第166章

Now he's come back again and is staying with the priest at Ilyinskoe, about twelve versts from the Volovya station.He wrote to me, too, about the business of the copse, asking my advice.Fyodor Pavlovitch means to go and see him himself.So if you were to be beforehand with Fyodor Pavlovitch and to make Lyagavy the offer you've made me, he might possibly- ""A brilliant idea!" Mitya interrupted ecstatically."He's the very man, it would just suit him.He's haggling with him for it, being asked too much, and here he would have all the documents entitling him to the property itself.Ha ha ha!"And Mitya suddenly went off into his short, wooden laugh, startling Samsonov.

"How can I thank you, Kuzma Kuzmitch?" cried Mitya effusively.

"Don't mention it," said Samsonov, inclining his head.

"But you don't know, you've saved me.Oh, it was a true presentiment brought me to you....So now to this priest!

"No need of thanks."

"I'll make haste and fly there.I'm afraid I've overtaxed your strength.I shall never forget it.It's a Russian says that, Kuzma Kuzmitch, a R-r-russian!""To be sure!" Mitya seized his hand to press it, but there was a malignant gleam in the old man's eye.Mitya drew back his hand, but at once blamed himself for his mistrustfulness.

"It's because he's tired," he thought.

"For her sake! For her sake, Kuzma Kuzmitch! You understand that it's for her," he cried, his voice ringing through the room.He bowed, turned sharply round, and with the same long stride walked to the door without looking back.He was trembling with delight.

"Everything was on the verge of ruin and my guardian angel saved me," was the thought in his mind.And if such a business man as Samsonov (a most worthy old man, and what dignity!) had suggested this course, then...then success was assured.He would fly off immediately."I will be back before night, I shall be back at night and the thing is done.Could the old man have been laughing at me?"exclaimed Mitya, as he strode towards his lodging.He could, of course, imagine nothing but that the advice was practical "from such a business man" with an understanding of the business, with an understanding of this Lyagavy (curious surname!).Or- the old man was laughing at him.

Alas! The second alternative was the correct one.Long afterwards, when the catastrophe had happened, old Samsonov himself confessed, laughing, that he had made a fool of the "captain." He was a cold, spiteful and sarcastic man, liable to violent antipathies.Whether it was the "captain's" excited face, or the foolish conviction of the "rake and spendthrift," that he, Samsonov, could be taken in by such a cock-and-bull story as his scheme, or his jealousy of Grushenka, in whose name this "scapegrace" had rushed in on him with such a tale to get money which worked on the old man, I can't tell.

But at the instant when Mitya stood before him, feeling his legs grow weak under him, and frantically exclaiming that he was ruined, at that moment the old man looked at him with intense spite, and resolved to make a laughing-stock of him.When Mitya had gone, Kuzma Kuzmitch, white with rage, turned to his son and bade him see to it that that beggar be never seen again, and never admitted even into the yard, or else he'd-He did not utter his threat.But even his son, who often saw him enraged, trembled with fear.For a whole hour afterwards, the old man was shaking with anger, and by evening he was worse, and sent for the doctor.

Chapter 2

LyagavySO he must drive at full speed, and he had not the money for horses.He had forty copecks, and that was all, all that was left after so many years of prosperity! But he had at home an old silver watch which had long ceased to go.He snatched it up and carried it to a Jewish watch maker who had a shop in the market-place.The Jew gave him six roubles for it.

"And I didn't expect that cried Mitya, ecstatically.(He was still in a state of ecstasy.) He seized his six roubles and ran home.At home he borrowed three roubles from the people of the house, who loved him so much that they were pleased to give it him, though it was all they had.Mitya in his excitement told them on the spot that his fate would be decided that day, and he described, in desperate haste, the whole scheme he had put before Samsonov, the latter's decision, his own hopes for the future, and so on.These people had been told many of their lodger's secrets before, and so looked upon him as a gentleman who was not at all proud, and almost one of themselves.Having thus collected nine roubles Mitya sent for posting-horses to take him to the Volovya station.This was how the fact came to be remembered and established that "at midday, on the day before the event, Mitya had not a farthing, and that he had sold his watch to get money and had borrowed three roubles from his landlord, all in the presence of witnesses."I note this fact, later on it will be apparent why I do so.

Though he was radiant with the joyful anticipation that he would at last solve all his difficulties, yet, as he drew near Volovya station, he trembled at the thought of what Grushenka might be doing in his absence.What if she made up her mind to-day to go to Fyodor Pavlovitch? This was why he had gone off without telling her and why he left orders with his landlady not to let out where he had gone, if anyone came to inquire for him.

"I must, I must get back to-night," he repeated, as he was jolted along in the cart, "and I dare say I shall have to bring this Lyagavy back here...to draw up the deed." So mused Mitya, with a throbbing heart, but alas! his dreams were not fated to be carried out.

To begin with, he was late, taking a short cut from Volovya station which turned out to be eighteen versts instead of twelve.

Secondly, he did not find the priest at home at Ilyinskoe; he had gone off to a neighbouring village.While Mitya, setting off there with the same exhausted horses, was looking for him, it was almost dark.