little strange? Oughtn't I to call once or twice first?such a smart house as you say theirs isdon't you see

I tell you it's the simplest house in the world; it isn't smart in the least bit, cried Velchaninoff; they have a lot of children: it will make another girl of her!I'll introduce you there myself, to-morrow, if you like. Of course you'll have to go and thank them, and all that. You shall go down every day with me, if you please.

Oh, but

Nonsense! You know it's nonsense! Now look here: you come to me this eveningI'll put you up for the nightand we'll start off early to-morrow and be down there by twelve.

Benefactor!and I may spend the night at your house? cried Pavel Pavlovitch, instantly consenting to the plan with the greatest cordiality,you are really too good! And where's their country house?

At the Liesnoy.

But look here, how about her dress? Such a house, you know,a father's heart shrinks

Nonsense!she's in mourningwhat else could she wear but a black dress like this? it's exactly the thing; you couldn't imagine anything more so!you might let her have some clean linen with her, and give her a cleaner neck-handkerchief.

Directly, directly. We'll get her linen together in a couple of minutesit's just home from the wash!

Send for a carriagecan you? Tell them to let us have it at once, so as not to waste time.

But now an unexpected obstacle arose: Liza absolutely rejected the plan; she had listened to it with terror, and if Velchaninoff had, in his excited argument with Pavel Pavlovitch, had time to glance at the child's face, he would have observed her expression of absolute despair at this moment.

I won't go! she said, quietly but firmly.

Therelook at that! Just like her mamma!

I'm not like mamma, I'm not like mamma! cried Liza, wringing her little hands in despair. Oh, papapapa! she added, if you desert me she suddenly threw herself upon the alarmed VelchaninoffIf you take me away she criedI'll

But Liza had no time to finish her sentence, for Pavel Pavlovitch suddenly seized her by the arm and collar and hustled her into the next room with unconcealed rage. For several minutes Velchaninoff listened to the whispering going on there,whisperings and seemingly subdued crying on the part of Liza. He was about to follow the pair, when suddenly out came Pavel Pavlovitch, and statedwith a disagreeable grinthat Liza would come directly.

Velchaninoff tried not to look at him and kept his eyes fixed on the other side of the room.

The elderly woman whom Velchaninoff had met on the stairs also made her appearance, and packed Liza's things into a neat little carpet bag.

Is it you that are going to take the little lady away, sir? she asked; if so, you are doing a good deed! She's a nice quiet child, and you are saving her from goodness knows what, here!

Oh! comeMaria Sisevna,began Pavel Pavlovitch.

Well? What? Isn't it true! Arn't you ashamed to let a girl of her intelligence see the things that you allow to go on here? The carriage has arrived for you, sir,you ordered one for the Liesnoy, didn't you?

Yes.

Well, good luck to you!

Liza came out, looking very pale and with downcast eyes; she took her bag, but never glanced in Velchaninoff's direction. She restrained herself and did not throw herself upon her father, as she had done beforenot even to say good-bye. She evidently did not wish to look at him.

Her father kissed her and patted her head in correct form; her lip curled during the operation, the chin trembled a little, but she did not raise her eyes to her father's.

Pavel Pavlovitch looked pale, and his hands shook; Velchaninoff saw that plainly enough, although he did his best not to see the man at all. He (Velchaninoff) had but one thought, and that was how to get away at once!

Downstairs was old Maria Sisevna, waiting to say good-bye; and more kissing was done. Liza had just climbed into the carriage when suddenly she caught sight of her father's face; she gave a loud cry and wrung her hands,in another minute she would have been out of the carriage and away, but luckily the vehicle went on and she was too late!