Anna Karenina (Dole)/Part Five/Chapter 7
CHAPTER VII
Vronsky and Anna had been traveling together in Europe for three months. They had visited Venice, Rome, Naples; and now they were just arrived at a small Italian city, where they intended to make a considerable stay.
At the hotel the head butler, a regular Adonis of a man, who wore his thick pomaded hair parted behind from the neck, and a dress-coat with a wide expanse of white shirt-front and watch-charms over his rotund belly, was standing with his hands thrust into his pockets, scornfully blinking his eyes, and giving curt answers to a gentleman who had entered the hotel. Hearing steps on the other side of the entrance, the head butler turned around, and, seeing the Russian count, who rented his most expensive apartments, he respectfully drew his hands out of his pockets, and, with a low bow, informed the count that a messenger had come to say that the palazzo was at his service. The agent was ready to sign the agreement.
"Ah! I am very glad," said Vronsky. "Is madame at home?"
"She has been out, but she has returned," replied the butler.
Vronsky took off his wide-brimmed soft hat, and wiped his heated forehead with his handkerchief, and smoothed his hair, which was so arranged as to hide his bald spot. Then, casting a hasty glance at the stranger, who had stopped, and was looking at him earnestly, he started to go.
"This gentleman is a Russian, and was inquiring for you," said the head butler.
With a mingled feeling of vexation because he never could get away from acquaintances, and of pleasure at the idea of any distraction from his monotonous existence, Vronsky once more looked at the gentleman, who had started to go and then stopped, and at one and the same time their eyes met.
"Golenishchef!"
"Vronsky!"
It was indeed Golenishchef, one of Vronsky's schoolmates in the Corps of Pages. He had belonged to the liberal party in the Corps, and, after his graduation, he had taken a civil rank, and had not served. The comrades had entirely drifted apart since their graduation, and had met only once. At that meeting Vronsky had perceived that Golenishchef looked down from the lofty heights of his chosen liberal profession on Vronsky's profession and career. Consequently, Vronsky at that meeting with Golenishchef had given him that cold and haughty reception with which it was his fashion to treat people, as much as to say: "You may like or dislike my manner of life, but it is absolutely of no consequence to me; you must respect me if you want to know me." Golenishchef had been scornfully indifferent to Vronsky's manner. That meeting, it would seem, should have driven them still farther apart; yet now, at the sight of each other, they each uttered a cry of delight. Vronsky had never realized how glad he would be to see Golenishchef; but the fact was that he did not know how bored he was. He forgot the unpleasant impression of their previous meeting, and with manifest pleasure extended his hand to his old comrade. And likewise a look of satisfaction succeeded the troubled expression on Golenishchef's face.
"How glad I am to see you!" said Vronsky, with a friendly smile which showed his handsome white teeth.
"I heard the name Vronsky, but which .... I did not know .... I am very, very glad."
"But come in. Well, what are you doing?"
"Oh, I have been living here for more than a year, working."
"Ah!" said Vronsky, with interest. "But come in."
And, according to the habit of Russians, instead of saying in Russian what he did not wish to be understood by servants, he said in French: -
"Do you know Madame Karenin? We have been traveling together. I was just going to her room."
And while he was speaking he studied Golenishchef's face.
"Ah! I did not know," remarked Golenishchef, carelessly; but he did know, "Have you been here long?"
"I? Oh, this is the fourth day," replied Vronsky, continuing to study his companion.
"Yes! He is a gentleman, and looks upon things in the right light," he said to himself, giving a favorable interpretation to Golenishchef's way of turning the conversation; "he can be presented to Anna; his views are all right"
Vronsky, during this three months which he had been spending with Anna abroad, had felt every time that he met with new acquaintances a hesitation as to the manner in which they would look on his relations with Anna, and for the most part the men had looked on them "in the right light." If he or they had been asked what they meant by the expression "in the right light," they would have found it hard to tell. In reality, those that according to Vronsky looked on it "in the right light" had never looked on it at all, but as a general thing contented themselves with a wise discretion, not asking questions or making allusions, and behaved altogether as well-bred people behave when presented with delicate and complex questions such as surround life on all sides. They pretended that they fully appreciated the meaning and significance of the situation, recognized and even approved of it, but considered it ill-judged and superfluous to explain it.
Vronsky instantly saw that Golenishchef was one of these discreet people, and was therefore glad to meet him.
In fact Golenishchef behaved toward Madame Karenin when he was introduced to her in exactly the manner that Vronsky demanded; it evidently cost him no effort to avoid all words that would lead to any awkwardness.
He had never seen Anna before, and was dehghted with her beauty, and still more with the perfect simplicity with which she accepted the situation. She flushed when she saw Vronsky come in with Golenishchef, and this infantile color which spread over her frank and lovely face pleased him immensely. But he was delighted because from the very first, as if purposely, even in the presence of a stranger, which might have caused restraint, she called Vronsky Alekseï, and told how they had just rented a house which the people called a palazso, and how she was going to occupy it with him. The simple and straightforward facing of their situation was delightful to Golenishchef. Perceiving Anna's happy and vivacious manner, knowing Alekseï Aleksandrovitch and Vronsky, it seemed to him that he thoroughly understood her. It seemed to him that he understood what she herself did not understand: how she could desert her unhappy husband and her son, and lose her good repute, and still feel animated, gay, and happy.
"It is in the guide-book," said Golenishchef, speaking of the palazzo which Vronsky called by name. "There is a superb Tintoretto there. In his latest manner."
"Do you know that? It is splendid weather; let's go over and look at it again," said Vronsky, addressing Anna.
"I should like to very much. I will go and put on my hat. Did you say it was hot?" said she, pausing at the door and looking back to Vronsky. And again the bright color came into her face.
Vronsky saw by her look that she was uncertain how he wished to treat Golenishchef, and that she was afraid that her behavior might not be what he desired.
He looked at her long and tenderly. Then he replied:—
"No, not very."
And it seemed to her that she comprehended him perfectly, and especially that he was satisfied with her, and, replying with a smile, she went out with a quick and graceful motion.
The friends looked at each other, and there came into the faces of both an expression of embarrassment, as if Golenishchef, admiring her, wished to make some complimentary remark, and had not the courage, while Vronsky both wished and feared to hear it.
"Well, then," Vronsky began, so that some conversation might be started, "so you are settled here? Are you still interested in the same pursuits?" he asked, remembering that he had been told that Golenishchef was writing something.
"Yes; I have been writing the second part of the 'Two Origins,'" replied Golenishchef, kindling with delight at this question; "that is, to be more exact, I am not writing yet, but have been collecting and preparing my materials. It will be far more extended, and will touch on almost all questions. At home, in Russia, they can't understand that we are successors of Byzantium," and he began a long and vehement explanation.
Vronsky at first felt awkward because he did not know about the first part of the "Two Origins," about which the author spoke as if it were something well known. But afterward, as Golenishchef began to develop his thought, and Vronsky saw what he meant, then, even though he did not know about the "Two Origins," he listened not without interest, for Golenishchef spoke well.
But Vronsky was surprised and annoyed at the irritable excitement under which Golenishchef labored while talking about the object that absorbed him. The longer he spoke, the brighter grew his eyes, the more animated were his arguments in refutation of imaginary opponents, and the more angry and excited the expression of his face.
Vronsky remembered Golenishchef at the School of Pages,—a lad of small stature, thin, nervous, agile, a good-hearted and gentlemanly lad, always at the head of his class, and he could not understand the reasons for such irascibility and he did not approve of it. And it especially displeased him that Golenishchef, a man of good social standing, should put himself down on the level of these common scribblers, and get angry with them because they criticized him. Was it worth while? It displeased him; but, nevertheless, he felt that Golenishchef was making himself miserable and he was sorry for him.
This unhappiness, almost amounting to insanity, was particularly noticeable on his mobile and rather handsome face, while he went on so hurriedly and heatedly expressing his thoughts that he did not notice Anna's return.
As Anna came in, wearing her hat and with a mantle thrown over her shoulders, and stood near them, twirling her sunshade in her lovely, slender hand, Vronsky felt a sense of relief in turning away from Golenishchef's feverish eyes fixed keenly on him, and looked with an ever new love at his charming companion, radiant with life and gayety.
It was hard for Golenishchef to come to himself, and at first he was surly and cross; but Anna, who was flatteringly amiable toward every one, for such at this time was her disposition, quickly brought him into sympathy with her gay and natural manner. After essaying various topics of conversation, she brought him round to painting, about which he spoke very well, and she listened to him attentively. They walked over to the palazzo and made a thorough inspection of it.
"I am very glad of one thing," said Anna to Golenishchef; "Alekseï will have a nice atelier. Of course you'll take this room?" she added, turning to Vronsky and speaking to him in Russian, using the familiar tui (thou) as if she already looked on Golenishchef as an intimate, before whom it was not necessary to be reserved.
"Do you paint?" asked Golenishchef, turning vivaciously to Vronsky.
"Yes, I used to paint long ago, and now I am going to take it up again," replied Vronsky, with color.
"He has great talent," cried Anna, with a radiant smile. "Of course I am not a judge. But good judges say so."