FullReads

Michel soon regained his health. I could not continue going to see him, but everything was decided between us. I was already entirely absorbed in the future; I saw nothing of what was passing around me, as though I were floating on a glorious, calm, but rushing river, hidden in mist. But we were watched, we were being spied upon. Once or twice I noticed my stepfather’s malignant eyes, and heard his loathsome laugh…. But that laugh, those eyes as it were emerged for an instant from the mist… I shuddered, but forgot it directly, and surrendered myself again to the glorious, swift river…

On the day before the departure of Michel–we had planned together that he was to turn back secretly on the way and fetch me–I received from him through his trusted valet a note, in which he asked me to meet him at half-past nine in the summer billiard-room, a large, low-pitched room, built on to the big house in the garden. He wrote to me that he absolutely must speak with me and arrange things. I had twice already met Michel in the billiard-room… I had the key of the outer door. As soon as it struck half-past nine I threw a warm wrap over my shoulders, stepped quietly out of the lodge, and made my way successfully over the crackling snow to the billiard-room. The moon, wrapped in vapour, stood a dim blur just over the ridge of the roof, and the wind whistled shrilly round the corner of the wall. A shiver passed over me, but I put the key into the lock, went into the room, closed the door behind me, turned round… A dark figure became visible against one of the walls, took a couple of steps forward, stopped…

‘Michel,’ I whispered.

‘Michel is locked up by my orders, and this is I!’ answered a voice, which seemed to rend my heart…

Before me stood Semyon Matveitch!

I was rushing to escape, but he clutched at my arm.

‘Where are you off to, vile hussy?’ he hissed. ‘You ‘re quite equal to stolen interviews with young fools, so you’ll have to be equal to the consequences.’

I was numb with horror, but still struggled towards the door… In vain! Like iron hooks the ringers of Semyon Matveitch held me tight.

‘Let me go, let me go,’ I implored at last.

‘I tell you you shan’t stir!’

Semyon Matveitch forced me to sit down. In the half-darkness I could not distinguish his face. I had turned away from him too, but I heard him breathing hard and grinding his teeth. I felt neither fear nor despair, but a sort of senseless amazement… A captured bird, I suppose, is numb like that in the claws of the kite… and Semyon Matveitch’s hand, which still held me as fast, crushed me like some wild, ferocious claw….

‘Aha!’ he repeated; ‘aha! So this is how it is… so it’s come to this… Ah, wait a bit!’

I tried to get up, but he shook me with such violence that I almost shrieked with pain, and a stream of abuse, insult, and menace burst upon me…

‘Michel, Michel, where are you? save me,’ I moaned.

Semyon Matveitch shook me again… That time I could not control myself… I screamed.

That seemed to have some effect on him. He became a little quieter, let go my arm, but remained where he was, two steps from me, between me and the door.

A few minutes passed… I did not stir; he breathed heavily as before.

‘Sit still,’ he began at last, ‘and answer me. Let me see that your morals are not yet utterly corrupt, and that you are still capable of listening to the voice of reason. Impulsive folly I can overlook, but stubborn obstinacy–never! My son…’ there was a catch in his breath… ‘Mihail Semyonitch has promised to marry you? Hasn’t he? Answer me! Has he promised, eh?’

I answered, of course, nothing. Semyon Matveitch was almost flying into fury again.