The Gambler ........................................................................................................................................................1

Fyodor Dostoyevsky................................................................................................................................1

Translated by CJ Hogarth...........................................................................................................1

At length I returned from two weeks leave of absence to find that my patrons had arrived three days ago in

Roulettenberg. I received from them a welcome quite different to that which I had expected. The General

eyed me coldly, greeted me in rather haughty fashion, and dismissed me to pay my respects to his sister. It

was clear that from SOMEWHERE money had been acquired. I thought I could even detect a certain

shamefacedness in the General's glance. Maria Philipovna, too, seemed distraught, and conversed with me

with an air of detachment. Nevertheless, she took the money which I handed to her, counted it, and listened to

what I had to tell. To luncheon there were expected that day a Monsieur Mezentsov, a French lady, and an

Englishman; for, whenever money was in hand, a banquet in Muscovite style was always given. Polina

Alexandrovna, on seeing me, inquired why I had been so long away. Then, without waiting for an answer,

she departed. Evidently this was not mere accident, and I felt that I must throw some light upon matters. It

I was assigned a small room on the fourth floor of the hotel (for you must know that I belonged to the

General's suite). So far as I could see, the party had already gained some notoriety in the place, which had

come to look upon the General as a Russian nobleman of great wealth. Indeed, even before luncheon he

charged me, among other things, to get two thousandfranc notes changed for him at the hotel counter, which

put us in a position to be thought millionaires at all events for a week! Later, I was about to take Mischa and

Nadia for a walk when a summons reached me from the staircase that I must attend the General. He began by

deigning to inquire of me where I was going to take the children; and as he did so, I could see that he failed to

look me in the eyes. He WANTED to do so, but each time was met by me with such a fixed, disrespectful

stare that he desisted in confusion. In pompous language, however, which jumbled one sentence into another,

and at length grew disconnected, he gave me to understand that I was to lead the children altogether away

from the Casino, and out into the park. Finally his anger exploded, and he added sharply:

"I suppose you would like to take them to the Casino to play roulette? Well, excuse my speaking so plainly,

but I know how addicted you are to gambling. Though I am not your mentor, nor wish to be, at least I have a

"But you will soon be in receipt of some," retorted the General, reddening a little as he dived into his writing

desk and applied himself to a memorandum book. From it he saw that he had 120 roubles of mine in his

"Let us calculate," he went on. "We must translate these roubles into thalers. Heretake 100 thalers, as a

"You must not be offended at what I say," he continued. "You are too touchy about these things. What I have

When returning home with the children before luncheon, I met a cavalcade of our party riding to view some

ruins. Two splendid carriages, magnificently horsed, with Mlle. Blanche, Maria Philipovna, and Polina

Alexandrovna in one of them, and the Frenchman, the Englishman, and the General in attendance on

horseback! The passersby stopped to stare at them, for the effect was splendidthe General could not have

improved upon it. I calculated that, with the 4000 francs which I had brought with me, added to what my

patrons seemed already to have acquired, the party must be in possession of at least 7000 or 8000

francsthough that would be none too much for Mlle. Blanche, who, with her mother and the Frenchman,

was also lodging in our hotel. The latter gentleman was called by the lacqueys "Monsieur le Comte," and

Mlle. Blanche's mother was dubbed "Madame la Comtesse." Perhaps in very truth they WERE "Comte et

I knew that "Monsieur le Comte" would take no notice of me when we met at dinner, as also that the General

would not dream of introducing us, nor of recommending me to the "Comte." However, the latter had lived

awhile in Russia, and knew that the person referred to as an "uchitel" is never looked upon as a bird of fine

feather. Of course, strictly speaking, he knew me; but I was an uninvited guest at the luncheonthe General

had forgotten to arrange otherwise, or I should have been dispatched to dine at the table d'hote. Nevertheless,

I presented myself in such guise that the General looked at me with a touch of approval; and, though the good

Maria Philipovna was for showing me my place, the fact of my having previously met the Englishman, Mr.

This strange Englishman I had met first in Prussia, where we had happened to sit visavis in a railway train

in which I was travelling to overtake our party; while, later, I had run across him in France, and again in

Switzerlandtwice within the space of two weeks! To think, therefore, that I should suddenly encounter him

again here, in Roulettenberg! Never in my life had I known a more retiring man, for he was shy to the pitch

of imbecility, yet well aware of the fact (for he was no fool). At the same time, he was a gentle, amiable sort

of an individual, and, even on our first encounter in Prussia I had contrived to draw him out, and he had told

me that he had just been to the North Cape, and was now anxious to visit the fair at Nizhni Novgorod. How

he had come to make the General's acquaintance I do not know, but, apparently, he was much struck with

Polina. Also, he was delighted that I should sit next him at table, for he appeared to look upon me as his

During the meal the Frenchman was in great feather: he was discursive and pompous to every one. In

Moscow too, I remembered, he had blown a great many bubbles. Interminably he discoursed on finance and

Russian politics, and though, at times, the General made feints to contradict him, he did so humbly, and as

For myself, I was in a curious frame of mind. Even before luncheon was half finished I had asked myself the

old, eternal question: "WHY do I continue to dance attendance upon the General, instead of having left him

and his family long ago?" Every now and then I would glance at Polina Alexandrovna, but she paid me no

attention; until eventually I became so irritated that I decided to play the boor.

First of all I suddenly, and for no reason whatever, plunged loudly and gratuitously into the general

conversation. Above everything I wanted to pick a quarrel with the Frenchman; and, with that end in view I

turned to the General, and exclaimed in an overbearing sort of wayindeed, I think that I actually

interrupted himthat that summer it had been almost impossible for a Russian to dine anywhere at tables

"If one is a man of selfrespect," I went on, "one risks abuse by so doing, and is forced to put up with insults

of every kind. Both at Paris and on the Rhine, and even in Switzerlandthere are so many Poles, with their

sympathisers, the French, at these tables d'hote that one cannot get a word in edgeways if one happens only to

This I said in French. The General eyed me doubtfully, for he did not know whether to be angry or merely to

"Of course, one always learns SOMETHING EVERYWHERE," said the Frenchman in a careless,

"In Paris, too, I had a dispute with a Pole," I continued, "and then with a French officer who supported him.

After that a section of the Frenchmen present took my part. They did so as soon as I told them the story of

"To spit into it?" the General inquired with grave disapproval in his tone, and a stare, of astonishment, while

"Just so," I replied. "You must know that, on one occasion, when, for two days, I had felt certain that at any

moment I might have to depart for Rome on business, I repaired to the Embassy of the Holy See in Paris, to

have my passport visaed. There I encountered a sacristan of about fifty, and a man dry and cold of mien.

After listening politely, but with great reserve, to my account of myself, this sacristan asked me to wait a

little. I was in a great hurry to depart, but of course I sat down, pulled out a copy of L'Opinion Nationale, and

fell to reading an extraordinary piece of invective against Russia which it happened to contain. As I was thus

engaged I heard some one enter an adjoining room and ask for Monsignor; after which I saw the sacristan

make a low bow to the visitor, and then another bow as the visitor took his leave. I ventured to remind the

good man of my own business also; whereupon, with an expression of, if anything, increased dryness, he

again asked me to wait. Soon a third visitor arrived who, like myself, had come on business (he was an

Austrian of some sort); and as soon as ever he had stated his errand he was conducted upstairs! This made me

very angry. I rose, approached the sacristan, and told him that, since Monsignor was receiving callers, his

lordship might just as well finish off my affair as well. Upon this the sacristan shrunk back in astonishment. It

simply passed his understanding that any insignificant Russian should dare to compare himself with other

visitors of Monsignor's! In a tone of the utmost effrontery, as though he were delighted to have a chance of

insulting me, he looked me up and down, and then said: "Do you suppose that Monsignor is going to put

aside his coffee for YOU?" But I only cried the louder: "Let me tell you that I am going to SPIT into that

coffee! Yes, and if you do not get me my passport visaed this very minute, I shall take it to Monsignor

"What? While he is engaged with a Cardinal? screeched the sacristan, again shrinking back in horror. Then,

rushing to the door, he spread out his arms as though he would rather die than let me enter.

Thereupon I declared that I was a heretic and a barbarian"Je suis heretique et barbare," I said, "and that

these archbishops and cardinals and monsignors, and the rest of them, meant nothing at all to me. In a word, I

showed him that I was not going to give way. He looked at me with an air of infinite resentment. Then he

snatched up my passport, and departed with it upstairs. A minute later the passport had been visaed! Here it is

now, if you care to see it,"and I pulled out the document, and exhibited the Roman visa.

"What really saved you was the fact that you proclaimed yourself a heretic and a barbarian," remarked the

"But is that how Russian subjects ought to be treated? Why, when they settle here they dare not utter even a

wordthey are ready even to deny the fact that they are Russians! At all events, at my hotel in Paris I

received far more attention from the company after I had told them about the fracas with the sacristan. A fat

Polish nobleman, who had been the most offensive of all who were present at the table d'hote, at once went

upstairs, while some of the Frenchmen were simply disgusted when I told them that two years ago I had

encountered a man at whom, in 1812, a French 'hero' fired for the mere fun of discharging his musket. That

"Impossible!" the Frenchman spluttered. "No French soldier would fire at a child!"

"Nevertheless the incident was as I say," I replied. "A very respected excaptain told me the story, and I

The Frenchman then began chattering volubly, and the General supported him; but I recommended the

former to read, for example, extracts from the memoirs of General Perovski, who, in 1812, was a prisoner in

the hands of the French. Finally Maria Philipovna said something to interrupt the conversation. The General

was furious with me for having started the altercation with the Frenchman. On the other hand, Mr. Astley

seemed to take great pleasure in my brush with Monsieur, and, rising from the table, proposed that we should

go and have a drink together. The same afternoon, at four o'clock, I went to have my customary talk with

Polina Alexandrovna; and, the talk soon extended to a stroll. We entered the Park, and approached the

Casino, where Polina seated herself upon a bench near the fountain, and sent Nadia away to a little distance to

play with some other children. Mischa also I dispatched to play by the fountain, and in this fashion wethat

Of course, we began by talking on business matters. Polina seemed furious when I handed her only 700

gulden, for she had thought to receive from Paris, as the proceeds of the pledging of her diamonds, at least

"Come what may, I MUST have money," she said. "And get it somehow I willotherwise I shall be ruined."

"Nothing; except that two pieces of news have reached us from St. Petersburg. In the first place, my

grandmother is very ill, and unlikely to last another couple of days. We had this from Timothy Petrovitch

himself, and he is a reliable person. Every moment we are expecting to receive news of the end."

"Of courseall of us, and every minute of the day. For a yearandahalf now we have been looking for

"Yes, looking for it. I am not her blood relation, you knowI am merely the General's stepdaughter. Yet I

"Yes, I believe that you WILL come in for a good deal," I said with some assurance.

I answered this question with another one. "That Marquis of yours," I said, "is HE also familiar with your

"And why are you yourself so interested in them?" was her retort as she eyed me with dry grimness.

"Never mind. If I am not mistaken, the General has succeeded in borrowing money of the Marquis."

"Is it likely that the Marquis would have lent the money if he had not known something or other about your

grandmother? Did you notice, too, that three times during luncheon, when speaking of her, he called her 'La

Baboulenka'? [Dear little Grandmother]. What loving, friendly behaviour, to be sure!"

"Yes, that is true. As soon as ever he learnt that I was likely to inherit something from her he began to pay me

"Then he has only just begun his courting? Why, I thought he had been doing so a long while!"

"You KNOW he has not," retorted Polina angrily. "But where on earth did you pick up this Englishman?"

"I KNEW you would ask about him!" Whereupon I told her of my previous encounters with Astley while

"And he is ten times richer than the Frenchman. In fact, what does the Frenchman possess? To me it seems at

"Oh, no, there is no doubt about it. He does possess some chateau or other. Last night the General told me

"Because, though the Frenchman is the handsomer of the two, he is also the baser; whereas the Englishman is

"Yes? But then the Frenchman is a marquis, and the cleverer of the two," remarked Polina imperturbably.

Polina was not at all pleased at my questions; I could see that she was doing her best to irritate me with the

"It amuses me to see you grow angry," she continued. "However, inasmuch as I allow you to indulge in these

"I consider that I have a perfect right to put these questions to you," was my calm retort; "for the reason that I

"Last time you told mewhen on the Shlangenbergthat at a word from me you would be ready to jump

down a thousand feet into the abyss. Some day I may remind you of that saying, in order to see if you will be

as good as your word. Yes, you may depend upon it that I shall do so. I hate you because I have allowed you

to go to such lengths, and I also hate you and still morebecause you are so necessary to me. For the time

Then she made a movement to rise. Her tone had sounded very angry. Indeed, of late her talks with me had

"May I ask you who is this Mlle. Blanche?" I inquired (since I did not wish Polina to depart without an

"You KNOW who she isjust Mlle. Blanche. Nothing further has transpired. Probably she will soon be

Madame Generalthat is to say, if the rumours that Grandmamma is nearing her end should prove true.

Mlle. Blanche, with her mother and her cousin, the Marquis, know very well that, as things now stand, we are

"That has nothing to do with it. Listen to me. Take these 700 florins, and go and play roulette with them. Win

So saying, she called Nadia back to her side, and entered the Casino, where she joined the rest of our party.

For myself, I took, in musing astonishment, the first path to the left. Something had seemed to strike my brain

when she told me to go and play roulette. Strangely enough, that something had also seemed to make me

hesitate, and to set me analysing my feelings with regard to her. In fact, during the two weeks of my absence

I had felt far more at my ease than I did now, on the day of my return; although, while travelling, I had

moped like an imbecile, rushed about like a man in a fever, and actually beheld her in my dreams. Indeed, on

one occasion (this happened in Switzerland, when I was asleep in the train) I had spoken aloud to her, and set

all my fellowtravellers laughing. Again, therefore, I put to myself the question: "Do I, or do I not love her?"

and again I could return myself no answer or, rather, for the hundredth time I told myself that I detested her.

Yes, I detested her; there were moments (more especially at the close of our talks together) when I would

gladly have given half my life to have strangled her! I swear that, had there, at such moments, been a sharp

knife ready to my hand, I would have seized that knife with pleasure, and plunged it into her breast. Yet I also

swear that if, on the Shlangenberg, she had REALLY said to me, "Leap into that abyss," I should have leapt

into it, and with equal pleasure. Yes, this I knew well. One way or the other, the thing must soon be ended.

She, too, knew it in some curious way; the thought that I was fully conscious of her inaccessibility, and of the

impossibility of my ever realising my dreams, afforded her, I am certain, the keenest possible pleasure.

Otherwise, is it likely that she, the cautious and clever woman that she was, would have indulged in this

familiarity and openness with me? Hitherto (I concluded) she had looked upon me in the same light that the

old Empress did upon her servantthe Empress who hesitated not to unrobe herself before her slave, since

she did not account a slave a man. Yes, often Polina must have taken me for something less than a man!"

Still, she had charged me with a commissionto win what I could at roulette. Yet all the time I could not

help wondering WHY it was so necessary for her to win something, and what new schemes could have

sprung to birth in her everfertile brain. A host of new and unknown factors seemed to have arisen during the

last two weeks. Well, it behoved me to divine them, and to probe them, and that as soon as possible. Yet not

I confess I did not like it. Although I had made up my mind to play, I felt averse to doing so on behalf of

some one else. In fact, it almost upset my balance, and I entered the gaming rooms with an angry feeling at

my heart. At first glance the scene irritated me. Never at any time have I been able to bear the flunkeyishness

which one meets in the Press of the world at large, but more especially in that of Russia, where, almost every

evening, journalists write on two subjects in particular namely, on the splendour and luxury of the casinos to

be found in the Rhenish towns, and on the heaps of gold which are daily to be seen lying on their tables.

Those journalists are not paid for doing so: they write thus merely out of a spirit of disinterested

complaisance. For there is nothing splendid about the establishments in question; and, not only are there no

heaps of gold to be seen lying on their tables, but also there is very little money to be seen at all. Of course,

during the season, some madman or another may make his appearancegenerally an Englishman, or an

Asiatic, or a Turkand (as had happened during the summer of which I write) win or lose a great deal; but,

as regards the rest of the crowd, it plays only for petty gulden, and seldom does much wealth figure on the

When, on the present occasion, I entered the gamingrooms (for the first time in my life), it was several

moments before I could even make up my mind to play. For one thing, the crowd oppressed me. Had I been

playing for myself, I think I should have left at once, and never have embarked upon gambling at all, for I

could feel my heart beginning to beat, and my heart was anything but coldblooded. Also, I knew, I had long

ago made up my mind, that never should I depart from Roulettenberg until some radical, some final, change

had taken place in my fortunes. Thus, it must and would be. However ridiculous it may seem to you that I

was expecting to win at roulette, I look upon the generally accepted opinion concerning the folly and the

grossness of hoping to win at gambling as a thing even more absurd. For why is gambling a whit worse than

any other method of acquiring money? How, for instance, is it worse than trade? True, out of a hundred

At all events, I confined myself at first simply to looking on, and decided to attempt nothing serious. Indeed,

I felt that, if I began to do anything at all, I should do it in an absentminded, haphazard sort of wayof that

I felt certain. Also. it behoved me to learn the game itself; since, despite a thousand descriptions of roulette

which I had read with ceaseless avidity, I knew nothing of its rules, and had never even seen it played.

In the first place, everything about it seemed to me so foulso morally mean and foul. Yet I am not speaking

of the hungry, restless folk who, by scores nay, even by hundredscould be seen crowded around the

gamingtables. For in a desire to win quickly and to win much I can see nothing sordid; I have always

applauded the opinion of a certain dead and gone, but cocksure, moralist who replied to the excuse that " one

may always gamble moderately ", by saying that to do so makes things worse, since, in that case, the profits

Insignificant profits and sumptuous profits do not stand on the same footing. No, it is all a matter of

proportion. What may seem a small sum to a Rothschild may seem a large sum to me, and it is not the fault of

stakes or of winnings that everywhere men can be found winning, can be found depriving their fellows of

something, just as they do at roulette. As to the question whether stakes and winnings are, in themselves,

immoral is another question altogether, and I wish to express no opinion upon it. Yet the very fact that I was

full of a strong desire to win caused this gambling for gain, in spite of its attendant squalor, to contain, if you

will, something intimate, something sympathetic, to my eyes: for it is always pleasant to see men dispensing

Yet, why should I so deceive myself? I could see that the whole thing was a vain and unreasoning pursuit;

and what, at the first glance, seemed to me the ugliest feature in this mob of roulette players was their respect

for their occupationthe seriousness, and even the humility, with which they stood around the gaming

tables. Moreover, I had always drawn sharp distinctions between a game which is de mauvais genre and a

game which is permissible to a decent man. In fact, there are two sorts of gamingnamely, the game of the

gentleman and the game of the plebsthe game for gain, and the game of the herd. Herein, as said, I draw

sharp distinctions. Yet how essentially base are the distinctions! For instance, a gentleman may stake, say,

five or ten louis d'orseldom more, unless he is a very rich man, when he may stake, say, a thousand francs;

but, he must do this simply for the love of the game itselfsimply for sport, simply in order to observe the

process of winning or of losing, and, above all things, as a man who remains quite uninterested in the

possibility of his issuing a winner. If he wins, he will be at liberty, perhaps, to give vent to a laugh, or to pass

a remark on the circumstance to a bystander, or to stake again, or to double his stake; but, even this he must

do solely out of curiosity, and for the pleasure of watching the play of chances and of calculations, and not

because of any vulgar desire to win. In a word, he must look upon the gamingtable, upon roulette, and upon

trente et quarante, as mere relaxations which have been arranged solely for his amusement. Of the existence

of the lures and gains upon which the bank is founded and maintained he must profess to have not an inkling.

Best of all, he ought to imagine his fellowgamblers and the rest of the mob which stands trembling over a

coin to be equally rich and gentlemanly with himself, and playing solely for recreation and pleasure. This

complete ignorance of the realities, this innocent view of mankind, is what, in my opinion, constitutes the

truly aristocratic. For instance, I have seen even fond mothers so far indulge their guileless, elegant

daughtersmisses of fifteen or sixteenas to give them a few gold coins and teach them how to play; and

though the young ladies may have won or have lost, they have invariably laughed, and departed as though

they were well pleased. In the same way, I saw our General once approach the table in a stolid, important

manner. A lacquey darted to offer him a chair, but the General did not even notice him. Slowly he took out

his money bags, and slowly extracted 300 francs in gold, which he staked on the black, and won. Yet he did

not take up his winningshe left them there on the table. Again the black turned up, and again he did not

gather in what he had won; and when, in the third round, the RED turned up he lost, at a stroke, 1200 francs.

Yet even then he rose with a smile, and thus preserved his reputation; yet I knew that his money bags must be

chafing his heart, as well as that, had the stake been twice or thrice as much again, he would still have

On the other hand, I saw a Frenchman first win, and then lose, 30,000 francs cheerfully, and without a

murmur. Yes; even if a gentleman should lose his whole substance, he must never give way to annoyance.

Money must be so subservient to gentility as never to be worth a thought. Of course, the SUPREMELY

aristocratic thing is to be entirely oblivious of the mire of rabble, with its setting; but sometimes a reverse

course may be aristocratic to remark, to scan, and even to gape at, the mob (for preference, through a

lorgnette), even as though one were taking the crowd and its squalor for a sort of raree show which had been

organised specially for a gentleman's diversion. Though one may be squeezed by the crowd, one must look as

though one were fully assured of being the observerof having neither part nor lot with the observed. At the

same time, to stare fixedly about one is unbecoming; for that, again, is ungentlemanly, seeing that no

spectacle is worth an open stareare no spectacles in the world which merit from a gentleman too

However, to me personally the scene DID seem to be worth undisguised contemplationmore especially in

view of the fact that I had come there not only to look at, but also to number myself sincerely and

wholeheartedly with, the mob. As for my secret moral views,. I had no room for them amongst my actual,

practical opinions. Let that stand as written: I am writing only to relieve my conscience. Yet let me say also

this: that from the first I have been consistent in having an intense aversion to any trial of my acts and

thoughts by a moral standard. Another standard altogether has directed my life. . . .

As a matter of fact, the mob was playing in exceedingly foul fashion. Indeed, I have an idea that sheer

robbery was going on around that gamingtable. The croupiers who sat at the two ends of it had not only to

watch the stakes, but also to calculate the gamean immense amount of work for two men! As for the crowd

itselfwell, it consisted mostly of Frenchmen. Yet I was not then taking notes merely in order to be able to

give you a description of roulette, but in order to get my bearings as to my behaviour when I myself should

begin to play. For example, I noticed that nothing was more common than for another's hand to stretch out

and grab one's winnings whenever one had won. Then there would arise a dispute, and frequently an uproar;

and it would be a case of "I beg of you to prove, and to produce witnesses to the fact, that the stake is yours."

At first the proceedings were pure Greek to me. I could only divine and distinguish that stakes were hazarded

on numbers, on "odd" or "even," and on colours. Polina's money I decided to risk, that evening, only to the

amount of 100 gulden. The thought that I was not going to play for myself quite unnerved me. It was an

unpleasant sensation, and I tried hard to banish it. I had a feeling that, once I had begun to play for Polina, I

should wreck my own fortunes. Also, I wonder if any one has EVER approached a gamingtable without

falling an immediate prey to superstition? I began by pulling out fifty gulden, and staking them on "even."

The wheel spun and stopped at 13. I had lost! With a feeling like a sick qualm, as though I would like to

make my way out of the crowd and go home, I staked another fifty guldenthis time on the red. The red

turned up. Next time I staked the 100 gulden just where they layand again the red turned up. Again I

staked the whole sum, and again the red turned up. Clutching my 400 gulden, I placed 200 of them on twelve

figures, to see what would come of it. The result was that the croupier paid me out three times my total stake!

Thus from 100 gulden my store had grown to 800! Upon that such a curious, such an inexplicable, unwonted

feeling overcame me that I decided to depart. Always the thought kept recurring to me that if I had been

playing for myself alone I should never have had such luck. Once more I staked the whole 800 gulden on the

"even." The wheel stopped at 4. I was paid out another 800 gulden, and, snatching up my pile of 1600,

I found the whole party walking in the park, and was able to get an interview with her only after supper. This

time the Frenchman was absent from the meal, and the General seemed to be in a more expansive vein.

Among other things, he thought it necessary to remind me that he would be sorry to see me playing at the

gamingtables. In his opinion, such conduct would greatly compromise himespecially if I were to lose

much. " And even if you were to WIN much I should be compromised," he added in a meaning sort of way.

"Of course I have no RIGHT to order your actions, but you yourself will agree that..." As usual, he did not

finish his sentence. I answered drily that I had very little money in my possession, and that, consequently, I

was hardly in a position to indulge in any conspicuous play, even if I did gamble. At last, when ascending to

my own room, I succeeded in handing Polina her winnings, and told her that, next time, I should not play for

"Because I wish to play FOR MYSELF," I replied with a feigned glance of astonishment. "That is my sole

"Then are you so certain that your rouletteplaying will get us out of our difficulties?" she inquired with a

I said very seriously, "Yes," and then added: "Possibly my certainty about winning may seem to you

Nonetheless she insisted that I ought to go halves with her in the day's winnings, and offered me 800 gulden

on condition that henceforth, I gambled only on those terms; but I refused to do so, once and for allstating,

as my reason, that I found myself unable to play on behalf of any one else, "I am not unwilling so to do," I

"Well, absurd though it be, I place great hopes on your playing of roulette," she remarked musingly;

"wherefore, you ought to play as my partner and on equal shares; wherefore, of course, you will do as I

On the morrow she said not a word to me about gambling. In fact, she purposely avoided me, although her

old manner to me had not changed: the same serene coolness was hers on meeting me a coolness that was

mingled even with a spice of contempt and dislike. In short, she was at no pains to conceal her aversion to

me. That I could see plainly. Also, she did not trouble to conceal from me the fact that I was necessary to her,

and that she was keeping me for some end which she had in view. Consequently there became established

between us relations which, to a large extent, were incomprehensible to me, considering her general pride and

aloofness. For example, although she knew that I was madly in love with her, she allowed me to speak to her

of my passion (though she could not well have showed her contempt for me more than by permitting me,

"You see," her attitude expressed, "how little I regard your feelings, as well as how little I care for what you

say to me, or for what you feel for me." Likewise, though she spoke as before concerning her affairs, it was

never with complete frankness. In her contempt for me there were refinements. Although she knew well that I

was aware of a certain circumstance in her life of something which might one day cause her trouble, she

would speak to me about her affairs (whenever she had need of me for a given end) as though I were a slave

or a passing acquaintanceyet tell them me only in so far as one would need to know them if one were

going to be made temporary use of. Had I not known the whole chain of events, or had she not seen how

much I was pained and disturbed by her teasing insistency, she would never have thought it worthwhile to

soothe me with this franknesseven though, since she not infrequently used me to execute commissions that

were not only troublesome, but risky, she ought, in my opinion, to have been frank in ANY case. But,

forsooth, it was not worth her while to trouble about MY feelingsabout the fact that I was uneasy, and,

For three weeks I had known of her intention to take to roulette. She had even warned me that she would like

me to play on her behalf, since it was unbecoming for her to play in person; and, from the tone of her words I

had gathered that there was something on her mind besides a mere desire to win money. As if money could

matter to HER! No, she had some end in view, and there were circumstances at which I could guess, but

which I did not know for certain. True, the slavery and abasement in which she held me might have given me

(such things often do so) the power to question her with abrupt directness (seeing that,, inasmuch as I figured

in her eyes as a mere slave and nonentity, she could not very well have taken offence at any rude curiosity);

but the fact was that, though she let me question her, she never returned me a single answer, and at times did

Next day there was a good deal of talk about a telegram which, four days ago, had been sent to St. Petersburg,

but to which there had come no answer. The General was visibly disturbed and moody, for the matter

concerned his mother. The Frenchman, too, was excited, and after dinner the whole party talked long and

seriously togetherthe Frenchman's tone being extraordinarily presumptuous and offhand to everybody. It

almost reminded one of the proverb, "Invite a man to your table, and soon he will place his feet upon it."

Even to Polina he was brusque almost to the point of rudeness. Yet still he seemed glad to join us in our

walks in the Casino, or in our rides and drives about the town. I had long been aware of certain circumstances

which bound the General to him; I had long been aware that in Russia they had hatched some scheme

together although I did not know whether the plot had come to anything, or whether it was still only in the

stage of being talked of. Likewise I was aware, in part, of a family secretnamely, that, last year, the

Frenchman had bailed the General out of debt, and given him 30,000 roubles wherewith to pay his Treasury

dues on retiring from the service. And now, of course, the General was in a vice although the chief part in

But WHO was this Mlle. Blanche? It was said of her that she was a Frenchwoman of good birth who, living

with her mother, possessed a colossal fortune. It was also said that she was some relation to the Marquis, but

only a distant one a cousin, or cousingerman, or something of the sort. Likewise I knew that, up to the time

of my journey to Paris, she and the Frenchman had been more ceremonious towards our partythey had

stood on a much more precise and delicate footing with them; but that now their acquaintanceshiptheir

friendship, their intimacyhad taken on a much more offhand and roughandready air. Perhaps they

thought that our means were too modest for them, and, therefore, unworthy of politeness or reticence. Also,

for the last three days I had noticed certain looks which Astley had kept throwing at Mlle. Blanche and her

mother; and it had occurred to me that he must have had some previous acquaintance with the pair. I had even

surmised that the Frenchman too must have met Mr. Astley before. Astley was a man so shy, reserved, and

taciturn in his manner that one might have looked for anything from him. At all events the Frenchman

accorded him only the slightest of greetings, and scarcely even looked at him. Certainly he did not seem to be

afraid of him; which was intelligible enough. But why did Mlle. Blanche also never look at the

Englishman?particularly since, a propos of something or another, the Marquis had declared the

Englishman to be immensely and indubitably rich? Was not that a sufficient reason to make Mlle. Blanche

look at the Englishman? Anyway the General seemed extremely uneasy; and, one could well understand what

Although I thought it probable that Polina was avoiding me for a definite reason, I adopted a cold and

indifferent air; for I felt pretty certain that it would not be long before she herself approached me. For two

days, therefore, I devoted my attention to Mlle. Blanche. The poor General was in despair! To fall in love at

fiftyfive, and with such vehemence, is indeed a misfortune! And add to that his widowerhood, his children,

his ruined property, his debts, and the woman with whom he had fallen in love! Though Mlle. Blanche was

extremely goodlooking, I may or may not be understood when I say that she had one of those faces which

one is afraid of. At all events, I myself have always feared such women. Apparently about twentyfive years

of age, she was tall and broadshouldered, with shoulders that sloped; yet though her neck and bosom were

ample in their proportions, her skin was dull yellow in colour, while her hair (which was extremely

abundantsufficient to make two coiffures) was as black as Indian ink. Add to that a pair of black eyes with

yellowish whites, a proud glance, gleaming teeth, and lips which were perennially pomaded and redolent of

musk. As for her dress, it was invariably rich, effective, and chic, yet in good taste. Lastly, her feet and hands

were astonishing, and her voice a deep contralto. Sometimes, when she laughed, she displayed her teeth, but

at ordinary times her air was taciturn and haughtyespecially in the presence of Polina and Maria

Philipovna. Yet she seemed to me almost destitute of education, and even of wits, though cunning and

suspicious. This, apparently, was not because her life had been lacking in incident. Perhaps, if all were

known, the Marquis was not her kinsman at all, nor her mother, her mother; but there was evidence that, in

Berlin, where we had first come across the pair, they had possessed acquaintances of good standing. As for

the Marquis himself, I doubt to this day if he was a Marquisalthough about the fact that he had formerly

belonged to high society (for instance, in Moscow and Germany) there could be no doubt whatever. What he

had formerly been in France I had not a notion. All I knew was that he was said to possess a chateau. During

the last two weeks I had looked for much to transpire, but am still ignorant whether at that time anything

decisive ever passed between Mademoiselle and the General. Everything seemed to depend upon our

meansupon whether the General would be able to flourish sufficient money in her face. If ever the news

should arrive that the grandmother was not dead, Mlle. Blanche, I felt sure, would disappear in a twinkling.

Indeed, it surprised and amused me to observe what a passion for intrigue I was developing. But how I

loathed it all! With what pleasure would I have given everybody and everything the goby! OnlyI could

not leave Polina. How, then, could I show contempt for those who surrounded her? Espionage is a base thing,

Mr. Astley, too, I found a curious person. I was only sure that he had fallen in love With Polina. A

remarkable and diverting circumstance is the amount which may lie in the mien of a shy and painfully modest

man who has been touched with the divine passionespecially when he would rather sink into the earth than

betray himself by a single word or look. Though Mr. Astley frequently met us when we were out walking, he

would merely take off his hat and pass us by, though I knew he was dying to join us. Even when invited to do

so, he would refuse. Again, in places of amusementin the Casino, at concerts, or near the fountainhe

was never far from the spot where we were sitting. In fact, WHEREVER we were in the Park, in the forest, or

on the Shlangenbergone needed but to raise one's eyes and glance around to catch sight of at least a

PORTION of Mr. Astley's frame sticking outwhether on an adjacent path or behind a bush. Yet never did

he lose any chance of speaking to myself; and, one morning when we had met, and exchanged a couple of

After that he was silent as he looked me meaningly in the face. What he meant I did not know, but to my

glance of inquiry he returned only a dry nod, and a reiterated "It is so." Presently, however, he resumed:

"Hm! Then I have an idea in my mind," he concluded. Lastly, with a nod, he walked away with a pleased

expression on his face. The conversation had been carried on in execrable French.

Today has been a day of folly, stupidity, and ineptness. The time is now eleven o'clock in the evening, and I

am sitting in my room and thinking. It all began, this morning, with my being forced to go and play roulette

for Polina Alexandrovna. When she handed me over her store of six hundred gulden I exacted two conditions

namely, that I should not go halves with her in her winnings, if any (that is to say, I should not take

anything for myself), and that she should explain to me, that same evening, why it was so necessary for her to

win, and how much was the sum which she needed. For, I could not suppose that she was doing all this

merely for the sake of money. Yet clearly she did need some money, and that as soon as possible, and for a

special purpose. Well, she promised to explain matters, and I departed. There was a tremendous crowd in the

gamingrooms. What an arrogant, greedy crowd it was! I pressed forward towards the middle of the room

until I had secured a seat at a croupier's elbow. Then I began to play in timid fashion, venturing only twenty

or thirty gulden at a time. Meanwhile, I observed and took notes. It seemed to me that calculation was

superfluous, and by no means possessed of the importance which certain other players attached to it, even

though they sat with ruled papers in their hands, whereon they set down the coups, calculated the chances,

reckoned, staked, andlost exactly as we more simple mortals did who played without any reckoning at all.

However, I deduced from the scene one conclusion which seemed to me reliable namely, that in the flow

of fortuitous chances there is, if not a system, at all events a sort of order. This, of course, is a very strange

thing. For instance, after a dozen middle figures there would always occur a dozen or so outer ones. Suppose

the ball stopped twice at a dozen outer figures; it would then pass to a dozen of the first ones, and then, again,

to a dozen of the middle ciphers, and fall upon them three or four times, and then revert to a dozen outers;

whence, after another couple of rounds, the ball would again pass to the first figures, strike upon them once,

and then return thrice to the middle seriescontinuing thus for an hour and a half, or two hours. One, three,

two: one, three, two. It was all very curious. Again, for the whole of a day or a morning the red would

alternate with the black, but almost without any order, and from moment to moment, so that scarcely two

consecutive rounds would end upon either the one or the other. Yet, next day, or, perhaps, the next evening,

the red alone would turn up, and attain a run of over two score, and continue so for quite a length of

timesay, for a whole day. Of these circumstances the majority were pointed out to me by Mr. Astley, who

For myself, I lost all that I had on me, and with great speed. To begin with, I staked two hundred gulden on "

even," and won. Then I staked the same amount again, and won: and so on some two or three times. At one

moment I must have had in my handsgathered there within a space of five minutesabout 4000 gulden.

That, of course, was the proper moment for me to have departed, but there arose in me a strange sensation as

of a challenge to Fateas of a wish to deal her a blow on the cheek, and to put out my tongue at her.

Accordingly I set down the largest stake allowed by the rulesnamely, 4000 guldenand lost. Fired by this

mishap, I pulled out all the money left to me, staked it all on the same venture, andagain lost! Then I rose

from the table, feeling as though I were stupefied. What had happened to me I did not know; but, before

At luncheon I was as excited as I had been at the meal three days ago. Mlle. Blanche and the Frenchman were

lunching with us, and it appeared that the former had been to the Casino that morning, and had seen my

exploits there. So now she showed me more attention when talking to me; while, for his part, the Frenchman

approached me, and asked outright if it had been my own money that I had lost. He appeared to be suspicious

as to something being on foot between Polina and myself, but I merely fired up, and replied that the money

At this the General seemed extremely surprised, and asked me whence I had procured it; whereupon I replied

that, though I had begun only with 100 gulden, six or seven rounds had increased my capital to 5000 or 6000

All this, of course, was plausible enough. During my recital I glanced at Polina, but nothing was to be

discerned on her face. However, she had allowed me to fire up without correcting me, and from that I

concluded that it was my cue to fire up, and to conceal the fact that I had been playing on her behalf. "At all

events," I thought to myself, "she, in her turn, has promised to give me an explanation tonight, and to reveal

Although the General appeared to be taking stock of me, he said nothing. Yet I could see uneasiness and

annoyance in his face. Perhaps his straitened circumstances made it hard for him to have to hear of piles of

gold passing through the hands of an irresponsible fool like myself within the space of a quarter of an hour.

Now, I have an idea that, last night, he and the Frenchman had a sharp encounter with one another. At all

events they closeted themselves together, and then had a long and vehement discussion; after which the

Frenchman departed in what appeared to be a passion, but returned, early this morning, to renew the combat.

On hearing of my losses, however, he only remarked with a sharp, and even a malicious, air that "a man

ought to go more carefully." Next, for some reason or another, he added that, "though a great many Russians

"I think that roulette was devised specially for Russians," I retorted; and when the Frenchman smiled

contemptuously at my reply I further remarked that I was sure I was right; also that, speaking of Russians in

the capacity of gamblers, I had far more blame for them than praiseof that he could be quite sure.

"Upon the fact that to the virtues and merits of the civilised Westerner there has become historically

addedthough this is not his chief pointa capacity for acquiring capital; whereas, not only is the Russian

incapable of acquiring capital, but also he exhausts it wantonly and of sheer folly. None the less we Russians

often need money; wherefore, we are glad of, and greatly devoted to, a method of acquisition like

roulettewhereby, in a couple of hours, one may grow rich without doing any work. This method, I repeat,

has a great attraction for us, but since we play in wanton fashion, and without taking any trouble, we almost

"To a certain extent that is true," assented the Frenchman with a selfsatisfied air.

"Oh no, it is not true," put in the General sternly. "And you," he added to me, "you ought to be ashamed of

"I beg pardon," I said. "Yet it would be difficult to say which is the worst of the twoRussian ineptitude or

"I would rather live a wandering life in tents," I cried, "than bow the knee to a German idol!"

"To the German method of heaping up riches. I have not been here very long, but I can tell you that what I

have seen and verified makes my Tartar blood boil. Good Lord! I wish for no virtues of that kind. Yesterday I

went for a walk of about ten versts; and, everywhere I found that things were even as we read of them in good

German picturebooks that every house has its 'Fater,' who is horribly beneficent and extraordinarily

honourable. So honourable is he that it is dreadful to have anything to do with him; and I cannot bear people

of that sort. Each such 'Fater' has his family, and in the evenings they read improving books aloud. Over their

rooftrees there murmur elms and chestnuts; the sun has sunk to his rest; a stork is roosting on the gable; and

all is beautifully poetic and touching. Do not be angry, General. Let me tell you something that is even more

touching than that. I can remember how, of an evening, my own father, now dead, used to sit under the lime

trees in his little garden, and to read books aloud to myself and my mother. Yes, I know how things ought to

be done. Yet every German family is bound to slavery and to submission to its 'Fater.' They work like oxen,

and amass wealth like Jews. Suppose the 'Fater' has put by a certain number of gulden which he hands over to

his eldest son, in order that the said son may acquire a trade or a small plot of land. Well, one result is to

deprive the daughter of a dowry, and so leave her among the unwedded. For the same reason, the parents will

have to sell the younger son into bondage or the ranks of the army, in order that he may earn more towards

the family capital. Yes, such things ARE done, for I have been making inquiries on the subject. It is all done

out of sheer rectitudeout of a rectitude which is magnified to the point of the younger son believing that he

has been RIGHTLY sold, and that it is simply idyllic for the victim to rejoice when he is made over into

pledge. What more have I to tell? Well, thisthat matters bear just as hardly upon the eldest son. Perhaps he

has his Gretchen to whom his heart is bound; but he cannot marry her, for the reason that he has not yet

amassed sufficient gulden. So, the pair wait on in a mood of sincere and virtuous expectation, and smilingly

deposit themselves in pawn the while. Gretchen's cheeks grow sunken, and she begins to wither; until at last,

after some twenty years, their substance has multiplied, and sufficient gulden have been honourably and

virtuously accumulated. Then the 'Fater' blesses his fortyyearold heir and the thirtyfiveyearold

Gretchen with the sunken bosom and the scarlet nose; after which he bursts, into tears, reads the pair a lesson

on morality, and dies. In turn the eldest son becomes a virtuous 'Fater,' and the old story begins again. In fifty

or sixty years' time the grandson of the original 'Fater' will have amassed a considerable sum; and that sum he

will hand over to, his son, and the latter to HIS son, and so on for several generations; until at length there

will issue a Baron Rothschild, or a 'Hoppe and Company,' or the devil knows what! Is it not a beautiful

spectaclethe spectacle of a century or two of inherited labour, patience, intellect, rectitude, character,

perseverance, and calculation, with a stork sitting on the roof above it all? What is more; they think there can

never be anything better than this; wherefore, from their point of view they begin to judge the rest of the

world, and to censure all who are at faultthat is to say, who are not exactly like themselves. Yes, there you

have it in a nutshell. For my own part, I would rather grow fat after the Russian manner, or squander my

whole substance at roulette. I have no wish to be 'Hoppe and Company' at the end of five generations. I want

the money for MYSELF, for in no way do I look upon my personality as necessary to, or meet to be given

"How far you may be right in what you have said I do not know," remarked the General moodily; "but I DO

know that you are becoming an insufferable farceur whenever you are given the least chance."

As usual, he left his sentence unfinished. Indeed, whenever he embarked upon anything that in the least

exceeded the limits of daily smalltalk, he left unfinished what he was saying. The Frenchman had listened to

me contemptuously, with a slight protruding of his eyes; but, he could not have understood very much of my

harangue. As for Polina, she had looked on with serene indifference. She seemed to have heard neither my

Yes, she had been extraordinarily meditative. Yet, on leaving the table, she immediately ordered me to

accompany her for a walk. We took the children with us, and set out for the fountain in the Park.

I was in such an irritated frame of mind that in rude and abrupt fashion I blurted out a question as to "why our

Marquis de Griers had ceased to accompany her for strolls, or to speak to her for days together."

"Because he is a brute," she replied in rather a curious way. It was the first time that I had heard her speak so

of De Griers: consequently, I was momentarily awed into silence by this expression of resentment.

"Have you noticed, too, that today he is by no means on good terms with the General?" I went on.

"Yes and I suppose you want to know why," she replied with dry captiousness. "You are aware, are you

not, that the General is mortgaged to the Marquis, with all his property? Consequently, if the General's

mother does not die, the Frenchman will become the absolute possessor of everything which he now holds

"Then it is really the case that everything is mortgaged? I have heard rumours to that effect, but was unaware

"Why, it will be a case of 'Farewell, Mlle. Blanche,'" I remarked; "for in such an event she would never

become Madame General. Do you know, I believe the old man is so much in love with her that he will shoot

himself if she should throw him over. At his age it is a dangerous thing to fall in love."

"And what a fine thing it all is!" I continued. "Could anything be more abominable than the way in which she

has agreed to marry for money alone? Not one of the decencies has been observed; the whole affair has taken

place without the least ceremony. And as for the grandmother, what could be more comical, yet more

dastardly, than the sending of telegram after telegram to know if she is dead? What do you think of it, Polina

"Yes, it is very horrible," she interrupted with a shudder. "Consequently, I am the more surprised that YOU

should be so cheerful. What are YOU so pleased about? About the fact that you have gone and lost my

"What? The money that you gave me to lose? I told you I should never win for other peopleleast of all for

you. I obeyed you simply because you ordered me to; but you must not blame me for the result. I warned you

that no good would ever come of it. You seem much depressed at having lost your money. Why do you need

"Because you promised to explain matters to me. Listen. I am certain that, as soon as ever I 'begin to play for

myself' (and I still have 120 gulden left), I shall win. You can then take of me what you require."

"You must not be angry with me," I continued, "for making such a proposal. I am so conscious of being only

a nonentity in your eyes that you need not mind accepting money from me. A gift from me could not possibly

She glanced at me, but, seeing that I was in an irritable, sarcastic mood, changed the subject.

"My affairs cannot possibly interest you," she said. Still, if you DO wish to know, I am in debt. I borrowed

some money, and must pay it back again. I have a curious, senseless idea that I am bound to win at the

gamingtables. Why I think so I cannot tell, but I do think so, and with some assurance. Perhaps it is because

"Or perhaps it is because it is so NECESSARY for you to win. It is like a drowning man catching at a straw.

You yourself will agree that, unless he were drowning he would not mistake a straw for the trunk of a tree."

"What?" she said. "Do not you also hope something from it? Did you not tell me again and again, two weeks

ago, that you were certain of winning at roulette if you played here? And did you not ask me not to consider

you a fool for doing so? Were you joking? You cannot have been, for I remember that you spoke with a

"True," I replied gloomily. "I always felt certain that I should win. Indeed, what you say makes me ask

myselfWhy have my absurd, senseless losses of today raised a doubt in my mind? Yet I am still positive

"To tell the truth, I do not know. I only know that I must winthat it is the one resource I have left. Yes,

"Perhaps because one cannot help winning if one is fanatically certain of doing so."

"Yet I dare wager that you do not think me capable of serious feeling in the matter?"

"I do not care whether you are so or not," answered Polina with calm indifference. "Well, since you ask me, I

DO doubt your ability to take anything seriously. You are capable of worrying, but not deeply. You are too

illregulated and unsettled a person for that. But why do you want money? Not a single one of the reasons

"By the way," I interrupted, "you say you want to pay off a debt. It must be a large one. Is it to the

"What do you mean by asking all these questions? You are very clever today. Surely you are not drunk?"

"You know that you and I stand on no ceremony, and that sometimes I put to you very plain questions. I

"You talk like a child. It is always possible to comport oneself with dignity. If one has a quarrel it ought to

"A maxim straight from the copybook! Suppose I CANNOT comport myself with dignity. By that I mean

that, though I am a man of selfrespect, I am unable to carry off a situation properly. Do you know the

reason? It is because we Russians are too richly and multifariously gifted to be able at once to find the proper

mode of expression. It is all a question of mode. Most of us are so bounteously endowed with intellect as to

require also a spice of genius to choose the right form of behaviour. And genius is lacking in us for the reason

that so little genius at all exists. It belongs only to the Frenchthough a few other Europeans have

elaborated their forms so well as to be able to figure with extreme dignity, and yet be wholly undignified

persons. That is why, with us, the mode is so allimportant. The Frenchman may receive an insult a real, a

venomous insult: yet, he will not so much as frown. But a tweaking of the nose he cannot bear, for the reason

that such an act is an infringement of the accepted, of the timehallowed order of decorum. That is why our

good ladies are so fond of Frenchmenthe Frenchman's manners, they say, are perfect! But in my opinion

there is no such thing as a Frenchman's manners. The Frenchman is only a birdthe coq gaulois. At the

same time, as I am not a woman, I do not properly understand the question. Cocks may be excellent birds. If I

am wrong you must stop me. You ought to stop and correct me more often when I am speaking to you, for I

"You see, I have lost my manners. I agree that I have none, nor yet any dignity. I will tell you why. I set no

store upon such things. Everything in me has undergone a cheek. You know the reason. I have not a single

human thought in my head. For a long while I have been ignorant of what is going on in the worldhere or

in Russia. I have been to Dresden, yet am completely in the dark as to what Dresden is like. You know the

cause of my obsession. I have no hope now, and am a mere cipher in your eyes; wherefore, I tell you outright

"Why or how I have come to love you I do not know. It may be that you are not altogether fair to look upon.

Do you know, I am ignorant even as to what your face is like. In all probability, too, your heart is not comely,

"And because you do not believe in my nobility of soul you think to purchase me with money?" she said.

"You are losing the thread of the argument. If you do not wish to purchase me, at all events you wish to

"Not at all. I have told you that I find it difficult to explain myself. You are hard upon me. Do not be angry at

my chattering. You know why you ought not to be angry with methat I am simply an imbecile. However, I

do not mind if you ARE angry. Sitting in my room, I need but to think of you, to imagine to myself the rustle

of your dress, and at once I fall almost to biting my hands. Why should you be angry with me? Because I call

myself your slave? Revel, I pray you, in my slaveryrevel in it. Do you know that sometimes I could kill

you?not because I do not love you, or am jealous of you, but, because I feel as though I could simply

She stopped, well nigh breathless with anger. God knows, she may not have been a beautiful woman, yet I

loved to see her come to a halt like this, and was therefore, the more fond of arousing her temper. Perhaps she

"I do not care," I continued. "Also, do you know that it is not safe for us to take walks together? Often I have

a feeling that I should like to strike you, to disfigure you, to strangle you. Are you certain that it will never

come to that? You are driving me to frenzy. Am I afraid of a scandal, or of your anger? Why should I fear

your anger? I love without hope, and know that hereafter I shall love you a thousand times more. If ever I

should kill you I should have to kill myself too. But I shall put off doing so as long as possible, for I wish to

continue enjoying the unbearable pain which your coldness gives me. Do you know a very strange thing? It is

that, with every day, my love for you increasesthough that would seem to be almost an impossibility. Why

should I not become a fatalist? Remember how, on the third day that we ascended the Shlangenberg, I was

moved to whisper in your ear: 'Say but the word, and I will leap into the abyss.' Had you said it, I should have

"I care not whether it be wise or stupid," I cried in return. "I only know that in your presence I must speak,

speak, speak. Therefore, I am speaking. I lose all conceit when I am with you, and everything ceases to

"Why should I have wanted you to leap from the Shlangenberg?" she said drily, and (I think) with wilful

"Splendid!" I shouted. "I know well that you must have used the words 'of no use' in order to crush me. I can

see through you. 'Of no use,' did you say? Why, to give pleasure is ALWAYS of use; and, as for barbarous,

unlimited powereven if it be only over a flywhy, it is a kind of luxury. Man is a despot by nature, and

I remember that at this moment she looked at me in a peculiar way. The fact is that my face must have been

expressing all the maze of senseless, gross sensations which were seething within me. To this day I can

remember, word for word, the conversation as I have written it down. My eyes were suffused with blood, and

the foam had caked itself on my lips. Also, on my honour I swear that, had she bidden me cast myself from

the summit of the Shlangenberg, I should have done it. Yes, had she bidden me in jest, or only in contempt

"Oh no! Why so? I believe you," she said, but in such a mannerin the manner of which, at times, she was a

mistressand with such a note of disdain and viperish arrogance in her tone, that God knows I could have

"I do not know," I replied. "Perhaps I am, but I do not know. I have long given up thinking about such

"Do not ask me questions; return me answers. I repeat, whomsoever I wish? I desire to see if you were

She awaited my reply with such gravity and impatience that I found the situation unpleasant.

"Do YOU, rather, tell me," I said, "what is going on here? Why do you seem halfafraid of me? I can see for

myself what is wrong. You are the stepdaughter of a ruined and insensate man who is smitten with love for

this devil of a Blanche. And there is this Frenchman, too, with his mysterious influence over you. Yet, you

actually ask me such a question! If you do not tell me how things stand, I shall have to put in my oar and do

"I am not going to talk to you on that subject. I have asked you a question, and am waiting for an answer."

"Well, thenI will kill whomsoever you wish," I said. "But are you REALLY going to bid me do such

"Why should you think that I am going to let you off? I shall bid you do it, or else renounce me. Could you

ever do the latter? No, you know that you couldn't. You would first kill whom I had bidden you, and then kill

Something seemed to strike upon my brain as I heard these words. Of course, at the time I took them half in

jest and half as a challenge; yet, she had spoken them with great seriousness. I felt thunderstruck that she

should so express herself, that she should assert such a right over me, that she should assume such authority

and say outright: "Either you kill whom I bid you, or I will have nothing more to do with you." Indeed, in

what she had said there was something so cynical and unveiled as to pass all bounds. For how could she ever

regard me as the same after the killing was done? This was more than slavery and abasement; it was

sufficient to bring a man back to his right senses. Yet, despite the outrageous improbability of our

Suddenly, she burst out laughing. We were seated on a bench near the spot where the children were

playingjust opposite the point in the alleyway before the Casino where the carriages drew up in order to

"Do you see that fat Baroness?" she cried. "It is the Baroness Burmergelm. She arrived three days ago. Just

look at her husbandthat tall, wizened Prussian there, with the stick in his hand. Do you remember how he

stared at us the other day? Well, go to the Baroness, take off your hat to her, and say something in French."

"Because you have sworn that you would leap from the Shlangenberg for my sake, and that you would kill

any one whom I might bid you kill. Well, instead of such murders and tragedies, I wish only for a good

laugh. Go without answering me, and let me see the Baron give you a sound thrashing with his stick."

"Then I WILL go, however mad be your fancy. Only, look here: shall you not be doing the General a great

disservice, as well as, through him, a great disservice to yourself? It is not about myself I am worrying it is

about you and the General. Why, for a mere fancy, should I go and insult a woman?"

"Ah! Then I can see that you are only a trifler," she said contemptuously. "Your eyes are swimming with

bloodbut only because you have drunk a little too much at luncheon. Do I not know that what I have asked

you to do is foolish and wrong, and that the General will be angry about it? But I want to have a good laugh,

all the same. I want that, and nothing else. Why should you insult a woman, indeed? Well, you will be given

I turned away, and went silently to do her bidding. Of course the thing was folly, but I could not get out of it.

I remember that, as I approached the Baroness, I felt as excited as a schoolboy. I was in a frenzy, as though I

Two days have passed since that day of lunacy. What a noise and a fuss and a chattering and an uproar there

was! And what a welter of unseemliness and disorder and stupidity and bad manners! And I the cause of it

all! Yet part of the scene was also ridiculousat all events to myself it was so. I am not quite sure what was

the matter with mewhether I was merely stupefied or whether I purposely broke loose and ran amok. At

times my mind seems all confused; while at other times I seem almost to be back in my childhood, at the

It all came of Polinayes, of Polina. But for her, there might never have been a fracas. Or perhaps I did the

deed in a fit of despair (though it may be foolish of me to think so)? What there is so attractive about her I

cannot think. Yet there IS something attractive about hersomething passing fair, it would seem. Others

besides myself she has driven to distraction. She is tall and straight, and very slim. Her body looks as though

it could be tied into a knot, or bent double, like a cord. The imprint of her foot is long and narrow. It is, a

maddening imprintyes, simply a maddening one! And her hair has a reddish tint about it, and her eyes are

like cat's eyesthough able also to glance with proud, disdainful mien. On the evening of my first arrival,

four months ago, I remember that she was sitting and holding an animated conversation with De Griers in the

salon. And the way in which she looked at him was such that later, when I retired to my own room upstairs, I

kept fancying that she had smitten him in the facethat she had smitten him right on the cheek, so peculiar

had been her look as she stood confronting him. Ever since that evening I have loved her.

I stepped from the path into the carriageway, and took my stand in the middle of it. There I awaited the

Baron and the Baroness. When they were but a few paces distant from me I took off my hat, and bowed.

I remember that the Baroness was clad in a voluminous silk dress, pale grey in colour, and adorned with

flounces and a crinoline and train. Also, she was short and inordinately stout, while her gross, flabby chin

completely concealed her neck. Her face was purple, and the little eyes in it had an impudent, malicious

expression. Yet she walked as though she were conferring a favour upon everybody by so doing. As for the

Baron, he was tall, wizened, bonyfaced after the German fashion, spectacled, and, apparently, about

fortyfive years of age. Also, he had legs which seemed to begin almost at his chestor, rather, at his chin!

Yet, for all his air of peacocklike conceit, his clothes sagged a little, and his face wore a sheepish air which

At first my bow and the fact that I had my hat in my hand barely caught their attention. The Baron only

"Madame la Baronne," said I, loudly and distinctlyembroidering each word, as it were"j'ai l'honneur

Then I bowed again, put on my hat, and walked past the Baron with a rude smile on my face.

Polina had ordered me merely to take off my hat: the bow and the general effrontery were of my own

invention. God knows what instigated me to perpetrate the outrage! In my frenzy I felt as though I were

"Hein!" ejaculatedor, rather, growledthe Baron as he turned towards me in angry surprise.

I too turned round, and stood waiting in pseudocourteous expectation. Yet still I wore on my face an

impudent smile as I gazed at him. He seemed to hesitate, and his brows contracted to their utmost limits.

Every moment his visage was growing darker. The Baroness also turned in my direction, and gazed at me in

wrathful perplexity, while some of the passersby also began to stare at us, and others of them halted

"Hein!" the Baron vociferated again, with a redoubled growl and a note of growing wrath in his voice.

"Sind sie rasend?" he exclaimed, brandishing his stick, and, apparently, beginning to feel nervous. Perhaps it

was my costume which intimidated him, for I was well and fashionably dressed, after the manner of a man

"Ja wooohl!" cried I again with all my might with a longdrawn rolling of the " ohl " sound after the fashion

of the Berliners (who constantly use the phrase "Ja wohl!" in conversation, and more or less prolong the

syllable "ohl" according as they desire to express different shades of meaning or of mood).

At this the Baron and the Baroness faced sharply about, and almost fled in their alarm. Some of the

bystanders gave vent to excited exclamations, and others remained staring at me in astonishment. But I do not

Wheeling quietly about, I returned in the direction of Polina Alexandrovna. But, when I had got within a

hundred paces of her seat, I saw her rise and set out with the children towards the hotel.

"Have you? Then you can take the consequences," she replied without so much as looking at me. Then she

I spent the rest of the evening walking in the park. Thence I passed into the forest, and walked on until I

found myself in a neighbouring principality. At a wayside restaurant I partook of an omelette and some wine,

Not until eleven o'clock did I return hometo find a summons awaiting me from the General.

Our party occupied two suites in the hotel; each of which contained two rooms. The first (the larger suite)

comprised a salon and a smokingroom, with, adjoining the latter, the General's study. It was here that he

was awaiting me as he stood posed in a majestic attitude beside his writingtable. Lolling on a divan close by

"My good sir," the General began, "may I ask you what this is that you have gone and done?"

"I should be glad," I replied, "if we could come straight to the point. Probably you are referring to my

"With a German? Why, the German was the Baron Burmergelma most important personage! I hear that

"But I understand that you simply terrified them, my good sir?" shouted the General.

"Not in the least," I replied. "You must know that when I was in Berlin I frequently used to hear the Berliners

repeat, and repellently prolong, a certain phrasenamely, 'Ja wohl!'; and, happening to meet this couple in

the carriagedrive, I found, for some reason or another, that this phrase suddenly recurred to my memory,

and exercised a rousing effect upon my spirits. Moreover, on the three previous occasions that I have met the

Baroness she has walked towards me as though I were a worm which could easily be crushed with the foot.

Not unnaturally, I too possess a measure of selfrespect; wherefore, on THIS occasion I took off my hat, and

said politely (yes, I assure you it was said politely): 'Madame, j'ai l'honneur d'etre votre esclave.' Then the

Baron turned round, and said 'Hein!'; whereupon I felt moved to ejaculate in answer 'Ja wohl!' Twice I

shouted it at himthe first time in an ordinary tone, and the second time with the greatest prolonging of the

I must confess that this puerile explanation gave me great pleasure. I felt a strong desire to overlay the

incident with an even added measure of grossness; so, the further I proceeded, the more did the gusto of my

"You are only making fun of me! " vociferated the General as, turning to the Frenchman, he declared that my

bringing about of the incident had been gratuitous. De Griers smiled contemptuously, and shrugged his

"Do not think THAT," I put in. "It was not so at all. I grant you that my behaviour was badI fully confess

that it was so, and make no secret of the fact. I would even go so far as to grant you that my behaviour might

well be called stupid and indecent tomfoolery; but, MORE than that it was not. Also, let me tell you that I am

very sorry for my conduct. Yet there is one circumstance which, in my eyes, almost absolves me from regret

in the matter. Of latethat is to say, for the last two or three weeksI have been feeling not at all well. That

is to say, I have been in a sick, nervous, irritable, fanciful condition, so that I have periodically lost control

over myself. For instance, on more than one occasion I have tried to pick a quarrel even with Monsieur le

Marquise here; and, under the circumstances, he had no choice but to answer me. In short, I have recently

been showing signs of illhealth. Whether the Baroness Burmergelm will take this circumstance into

consideration when I come to beg her pardon (for I do intend to make her amends) I do not know; but I doubt

if she will, and the less so since, so far as I know, the circumstance is one which, of late, has begun to be

abused in the legal world, in that advocates in criminal cases have taken to justifying their clients on the

ground that, at the moment of the crime, they (the clients) were unconscious of what they were doingthat,

in short, they were out of health. 'My client committed the murderthat is true; but he has no recollection of

having committed it.' And doctors actually support these advocates by affirming that there really is such a

maladythat there really can arise temporary delusions which make a man remember nothing of a given

deed, or only a half or a quarter of it! But the Baron and Baroness are members of an older generation, as

well as Prussian Junkers and landowners. To them such a process in the medicojudicial world will be

unknown, and therefore, they are the more unlikely to accept any such explanation. What is YOUR opinion

"Enough, sir! " he thundered with barely restrained fury. "Enough, I say! Once and for all I must endeavour

to rid myself of you and your impertinence. To justify yourself in the eyes of the Baron and Baroness will be

impossible. Any intercourse with you, even though it be confined to a begging of their pardons, they would

look upon as a degradation. I may tell you that, on learning that you formed part of, my household, the Baron

approached me in the Casino, and demanded of me additional satisfaction. Do you understand, then, what it is

that you have entailed upon meupon ME, my good sir? You have entailed upon me the fact of my being

forced to sue humbly to the Baron, and to give him my word of honour that this very day you shall cease to

"Excuse me, General," I interrupted, "but did he make an express point of it that I should 'cease to belong to

"No; I, of my own initiative, thought that I ought to afford him that satisfaction; and, with it he was satisfied.

So we must part, good sir. It is my duty to hand over to you forty gulden, three florins, as per the

accompanying statement. Here is the money, and here the account, which you are at liberty to verify.

Farewell. From henceforth we are strangers. From you I have never had anything but trouble and

unpleasantness. I am about to call the landlord, and explain to him that from tomorrow onwards I shall no

longer be responsible for your hotel expenses. Also I have the honour to remain your obedient servant."

I took the money and the account (which was indicted in pencil), and, bowing low to the General, said to him

"The matter cannot end here. I regret very much that you should have been put to unpleasantness at the

Baron's hands; but, the fault (pardon me) is your own. How came you to answer for me to the Baron? And

what did you mean by saying that I formed part of your household? I am merely your family tutornot a son

of yours, nor yet your ward, nor a person of any kind for whose acts you need be responsible. I am a

judicially competent person, a man of twentyfive years of age, a university graduate, a gentleman, and, until

I met yourself, a complete stranger to you. Only my boundless respect for your merits restrains me from

demanding satisfaction at your hands, as well as a further explanation as to the reasons which have led you to

So struck was he with my words that, spreading out his hands, he turned to the Frenchman, and interpreted to

him that I had challenged himself (the General) to a duel. The Frenchman laughed aloud.

"Nor do I intend to let the Baron off," I continued calmly, but with not a little discomfiture at De Griers'

merriment. "And since you, General, have today been so good as to listen to the Baron's complaints, and to

enter into his concernssince you have made yourself a participator in the affairI have the honour to

inform you that, tomorrow morning at the latest, I shall, in my own name, demand of the said Baron a formal

explanation as to the reasons which have led him to disregard the fact that the matter lies between him and

myself alone, and to put a slight upon me by referring it to another person, as though I were unworthy to

Then there happened what I had foreseen. The General on hearing of this further intended outrage, showed

"What? " he cried. "Do you intend to go on with this damned nonsense? Do you not realise the harm that it is

doing me? I beg of you not to laugh at me, sirnot to laugh at me, for we have police authorities here who,

out of respect for my rank, and for that of the Baron... In short, sir, I swear to you that I will have you

arrested, and marched out of the place, to prevent any further brawling on your part. Do you understand what

"General," I replied with that calmness which he never could abide, "one cannot arrest a man for brawling

until he has brawled. I have not so much as begun my explanations to the Baron, and you are altogether

ignorant as to the form and time which my intended procedure is likely to assume. I wish but to disabuse the

Baron of what is, to me, a shameful suppositionnamely, that I am under the guardianship of a person who

is qualified to exercise control over my free will. It is vain for you to disturb and alarm yourself."

"For God's sake, Alexis Ivanovitch, do put an end to this senseless scheme of yours!" he muttered, but with a

sudden change from a truculent tone to one of entreaty as he caught me by the hand. "Do you know what is

likely to come of it? Merely further unpleasantness. You will agree with me, I am sure, that at present I ought

to move with especial careyes, with very especial care. You cannot be fully aware of how I am situated.

When we leave this place I shall be ready to receive you back into my household; but, for the time being I

Well, I cannot tell you all my reasons." With that he wound up in a despairing voice: " O Alexis Ivanovitch,

I moved towards the doorbegging him to be calm, and promising that everything should be done decently

Russians, when abroad, are overapt to play the poltroon, to watch all their words, and to wonder what

people are thinking of their conduct, or whether such and such a thing is 'comme il faut.' In short, they are

overapt to cosset themselves, and to lay claim to great importance. Always they prefer the form of

behaviour which has once and for all become accepted and established. This they will follow slavishly

whether in hotels, on promenades, at meetings, or when on a journey. But the General had avowed to me that,

over and above such considerations as these, there were circumstances which compelled him to "move with

especial care at present", and that the fact had actually made him poorspirited and a cowardit had made

him altogether change his tone towards me. This fact I took into my calculations, and duly noted it, for, of

course, he MIGHT apply to the authorities tomorrow, and it behoved me to go carefully.

Yet it was not the General but Polina that I wanted to anger. She had treated me with such cruelty, and had

got me into such a hole, that I felt a longing to force her to beseech me to stop. Of course, my tomfoolery

might compromise her; yet certain other feelings and desires had begun to form themselves in my brain. If I

was never to rank in her eyes as anything but a nonentity, it would not greatly matter if I figured as a

draggletailed cockerel, and the Baron were to give me a good thrashing; but, the fact was that I desired to

have the laugh of them all, and to come out myself unscathed. Let people see what they WOULD see. Let

Polina, for once, have a good fright, and be forced to whistle me to heel again. But, however much she might

I have just received a surprising piece of news. I have just met our chambermaid on the stairs, and been

informed by her that Maria Philipovna departed today, by the night train, to stay with a cousin at Carlsbad.

What can that mean? The maid declares that Madame packed her trunks early in the day. Yet how is it that no

one else seems to have been aware of the circumstance? Or is it that I have been the only person to be

unaware of it? Also, the maid has just told me that, three days ago, Maria Philipovna had some high words

with the General. I understand, then! Probably the words were concerning Mlle. Blanche. Certainly

In the morning I sent for the maitre d'hotel, and explained to him that, in future, my bill was to be rendered to

me personally. As a matter of fact, my expenses had never been so large as to alarm me, nor to lead me to

quit the hotel; while, moreover, I still had 16o gulden left to me, andin themyes, in them, perhaps,

riches awaited me. It was a curious fact, that, though I had not yet won anything at play, I nevertheless acted,

thought, and felt as though I were sure, before long, to become wealthy since I could not imagine myself

Next, I bethought me, despite the earliness of the hour, of going to see Mr. Astley, who was staying at the

Hotel de l'Angleterre (a hostelry at no great distance from our own). But suddenly De Griers entered my

room. This had never before happened, for of late that gentleman and I had stood on the most strained and

distant of termshe attempting no concealment of his contempt for me (he even made an express, point of

showing it), and I having no reason to desire his company. In short, I detested him. Consequently, his entry at

the present moment the more astounded me. At once I divined that something out of the way was on the

He entered with marked affability, and began by complimenting me on my room. Then, perceiving that I had

my hat in my hands, he inquired whither I was going so early; and, no sooner did he hear that I was bound for

He was a true Frenchman insofar as that, though he could be lively and engaging when it suited him, he

became insufferably dull and wearisome as soon as ever the need for being lively and engaging had passed.

Seldom is a Frenchman NATURALLY civil: he is civil only as though to order and of set purpose. Also, if he

thinks it incumbent upon him to be fanciful, original, and out of the way, his fancy always assumes a foolish,

unnatural vein, for the reason that it is compounded of trite, hackneyed forms. In short, the natural Frenchman

is a conglomeration of commonplace, petty, everyday positiveness, so that he is the most tedious person in

the world.Indeed, I believe that none but greenhorns and excessively Russian people feel an attraction

towards the French; for, to any man of sensibility, such a compendium of outworn formsa compendium

which is built up of drawingroom manners, expansiveness, and gaietybecomes at once overnoticeable

"I have come to see you on business," De Griers began in a very offhand, yet polite, tone; "nor will I seek to

conceal from you the fact that I have come in the capacity of an emissary, of an intermediary, from the

General. Having small knowledge of the Russian tongue, I lost most of what was said last night; but, the

"See here, Monsieur de Griers," I interrupted. "I understand that you have undertaken to act in this affair as

an intermediary. Of course I am only 'un utchitel,' a tutor, and have never claimed to be an intimate of this

household, nor to stand on at all familiar terms with it. Consequently, I do not know the whole of its

circumstances. Yet pray explain to me this: have you yourself become one of its members, seeing that you are

beginning to take such a part in everything, and are now present as an intermediary?"

The Frenchman seemed not overpleased at my question. It was one which was too outspoken for his

"I am connected with the General," he said drily, "partly through business affairs, and partly through special

circumstances. My principal has sent me merely to ask you to forego your intentions of last evening. What

you contemplate is, I have no doubt, very clever; yet he has charged me to represent to you that you have not

the slightest chance of succeeding in your end, since not only will the Baron refuse to receive you, but also he

(the Baron) has at his disposal every possible means for obviating further unpleasantness from you. Surely

you can see that yourself? What, then, would be the good of going on with it all? On the other hand, the

General promises that at the first favourable opportunity he will receive you back into his household, and, in

the meantime, will credit you with your salarywith 'vos appointements.' Surely that will suit you, will it

Very quietly I replied that he (the Frenchman) was labouring under a delusion; that perhaps, after all, I should

not be expelled from the Baron's presence, but, on the contrary, be listened to; finally, that I should be glad if

Monsieur de Griers would confess that he was now visiting me merely in order to see how far I intended to

"Good heavens!" cried de Griers. "Seeing that the General takes such an interest in the matter, is there

Again I began my explanations, but the Frenchman only fidgeted and rolled his head about as he listened with

an expression of manifest and unconcealed irony on his face. In short, he adopted a supercilious attitude. For

my own part, I endeavoured to pretend that I took the affair very seriously. I declared that, since the Baron

had gone and complained of me to the General, as though I were a mere servant of the General's, he had, in

the first place, lost me my post, and, in the second place, treated me like a person to whom, as to one not

qualified to answer for himself, it was not even worth while to speak. Naturally, I said, I felt insulted at this.

Yet, comprehending as I did, differences of years, of social status, and so forth (here I could scarcely help

smiling), I was not anxious to bring about further scenes by going personally to demand or to request

satisfaction of the Baron. All that I felt was that I had a right to go in person and beg the Baron's and the

Baroness's pardonthe more so since, of late, I had been feeling unwell and unstrung, and had been in a

fanciful condition. And so forth, and so forth. Yet (I continued) the Baron's offensive behaviour to me of

yesterday (that is to say, the fact of his referring the matter to the General) as well as his insistence that the

General should deprive me of my post, had placed me in such a position that I could not well express my

regret to him (the Baron) and to his good lady, for the reason that in all probability both he and the Baroness,

with the world at large, would imagine that I was doing so merely because I hoped, by my action, to recover

my post. Hence, I found myself forced to request the Baron to express to me HIS OWN regrets, as well as to

express them in the most unqualified mannerto say, in fact, that he had never had any wish to insult me.

After the Baron had done THAT, I should, for my part, at once feel free to express to him, wholeheartedly

and without reserve, my own regrets." In short," I declared in conclusion, " my one desire is that the Baron

"Oh fie! What refinements and subtleties!" exclaimed De Griers. "Besides, what have you to express regret

for? Confess, Monsieur, Monsieurpardon me, but I have forgotten your nameconfess, I say, that all this

is merely a plan to annoy the General? Or perhaps, you have some other and special end in view? Eh?"

"In return you must pardon ME, mon cher Marquis, and tell me what you have to do with it."

"But what of the General? Last night he said that, for some reason or another, it behoved him to 'move with

especial care at present;' wherefore, he was feeling nervous. But I did not understand the reference."

"Yes, there DO exist special reasons for his doing so," assented De Griers in a conciliatory tone, yet with

"Yes, Mlle. Blanche de Cominges. Doubtless you know also that the General is in love with this young lady,

and may even be about to marry her before he leaves here? Imagine, therefore, what any scene or scandal

"I cannot see that the marriage scheme need, be affected by scenes or scandals."

"Mais le Baron est si irascibleun caractere prussien, vous savez! Enfin il fera une querelle d'Allemand."

"I do not care," I replied, "seeing that I no longer belong to his household" (of set purpose I was trying to talk

as senselessly as possible). "But is it quite settled that Mlle. is to marry the General? What are they waiting

for? Why should they conceal such a matterat all events from ourselves, the General's own party?"

"I cannot tell you. The marriage is not yet a settled affair, for they are awaiting news from Russia. The

"To cut things short," he interrupted, "I have complete confidence in your native politeness, as well as in your

tact and good sense. I feel sure that you will do what I suggest, even if it is only for the sake of this family

which has received you as a kinsman into its bosom and has always loved and respected you."

"Be so good as to observe," I remarked, "that the same family has just EXPELLED me from its bosom. All

that you are saying you are saying but for show; but, when people have just said to you, 'Of course we do not

wish to turn you out, yet, for the sake of appearance's, you must PERMIT yourself to be turned out,' nothing

"Very well, then," he said, in a sterner and more arrogant tone. "Seeing that my solicitations have had no

effect upon you, it is my duty to mention that other measures will be taken. There exist here police, you must

remember, and this very day they shall send you packing. Que diable! To think of a blanc bec like yourself

challenging a person like the Baron to a duel! Do you suppose that you will be ALLOWED to do such

things? Just try doing them, and see if any one will be afraid of you! The reason why I have asked you to

desist is that I can see that your conduct is causing the General annoyance. Do you believe that the Baron

"Nevertheless I should not GO out of doors," I retorted with absolute calm. "You are labouring under a

delusion, Monsieur de Griers. The thing will be done in far better trim than you imagine. I was just about to

start for Mr. Astley's, to ask him to be my intermediaryin other words, my second. He has a strong liking

for me, and I do not think that he will refuse. He will go and see the Baron on MY behalf, and the Baron will

certainly not decline to receive him. Although I am only a tutora kind of subaltern, Mr. Astley is known to

all men as the nephew of a real English lord, the Lord Piebroch, as well as a lord in his own right. Yes, you

may be pretty sure that the Baron will be civil to Mr. Astley, and listen to him. Or, should he decline to do so,

Mr. Astley will take the refusal as a personal affront to himself (for you know how persistent the English

are?) and thereupon introduce to the Baron a friend of his own (and he has many friends in a good position).

That being so, picture to yourself the issue of the affairan affair which will not quite end as you think it

This caused the Frenchman to bethink him of playing the coward. "Really things may be as this fellow says,"

"Once more I beg of you to let the matter drop," he continued in a tone that was now entirely conciliatory.

"One would think that it actually PLEASED you to have scenes! Indeed, it is a brawl rather than genuine

satisfaction that you are seeking. I have said that the affair may prove to be diverting, and even clever, and

that possibly you may attain something by it; yet none the less I tell you" (he said this only because he saw

me rise and reach for my hat) "that I have come hither also to hand you these few words from a certain

So saying, he took from his pocket a small, compact, wafersealed note, and handed it to me. In Polina's

"I hear that you are thinking of going on with this affair. You have lost your temper now, and are beginning

to play the fool! Certain circumstances, however, I may explain to you later. Pray cease from your folly, and

put a check upon yourself. For folly it all is. I have need of you, and, moreover, you have promised to obey

me. Remember the Shlangenberg. I ask you to be obedient. If necessary, I shall even BID you be

"P.S.If so be that you still bear a grudge against me for what happened last night, pray forgive me."

Everything, to my eyes, seemed to change as I read these words. My lips grew pale, and I began to tremble.

Meanwhile, the cursed Frenchman was eyeing me discreetly and askance, as though he wished to avoid

"Very well," I said, "you can tell Mlle. not to disturb herself. But," I added sharply, "I would also ask you

why you have been so long in handing me this note? Instead of chattering about trifles, you ought to have

delivered me the missive at onceif you have really come commissioned as you say."

"Well, pardon some natural haste on my part, for the situation is so strange. I wished first to gain some

personal knowledge of your intentions; and, moreover, I did not know the contents of the note, and thought

"I understand," I replied. "So you were ordered to hand me the note only in the last resort, and if you could

"Perhaps," said he, assuming a look of great forbearance, but gazing at me in a meaning way.

I reached for my hat; whereupon he nodded, and went out. Yet on his lips I fancied that I could see a mocking

"You and I are to have a reckoning later, Master Frenchman," I muttered as I descended the stairs. "Yes, we

will measure our strength together." Yet my thoughts were all in confusion, for again something seemed to

have struck me dizzy. Presently the air revived me a little, and, a couple of minutes later, my brain had

sufficiently cleared to enable two ideas in particular to stand out in it. Firstly, I asked myself, which of the

absurd, boyish, and extravagant threats which I had uttered at random last night had made everybody so

alarmed? Secondly, what was the influence which this Frenchman appeared to exercise over Polina? He had

but to give the word, and at once she did as he desiredat once she wrote me a note to beg of me to forbear!

Of course, the relations between the pair had, from the first, been a riddle to methey had been so ever since

I had first made their acquaintance. But of late I had remarked in her a strong aversion for, even a contempt

forhim, while, for his part, he had scarcely even looked at her, but had behaved towards her always in the

most churlish fashion. Yes, I had noted that. Also, Polina herself had mentioned to me her dislike for him,

and delivered herself of some remarkable confessions on the subject. Hence, he must have got her into his

All at once, on the Promenade, as it was calledthat is to say, in the Chestnut AvenueI came face to face

"I was just coming to see you," he said; "and you appear to be out on a similar errand. So you have parted

"How do you know that?" I asked in astonishment. "Is EVERY ONE aware of the fact? "

"By no means. Not every one would consider such a fact to be of moment. Indeed, I have never heard any

"Because I have had occasion to do so. Whither are you bound? I like you, and was therefore coming to pay

"What a splendid fellow you are, Mr. Astley!" I cried, though still wondering how he had come by his

knowledge. "And since I have not yet had my coffee, and you have, in all probability, scarcely tasted yours,

The cafe in question was only a hundred paces away; so, when coffee had been brought, we seated ourselves,

and I lit a cigarette. Astley was no smoker, but, taking a seat by my side, he prepared himself to listen.

"I do not intend to go away," was my first remark. "I intend, on the contrary, to remain here."

It is a curious fact that, on my way to see him, I had never even thought of telling him of my love for Polina.

In fact, I had purposely meant to avoid any mention of the subject. Nor, during our stay in the place, had I

ever made aught but the scantiest reference to it. You see, not only was Astley a man of great reserve, but

also from the first I had perceived that Polina had made a great impression upon him, although he never

spoke of her. But now, strangely enough, he had no sooner seated himself and bent his steely gaze upon me,

than, for some reason or another, I felt moved to tell him everythingto speak to him of my love in all its

phases. For an hour and a half did I discourse on the subject, and found it a pleasure to do so, even though

this was the first occasion on which I had referred to the matter. Indeed, when, at certain moments, I

perceived that my more ardent passages confused him, I purposely increased my ardour of narration. Yet one

thing I regret: and that is that I made references to the Frenchman which were a little overpersonal.

Mr. Astley sat without moving as he listened to me. Not a word nor a sound of any kind did he utter as he

stared into my eyes. Suddenly, however, on my mentioning the Frenchman, he interrupted me, and inquired

sternly whether I did right to speak of an extraneous matter (he had always been a strange man in his mode of

Again I was surprised that such a categorical question should come from such a reserved individual.

"Then you have done very wrong to speak of them to me, or even to imagine things about them."

"Quite so, quite so," I interrupted in some astonishment. "I admit that. Yet that is not the question."

Whereupon I related to him in detail the incident of two days ago. I spoke of Polina's outburst, of my

encounter with the Baron, of my dismissal, of the General's extraordinary pusillanimity, and of the call which

De Griers had that morning paid me. In conclusion, I showed Astley the note which I had lately received.

"What do you make of it?" I asked. "When I met you I was just coming to ask you your opinion. For myself, I

could have killed this Frenchman, and am not sure that I shall not do so even yet."

"I feel the same about it," said Mr. Astley. "As for Mlle. Polinawell, you yourself know that, if necessity

drives, one enters into relation with people whom one simply detests. Even between this couple there may be

something which, though unknown to you, depends upon extraneous circumstances. For, my own part, I think

that you may reassure yourselfor at all events partially. And as for Mlle. Polina's proceedings of two days

ago, they were, of course, strange; not because she can have meant to get rid of you, or to earn for you a

thrashing from the Baron's cudgel (which for some curious reason, he did not use, although he had it ready in

his hands), but because such proceedings on the part of suchwell, of such a refined lady as Mlle. Polina

are, to say the least of it, unbecoming. But she cannot have guessed that you would carry out her absurd wish

"Do you know what?" suddenly I cried as I fixed Mr. Astley with my gaze. "I believe that you have already

"Your eyes look very fiery," he said with a return of his former calm, "and in them I can read suspicion. Now,

you have no right whatever to be suspicious. It is not a right which I can for a moment recognise, and I

"Enough! You need say no more," I cried with a strange emotion at my heart, yet not altogether

understanding what had aroused that emotion in my breast. Indeed, when, where, and how could Polina have

chosen Astley to be one of her confidants? Of late I had come rather to overlook him in this connection, even

though Polina had always been a riddle to meso much so that now, when I had just permitted myself to tell

my friend of my infatuation in all its aspects, I had found myself struck, during the very telling, with the fact

that in my relations with her I could specify nothing that was explicit, nothing that was positive. On the

contrary, my relations had been purely fantastic, strange, and unreal; they had been unlike anything else that I

"Very well, very well," I replied with a warmth equal to Astley's own. "Then I stand confounded, and have no

further opinions to offer. But you are a good fellow, and I am glad to know what you think about it all, even

"For instance, what reason should you assign for the General taking fright in this way? Why should my stupid

clowning have led the world to elevate it into a serious incident? Even De Griers has found it necessary to put

in his oar (and he only interferes on the most important occasions), and to visit me, and to address to me the

most earnest supplications. Yes, HE, De Griers, has actually been playing the suppliant to ME! And, mark

you, although he came to me as early as nine o'clock, he had readyprepared in his hand Mlle. Polina's note.

When, I would ask, was that note written? Mlle. Polina must have been aroused from sleep for the express

purpose of writing it. At all events the circumstance shows that she is an absolute slave to the Frenchman,

since she actually begs my pardon in the noteactually begs my pardon! Yet what is her personal concern in

the matter? Why is she interested in it at all? Why, too, is the whole party so afraid of this precious Baron?

And what sort of a business do you call it for the General to be going to marry Mlle. Blanche de Cominges?

He told me last night that, because of the circumstance, he must 'move with especial care at present.' What is

your opinion of it all? Your look convinces me that you know more about it than I do."

"Yes, I think I DO know more about it than you do," he assented. "The affair centres around this Mlle.

"And what of Mlle. Blanche?" I cried impatiently (for in me there had dawned a sudden hope that this would

"Well, my belief is that at the present moment Mlle. Blanche has, in very truth, a special reason for wishing

to avoid any trouble with the Baron and the Baroness. It might lead not only to some unpleasantness, but

"Also I may tell you that Mlle. Blanche has been in Roulettenberg before, for she was staying here three

seasons ago. I myself was in the place at the time, and in those days Mlle. Blanche was not known as Mlle. de

Cominges, nor was her mother, the Widow de Cominges, even in existence. In any case no one ever

mentioned the latter. De Griers, too, had not materialised, and I am convinced that not only do the parties

stand in no relation to one another, but also they have not long enjoyed one another's acquaintance. Likewise,

the Marquisate de Griers is of recent creation. Of that I have reason to be sure, owing to a certain

circumstance. Even the name De Griers itself may be taken to be a new invention, seeing that I have a friend

"Possibly. Mlle. Blanche also may possess that. Yet it is not three years since she received from the local

police, at the instance of the Baroness, an invitation to leave the town. And she left it."

"Well, I must tell you that she first appeared here in company with an Italiana prince of some sort, a man

who bore an historic name (Barberini or something of the kind). The fellow was simply a mass of rings and

diamonds real diamonds, too and the couple used to drive out in a marvellous carriage. At first Mlle.

Blanche played 'trente et quarante' with fair success, but, later, her luck took a marked change for the worse. I

distinctly remember that in a single evening she lost an enormous sum. But worse was to ensue, for one fine

morning her prince disappearedhorses, carriage, and all. Also, the hotel bill which he left unpaid was

enormous. Upon this Mlle. Zelma (the name which she assumed after figuring as Madame Barberini) was in

despair. She shrieked and howled all over the hotel, and even tore her clothes in her frenzy. In the hotel there

was staying also a Polish count (you must know that ALL travelling Poles are counts!), and the spectacle of

Mlle. Zelma tearing her clothes and, catlike, scratching her face with her beautiful, scented nails produced

upon him a strong impression. So the pair had a talk together, and, by luncheon time, she was consoled.

Indeed, that evening the couple entered the Casino arminarm Mlle. Zelma laughing loudly, according

to her custom, and showing even more expansiveness in her manners than she had before shown. For

instance, she thrust her way into the file of women rouletteplayers in the exact fashion of those ladies who,

to clear a space for themselves at the tables, push their fellowplayers roughly aside. Doubtless you have

"Well, they are not worth noticing. To the annoyance of the decent public they are allowed to remain

hereat all events such of them as daily change 4000 franc notes at the tables (though, as soon as ever these

women cease to do so, they receive an invitation to depart). However, Mlle. Zelma continued to change notes

of this kind, but her play grew more and more unsuccessful, despite the fact that such ladies' luck is

frequently good, for they have a surprising amount of cash at their disposal. Suddenly, the Count too

disappeared, even as the Prince had done, and that same evening Mlle. Zelma was forced to appear in the

Casino alone. On this occasion no one offered her a greeting. Two days later she had come to the end of her

resources; whereupon, after staking and losing her last louis d'or she chanced to look around her, and saw

standing by her side the Baron Burmergelm, who had been eyeing her with fixed disapproval. To his distaste,

however, Mlle. paid no attention, but, turning to him with her wellknown smile, requested him to stake, on

her behalf, ten louis on the red. Later that evening a complaint from the Baroness led the authorities to

request Mlle. not to reenter the Casino. If you feel in any way surprised that I should know these petty and

unedifying details, the reason is that I had them from a relative of mine who, later that evening, drove Mlle.

Zelma in his carriage from Roulettenberg to Spa. Now, mark you, Mlle. wants to become Madame General,

in order that, in future, she may be spared the receipt of such invitations from Casino authorities as she

received three years ago. At present she is not playing; but that is only because, according to the signs, she is

lending money to other players. Yes, that is a much more paying game. I even suspect that the unfortunate

General is himself in her debt, as well as, perhaps, also De Griers. Or, it may be that the latter has entered into

a partnership with her. Consequently you yourself will see that, until the marriage shall have been

consummated, Mlle. would scarcely like to have the attention of the Baron and the Baroness drawn to herself.

In short, to any one in her position, a scandal would be most detrimental. You form a member of the menage

of these people; wherefore, any act of yours might cause such a scandaland the more so since daily she

appears in public arm in arm with the General or with Mlle. Polina. NOW do you understand?"

"No, I do not!" I shouted as I banged my fist down upon the tablebanged it with such violence that a

frightened waiter came running towards us. "Tell me, Mr. Astley, why, if you knew this history all along,

and, consequently, always knew who this Mlle. Blanche is, you never warned either myself or the General,

nor, most of all, Mlle. Polina" (who is accustomed to appear in the Casino in public everywhere with

"It would have done no good to warn you," he replied quietly, "for the reason that you could have effected

nothing. Against what was I to warn you? As likely as not, the General knows more about Mlle. Blanche

even than I do; yet the unhappy man still walks about with her and Mlle. Polina. Only yesterday I saw this

Frenchwoman riding, splendidly mounted, with De Griers, while the General was careering in their wake on a

roan horse. He had said, that morning, that his legs were hurting him, yet his ridingseat was easy enough. As

he passed I looked at him, and the thought occurred to me that he was a man lost for ever. However, it is no

affair of mine, for I have only recently had the happiness to make Mlle. Polina's acquaintance. Also"he

added this as an afterthought"I have already told you that I do not recognise your right to ask me certain

"Enough," I said, rising. "To me it is as clear as day that Mlle. Polina knows all about this Mlle. Blanche, but

cannot bring herself to part with her Frenchman; wherefore, she consents also to be seen in public with Mlle.

Blanche. You may be sure that nothing else would ever have induced her either to walk about with this

Frenchwoman or to send me a note not to touch the Baron. Yes, it is THERE that the influence lies before

which everything in the world must bow! Yet she herself it was who launched me at the Baron! The devil

"You forget, in the first place, that this Mlle. de Cominges is the General's inamorata, and, in the second

place, that Mlle. Polina, the General's stepdaughter, has a younger brother and sister who, though they are

the General's own children, are completely neglected by this madman, and robbed as well."

"Yes, yes; that is so. For me to go and desert the children now would mean their total abandonment; whereas,

if I remain, I should be able to defend their interests, and, perhaps, to save a moiety of their property. Yes,

yes; that is quite true. And yet, and yetOh, I can well understand why they are all so interested in the

"In the old woman of Moscow who declines to die, yet concerning whom they are for ever expecting

"Ah, then of course their interests centre around her. It is a question of succession. Let that but be settled, and

"But, I do, I do!" I shouted in my fury. "He is waiting also for the old woman's will, for the reason that it

awards Mlle. Polina a dowry. As soon as ever the money is received, she will throw herself upon the

Frenchman's neck. All women are like that. Even the proudest of them become abject slaves where marriage

is concerned. What Polina is good for is to fall head over ears in love. That is MY opinion. Look at

herespecially when she is sitting alone, and plunged in thought. All this was preordained and foretold,

and is accursed. Polina could perpetrate any mad act. ShesheBut who called me by name?" I broke off.

"Who is shouting for me? I heard some one calling in Russian, 'Alexis Ivanovitch!' It was a woman's voice.

At the moment, we were approaching my hotel. We had left the cafe long ago, without even noticing that we

"Yes, I DID hear a woman's voice calling, but whose I do not know. The someone was calling you in

Russian. Ah! NOW I can see whence the cries come. They come from that lady therethe one who is sitting

on the settee, the one who has just been escorted to the verandah by a crowd of lacqueys. Behind her see that

"But why should she be calling ME? Hear her calling again! See! She is beckoning to us!"

"Alexis Ivanovitch, Alexis Ivanovitch! Good heavens, what a stupid fellow!" came in a despairing wail from

We had almost reached the portico, and I was just setting foot upon the space before it, when my hands fell to

For on the topmost tier of the hotel verandah, after being carried up the steps in an armchair amid a bevy of

footmen, maidservants, and other menials of the hotel, headed by the landlord (that functionary had actually

run out to meet a visitor who arrived with so much stir and din, attended by her own retinue, and

accompanied by so great a pile of trunks and portmanteaux)on the topmost tier of the verandah, I say, there

was sittingTHE GRANDMOTHER! Yes, it was sherich, and imposing, and seventyfive years of

ageAntonida Vassilievna Tarassevitcha, landowner and grande dame of Moscowthe "La Baboulenka"

who had caused so many telegrams to be sent off and receivedwho had been dying, yet not dyingwho

had, in her own person, descended upon us even as snow might fall from the clouds! Though unable to walk,

she had arrived borne aloft in an armchair (her mode of conveyance for the last five years), as brisk,

aggressive, selfsatisfied, boltupright, loudly imperious, and generally abusive as ever. In fact, she looked

exactly as she had on the only two occasions when I had seen her since my appointment to the General's

household. Naturally enough, I stood petrified with astonishment. She had sighted me a hundred paces off!

Even while she was being carried along in her chair she had recognised me, and called me by name and

surname (which, as usual, after hearing once, she had remembered ever afterwards).

"And this is the woman whom they had thought to see in her grave after making her will!" I thought to

myself. "Yet she will outlive us, and every one else in the hotel. Good Lord! what is going to become of us

now? What on earth is to happen to the General? She will turn the place upside down!"

"My good sir," the old woman continued in a stentorian voice, "what are you standing THERE for, with your

eyes almost falling out of your head? Cannot you come and say howdoyoudo? Are you too proud to

shake hands? Or do you not recognise me? Here, Potapitch!" she cried to an old servant who, dressed in a

frock coat and white waistcoat, had a bald, red head (he was the chamberlain who always accompanied her

on her journeys). "Just think! Alexis Ivanovitch does not recognise me! They have buried me for good and

all! Yes, and after sending hosts of telegrams to know if I were dead or not! Yes, yes, I have heard the whole

"Pardon me, Antonida Vassilievna," I replied good humouredly as I recovered my presence of mind. "I have

no reason to wish you ill. I am merely rather astonished to see you. Why should I not be so, seeing how

"WHY should you be astonished? I just got into my chair, and came. Things are quiet enough in the train, for

"Oh? Well, it is quite nice here," she went on as she looked about her. "The place seems comfortable, and all

the trees are out. I like it very well. Are your people at home? Is the General, for instance, indoors?"

"Do they observe the convenances, and keep up appearances? Such things always give one tone. I have heard

that they are keeping a carriage, even as Russian gentlefolks ought to do. When abroad, our Russian people

"And the Frenchwoman? However, I will go and look for them myself. Tell me the nearest way to their

"And you, Potapitch, you go and tell that fool of a landlord to reserve me a suitable suite of rooms. They must

be handsomely decorated, and not too high up. Have my luggage taken up to them. But what are you

tumbling over yourselves for? Why are you all tearing about? What scullions these fellows are!Who is that

"A fellowtraveller, and my very good friend, as well as an acquaintance of the General's."

"Oh, an Englishman? Then that is why he stared at me without even opening his lips. However, I like

Englishmen. Now, take me upstairs, direct to their rooms. Where are they lodging?"

Madame was lifted up in her chair by the lacqueys, and I preceded her up the grand staircase. Our progress

was exceedingly effective, for everyone whom we met stopped to stare at the cortege. It happened that the

hotel had the reputation of being the best, the most expensive, and the most aristocratic in all the spa, and at

every turn on the staircase or in the corridors we encountered fine ladies and importantlooking

Englishmenmore than one of whom hastened downstairs to inquire of the awestruck landlord who the

newcomer was. To all such questions he returned the same answernamely, that the old lady was an

influential foreigner, a Russian, a Countess, and a grande dame, and that she had taken the suite which,

Meanwhile the cause of the sensationthe Grandmotherwas being borne aloft in her armchair. Every

person whom she met she scanned with an inquisitive eye, after first of all interrogating me about him or her

at the top of her voice. She was stout of figure, and, though she could not leave her chair, one felt, the

moment that one first looked at her, that she was also tall of stature. Her back was as straight as a board, and

never did she lean back in her seat. Also, her large grey head, with its keen, rugged features, remained always

erect as she glanced about her in an imperious, challenging sort of way, with looks and gestures that clearly

were unstudied. Though she had reached her seventysixth year, her face was still fresh, and her teeth had

"She interests me tremendously," whispered Mr. Astley as, still smoking, he walked by my side. Meanwhile I

was reflecting that probably the old lady knew all about the telegrams, and even about De Griers, though little

But what a frail creature is man! No sooner was my first surprise abated than I found myself rejoicing in the

shock which we were about to administer to the General. So much did the thought inspire me that I marched

Our party was lodging on the third floor. Without knocking at the door, or in any way announcing our

presence, I threw open the portals, and the Grandmother was borne through them in triumph. As though of set

purpose, the whole party chanced at that moment to be assembled in the General's study. The time was eleven

o'clock, and it seemed that an outing of some sort (at which a portion of the party were to drive in carriages,

and others to ride on horseback, accompanied by one or two extraneous acquaintances) was being planned.

The General was present, and also Polina, the children, the latter's nurses, De Griers, Mlle. Blanche (attired in

a ridinghabit), her mother, the young Prince, and a learned German whom I beheld for the first time. Into

the midst of this assembly the lacqueys conveyed Madame in her chair, and set her down within three paces

Good heavens! Never shall I forget the spectacle which ensued! Just before our entry, the General had been

holding forth to the company, with De Griers in support of him. I may also mention that, for the last two or

three days, Mlle. Blanche and De Griers had been making a great deal of the young Prince, under the very

nose of the poor General. In short, the company, though decorous and conventional, was in a gay, familiar

mood. But no sooner did the Grandmother appear than the General stopped dead in the middle of a word,

and, with jaw dropping, stared hard at the old ladyhis eyes almost starting out of his head, and his

expression as spellbound as though he had just seen a basilisk. In return, the Grandmother stared at him

silently and without movingthough with a look of mingled challenge, triumph, and ridicule in her eyes. For

ten seconds did the pair remain thus eyeing one another, amid the profound silence of the company; and even

De Griers sat petrifiedan extraordinary look of uneasiness dawning on his face. As for Mlle. Blanche, she

too stared wildly at the Grandmother, with eyebrows raised and her lips parted while the Prince and the

German savant contemplated the tableau in profound amazement. Only Polina looked anything but perplexed

or surprised. Presently, however, she too turned as white as a sheet, and then reddened to her temples. Truly

the Grandmother's arrival seemed to be a catastrophe for everybody! For my own part, I stood looking from

the Grandmother to the company, and back again, while Mr. Astley, as usual, remained in the background,

"Well, here I amand instead of a telegram, too!" the Grandmother at last ejaculated, to dissipate the

"Antonida Vassilievna! O my dearest mother! But how on earth did you, did you?" The mutterings of the

I verily believe that if the Grandmother had held her tongue a few seconds longer she would have had a

"How on earth did I WHAT?" she exclaimed. "Why, I just got into the train and came here. What else is the

railway meant for? But you thought that I had turned up my toes and left my property to the lot of you. Oh, I

know ALL about the telegrams which you have been dispatching. They must have cost you a pretty sum, I

should think, for telegrams are not sent from abroad for nothing. Well, I picked up my heels, and came here.

"Oui, madame," assented De Griers. "Et, croyez, je suis si enchante! Votre santec'est un miracle vous voir

"Just so. 'Charmante!' I happen to know you as a mountebank, and therefore trust you no more than THIS."

She indicated her little finger. "And who is THAT?" she went on, turning towards Mlle. Blanche. Evidently

the Frenchwoman looked so becoming in her ridinghabit, with her whip in her hand, that she had made an

"Mlle. de Cominges," I said. "And this is her mother, Madame de Cominges. They also are staying in the

"Is the daughter married?" asked the old lady, without the least semblance of ceremony.

"I mean, is she or is she not a bore? Can she speak Russian? When this De Griers was in Moscow he soon

"Bonjour, madame," replied Mlle. Blanche with an elegant, ceremonious bow as, under cover of an unwonted

modesty, she endeavoured to express, both in face and figure, her extreme surprise at such strange behaviour

"How the woman sticks out her eyes at me! How she mows and minces!" was the Grandmother's comment.

Then she turned suddenly to the General, and continued: "I have taken up my abode here, so am going to be

"My dear mother, believe me when I say that I am. sincerely delighted," returned the General, who had now,

to a certain extent, recovered his senses; and inasmuch as, when occasion arose, he could speak with fluency,

gravity, and a certain effect, he set himself to be expansive in his remarks, and went on: "We have been so

dismayed and upset by the news of your indisposition! We had received such hopeless telegrams about you!

"How on earth, too, did you come to decide upon the journey?" continued the General, with raised voice as

he hurried to overlook the old lady's last remark. "Surely, at your age, and in your present state of health, the

thing is so unexpected that our surprise is at least intelligible. However, I am glad to see you (as indeed, are

we all"he said this with a dignified, yet conciliatory, smile), "and will use my best endeavours to render

"Enough! All this is empty chatter. You are talking the usual nonsense. I shall know quite well how to spend

my time. How did I come to undertake the journey, you ask? Well, is there anything so very surprising about

it? It was done quite simply. What is every one going into ecstasies about?How do you do, Prascovia?

"And how are YOU, Grandmother?" replied Polina, as she approached the old lady. "Were you long on the

"The most sensible question that I have yet been asked! Well, you shall hear for yourself how it all happened.

I lay and lay, and was doctored and doctored,; until at last I drove the physicians from me, and called in an

apothecary from Nicolai who had cured an old woman of a malady similar to my owncured her merely

with a little hayseed. Well, he did me a great deal of good, for on the third day I broke into a sweat, and was

able to leave my bed. Then my German doctors held another consultation, put on their spectacles, and told me

that if I would go abroad, and take a course of the waters, the indisposition would finally pass away. 'Why

should it not?' I thought to myself. So I had got things ready, and on the following day, a Friday, set out for

here. I occupied a special compartment in the train, and where ever I had to change I found at the station

bearers who were ready to carry me for a few coppers. You have nice quarters here," she went on as she

glanced around the room. " But where on earth did you get the money for them, my good sir? I thought that

everything of yours had been mortgaged? This Frenchman alone must be your creditor for a good deal. Oh, I

"II am surprised at you, my dearest mother," said the General in some confusion. "II am greatly surprised.

But I do not need any extraneous control of my finances. Moreover, my expenses do not exceed my income,

"They do not exceed it? Fie! Why, you are robbing your children of their last kopeckyou, their guardian!"

"After this," said the General, completely taken aback, "after what you have just said, I do not know

"You do not know what? By heavens, are you never going to drop that roulette of yours? Are you going to

"Roulette, indeed? I play roulette? Really, in view of my position Recollect what you are saying, my

"Rubbish, rubbish!" she retorted. "The truth is that you CANNOT be got away from that roulette. You are

simply telling lies. This very day I mean to go and see for myself what roulette is like. Prascovia, tell me

what there is to be seen here; and do you, Alexis Ivanovitch, show me everything; and do you, Potapitch,

make me a list of excursions. What IS there to be seen?" again she inquired of Polina.

"No, a mountain on the summit of which there is a place fenced off. From it you can get a most beautiful

At this moment Theodosia, the nursemaid, approached the old lady with the General's children.

"No, I DON'T want to see them," said the Grandmother. "I hate kissing children, for their noses are always

"I am very well, thank you, Madame," replied the nursemaid. "And how is your ladyship? We have been

"Yes, I know, you simple soulBut who are those other guests?" the old lady continued, turning again to

"Oh, a Russian? Why, I had no idea that he could understand me! Surely he did not hear what I said? As for

Mr. Astley, I have seen him already, and I see that he is here again. How do you do?" she added to the

"Have you NOTHING to say to me?" the old lady went on. "Say something, for goodness' sake! Translate to

"I have only to say," replied Mr. Astley gravely, but also with alacrity, "that I am indeed glad to see you in

such good health." This was interpreted to the Grandmother, and she seemed much gratified.

"How well English people know how to answer one!" she remarked. "That is why I like them so much better

than French. Come here," she added to Mr. Astley. "I will try not to bore you too much. Polina, translate to

him that I am staying in rooms on a lower floor. Yes, on a lower floor," she repeated to Astley, pointing

"I could almost have liked you, Prascovia," suddenly she remarked, "for you are a nice girlthe best of the

lot. You have some character about you. I too have character. Turn round. Surely that is not false hair that

"Well, well. I do not like the stupid fashions of today. You are very good looking. I should have fallen in love

with you if I had been a man. Why do you not get married? It is time now that I was going. I want to walk,

yet I always have to ride. Are you still in a bad temper?" she added to the General.

"But I want to look round a little," the old lady added to the General. Will you lend me Alexis Ivanovitch for

"As much as you like. But I myselfyes, and Polina and Monsieur de Griers toowe all of us hope to have

"Mais, madame, cela sera un plaisir," De Griers commented with a bewitching smile.

"'Plaisir' indeed! Why, I look upon you as a perfect fool, monsieur." Then she remarked to the General: "I am

not going to let you have any of my money. I must be off to my rooms now, to see what they are like.

Again the Grandmother was borne aloft and carried down the staircase amid a perfect bevy of followersthe

General walking as though he had been hit over the head with a cudgel, and De Griers seeming to be plunged

in thought. Endeavouring to be left behind, Mlle. Blanche next thought better of it, and followed the rest,

with the Prince in her wake. Only the German savant and Madame de Cominges did not leave the General's

At spasand, probably, all over Europehotel landlords and managers are guided in their allotment of

rooms to visitors, not so much by the wishes and requirements of those visitors, as by their personal estimate

of the same. It may also be said that these landlords and managers seldom make a mistake. To the

Grandmother, however, our landlord, for some reason or another, allotted such a sumptuous suite that he

fairly overreached himself; for he assigned her a suite consisting of four magnificently appointed rooms, with

bathroom, servants' quarters, a separate room for her maid, and so on. In fact, during the previous week the

suite had been occupied by no less a personage than a Grand Duchess: which circumstance was duly

explained to the new occupant, as an excuse for raising the price of these apartments. The Grandmother had

herself carried or, rather, wheeledthrough each room in turn, in order that she might subject the whole

to a close and attentive scrutiny; while the landlordan elderly, baldheaded manwalked respectfully by

What every one took the Grandmother to be I do not know, but it appeared, at least, that she was accounted a

person not only of great importance, but also, and still more, of great wealth; and without delay they entered

her in the hotel register as "Madame la Generale, Princesse de Tarassevitcheva," although she had never been

a princess in her life. Her retinue, her reserved compartment in the train, her pile of unnecessary trunks,

portmanteaux, and strongboxes, all helped to increase her prestige; while her wheeled chair, her sharp tone

and voice, her eccentric questions (put with an air of the most overbearing and unbridled imperiousness), her

whole figureupright, rugged, and commanding as it wascompleted the general awe in which she was

held. As she inspected her new abode she ordered her chair to be stopped at intervals in order that, with finger

extended towards some article of furniture, she might ply the respectfully smiling, yet secretly apprehensive,

landlord with unexpected questions. She addressed them to him in French, although her pronunciation of the

language was so bad that sometimes I had to translate them. For the most part, the landlord's answers were

unsatisfactory, and failed to please her; nor were the questions themselves of a practical nature, but related,

For instance, on one occasion she halted before a picture which, a poor copy of a wellknown original, had a

"You live here, yet you cannot say for certain! And why is the picture there at all? And why do its eyes look

To all these questions the landlord could return no satisfactory reply, despite his floundering endeavours.

Then she proceeded on her wayonly to repeat the same story in front of a Saxon statuette which she had

sighted from afar, and had commanded, for some reason or another, to be brought to her. Finally, she inquired

of the landlord what was the value of the carpet in her bedroom, as well as where the said carpet had been

manufactured; but, the landlord could do no more than promise to make inquiries.

"What donkeys these people are!" she commented. Next, she turned her attention to the bed.

"What a huge counterpane!" she exclaimed. "Turn it back, please." The lacqueys did so.

"Further yet, further yet," the old lady cried. "Turn it RIGHT back. Also, take off those pillows and bolsters,

"Pull off the whole thing, and then put on my own pillows and sheets. The place is too luxurious for an old

woman like myself. It is too large for any one person. Alexis Ivanovitch, come and see me whenever you are

"After tomorrow I shall no longer be in the General's service," I replied, "but merely living in the hotel on my

"Because, the other day, there arrived from Berlin a German and his wifepersons of some importance; and,

it chanced that, when taking a walk, I spoke to them in German without having properly compassed the

"Yes: and this action on my part the Baron held to be an insult, and complained about it to the General, who

"But I suppose you must have threatened that precious Baron, or something of the kind? However, even if

"What? You permitted yourself to treat your tutor thus, you nincompoop, and to dismiss him from his post?

"Do not alarm yourself, my dear mother," the General replied with a lofty airan air in which there was also

a tinge of familiarity. "I am quite capable of managing my own affairs. Moreover, Alexis Ivanovitch has not

"I wanted to challenge the Baron to a duel," I replied as modestly as possible; "but the General protested

"And WHY did you so protest? " she inquired of the General. Then she turned to the landlord, and questioned

him as to whether HE would not have fought a duel, if challenged. "For," she added, "I can see no difference

between you and the Baron; nor can I bear that German visage of yours." Upon this the landlord bowed and

"Pardon me, Madame," the General continued with a sneer, "but are duels really feasible?"

"Why not? All men are crowing cocks, and that is why they quarrel. YOU, though, I perceive, are a

blockheada man who does not even know how to carry his breeding. Lift me up. Potapitch, see to it that

you always have TWO bearers ready. Go and arrange for their hire. But we shall not require more than two,

for I shall need only to be carried upstairs. On the level or in the street I can be WHEELED along. Go and tell

them that, and pay them in advance, so that they may show me some respect. You too, Potapitch, are always

to come with me, and YOU, Alexis Ivanovitch, are to point out to me this Baron as we go along, in order that

I explained to her that the game was carried on in the salons of the Casino; whereupon there ensued a string

of questions as to whether there were many such salons, whether many people played in them, whether those

people played a whole day at a time, and whether the game was managed according to fixed rules. At length,

I thought it best to say that the most advisable course would be for her to go and see it for herself, since a

"Then take me straight there," she said, "and do you walk on in front of me, Alexis Ivanovitch."

"What, mother? Before you have so much as rested from your journey?" the General inquired with some

solicitude. Also, for some reason which I could not divine, he seemed to be growing nervous; and, indeed, the

whole party was evincing signs of confusion, and exchanging glances with one another. Probably they were

thinking that it would be a ticklisheven an embarrassingbusiness to accompany the Grandmother to the

Casino, where, very likely, she would perpetrate further eccentricities, and in public too! Yet on their own

"Why should I rest?" she retorted. "I am not tired, for I have been sitting still these past five days. Let us see

what your medicinal springs and waters are like, and where they are situated. What, too, about that,

"No, no, mother!" ejaculated the General. "Really she cannot come. They would not admit even Potapitch to

"Rubbish! Because she is my servant, is that a reason for turning her out? Why, she is only a human being

like the rest of us; and as she has been travelling for a week she might like to look about her. With whom else

could she go out but myself ? She would never dare to show her nose in the street alone."

"Are you ashamed to be seen with me? Stop at home, then, and you will be asked no questions. A pretty

General YOU are, to be sure! I am a general's widow myself. But, after all, why should I drag the whole party

with me? I will go and see the sights with only Alexis Ivanovitch as my escort."

De Griers strongly insisted that EVERY ONE ought to accompany her. Indeed, he launched out into a perfect

shower of charming phrases concerning the pleasure of acting as her cicerone, and so forth. Every one was

"Mais elle est tombee en enfance," he added aside to the General. " Seule, elle fera des betises." More than

this I could not overhear, but he seemed to have got some plan in his mind, or even to be feeling a slight

The distance to the Casino was about half a verst, and our route led us through the Chestnut Avenue until we

reached the square directly fronting the building. The General, I could see, was a trifle reassured by the fact

that, though our progress was distinctly eccentric in its nature, it was, at least, correct and orderly. As a matter

of fact, the spectacle of a person who is unable to walk is not anything to excite surprise at a spa. Yet it was

clear that the General had a great fear of the Casino itself: for why should a person who had lost the use of

her limbsmore especially an old womanbe going to rooms which were set apart only for roulette? On

either side of the wheeled chair walked Polina and Mlle. Blanchethe latter smiling, modestly jesting, and,

in short, making herself so agreeable to the Grandmother that in the end the old lady relented towards her. On

the other side of the chair Polina had to answer an endless flow of petty questionssuch as "Who was it

passed just now?" "Who is that coming along?" "Is the town a large one?" "Are the public gardens

extensive?" "What sort of trees are those?" "What is the name of those hills?" "Do I see eagles flying

yonder?" "What is that absurdlooking building?" and so forth. Meanwhile Astley whispered to me, as he

walked by my side, that he looked for much to happen that morning. Behind the old lady's chair marched

Potapitch and MarthaPotapitch in his frockcoat and white waistcoat, with a cloak over all, and the

fortyyearold and rosy, but slightly greyheaded, Martha in a mobcap, cotton dress, and squeaking shoes.

Frequently the old lady would twist herself round to converse with these servants. As for De Griers, he spoke

as though he had made up his mind to do something (though it is also possible that he spoke in this manner

merely in order to hearten the General, with whom he appeared to have held a conference). But, alas, the

Grandmother had uttered the fatal words, "I am not going to give you any of my money;" and though De

Griers might regard these words lightly, the General knew his mother better. Also, I noticed that De Griers

and Mlle. Blanche were still exchanging looks; while of the Prince and the German savant I lost sight at the

Into the Casino we marched in triumph. At once, both in the person of the commissionaire and in the persons

of the footmen, there sprang to life the same reverence as had arisen in the lacqueys of the hotel. Yet it was

Without loss of time, the Grandmother gave orders that she should be wheeled through every room in the

establishment; of which apartments she praised a few, while to others she remained indifferent. Concerning

everything, however, she asked questions. Finally we reached the gamingsalons, where a lacquey who was,

acting as guard over the doors, flung them open as though he were a man possessed.

The Grandmother's entry into the roulettesalon produced a profound impression upon the public. Around the

tables, and at the further end of the room where the trenteetquarante table was set out, there may have been

gathered from 150 to 200 gamblers, ranged in several rows. Those who had succeeded in pushing their way

to the tables were standing with their feet firmly planted, in order to avoid having to give up their places until

they should have finished their game (since merely to stand looking onthus occupying a gambler's place

for nothingwas not permitted). True, chairs were provided around the tables, but few players made use of

themmore especially if there was a large attendance of the general public; since to stand allowed of a

closer approach; and, therefore, of greater facilities for calculation and staking. Behind the foremost row were

herded a second and a third row of people awaiting their turn; but sometimes their impatience led these

people to stretch a hand through the first row, in order to deposit their stakes. Even thirdrow individuals

would dart forward to stake; whence seldom did more than five or ten minutes pass without a scene over

disputed money arising at one or another end of the table. On the other hand, the police of the Casino were an

able body of men; and though to escape the crush was an impossibility, however much one might wish it, the

eight croupiers apportioned to each table kept an eye upon the stakes, performed the necessary reckoning, and

In the last resort they always called in the Casino police, and the disputes would immediately come to an end.

Policemen were stationed about the Casino in ordinary costume, and mingled with the spectators so as to

make it impossible to recognise them. In particular they kept a lookout for pickpockets and swindlers, who

simply swanned in the roulette salons, and reaped a rich harvest. Indeed, in every direction money was being

filched from pockets or pursesthough, of course, if the attempt miscarried, a great uproar ensued. One had

only to approach a roulette table, begin to play, and then openly grab some one else's winnings, for a din to be

raised, and the thief to start vociferating that the stake was HIS; and, if the coup had been carried out with

sufficient skill, and the witnesses wavered at all in their testimony, the thief would as likely as not succeed in

getting away with the money, provided that the sum was not a large onenot large enough to have attracted

the attention of the croupiers or some fellowplayer. Moreover, if it were a stake of insignificant size, its true

owner would sometimes decline to continue the dispute, rather than become involved in a scandal.

Conversely, if the thief was detected, he was ignominiously expelled the building.

Upon all this the Grandmother gazed with openeyed curiosity; and, on some thieves happening to be turned

out of the place, she was delighted. Trenteetquarante interested her but little; she preferred roulette, with

its everrevolving wheel. At length she expressed a wish to view the game closer; whereupon in some

mysterious manner, the lacqueys and other officious agents (especially one or two ruined Poles of the kind

who keep offering their services to successful gamblers and foreigners in general) at once found and cleared a

space for the old lady among the crush, at the very centre of one of the tables, and next to the chief croupier;

after which they wheeled her chair thither. Upon this a number of visitors who were not playing, but only

looking on (particularly some Englishmen with their families), pressed closer forward towards the table, in

order to watch the old lady from among the ranks of the gamblers. Many a lorgnette I saw turned in her

direction, and the croupiers' hopes rose high that such an eccentric player was about to provide them with

something out of the common. An old lady of seventyfive years who, though unable to walk, desired to play

was not an everyday phenomenon. I too pressed forward towards the table, and ranged myself by the

Grandmother's side; while Martha and Potapitch remained somewhere in the background among the crowd,

and the General, Polina, and De Griers, with Mlle. Blanche, also remained hidden among the spectators.

At first the old lady did no more than watch the gamblers, and ply me, in a halfwhisper, with sharpbroken

questions as to who was soandso. Especially did her favour light upon a very young man who was

plunging heavily, and had won (so it was whispered) as much as 40,000 francs, which were lying before him

on the table in a heap of gold and banknotes. His eyes kept flashing, and his hands shaking; yet all the while

he staked without any sort of calculationjust what came to his hand, as he kept winning and winning, and

raking and raking in his gains. Around him lacqueys fussedplacing chairs just behind where he was

standing and clearing the spectators from his vicinity, so that he should have more room, and not be

crowdedthe whole done, of course, in expectation of a generous largesse. From time to time other

gamblers would hand him part of their winningsbeing glad to let him stake for them as much as his hand

could grasp; while beside him stood a Pole in a state of violent, but respectful, agitation, who, also in

expectation of a generous largesse, kept whispering to him at intervals (probably telling him what to stake,

and advising and directing his play). Yet never once did the player throw him a glance as he staked and

staked, and raked in his winnings. Evidently, the player in question was dead to all besides.

"Go and tell him," suddenly she exclaimed with a nudge at my elbow, "go and tell him to stop, and to take

his money with him, and go home. Presently he will be losingyes, losing everything that he has now won."

"Where is Potapitch?" she continued. "Send Potapitch to speak to him. No, YOU must tell him, you must tell

him,"here she nudged me again"for I have not the least notion where Potapitch is. Sortez, sortez," she

shouted to the young man, until I leant over in her direction and whispered in her ear that no shouting was

allowed, nor even loud speaking, since to do so disturbed the calculations of the players, and might lead to

"How provoking!" she retorted. "Then the young man is done for! I suppose he WISHES to be ruined. Yet I

could not bear to see him have to return it all. What a fool the fellow is!" and the old lady turned sharply

On the left, among the players at the other half of the table, a young lady was playing, with, beside her, a

dwarf. Who the dwarf may have beenwhether a relative or a person whom she took with her to act as a

foilI do not know; but I had noticed her there on previous occasions, since, everyday, she entered the

Casino at one o'clock precisely, and departed at twothus playing for exactly one hour. Being wellknown

to the attendants, she always had a seat provided for her; and, taking some gold and a few thousandfranc

notes out of her pocketwould begin quietly, coldly, and after much calculation, to stake, and mark down

the figures in pencil on a paper, as though striving to work out a system according to which, at given

moments, the odds might group themselves. Always she staked large coins, and either lost or won one, two,

or three thousand francs a day, but not more; after which she would depart. The Grandmother took a long

"THAT woman is not losing," she said. "To whom does she belong? Do you know her? Who is she?"

"Ah! A bird of passage, evidently. Besides, I can see that she has her shoes polished. Now, explain to me the

Upon this I set myself to explain the meaning of all the combinationsof "rouge et noir," of "pair et impair,"

of "manque et passe," with, lastly, the different values in the system of numbers. The Grandmother listened

attentively, took notes, put questions in various forms, and laid the whole thing to heart. Indeed, since an

example of each system of stakes kept constantly occurring, a great deal of information could be assimilated

"But what is zero?" she inquired. "Just now I heard the flaxenhaired croupier call out 'zero!' And why does

he keep raking in all the money that is on the table? To think that he should grab the whole pile for himself!

"Zero is what the bank takes for itself. If the wheel stops at that figure, everything lying on the table becomes

the absolute property of the bank. Also, whenever the wheel has begun to turn, the bank ceases to pay out

"No; unless by any chance you had PURPOSELY staked on zero; in which case you would receive

"Why thirtyfive times, when zero so often turns up? And if so, why do not more of these fools stake upon

"Rubbish! Potapitch, Potapitch! Come here, and I will give you some money." The old lady took out of her

pocket a tightlyclasped purse, and extracted from its depths a tengulden piece. "Go at once, and stake that

"But, Madame, zero has only this moment turned up," I remonstrated; "wherefore, it may not do so again for

"Pardon me, but zero might not turn up again until, say, tonight, even though you had staked thousands upon

"Rubbish, rubbish! Who fears the wolf should never enter the forest. What? We have lost? Then stake again."

A second tengulden piece did we lose, and then I put down a third. The Grandmother could scarcely remain

seated in her chair, so intent was she upon the little ball as it leapt through the notches of the everrevolving

wheel. However, the third tengulden piece followed the first two. Upon this the Grandmother went perfectly

crazy. She could no longer sit still, and actually struck the table with her fist when the croupier cried out,

"To listen to him!" fumed the old lady. "When will that accursed zero ever turn up? I cannot breathe until I

see it. I believe that that infernal croupier is PURPOSELY keeping it from turning up. Alexis Ivanovitch,

stake TWO golden pieces this time. The moment we cease to stake, that cursed zero will come turning up,

Accordingly I staked two tengulden pieces. The ball went hopping round the wheel until it began to settle

through the notches. Meanwhile the Grandmother sat as though petrified, with my hand convulsively

"There! You see, you see!" cried the old lady, as she turned and faced me, wreathed in smiles. "I told you so!

It was the Lord God himself who suggested to me to stake those two coins. Now, how much ought I to

receive? Why do they not pay it out to me? Potapitch! Martha! Where are they? What has become of our

"Presently, Madame," I whispered. "Potapitch is outside, and they would decline to admit him to these rooms.

See! You are being paid out your money. Pray take it." The croupiers were making up a heavy packet of

coins, sealed in blue paper, and containing fifty ten gulden pieces, together with an unsealed packet

"Faites le jeu, messieurs! Faites le jeu, messieurs! Rien ne va plus," proclaimed the croupier as once more he

"We shall be too late! He is going to spin again! Stake, stake!" The Grandmother was in a perfect fever. "Do

not hang back! Be quick!" She seemed almost beside herself, and nudged me as hard as she could.

"Upon zero, upon zero! Again upon zero! Stake as much as ever you can. How much have we got? Seventy

"Think a moment, Madame. Sometimes zero does not turn up for two hundred rounds in succession. I assure

"You are wrongutterly wrong. Stake, I tell you! What a chattering tongue you have! I know perfectly well

"But the rules do not allow of more than 120 gulden being staked upon zero at a time."

"How 'do not allow'? Surely you are wrong? Monsieur, monsieur" here she nudged the croupier who was

"Oui, Madame," was the croupier's polite reply. "No single stake must exceed four thousand florins. That is

"Le jeu est fait!" the croupier called. The wheel revolved, and stopped at thirty. We had lost!

"Again, again, again! Stake again!" shouted the old lady. Without attempting to oppose her further, but

merely shrugging my shoulders, I placed twelve more tengulden pieces upon the table. The wheel whirled

around and around, with the Grandmother simply quaking as she watched its revolutions.

"Does she again think that zero is going to be the winning coup?" thought I, as I stared at her in astonishment.

Yet an absolute assurance of winning was shining on her face; she looked perfectly convinced that zero was

about to be called again. At length the ball dropped off into one of the notches.

I myself was at heart a gambler. At that moment I became acutely conscious both of that fact and of the fact

that my hands and knees were shaking, and that the blood was beating in my brain. Of course this was a rare

occasionan occasion on which zero had turned up no less than three times within a dozen rounds; yet in

such an event there was nothing so very surprising, seeing that, only three days ago, I myself had been a

witness to zero turning up THREE TIMES IN SUCCESSION, so that one of the players who was recording

the coups on paper was moved to remark that for several days past zero had never turned up at all!

With the Grandmother, as with any one who has won a very large sum, the management settled up with great

attention and respect, since she was fortunate to have to receive no less than 4200 gulden. Of these gulden the

This time the old lady did not call for Potapitch; for that she was too preoccupied. Though not outwardly

shaken by the event (indeed, she seemed perfectly calm), she was trembling inwardly from head to foot. At

"Alexis Ivanovitch, did not the croupier just say that 4000 florins were the most that could be staked at any

"Give me them," commanded the Grandmother, "and stake the other 4000 upon the red again."

"Twelve thousand!" cried the old lady. "Hand me the whole lot. Put the gold into this purse here, and count

THE chair, with the old lady beaming in it, was wheeled away towards the doors at the further end of the

salon, while our party hastened to crowd around her, and to offer her their congratulations. In fact, eccentric

as was her conduct, it was also overshadowed by her triumph; with the result that the General no longer

feared to be publicly compromised by being seen with such a strange woman, but, smiling in a

condescending, cheerfully familiar way, as though he were soothing a child, he offered his greetings to the

old lady. At the same time, both he and the rest of the spectators were visibly impressed. Everywhere people

kept pointing to the Grandmother, and talking about her. Many people even walked beside her chair, in order

to view her the better while, at a little distance, Astley was carrying on a conversation on the subject with two

English acquaintances of his. De Griers was simply overflowing with smiles and compliments, and a number

of fine ladies were staring at the Grandmother as though she had been something curious.

"Yes, I have won twelve thousand florins," replied the old lady. "And then there is all this gold. With it the

total ought to come to nearly thirteen thousand. How much is that in Russian money? Six thousand roubles, I

However, I calculated that the sum would exceed seven thousand roublesor, at the present rate of

"Eight thousand roubles! What a splendid thing! And to think of you simpletons sitting there and doing

"How DID you do it, Madame?" Martha exclaimed ecstatically. "Eight thousand roubles!"

"And to each bearer also I will give a tengulden piece. Let them have it out of the gold, Alexis Ivanovitch.

But why is this footman bowing to me, and that other man as well? Are they congratulating me? Well, let

"Madame la princesseUn pauvre expatrieMalheur continuelLes princes russes sont si genereux!" said

a man who for some time past had been hanging around the old lady's chaira personage who, dressed in a

shabby frockcoat and coloured waistcoat, kept taking off his cap, and smiling pathetically.

"Give him ten gulden," said the Grandmother. "No, give him twenty. Now, enough of that, or I shall never

get done with you all. Take a moment's rest, and then carry me away. Prascovia, I mean to buy a new dress

for you tomorrow. Yes, and for you too, Mlle. Blanche. Please translate, Prascovia."

"Merci, Madame," replied Mlle. Blanche gratefully as she twisted her face into the mocking smile which

usually she kept only for the benefit of De Griers and the General. The latter looked confused, and seemed

"How surprised Theodosia too will be!" went on the Grandmother (thinking of the General's nursemaid).

"She, like yourselves, shall have the price of a new gown. Here, Alexis Ivanovitch! Give that beggar

I approached the beggar in question, and handed him the coin. Looking at me in great astonishment, he

silently accepted the gulden, while from his person there proceeded a strong smell of liquor.

"Then stake everything upon zero. You have seen how it ought to be done? How much capital do you

"Not very much. See here; I will lend you five hundred if you wish. Take this purse of mine." With that she

This seemed to upset him, but he said nothing, and De Griers contented himself by scowling.

"Look! Another beggar, another beggar!" exclaimed the grandmother. "Alexis Ivanovitch, go and give him a

As she spoke I saw approaching us a greyheaded old man with a wooden lega man who was dressed in a

blue frockcoat and carrying a staff. He looked like an old soldier. As soon as I tendered him the coin he fell

"The man is a perfect fool!" exclaimed the Grandmother, waving her hand. "Move on now, for I am simply

"What else do you suppose?" she retorted. "Are you going only to sit here, and grow sour, and let me look at

"Madame," said De Griers confidentially, "les chances peuvent tourner. Une seule mauvaise chance, et vous

"What has that got to do with YOU?" retorted the old lady. "It is not YOUR money that I am going to lose; it

Arriving home, and meeting the landlord on the staircase, the Grandmother called him to her side, and

boasted to him of her winningsthereafter doing the same to Theodosia, and conferring upon her thirty

gulden; after which she bid her serve luncheon. The meal over, Theodosia and Martha broke into a joint flood

"I was watching you all the time, Madame," quavered Martha, "and I asked Potapitch what mistress was

trying to do. And, my word! the heaps and heaps of money that were lying upon the table! Never in my life

have I seen so much money. And there were gentlefolk around it, and other gentlefolk sitting down. So, I

asked Potapitch where all these gentry had come from; for, thought I, maybe the Holy Mother of God will

help our mistress among them. Yes, I prayed for you, Madame, and my heart died within me, so that I kept

trembling and trembling. The Lord be with her, I thought to myself; and in answer to my prayer He has now

"Alexis Ivanovitch," said the old lady, "after luncheon,that is to say, about four o'clockget ready to go

out with me again. But in the meanwhile, goodbye. Do not forget to call a doctor, for I must take the waters.

Vainly I endeavoured to imagine what would become of our party, or what turn the affair would next take. I

could perceive that none of the party had yet recovered their presence of mindleast of all the General. The

factor of the Grandmother's appearance in place of the hourly expected telegram to announce her death (with,

of course, resultant legacies) had so upset the whole scheme of intentions and projects that it was with a

decided feeling of apprehension and growing paralysis that the conspirators viewed any future performances

of the old lady at roulette. Yet this second factor was not quite so important as the first, since, though the

Grandmother had twice declared that she did not intend to give the General any money, that declaration was

not a complete ground for the abandonment of hope. Certainly De Griers, who, with the General, was up to

the neck in the affair, had not wholly lost courage; and I felt sure that Mlle. Blanche alsoMlle. Blanche

who was not only as deeply involved as the other two, but also expectant of becoming Madame General and

an important legateewould not lightly surrender the position, but would use her every resource of coquetry

upon the old lady, in order to afford a contrast to the impetuous Polina, who was difficult to understand, and

Yet now, when the Grandmother had just performed an astonishing feat at roulette; now, when the old lady's

personality had been so clearly and typically revealed as that of a rugged, arrogant woman who was "tombee

en enfance"; now, when everything appeared to be lost,why, now the Grandmother was as merry as a child

which plays with thistledown. "Good Lord!" I thought with, may God forgive me, a most malicious smile,

"every tengulden piece which the Grandmother staked must have raised a blister on the General's heart, and

maddened De Griers, and driven Mlle. de Cominges almost to frenzy with the sight of this spoon dangling

before her lips." Another factor is the circumstance that even when, overjoyed at winning, the Grandmother

was distributing alms right and left, and taking every one to be a beggar, she again snapped out to the General

that he was not going to be allowed any of her money which meant that the old lady had quite made up her

All these thoughts passed through my mind during the few moments that, having left the old lady's rooms, I

was ascending to my own room on the top storey. What most struck me was the fact that, though I had

divined the chief, the stoutest, threads which united the various actors in the drama, I had, until now, been

ignorant of the methods and secrets of the game. For Polina had never been completely open with me.

Although, on occasions, it had happened that involuntarily, as it were, she had revealed to me something of

her heart, I had noticed that in most casesin fact, nearly alwaysshe had either laughed away these

revelations, or grown confused, or purposely imparted to them a false guise. Yes, she must have concealed a

great deal from me. But, I had a presentiment that now the end of this strained and mysterious situation was

approaching. Another stroke, and all would be finished and exposed. Of my own fortunes, interested though I

was in the affair, I took no account. I was in the strange position of possessing but two hundred gulden, of

being at a loose end, of lacking both a post, the means of subsistence, a shred of hope, and any plans for the

future, yet of caring nothing for these things. Had not my mind been so full of Polina, I should have given

myself up to the comical piquancy of the impending denouement, and laughed my fill at it. But the thought of

Polina was torture to me. That her fate was settled I already had an inkling; yet that was not the thought

which was giving me so much uneasiness. What I really wished for was to penetrate her secrets. I wanted her

to come to me and say, " I love you, " and, if she would not so come, or if to hope that she would ever do so

was an unthinkable absurditywhy, then there was nothing else for me to want. Even now I do not know

what I am wanting. I feel like a man who has lost his way. I yearn but to be in her presence, and within the

circle of her light and splendourto be there now, and forever, and for the whole of my life. More I do not

On reaching the third storey of the hotel I experienced a shock. I was just passing the General's suite when

something caused me to look round. Out of a door about twenty paces away there was coming Polina! She

"Something startled me just now," I whispered, "and I looked round, and saw you. Some electrical influence

"Take this letter," she went on with a frown (probably she had not even heard my words, she was so

preoccupied), "and hand it personally to Mr. Astley. Go as quickly as ever you can, please. No answer will be

Aha! So the two were carrying on a correspondence! However, I set off to search for Astleyfirst at his

hotel, and then at the Casino, where I went the round of the salons in vain. At length, vexed, and almost in

despair, I was on my way home when I ran across him among a troop of English ladies and gentlemen who

had been out for a ride. Beckoning to him to stop, I handed him the letter. We had barely time even to look at

one another, but I suspected that it was of set purpose that he restarted his horse so quickly.

Was jealousy, then, gnawing at me? At all events, I felt exceedingly depressed, despite the fact that I had no

desire to ascertain what the correspondence was about. To think that HE should be her confidant! "My friend,

mine own familiar friend!" passed through my mind. Yet WAS there any love in the matter? "Of course not,"

reason whispered to me. But reason goes for little on such occasions. I felt that the matter must be cleared up,

I had scarcely set foot in the hotel when the commissionaire and the landlord (the latter issuing from his room

for the purpose) alike informed me that I was being searched for high and lowthat three separate messages

to ascertain my whereabouts had come down from the General. When I entered his study I was feeling

anything but kindly disposed. I found there the General himself, De Griers, and Mlle. Blanche, but not Mlle.'s

mother, who was a person whom her reputed daughter used only for show purposes, since in all matters of

business the daughter fended for herself, and it is unlikely that the mother knew anything about them.

Some very heated discussion was in progress, and meanwhile the door of the study was openan

unprecedented circumstance. As I approached the portals I could hear loud voices raised, for mingled with

the pert, venomous accents of De Griers were Mlle. Blanche's excited, impudently abusive tongue and the

General's plaintive wail as, apparently, he sought to justify himself in something. But on my appearance

every one stopped speaking, and tried to put a better face upon matters. De Griers smoothed his hair, and

twisted his angry face into a smileinto the mean, studiedly polite French smile which I so detested; while

the downcast, perplexed General assumed an air of dignitythough only in a mechanical way. On the other

hand, Mlle. Blanche did not trouble to conceal the wrath that was sparkling in her countenance, but bent her

gaze upon me with an air of impatient expectancy. I may remark that hitherto she had treated me with

absolute superciliousness, and, so far from answering my salutations, had always ignored them.

"Alexis Ivanovitch," began the General in a tone of affectionate upbraiding, "may I say to you that I find it

strange, exceedingly strange, thatIn short, your conduct towards myself and my familyIn a word,

" Eh! Ce n'est pas ca," interrupted De Griers in a tone of impatience and contempt (evidently he was the

ruling spirit of the conclave). "Mon cher monsieur, notre general se trompe. What he means to say is that he

warns youhe begs of you most eamestlynot to ruin him. I use the expression because"

"Because you have taken upon yourself to act as guide to this, to thishow shall I express it?to this old

lady, a cette pauvre terrible vieille. But she will only gamble away all that she hasgamble it away like

thistledown. You yourself have seen her play. Once she has acquired the taste for gambling, she will never

leave the roulettetable, but, of sheer perversity and temper, will stake her all, and lose it. In cases such as

"And then," asseverated the General, "you will have ruined my whole family. I and my family are her heirs,

for she has no nearer relatives than ourselves. I tell you frankly that my affairs are in greatvery great

disorder; how much they are so you yourself are partially aware. If she should lose a large sum, or, maybe,

her whole fortune, what will become of usof my children" (here the General exchanged a glance with De

Griers)" or of me? "(here he looked at Mlle. Blanche, who turned her head contemptuously away). "Alexis

"Ce n'est pas ca, ce n'est pas ca," again interrupted De Griers. "Que diable! Do not leave her alone so much as

advise her, persuade her, draw her away. In any case do not let her gamble; find her some

"And how am I to do that? If only you would undertake the task, Monsieur de Griers! " I said this last as

innocently as possible, but at once saw a rapid glance of excited interrogation pass from Mlle. Blanche to De

Griers, while in the face of the latter also there gleamed something which he could not repress.

"Well, at the present moment she would refuse to accept my services," said he with a gesture. "But if,

Here he gave Mlle. Blanche another glance which was full of meaning; whereupon she advanced towards me

with a bewitching smile, and seized and pressed my hands. Devil take it, but how that devilish visage of hers

could change! At the present moment it was a visage full of supplication, and as gentle in its expression as

that of a smiling, roguish infant. Stealthily, she drew me apart from the rest as though the more completely to

separate me from them; and, though no harm came of her doing sofor it was merely a stupid manoeuvre,

"Alexis Ivanovitch," he began, "pray pardon me for having said what I did just nowfor having said more

than I meant to do. I beg and beseech you, I kiss the hem of your garment, as our Russian saying has it, for

you, and only you, can save us. I and Mlle. de Cominges, we all of us beg of you But you understand, do

you not? Surely you understand?" and with his eyes he indicated Mlle. Blanche. Truly he was cutting a pitiful

At this moment three low, respectful knocks sounded at the door; which, on being opened, revealed a

chambermaid, with Potapitch behind hercome from the Grandmother to request that I should attend her in

"My mistress was unable to sleep," explained Potapitch; "so, after tossing about for a while, she suddenly

rose, called for her chair, and sent me to look for you. She is now in the verandah."

True enough, I found Madame in the hotel verandah much put about at my delay, for she had been unable to

"Lift me up," she cried to the bearers, and once more we set out for the roulettesalons.

The Grandmother was in an impatient, irritable frame of mind. Without doubt the roulette had turned her

head, for she appeared to be indifferent to everything else, and, in general, seemed much distraught. For

instance, she asked me no questions about objects en route, except that, when a sumptuous barouche passed

us and raised a cloud of dust, she lifted her hand for a moment, and inquired, " What was that? " Yet even

then she did not appear to hear my reply, although at times her abstraction was interrupted by sallies and fits

of sharp, impatient fidgeting. Again, when I pointed out to her the Baron and Baroness Burmergelm walking

to the Casino, she merely looked at them in an absentminded sort of way, and said with complete

indifference, "Ah!" Then, turning sharply to Potapitch and Martha, who were walking behind us, she rapped

"Why have YOU attached yourselves to the party? We are not going to take you with us every time. Go home

at once." Then, when the servants had pulled hasty bows and departed, she added to me: "You are all the

At the Casino the Grandmother seemed to be expected, for no time was lost in procuring her former place

beside the croupier. It is my opinion that though croupiers seem such ordinary, humdrum officialsmen who

care nothing whether the bank wins or losesthey are, in reality, anything but indifferent to the bank's

losing, and are given instructions to attract players, and to keep a watch over the bank's interests; as also, that

for such services, these officials are awarded prizes and premiums. At all events, the croupiers of

Roulettenberg seemed to look upon the Grandmother as their lawful prey whereafter there befell what our

As soon as ever we arrived the Grandmother ordered me to stake twelve tengulden pieces in succession

"Stake again," said the old lady with an impatient nudge of my elbow, and I obeyed.

"How many times have we lost? " she inquiredactually grinding her teeth in her excitement.

"We have lost 144 tengulden pieces," I replied. "I tell you, Madame, that zero may not turn up until

"Never mind," she interrupted. "Keep on staking upon zero, and also stake a thousand gulden upon rouge.

The red turned up, but zero missed again, and we only got our thousand gulden back.

"But you see, you see " whispered the old lady. "We have now recovered almost all that we staked. Try zero

"To the devil with that zero!" she exclaimed. Stake four thousand gulden upon the red."

"But, Madame, that will be so much to venture!" I remonstrated. "Suppose the red should not turn up?" The

Grandmother almost struck me in her excitement. Her agitation was rapidly making her quarrelsome.

Consequently, there was nothing for it but to stake the whole four thousand gulden as she had directed.

The wheel revolved while the Grandmother sat as bolt upright, and with as proud and quiet a mien, as though

At first the old lady failed to understand the situation; but, as soon as she saw the croupier raking in her four

thousand gulden, together with everything else that happened to be lying on the table, and recognised that the

zero which had been so long turning up, and on which we had lost nearly two hundred tengulden pieces, had

at length, as though of set purpose, made a sudden reappearancewhy, the poor old lady fell to cursing it,

and to throwing herself about, and wailing and gesticulating at the company at large. Indeed, some people in

"To think that that accursed zero should have turned up NOW!" she sobbed. "The accursed, accursed thing!

And, it is all YOUR fault," she added, rounding upon me in a frenzy. "It was you who persuaded me to cease

"But, Madame, I only explained the game to you. How am I to answer for every mischance which may occur

"No stay," she put in hastily. "Where are you going to? Why should you leave me? You fool! No, no... stay

"I cannot take it upon myself to advise you, for you will only blame me if I do so. Play at your own

"Very well. Stake another four thousand gulden upon the red. Take this banknote to do it with. I have still got

"You see, you see!" she exclaimed as she nudged me. "Stake another four thousand."

I did so, and lost. Again, and yet again, we lost. "Madame, your twelve thousand gulden are now gone," at

"I see they are," she replied with, as it were, the calmness of despair. "I see they are," she muttered again as

she gazed straight in front of her, like a person lost in thought. "Ah well, I do not mean to rest until I have

"But you have no money with which to do it, Madame. In this satchel I can see only a few five percent bonds

"But there is a moneychanger's office here, is there not? They told me I should be able to get any sort of

"Quite so; to any amount you please. But you will lose on the transaction what would frighten even a Jew."

"Rubbish! I am DETERMINED to retrieve my losses. Take me away, and call those fools of bearers."

I wheeled the chair out of the throng, and, the bearers making their appearance, we left the Casino.

"Hurry, hurry!" commanded the Grandmother. "Show me the nearest way to the moneychanger's. Is it far?"

At the turning from the square into the Avenue we came face to face with the whole of our partythe

General, De Griers, Mlle. Blanche, and her mother. Only Polina and Mr. Astley were absent.

"Well, well, well! " exclaimed the Grandmother. "But we have no time to stop. What do you want? I can't

"She has lost this morning's winnings," I whispered, "and also twelve thousand gulden of her original money.

De Griers stamped his foot with vexation, and hastened to communicate the tidings to the General.

"My good mother," he said as he approached her, "my good mother, pray let, let" (his voice was

beginning to tremble and sink) "let us hire a carriage, and go for a drive. Near here there is an enchanting

"Begone with you and your views!" said the Grandmother angrily as she waved him away.

"And there are trees there, and we could have tea under them," continued the Generalnow in utter despair.

"Nous boirons du lait, sur l'herbe fraiche," added De Griers with the snarl almost of a wild beast.

"Du lait, de l'herbe fraiche"the idyll, the ideal of the Parisian bourgeoishis whole outlook upon "la

"Have done with you and your milk!" cried the old lady. "Go and stuff YOURSELF as much as you like, but

my stomach simply recoils from the idea. What are you stopping for? I have nothing to say to you."

I entered to get the securities changed, while the Grandmother remained outside in the porch, and the rest

waited at a little distance, in doubt as to their best course of action. At length the old lady turned such an

The process of changing involved complicated calculations which soon necessitated my return to the

"The thieves!" she exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. "Never mind, though. Get the documents

The clerk consented to come out when he perceived that he was being asked for by an old lady who was too

infirm to walk; after which the Grandmother began to upbraid him at length, and with great vehemence, for

his alleged usuriousness, and to bargain with him in a mixture of Russian, French, and GermanI acting as

interpreter. Meanwhile, the gravefaced official eyed us both, and silently nodded his head. At the

Grandmother, in particular, he gazed with a curiosity which almost bordered upon rudeness. At length, too,

"Pray recollect yourself!" cried the old lady. "And may my money choke you! Alexis Ivanovitch, tell him that

Of what the ultimate calculations consisted I do not exactly remember, but at all events they were alarming.

Receiving twelve thousand florins in gold, I took also the statement of accounts, and carried it out to the

"Well, well," she said, "I am no accountant. Let us hurry away, hurry away." And she waved the paper aside.

"Neither upon that accursed zero, however, nor upon that equally accursed red do I mean to stake a cent," I

This time I did all I could to persuade the old lady to stake as little as possiblesaying that a turn would

come in the chances when she would be at liberty to stake more. But she was so impatient that, though at first

she agreed to do as I suggested, nothing could stop her when once she had begun. By way of prelude she won

"There you are!" she said as she nudged me. "See what we have won! Surely it would be worth our while to

stake four thousand instead of a hundred, for we might win another four thousand, and then! Oh, it was

I felt greatly put out as I watched her play, but I decided to hold my tongue, and to give her no more advice.

Suddenly De Griers appeared on the scene. It seemed that all this while he and his companions had been

standing beside us though I noticed that Mlle. Blanche had withdrawn a little from the rest, and was

engaged in flirting with the Prince. Clearly the General was greatly put out at this. Indeed, he was in a perfect

agony of vexation. But Mlle. was careful never to look his way, though he did his best to attract her notice.

Poor General! By turns his face blanched and reddened, and he was trembling to such an extent that he could

scarcely follow the old lady's play. At length Mlle. and the Prince took their departure, and the General

"Madame, Madame," sounded the honeyed accents of De Griers as he leant over to whisper in the

Grandmother's ear. "That stake will never win. No, no, it is impossible," he added in Russian with a writhe.

"But why not?" asked the Grandmother, turning round. "Show me what I ought to do."

Instantly De Griers burst into a babble of French as he advised, jumped about, declared that such and such

chances ought to be waited for, and started to make calculations of figures. All this he addressed to me in my

capacity as translatortapping the table the while with his finger, and pointing hither and thither. At length

he seized a pencil, and began to reckon sums on paper until he had exhausted the Grandmother's patience.

"Away with you!" she interrupted. "You talk sheer nonsense, for, though you keep on saying 'Madame,

Madame,' you haven't the least notion what ought to be done. Away with you, I say!"

"Mais, Madame," cooed De Griersand straightway started afresh with his fussy instructions.

"Stake just ONCE, as he advises," the Grandmother said to me, "and then we shall see what we shall see. Of

As a matter of fact, De Grier's one object was to distract the old lady from staking large sums; wherefore, he

now suggested to her that she should stake upon certain numbers, singly and in groups. Consequently, in

accordance with his instructions, I staked a tengulden piece upon several odd numbers in the first twenty,

and five tengulden pieces upon certain groups of numbersgroups of from twelve to eighteen, and from

"The fool!" cried the old lady as she turned upon De Griers. "You infernal Frenchman, to think that you

should advise! Away with you! Though you fuss and fuss, you don't even know what you're talking about."

Deeply offended, De Griers shrugged his shoulders, favoured the Grandmother with a look of contempt, and

departed. For some time past he had been feeling ashamed of being seen in such company, and this had

Not until we had turned into the Avenue did she utter a word; but from that point onwards, until we arrived at

the hotel, she kept venting exclamations of "What a fool I am! What a silly old fool I am, to be sure!"

Arrived at the hotel, she called for tea, and then gave orders for her luggage to be packed.

"What business is that of YOURS? Let the cricket stick to its hearth. [The Russian form of "Mind your own

business."] Potapitch, have everything packed, for we are returning to Moscow at once. I have fooled away

"Fifteen thousand roubles, good mistress? My God!" And Potapitch spat upon his handsprobably to show

"Now then, you fool! At once you begin with your weeping and wailing! Be quiet, and pack. Also, run

"The next train leaves at 9:30, Madame," I interposed, with a view to checking her agitation.

"How vexing! But, never mind. Alexis Ivanovitch, I have not a kopeck left; I have but these two bank notes.

Please run to the office and get them changed. Otherwise I shall have nothing to travel with."

Departing on her errand, I returned half an hour later to find the whole party gathered in her rooms. It

appeared that the news of her impending departure for Moscow had thrown the conspirators into

consternation even greater than her losses had done. For, said they, even if her departure should save her

fortune, what will become of the General later? And who is to repay De Griers? Clearly Mlle. Blanche would

never consent to wait until the Grandmother was dead, but would at once elope with the Prince or someone

else. So they had all gathered togetherendeavouring to calm and dissuade the Grandmother. Only Polina

"Away with you, you rascals!" she was shouting. "What have my affairs to do with you? Why, in particular,

do you"here she indicated De Griers"come sneaking here with your goat's beard? And what do

"Diantre!" muttered Mlle. under her breath, but her eyes were flashing. Then all at once she burst into a laugh

"So you have been counting upon my death, have you?" fumed the old lady. "Away with you! Clear them out

of the room, Alexis Ivanovitch. What business is it of THEIRS? It is not THEIR money that I have been

The General shrugged his shoulders, bowed, and withdrew, with De Griers behind him.

"Call Prascovia," commanded the Grandmother, and in five minutes Martha reappeared with Polina, who had

been sitting with the children in her own room (having purposely determined not to leave it that day). Her

"Prascovia," began the Grandmother, "is what I have just heard through a side wind truenamely, that this

fool of a stepfather of yours is going to marry that silly whirligig of a Frenchwomanthat actress, or

"I do not know FOR CERTAIN, Grandmamma," replied Polina; "but from Mlle. Blanche's account (for she

"You need not say any more," interrupted the Grandmother energetically. "I understand the situation. I

always thought we should get something like this from him, for I always looked upon him as a futile,

frivolous fellow who gave himself unconscionable airs on the fact of his being a general (though he only

became one because he retired as a colonel). Yes, I know all about the sending of the telegrams to inquire

whether 'the old woman is likely to turn up her toes soon.' Ah, they were looking for the legacies! Without

money that wretched woman (what is her name?Oh, De Cominges) would never dream of accepting the

General and his false teethno, not even for him to be her lacqueysince she herself, they say, possesses a

pile of money, and lends it on interest, and makes a good thing out of it. However, it is not you, Prascovia,

that I am blaming; it was not you who sent those telegrams. Nor, for that matter, do I wish to recall old

scores. True, I know that you are a vixen by naturethat you are a wasp which will sting one if one touches

it yet, my heart is sore for you, for I loved your mother, Katerina. Now, will you leave everything here,

and come away with me? Otherwise, I do not know what is to become of you, and it is not right that you

should continue living with these people. Nay," she interposed, the moment that Polina attempted to speak, "I

have not yet finished. I ask of you nothing in return. My house in Moscow is, as you know, large enough for

a palace, and you could occupy a whole floor of it if you liked, and keep away from me for weeks together.

"First of all, let me ask of YOU," replied Polina, "whether you are intending to depart at once?"

"What? You suppose me to be jesting? I have said that I am going, and I AM going. Today I have squandered

fifteen thousand roubles at that accursed roulette of yours, and though, five years ago, I promised the people

of a certain suburb of Moscow to build them a stone church in place of a wooden one, I have been fooling

"But what about the waters, Grandmamma? Surely you came here to take the waters?"

"You and your waters! Do not anger me, Prascovia. Surely you are trying to? Say, then: will you, or will you

"Grandmamma," Polina replied with deep feeling, "I am very, very grateful to you for the shelter which you

have so kindly offered me. Also, to a certain extent you have guessed my position aright, and I am beholden

to you to such an extent that it may be that I will come and live with you, and that very soon; yet there are

important reasons whywhy I cannot make up my min,d just yet. If you would let me have, say, a couple of

"I mean only that I cannot come just yet. At all events, I could not well leave my little brother and sister here,

since,sinceif I were to leave themthey would be abandoned altogether. But if, Grandmamma, you would

take the little ones AND myself, then, of course, I could come with you, and would do all I could to serve

you" (this she said with great earnestness). "Only, without the little ones I CANNOT come."

"Do not make a fuss" (as a matter of fact Polina never at any time either fussed or wept). "The Great

FosterFather [Translated literallyThe Great Poulterer] can find for all his chicks a place. You are not

coming without the children? But see here, Prascovia. I wish you well, and nothing but well: yet I have

divined the reason why you will not come. Yes, I know all, Prascovia. That Frenchman will never bring you

Polina coloured hotly, and even I started. "For," thought I to myself, "every one seems to know about that

"Now, now! Do not frown," continued the Grandmother. "But I do not intend to slur things over. You will

take care that no harm befalls you, will you not? For you are a girl of sense, and I am sorry for youI regard

you in a different light to the rest of them. And now, please, leave me. Goodbye."

"No," replied the other; "you need not. Do not bother me, for you and all of them have tired me out."

Yet when Polina tried to kiss the Grandmother's hand, the old lady withdrew it, and herself kissed the girl on

the cheek. As she passed me, Polina gave me a momentary glance, and then as swiftly averted her eyes.

"And goodbye to you, also, Alexis Ivanovitch. The train starts in an hour's time, and I think that you must

"Come, come!" cried the Grandmother so energetically, and with such an air of menace, that I did not dare

"If, when in Moscow, you have no place where you can lay your head," she added, "come and see me, and I

I ascended to my room, and lay down upon the bed. A whole hour I must have lain thus, with my head resting

upon my hand. So the crisis had come! I needed time for its consideration. To morrow I would have a talk

with Polina. Ah! The Frenchman! So, it was true? But how could it be so? Polina and De Griers! What a

No, it was too improbable. Suddenly I leapt up with the idea of seeking Astley and forcing him to speak.

There could be no doubt that he knew more than I did. Astley? Well, he was another problem for me to solve.

Suddenly there came a knock at the door, and I opened it to find Potapitch awaiting me.

"Indeed? But she is just departing, is she not? The train leaves in ten minutes' time."

I ran downstairs at once. The Grandmother was just being carried out of her rooms into the corridor. In her

"I cannot rest until I have retrieved my losses. March on ahead, and ask me no questions. Play continues until

For a moment I stood stupefiedstood deep in thought; but it was not long before I had made up my mind.

"Pardon me, but I have nothing to reproach myself with. I merely will not go. I merely intend neither to

witness nor to join in your play. I also beg to return you your five hundred gulden. Farewell."

Laying the money upon a little table which the Grandmother's chair happened to be passing, I bowed and

"What folly!" the Grandmother shouted after me. "Very well, then. Do not come, and I will find my way

alone. Potapitch, you must come with me. Lift up the chair, and carry me along."

I failed to find Mr. Astley, and returned home. It was now growing lateit was past midnight, but I

subsequently learnt from Potapitch how the Grandmother's day had ended. She had lost all the money which,

earlier in the day, I had got for her paper securitiesa sum amounting to about ten thousand roubles. This

she did under the direction of the Pole whom, that afternoon, she had dowered with two tengulden pieces.

But before his arrival on the scene, she had commanded Potapitch to stake for her; until at length she had told

him also to go about his business. Upon that the Pole had leapt into the breach. Not only did it happen that he

knew the Russian language, but also he could speak a mixture of three different dialects, so that the pair were

able to understand one another. Yet the old lady never ceased to abuse him, despite his deferential manner,

and to compare him unfavourably with myself (so, at all events, Potapitch declared). "You," the old

chamberlain said to me, "treated her as a gentleman should, but hehe robbed her right and left, as I could

see with my own eyes. Twice she caught him at it, and rated him soundly. On one occasion she even pulled

his hair, so that the bystanders burst out laughing. Yet she lost everything, sirthat is to say, she lost all that

you had changed for her. Then we brought her home, and, after asking for some water and saying her prayers,

she went to bed. So worn out was she that she fell asleep at once. May God send her dreams of angels! And

this is all that foreign travel has done for us! Oh, my own Moscow! For what have we not at home there, in

Moscow? Such a garden and flowers as you could never see here, and fresh air and appletrees coming into

blossom,and a beautiful view to look upon. Ah, but what must she do but go travelling abroad? Alack,

Almost a month has passed since I last touched these notes notes which I began under the influence of

impressions at once poignant and disordered. The crisis which I then felt to be approaching has now arrived,

but in a form a hundred times more extensive and unexpected than I had looked for. To me it all seems

strange, uncouth, and tragic. Certain occurrences have befallen me which border upon the marvellous. At all

events, that is how I view them. I view them so in one regard at least. I refer to the whirlpool of events in

which, at the time, I was revolving. But the most curious feature of all is my relation to those events, for

hitherto I had never clearly understood myself. Yet now the actual crisis has passed away like a dream. Even

my passion for Polina is dead. Was it ever so strong and genuine as I thought? If so, what has become of it

now? At times I fancy that I must be mad; that somewhere I am sitting in a madhouse; that these events have

I have been arranging and reperusing my notes (perhaps for the purpose of convincing myself that I am not

in a madhouse). At present I am lonely and alone. Autumn is comingalready it is mellowing the leaves;

and, as I sit brooding in this melancholy little town (and how melancholy the little towns of Germany can

be!), I find myself taking no thought for the future, but living under the influence of passing moods, and of

my recollections of the tempest which recently drew me into its vortex, and then cast me out again. At times I

seem still seem to be caught within that vortex. At times, the tempest seems once more to be gathering, and,

as it passes overhead, to be wrapping me in its folds, until I have lost my sense of order and reality, and

Yet, it may be that I shall be able to stop myself from revolving if once I can succeed in rendering myself an

exact account of what has happened within the month just past. Somehow I feel drawn towards the pen; on

many and many an evening I have had nothing else in the world to do. But, curiously enough, of late I have

taken to amusing myself with the works of M. Paul de Kock, which I read in German translations obtained

from a wretched local library. These works I cannot abide, yet I read them, and find myself marvelling that I

should be doing so. Somehow I seem to be afraid of any SERIOUS bookafraid of permitting any

SERIOUS preoccupation to break the spell of the passing moment. So dear to me is the formless dream of

which I have spoken, so dear to me are the impressions which it has left behind it, that I fear to touch the

vision with anything new, lest it should dissolve in smoke. But is it so dear to me? Yes, it IS dear to me, and

So let me write of it, but only partially, and in a more abridged form than my full impressions might warrant.

First of all, let me conclude the history of the Grandmother. Next day she lost every gulden that she

possessed. Things were bound to happen so, for persons of her type who have once entered upon that road

descend it with everincreasing rapidity, even as a sledge descends a tobogganslide. All day until eight

o'clock that evening did she play; and, though I personally did not witness her exploits, I learnt of them later

All that day Potapitch remained in attendance upon her; but the Poles who directed her play she changed

more than once. As a beginning she dismissed her Pole of the previous daythe Pole whose hair she had

pulledand took to herself another one; but the latter proved worse even than the former, and incurred

dismissal in favour of the first Pole, who, during the time of his unemployment, had nevertheless hovered

around the Grandmother's chair, and from time to time obtruded his head over her shoulder. At length the old

lady became desperate, for the second Pole, when dismissed, imitated his predecessor by declining to go

away; with the result that one Pole remained standing on the right of the victim, and the other on her left;

from which vantage points the pair quarrelled, abused each other concerning the stakes and rounds, and

exchanged the epithet "laidak " [Rascal] and other Polish terms of endearment. Finally, they effected a

mutual reconciliation, and, tossing the money about anyhow, played simply at random. Once more

quarrelling, each of them staked money on his own side of the Grandmother's chair (for instance, the one Pole

staked upon the red, and the other one upon the black), until they had so confused and browbeaten the old

lady that, nearly weeping, she was forced to appeal to the head croupier for protection, and to have the two

Poles expelled. No time was lost in this being done, despite the rascals' cries and protestations that the old

lady was in their debt, that she had cheated them, and that her general behaviour had been mean and

dishonourable. The same evening the unfortunate Potapitch related the story to me with tears complaining

that the two men had filled their pockets with money (he himself had seen them do it) which had been

shamelesslly pilfered from his mistress. For instance, one Pole demanded of the Grandmother fifty gulden for

his trouble, and then staked the money by the side of her stake. She happened to win; whereupon he cried out

that the winning stake was his, and hers the loser. As soon as the two Poles had been expelled, Potapitch left

the room, and reported to the authorities that the men's pockets were full of gold; and, on the Grandmother

also requesting the head croupier to look into the affair, the police made their appearance, and, despite the

protests of the Poles (who, indeed, had been caught redhanded), their pockets were turned inside out, and the

contents handed over to the Grandmother. In fact, in, view of the circumstance that she lost all day, the

croupiers and other authorities of the Casino showed her every attention; and on her fame spreading through

the town, visitors of every nationalityeven the most knowing of them, the most distinguishedcrowded to

get a glimpse of "la vieille comtesse russe, tombee en enfance," who had lost "so many millions."

Yet with the money which the authorities restored to her from the pockets of the Poles the Grandmother

effected very, very little, for there soon arrived to take his countrymen's place, a third Polea man who

could speak Russian fluently, was dressed like a gentleman (albeit in lacqueyish fashion), and sported a huge

moustache. Though polite enough to the old lady, he took a high hand with the bystanders. In short, he

offered himself less as a servant than as an ENTERTAINER. After each round he would turn to the old lady,

and swear terrible oaths to the effect that he was a "Polish gentleman of honour" who would scorn to take a

kopeck of her money; and, though he repeated these oaths so often that at length she grew alarmed, he had

her play in hand, and began to win on her behalf; wherefore, she felt that she could not well get rid of him.

An hour later the two Poles who, earlier in the day, had been expelled from the Casino, made a reappearance

behind the old lady's chair, and renewed their offers of serviceeven if it were only to be sent on messages;

but from Potapitch I subsequently had it that between these rascals and the said "gentleman of honour" there

passed a wink, as well as that the latter put something into their hands. Next, since the Grandmother had not

yet lunchedshe had scarcely for a moment left her chairone of the two Poles ran to the restaurant of the

Casino, and brought her thence a cup of soup, and afterwards some tea. In fact, BOTH the Poles hastened to

perform this office. Finally, towards the close of the day, when it was clear that the Grandmother was about

to play her last banknote, there could be seen standing behind her chair no fewer than six natives of

Polandpersons who, as yet, had been neither audible nor visible; and as soon as ever the old lady played

the note in question, they took no further notice of her, but pushed their way past her chair to the table; seized

the money, and staked itshouting and disputing the while, and arguing with the "gentleman of honour"

(who also had forgotten the Grandmother's existence), as though he were their equal. Even when the

Grandmother had lost her all, and was returning (about eight o'clock) to the hotel, some three or four Poles

could not bring themselves to leave her, but went on running beside her chair and volubly protesting that the

Grandmother had cheated them, and that she ought to be made to surrender what was not her own. Thus the

party arrived at the hotel; whence, presently, the gang of rascals was ejected neck and crop.

According to Potapitch's calculations, the Grandmother lost, that day, a total of ninety thousand roubles, in

addition to the money which she had lost the day before. Every paper security which she had brought with

herfive percent bonds, internal loan scrip, and what notshe had changed into cash. Also, I could not but

marvel at the way in which, for seven or eight hours at a stretch, she sat in that chair of hers, almost never

leaving the table. Again, Potapitch told me that there were three occasions on which she really began to win;

but that, led on by false hopes, she was unable to tear herself away at the right moment. Every gambler knows

how a person may sit a day and a night at cards without ever casting a glance to right or to left.

Meanwhile, that day some other very important events were passing in our hotel. As early as eleven

o'clockthat is to say, before the Grandmother had quitted her roomsthe General and De Griers decided

upon their last stroke. In other words, on learning that the old lady had changed her mind about departing,

and was bent on setting out for the Casino again, the whole of our gang (Polina only excepted) proceeded en

masse to her rooms, for the purpose of finally and frankly treating with her. But the General, quaking and

greatly apprehensive as to his possible future, overdid things. After half an hour's prayers and entreaties,

coupled With a full confession of his debts, and even of his passion for Mlle. Blanche (yes, he had quite lost

his head), he suddenly adopted a tone of menace, and started to rage at the old ladyexclaiming that she was

sullying the family honour, that she was making a public scandal of herself, and that she was smirching the

fair name of Russia. The upshot was that the Grandmother turned him out of the room with her stick (it was a

real stick, too!). Later in the morning he held several consultations with De Griersthe question which

occupied him being: Is it in any way possible to make use of the policeto tell them that "this respected, but

unfortunate, old lady has gone out of her mind, and is squandering her last kopeck," or something of the

kind? In short, is it in any way possible to engineer a species of supervision over, or of restraint upon, the old

lady? De Griers, however, shrugged his shoulders at this, and laughed in the General's face, while the old

warrior went on chattering volubly, and running up and down his study. Finally De Griers waved his hand,

and disappeared from view; and by evening it became known that he had left the hotel, after holding a very

secret and important conference with Mlle. Blanche. As for the latter, from early morning she had taken

decisive measures, by completely excluding the General from her presence, and bestowing upon him not a

glance. Indeed, even when the General pursued her to the Casino, and met her walking arm in arm with the

Prince, he (the General) received from her and her mother not the slightest recognition. Nor did the Prince

himself bow. The rest of the day Mlle. spent in probing the Prince, and trying to make him declare himself;

but in this she made a woeful mistake. The little incident occurred in the evening. Suddenly Mlle. Blanche

realised that the Prince had not even a copper to his name, but, on the contrary, was minded to borrow of her

money wherewith to play at roulette. In high displeasure she drove him from her presence, and shut herself

The same morning I went to seeor, rather, to look forMr. Astley, but was unsuccessful in my quest.

Neither in his rooms nor in the Casino nor in the Park was he to be found; nor did he, that day, lunch at his

hotel as usual. However, at about five o'clock I caught sight of him walking from the railway station to the

Hotel d'Angleterre. He seemed to be in a great hurry and much preoccupied, though in his face I could

discern no actual traces of worry or perturbation. He held out to me a friendly hand, with his usual ejaculation

of " Ah! " but did not check his stride. I turned and walked beside him, but found, somehow, that his answers

forbade any putting of definite questions. Moreover, I felt reluctant to speak to him of Polina; nor, for his

part, did he ask me any questions concerning her, although, on my telling him of the Grandmother's exploits,

"Indeed? She arrived at the Casino even before I had taken my departure by train, so I knew she had been

playing. If I should have time I will go to the Casino tonight, and take a look at her. The thing interests me."

"Where have you been today?" I askedsurprised at myself for having, as yet, omitted to put to him that

What more was there to be asked after that? I accompanied him until, as we drew level with the Hotel des

Quatre Saisons, he suddenly nodded to me and disappeared. For myself, I returned home, and came to the

conclusion that, even had I met him at two o'clock in the afternoon, I should have learnt no more from him

than I had done at five o'clock, for the reason that I had no definite question to ask. It was bound to have been

so. For me to formulate the query which I really wished to put was a simple impossibility.

Polina spent the whole of that day either in walking about the park with the nurse and children or in sitting in

her own room. For a long while past she had avoided the General and had scarcely had a word to say to him

(scarcely a word, I mean, on any SERIOUS topic). Yes, that I had noticed. Still, even though I was aware of

the position in which the General was placed, it had never occurred to me that he would have any reason to

avoid HER, or to trouble her with family explanations. Indeed, when I was returning to the hotel after my

conversation with Astley, and chanced to meet Polina and the children, I could see that her face was as calm

as though the family disturbances had never touched her. To my salute she responded with a slight bow, and I

Of course, since the affair with the Burmergelms I had exchanged not a word with Polina, nor had with her

any kind of intercourse. Yet I had been at my wits' end, for, as time went on, there was arising in me an

everseething dissatisfaction. Even if she did not love me she ought not to have trampled upon my feelings,

nor to have accepted my confessions with such contempt, seeing that she must have been aware that I loved

her (of her own accord she had allowed me to tell her as much). Of course the situation between us had arisen

in a curious manner. About two months ago, I had noticed that she had a desire to make me her friend, her

confidantthat she was making trial of me for the purpose; but, for some reason or another, the desired

result had never come about, and we had fallen into the present strange relations, which had led me to address

her as I had done. At the same time, if my love was distasteful to her, why had she not FORBIDDEN me to

But she had not so forbidden me. On the contrary, there had been occasions when she had even INVITED me

to speak. Of course, this might have been done out of sheer wantonness, for I well knewI had remarked it

only too oftenthat, after listening to what I had to say, and angering me almost beyond endurance, she

loved suddenly to torture me with some fresh outburst of contempt and aloofness! Yet she must have known

that I could not live without her. Three days had elapsed since the affair with the Baron, and I could bear the

severance no longer. When, that afternoon, I met her near the Casino, my heart almost made me faint, it beat

so violently. She too could not live without me, for had she not said that she had NEED of me? Or had that

That she had a secret of some kind there could be no doubt. What she had said to the Grandmother had

stabbed me to the heart. On a thousand occasions I had challenged her to be open with me, nor could she have

been ignorant that I was ready to give my very life for her. Yet always she had kept me at a distance with that

contemptuous air of hers; or else she had demanded of me, in lieu of the life which I offered to lay at her feet,

such escapades as I had perpetrated with the Baron. Ah, was it not torture to me, all this? For could it be that

her whole world was bound up with the Frenchman? What, too, about Mr. Astley? The affair was

"Polina Alexandrovna, I can see that there is approaching us an exposure which will involve you too. For the

last time I ask of youhave you, or have you not, any need of my life? If you have, then make such

dispositions as you wish, and I shall always be discoverable in my room if required. If you have need of my

I sealed the letter, and dispatched it by the hand of a corridor lacquey, with orders to hand it to the addressee

in person. Though I expected no answer, scarcely three minutes had elapsed before the lacquey returned with

Next, about seven o'clock, I was sent for by the General. I found him in his study, apparently preparing to go

out again, for his hat and stick were lying on the sofa. When I entered he was standing in the middle of the

roomhis feet wide apart, and his head bent down. Also, he appeared to be talking to himself. But as soon as

ever he saw me at the door he came towards me in such a curious manner that involuntarily I retreated a step,

and was for leaving the room; whereupon he seized me by both hands, and, drawing me towards the sofa, and

seating himself thereon, he forced me to sit down on a chair opposite him. Then, without letting go of my

hands, he exclaimed with quivering lips and a sparkle of tears on his eyelashes:

For a long time I could not make out what he meant, although he kept talking and talking, and constantly

repeating to himself, "Have mercy, mercy!" At length, however, I divined that he was expecting me to give

him something in the nature of adviceor, rather, that, deserted by every one, and overwhelmed with grief

and apprehension, he had bethought himself of my existence, and sent for me to relieve his feelings by

In fact, he was in such a confused and despondent state of mind that, clasping his hands together, he actually

went down upon his knees and begged me to go to Mlle. Blanche, and beseech and advise her to return to

"But, General," I exclaimed, "possibly Mlle. Blanche has scarcely even remarked my existence? What could I

It was in vain that I protested, for he could understand nothing that was said to him, Next he started talking

about the Grandmother, but always in a disconnected sort of fashionhis one thought being to send for the

"In Russia," said he, suddenly boiling over with indignation, "or in any wellordered State where there exists

a government, old women like my mother are placed under proper guardianship. Yes, my good sir," he went

on, relapsing into a scolding tone as he leapt to his feet and started to pace the room, "do you not know this "

(he seemed to be addressing some imaginary auditor in the corner) "do you not know this, that in Russia

old women like her are subjected to restraint, the devil take them?" Again he threw himself down upon the

A minute later, though sobbing and almost breathless, he managed to gasp out that Mlle. Blanche had refused

to marry him, for the reason that the Grandmother had turned up in place of a telegram, and it was therefore

clear that he had no inheritance to look for. Evidently, he supposed that I had hitherto been in entire

ignorance of all this. Again, when I referred to De Griers, the General made a gesture of despair. "He has

gone away," he said, "and everything which I possess is mortgaged to him. I stand stripped to my skin. Even

of the money which you brought me from Paris, I know not if seven hundred francs be left. Of course that

sum will do to go on with, but, as regards the future, I know nothing, I know nothing."

"Then how will you pay your hotel bill?" I cried in consternation. "And what shall you do afterwards?"

He looked at me vaguely, but it was clear that he had not understoodperhaps had not even heardmy

questions. Then I tried to get him to speak of Polina and the children, but he only returned brief answers of "

Yes, yes," and again started to maunder about the Prince, and the likelihood of the latter marrying Mlle.

Blanche. "What on earth am I to do?" he concluded. "What on earth am I to do? Is this not ingratitude? Is it

Nothing could be done with such a man. Yet to leave him alone was dangerous, for something might happen

to him. I withdrew from his rooms for a little while, but warned the nursemaid to keep an eye upon him, as

well as exchanged a word with the corridor lacquey (a very talkative fellow), who likewise promised to

Hardly had I left the General, when Potapitch approached me with a summons from the Grandmother. It was

now eight o'clock, and she had returned from the Casino after finally losing all that she possessed. I found her

sitting in her chairmuch distressed and evidently fatigued. Presently Martha brought her up a cup of tea

and forced her to drink it; yet, even then I could detect in the old lady's tone and manner a great change.

"Good evening, Alexis Ivanovitch," she said slowly, with her head drooping. "Pardon me for disturbing you

again. Yes, you must pardon an old, old woman like myself, for I have left behind me all that I

possessnearly a hundred thousand roubles! You did quite right in declining to come with me this evening.

Now I am without moneywithout a single groat. But I must not delay a moment; I must leave by the 9:30

train. I have sent for that English friend of yours, and am going to beg of him three thousand francs for a

week. Please try and persuade him to think nothing of it, nor yet to refuse me, for I am still a rich woman who

possesses three villages and a couple of mansions. Yes, the money shall be found, for I have not yet

squandered EVERYTHING. I tell you this in order that he may have no doubts aboutAh, but here he is!

True enough, Astley had come hotfoot on receiving the Grandmother's appeal. Scarcely stopping even to

reflect, and with scarcely a word, he counted out the three thousand francs under a note of hand which she

duly signed. Then, his business done, he bowed, and lost no time in taking his departure.

"You too leave me, Alexis Ivanovitch," said the Grandmother. "All my bones are aching, and I still have an

hour in which to rest. Do not be hard upon me, old fool that I am. Never again shall I blame young people for

being frivolous. I should think it wrong even to blame that unhappy General of yours. Nevertheless, I do not

mean to let him have any of my money (which is all that he desires), for the reason that I look upon him as a

perfect blockhead, and consider myself, simpleton though I be, at least wiser than HE is. How surely does

God visit old age, and punish it for its presumption! Well, goodbye. Martha, come and lift me up."

However, I had a mind to see the old lady off; and, moreover, I was in an expectant frame of

mindsomehow I kept thinking that SOMETHING was going to happen; wherefore, I could not rest quietly

in my room, but stepped out into the corridor, and then into the Chestnut Avenue for a few minutes' stroll.

My letter to Polina had been clear and firm, and in the present crisis, I felt sure, would prove final. I had

heard of De Griers' departure, and, however much Polina might reject me as a FRIEND, she might not reject

me altogether as a SERVANT. She would need me to fetch and carry for her, and I was ready to do so. How

Towards the hour of the train's departure I hastened to the station, and put the Grandmother into her

"Thanks for your disinterested assistance," she said at parting. "Oh, and please remind Prascovia of what I

Then I returned home. As I was passing the door of the General's suite, I met the nursemaid, and inquired

after her master. "There is nothing new to report, sir," she replied quietly. Nevertheless I decided to enter, and

was just doing so when I halted thunderstruck on the threshold. For before me I beheld the General and Mlle.

Blanchelaughing gaily at one another! while beside them, on the sofa, there was seated her mother.

Clearly the General was almost out of his mind with joy, for he was talking all sorts of nonsense, and

bubbling over with a longdrawn, nervous laugha laugh which twisted his face into innumerable wrinkles,

Afterwards I learnt from Mlle. Blanche herself that, after dismissing the Prince and hearing of the General's

tears, she bethought her of going to comfort the old man, and had just arrived for the purpose when I entered.

Fortunately, the poor General did not know that his fate had been decidedthat Mlle. had long ago packed

Hesitating a moment on the threshold I changed my mind as to entering, and departed unnoticed. Ascending

to my own room, and opening the door, I perceived in the semidarkness a figure seated on a chair in the

corner by the window. The figure did not rise when I entered, so I approached it swiftly, peered at it closely,

"What is the matter? What is the matter?" she asked in a strange voice. She was looking pale, and her eyes

"If I am here, I have come with all that I have to bring," she said. "Such has always been my way, as you

I did so; whereupon she rose, approached the table, and laid upon it an open letter.

"It is De Griers' handwriting!" I cried as I seized the document. My hands were so tremulous that the lines on

the pages danced before my eyes. Although, at this distance of time, I have forgotten the exact phraseology of

the missive, I append, if not the precise words, at all events the general sense.

"Mademoiselle," the document ran, "certain untoward circumstances compel me to depart in haste. Of course,

you have of yourself remarked that hitherto I have always refrained from having any final explanation with

you, for the reason that I could not well state the whole circumstances; and now to my difficulties the advent

of the aged Grandmother, coupled with her subsequent proceedings, has put the final touch. Also, the

involved state of my affairs forbids me to write with any finality concerning those hopes of ultimate bliss

upon which, for a long while past, I have permitted myself to feed. I regret the past, but at the same time hope

that in my conduct you have never been able to detect anything that was unworthy of a gentleman and a man

of honour. Having lost, however, almost the whole of my money in debts incurred by your stepfather, I find

myself driven to the necessity of saving the remainder; wherefore, I have instructed certain friends of mine in

St. Petersburg to arrange for the sale of all the property which has been mortgaged to myself. At the same

time, knowing that, in addition, your frivolous stepfather has squandered money which is exclusively yours, I

have decided to absolve him from a certain moiety of the mortgages on his property, in order that you may be

in a position to recover of him what you have lost, by suing him in legal fashion. I trust, therefore, that, as

matters now stand, this action of mine may bring you some advantage. I trust also that this same action leaves

me in the position of having fulfilled every obligation which is incumbent upon a man of honour and

refinement. Rest assured that your memory will for ever remain graven in my heart."

"All this is clear enough," I commented. "Surely you did not expect aught else from him?" Somehow I was

"I expected nothing at all from him," she repliedquietly enough, to all outward seeming, yet with a note of

irritation in her tone. "Long ago I made up my mind on the subject, for I could read his thoughts, and knew

what he was thinking. He thought that possibly I should sue himthat one day I might become a nuisance."

Here Polina halted for a moment, and stood biting her lips. "So of set purpose I redoubled my contemptuous

treatment of him, and waited to see what he would do. If a telegram to say that we had become legatees had

arrived from, St. Petersburg, I should have flung at him a quittance for my foolish stepfather's debts, and then

dismissed him. For a long time I have hated him. Even in earlier days he was not a man; and now! Oh,

how gladly I could throw those fifty thousand roubles in his face, and spit in it, and then rub the spittle in!"

"But the document returning the fiftythousand rouble mortgagehas the General got it? If so, possess

"Just as I expected! Well, what is the General going to do?" Then an idea suddenly occurred to me. "What

"What makes you speak of HER?" was her irritable inquiry. "I cannot go and live with her. Nor," she added

"Why should you?" I cried. "Yet to think that you should have loved De Griers! The villain, the villain! But I

"Well, bid me do so, and I will go to him by the first train tomorrow," I exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"If you were to do that," she said, "he would merely tell you to be so good as first to return him the fifty

thousand francs. What, then, would be the use of having a quarrel with him? You talk sheer nonsense."

"The question," I went on, "is how to raise the fifty thousand francs. We cannot expect to find them lying

about on the floor. Listen. What of Mr. Astley?" Even as I spoke a new and strange idea formed itself in my

"What? YOU YOURSELF wish me to leave you for him?" she cried with a scornful look and a proud smile.

Then her head must have turned dizzy with emotion, for suddenly she seated herself upon the sofa, as though

A flash of lightning seemed to strike me as I stood there. I could scarcely believe my eyes or my ears. She

DID love me, then! It WAS to me, and not to Mr. Astley, that she had turned! Although she, an unprotected

girl, had come to me in my roomin an hotel roomand had probably compromised herself thereby, I had

"Polina," I said, "give me but an hour. Wait here just one hour until I return. Yes, you MUST do so. Do you

And I rushed from the room without so much as answering her look of inquiry. She called something after

Sometimes it happens that the most insane thought, the most impossible conception, will become so fixed in

one's head that at length one believes the thought or the conception to be reality. Moreover, if with the

thought or the conception there is combined a strong, a passionate, desire, one will come to look upon the

said thought or conception as something fated, inevitable, and foreordainedsomething bound to happen.

Whether by this there is connoted something in the nature of a combination of presentiments, or a great effort

of will, or a selfannulment of one's true expectations, and so on, I do not know; but, at all events that night

saw happen to me (a night which I shall never forget) something in the nature of the miraculous. Although

the occurrence can easily be explained by arithmetic, I still believe it to have been a miracle. Yet why did this

conviction take such a hold upon me at the time, and remain with me ever since? Previously, I had thought of

the idea, not as an occurrence which was ever likely to come about, but as something which NEVER could

The time was a quarter past eleven o'clock when I entered the Casino in such a state of hope (though, at the

same time, of agitation) as I had never before experienced. In the gamingrooms there were still a large

At eleven o'clock there usually remained behind only the real, the desperate gamblerspersons for whom, at

spas, there existed nothing beyond roulette, and who went thither for that alone. These gamesters took little

note of what was going on around them, and were interested in none of the appurtenances of the season, but

played from morning till night, and would have been ready to play through the night until dawn had that been

possible. As it was, they used to disperse unwillingly when, at midnight, roulette came to an end. Likewise,

as soon as ever roulette was drawing to a close and the head croupier had called "Les trois derniers coups,"

most of them were ready to stake on the last three rounds all that they had in their pocketsand, for the most

part, lost it. For my own part I proceeded towards the table at which the Grandmother had lately sat; and,

since the crowd around it was not very large, I soon obtained standing room among the ring of gamblers,

while directly in front of me, on the green cloth, I saw marked the word "Passe."

"Passe" was a row of numbers from 19 to 36 inclusive; while a row of numbers from 1 to 18 inclusive was

known as "Manque." But what had that to do with me? I had not noticedI had not so much as heard the

numbers upon which the previous coup had fallen, and so took no bearings when I began to play, as, in my

place, any SYSTEMATIC gambler would have done. No, I merely extended my stock of twenty tengulden

pieces, and threw them down upon the space "Passe" which happened to be confronting me.

Again I had won, and was now in possession of eighty tengulden pieces. Next, I moved the whole eighty on

to twelve middle numbers (a stake which, if successful, would bring me in a triple profit, but also involved a

risk of two chances to one). The wheel revolved, and stopped at twentyfour. Upon this I was paid out notes

It was as in a fever that I moved the pile, en bloc, on to the red. Then suddenly I came to myself (though that

was the only time during the evening's play when fear cast its cold spell over me, and showed itself in a

trembling of the hands and knees). For with horror I had realised that I MUST win, and that upon that stake

"Rouge!" called the croupier. I drew a long breath, and hot shivers went coursing over my body. I was paid

out my winnings in banknotesamounting, of course, to a total of four thousand florins, eight hundred

After that, I remember, I again staked two thousand florins upon twelve middle numbers, and lost. Again I

staked the whole of my gold, with eight hundred gulden, in notes, and lost. Then madness seemed to come

upon me, and seizing my last two thousand florins, I staked them upon twelve of the first numberswholly

by chance, and at random, and without any sort of reckoning. Upon my doing so there followed a moment of

suspense only comparable to that which Madame Blanchard must have experienced when, in Paris, she was

Once more, with the addition of my original stake, I was in possession of six thousand florins! Once more I

looked around me like a conqueroronce more I feared nothing as I threw down four thousand of these

florins upon the black. The croupiers glanced around them, and exchanged a few words; the bystanders

The black turned up. After that I do not exactly remember either my calculations or the order of my stakings.

I only remember that, as in a dream, I won in one round sixteen thousand florins; that in the three following

rounds, I lost twelve thousand; that I moved the remainder (four thousand) on to "Passe" (though quite

unconscious of what I was doingI was merely waiting, as it were, mechanically, and without reflection, for

something) and won; and that, finally, four times in succession I lost. Yes, I can remember raking in money

by thousandsbut most frequently on the twelve, middle numbers, to which I constantly adhered, and which

kept appearing in a sort of regular orderfirst, three or four times running, and then, after an interval of a

couple of rounds, in another break of three or four appearances. Sometimes, this astonishing regularity

manifested itself in patches; a thing to upset all the calculations of notetaking gamblers who play with a

pencil and a memorandum book in their hands Fortune perpetrates some terrible jests at roulette!

Since my entry not more than half an hour could have elapsed. Suddenly a croupier informed me that I had,

won thirty thousand florins, as well as that, since the latter was the limit for which, at any one time, the bank

could make itself responsible, roulette at that table must close for the night. Accordingly, I caught up my pile

of gold, stuffed it into my pocket, and, grasping my sheaf of banknotes, moved to the table in an adjoining

salon where a second game of roulette was in progress. The crowd followed me in a body, and cleared a place

for me at the table; after which, I proceeded to stake as beforethat is to say, at random and without

Of course there were times when fragmentary reckonings DID come flashing into my brain. For instance,

there were times when I attached myself for a while to certain figures and coupsthough always leaving

In fact, I cannot have been in possession of all my faculties, for I can remember the croupiers correcting my

play more than once, owing to my having made mistakes of the gravest order. My brows were damp with

sweat, and my hands were shaking. Also, Poles came around me to proffer their services, but I heeded none

of them. Nor did my luck fail me now. Suddenly, there arose around me a loud din of talking and laughter. "

Bravo, bravo! " was the general shout, and some people even clapped their hands. I had raked in thirty

"Go away now, go away now," a voice whispered to me on my right. The person who had spoken to me was

a certain Jew of Frankfurta man who had been standing beside me the whole while, and occasionally

"Yes, for God's sake go," whispered a second voice in my left ear. Glancing around, I perceived that the

second voice had come from a modestly, plainly dressed lady of rather less than thirtya woman whose

face, though pale and sicklylooking, bore also very evident traces of former beauty. At the moment, I was

stuffing the crumpled banknotes into my pockets and collecting all the gold that was left on the table.

Seizing up my last note for five hundred gulden, I contrived to insinuate it, unperceived, into the hand of the

pale lady. An overpowering impulse had made me do so, and I remember how her thin little fingers pressed

mine in token of her lively gratitude. The whole affair was the work of a moment.

Then, collecting my belongings, I crossed to where trente et quarante was being playeda game which could

boast of a more aristocratic public, and was played with cards instead of with a wheel. At this diversion the

bank made itself responsible for a hundred thousand thalers as the limit, but the highest stake allowable was,

as in roulette, four thousand florins. Although I knew nothing of the gameand I scarcely knew the stakes,

except those on black and redI joined the ring of players, while the rest of the crowd massed itself around

me. At this distance of time I cannot remember whether I ever gave a thought to Polina; I seemed only to be

conscious of a vague pleasure in seizing and raking in the banknotes which kept massing themselves in a

But, as ever, fortune seemed to be at my back. As though of set purpose, there came to my aid a circumstance

which not infrequently repeats itself in gaming. The circumstance is that not infrequently luck attaches itself

to, say, the red, and does not leave it for a space of say, ten, or even fifteen, rounds in succession. Three days

ago I had heard that, during the previous week there had been a run of twentytwo coups on the redan

occurrence never before known at roulette so that men spoke of it with astonishment. Naturally enough,

many deserted the red after a dozen rounds, and practically no one could now be found to stake upon it. Yet

upon the black alsothe antithesis of the redno experienced gambler would stake anything, for the reason

that every practised player knows the meaning of "capricious fortune." That is to say, after the sixteenth (or

so) success of the red, one would think that the seventeenth coup would inevitably fall upon the black;

wherefore, novices would be apt to back the latter in the seventeenth round, and even to double or treble their

Yet some whim or other led me, on remarking that the red had come up consecutively for seven times, to

attach myself to that colour. Probably this was mostly due to selfconceit, for I wanted to astonish the

bystanders with the riskiness of my play. Also, I remember thatoh, strange sensation!I suddenly, and

without any challenge from my own presumption, became obsessed with a DESIRE to take risks. If the spirit

has passed through a great many sensations, possibly it can no longer be sated with them, but grows more

excited, and demands more sensations, and stronger and stronger ones, until at length it falls exhausted.

Certainly, if the rules of the game had permitted even of my staking fifty thousand florins at a time, I should

have staked them. All of a sudden I heard exclamations arising that the whole thing was a marvel, since the

I awoke to my senses. What? I had won a hundred thousand florins? If so, what more did I need to win? I

grasped the banknotes, stuffed them into my pockets, raked in the gold without counting it, and started to

leave the Casino. As I passed through the salons people smiled to see my bulging pockets and unsteady gait,

for the weight which I was carrying must have amounted to half a pood! Several hands I saw stretched out in

my direction, and as I passed I filled them with all the money that I could grasp in my own. At length two

"You are a bold young fellow," one said, "but mind you depart early tomorrowas early as you canfor if

But I did not heed them. The Avenue was so dark that it was barely possible to distinguish one's hand before

one's face, while the distance to the hotel was half a verst or so; but I feared neither pickpockets nor

highwaymen. Indeed, never since my boyhood have I done that. Also, I cannot remember what I thought

about on the way. I only felt a sort of fearful pleasure the pleasure of success, of conquest, of power (how

can I best express it?). Likewise, before me there flitted the image of Polina; and I kept remembering, and

reminding myself, that it was to HER I was going, that it was in HER presence I should soon be standing, that

it was SHE to whom I should soon be able to relate and show everything. Scarcely once did I recall what she

had lately said to me, or the reason why I had left her, or all those varied sensations which I had been

experiencing a bare hour and a half ago. No, those sensations seemed to be things of the past, to be things

which had righted themselves and grown old, to be things concerning which we needed to trouble ourselves

no longer, since, for us, life was about to begin anew. Yet I had just reached the end of the Avenue when

there DID come upon me a fear of being robbed or murdered. With each step the fear increased until, in my

terror, I almost started to run. Suddenly, as I issued from the Avenue, there burst upon me the lights of the

hotel, sparkling with a myriad lamps! Yes, thanks be to God, I had reached home!

Running up to my room, I flung open the door of it. Polina was still on the sofa, with a lighted candle in front

of her, and her hands clasped. As I entered she stared at me in astonishment (for, at the moment, I must have

presented a strange spectacle). All I did, however, was to halt before her, and fling upon the table my burden

I remember, too, how, without moving from her place, or changing her attitude, she gazed into my face.

"I have won two hundred thousand francs!" cried I as I pulled out my last sheaf of banknotes. The pile of

paper currency occupied the whole table. I could not withdraw my eyes from it. Consequently, for a moment

or two Polina escaped my mind. Then I set myself to arrange the pile in order, and to sort the notes, and to

mass the gold in a separate heap. That done, I left everything where it lay, and proceeded to pace the room

with rapid strides as I lost myself in thought. Then I darted to the table once more, and began to recount the

money; until all of a sudden, as though I had remembered something, I rushed to the door, and closed and

"Shall I put the money there until tomorrow?" I asked, turning sharply round to Polina as the recollection of

She was still in her old placestill making not a sound. Yet her eyes had followed every one of my

movements. Somehow in her face there was a strange expressionan expression which I did not like. I think

"Polina," I said, "here are twentyfive thousand florinsfifty thousand francs, or more. Take them, and

"Or, if you should prefer," I continued, "let me take them to him myself tomorrowyes, early tomorrow

Then all at once she burst out laughing, and laughed for a long while. With astonishment and a feeling of

offence I gazed at her. Her laughter was too like the derisive merriment which she had so often indulged in of

latemerriment which had broken forth always at the time of my most passionate explanations. At length

"But I am offering it to you as a FRIEND in the same way I would offer you my very life."

Upon this she threw me a long, questioning glance, as though she were seeking to probe me to the depths.

"You are giving too much for me," she remarked with a smile. "The beloved of De Griers is not worth fifty

"You?" she cried with her eyes suddenly flashing. "Why, I HATE you! Yes, yes, I HATE you! I love you no

Then she buried her face in her hands, and relapsed into hysterics. I darted to her side. Somehow I had an

intuition of something having happened to her which had nothing to do with myself. She was like a person

"Buy me, would you, would you? Would you buy me for fifty thousand francs as De Griers did?" she gasped

I clasped her in my arms, kissed her hands and feet, and fell upon my knees before her.

Presently the hysterical fit passed away, and, laying her hands upon my shoulders, she gazed for a while into

my face, as though trying to read itsomething I said to her, but it was clear that she did not hear it. Her face

looked so dark and despondent that I began to fear for her reason. At length she drew me towards herselfa

trustful smile playing over her features; and then, as suddenly, she pushed me away again as she eyed me

"You love me?" she said. "DO you?you who were willing even to quarrel with the Baron at my bidding?"

Then she laughedlaughed as though something dear, but laughable, had recurred to her memory. Yes, she

laughed and wept at the same time. What was I to do? I was like a man in a fever. I remember that she began

to say something to methough WHAT I do not know, since she spoke with a feverish lisp, as though she

were trying to tell me something very quickly. At intervals, too, she would break off into the smile which I

was beginning to dread. "No, no!" she kept repeating. "YOU are my dear one; YOU are the man I trust."

Again she laid her hands upon my shoulders, and again she gazed at me as she reiterated: "You love me, you

love me? Will you ALWAYS love me?" I could not take my eyes off her. Never before had I seen her in this

mood of humility and affection. True, the mood was the outcome of hysteria; but! All of a sudden she

noticed my ardent gaze, and smiled slightly. The next moment, for no apparent reason, she began to talk of

She continued talking and talking about him, but I could not make out all she saidmore particularly when

she was endeavouring to tell me of something or other which had happened recently. On the whole, she

appeared to be laughing at Astley, for she kept repeating that he was waiting for her, and did I know whether,

even at that moment, he was not standing beneath the window? "Yes, yes, he is there," she said. "Open the

window, and see if he is not." She pushed me in that direction; yet, no sooner did I make a movement to obey

her behest than she burst into laughter, and I remained beside her, and she embraced me.

"Shall we go away tomorrow?" presently she asked, as though some disturbing thought had recurred to her

recollection. "How would it be if we were to try and overtake Grandmamma? I think we should do so at

Berlin. And what think you she would have to say to us when we caught her up, and her eyes first lit upon us?

What, too, about Mr. Astley? HE would not leap from the Shlangenberg for my sake! No! Of that I am very

sure!"and she laughed. "Do you know where he is going next year? He says he intends to go to the North

Pole for scientific investigations, and has invited me to go with him! Ha, ha, ha! He also says that we

Russians know nothing, can do nothing, without European help. But he is a good fellow all the same. For

instance, he does not blame the General in the matter, but declares that Mlle. Blanchethat loveBut no; I

do not know, I do not know." She stopped suddenly, as though she had said her say, and was feeling

bewildered. "What poor creatures these people are. How sorry I am for them, and for Grandmamma! But

when are you going to kill De Griers? Surely you do not intend actually to murder him? You fool! Do you

suppose that I should ALLOW you to fight De Griers? Nor shall you kill the Baron." Here she burst out

laughing. "How absurd you looked when you were talking to the Burmergelms! I was watching you all the

timewatching you from where I was sitting. And how unwilling you were to go when I sent you! Oh, how

Then she kissed and embraced me again; again she pressed her face to mine with tender passion. Yet I neither

It must have been about seven o'clock in the morning when I awoke. Daylight had come, and Polina was

sitting by my sidea strange expression on her face, as though she had seen a vision and was unable to

collect her thoughts. She too had just awoken, and was now staring at the money on the table. My head

ached; it felt heavy. I attempted to take Polina's hand, but she pushed me from her, and leapt from the sofa.

The dawn was full of mist, for rain had fallen, yet she moved to the window, opened it, and, leaning her

elbows upon the windowsill, thrust out her head and shoulders to take the air. In this position did she remain

for several minutes, without ever looking round at me, or listening to what I was saying. Into my head there

came the uneasy thought: What is to happen now? How is it all to end? Suddenly Polina rose from the

window, approached the table, and, looking at me with an expression of infinite aversion, said with lips

"You have changed your mind, then? Ha, ha, ha! You are sorry you ever promised them?"

On the table where, the previous night, I had counted the money there still was lying the packet of twenty five

"The francs are mine, then, are they? They are mine?" she inquired viciously as she balanced the money in

"Then TAKE your fifty thousand francs!" and she hurled them full in my face. The packet burst as she did so,

and the floor became strewed with banknotes. The instant that the deed was done she rushed from the room.

At that moment she cannot have been in her right mind; yet, what was the cause of her temporary aberration I

cannot say. For a month past she had been unwell. Yet what had brought about this PRESENT condition of

mind,above all things, this outburst? Had it come of wounded pride? Had it come of despair over her decision

to come to me? Had it come of the fact that, presuming too much on my good fortune, I had seemed to be

intending to desert her (even as De Griers had done) when once I had given her the fifty thousand francs?

But, on my honour, I had never cherished any such intention. What was at fault, I think, was her own pride,

which kept urging her not to trust me, but, rather, to insult meeven though she had not realised the fact. In

her eyes I corresponded to De Griers, and therefore had been condemned for a fault not wholly my own. Her

mood of late had been a sort of delirium, a sort of lightheadednessthat I knew full well; yet, never had I

sufficiently taken it into consideration. Perhaps she would not pardon me now? Ah, but this was THE

PRESENT. What about the future? Her delirium and sickness were not likely to make her forget what she had

done in bringing me De Griers' letter. No, she must have known what she was doing when she brought it.

Somehow I contrived to stuff the pile of notes and gold under the bed, to cover them over, and then to leave

the room some ten minutes after Polina. I felt sure that she had returned to her own room; wherefore, I

intended quietly to follow her, and to ask the nursemaid aid who opened the door how her mistress was.

Judge, therefore, of my surprise when, meeting the domestic on the stairs, she informed me that Polina had

not yet returned, and that she (the domestic) was at that moment on her way to my room in quest of her!

"Mlle. left me but ten minutes ago," I said. "What can have become of her?" The nursemaid looked at me

Already sundry rumours were flying about the hotel. Both in the office of the commissionaire and in that of

the landlord it was whispered that, at seven o'clock that morning, the Fraulein had left the hotel, and set off,

despite the rain, in the direction of the Hotel d'Angleterre. From words and hints let fall I could see that the

fact of Polina having spent the night in my room was now public property. Also, sundry rumours were

circulating concerning the General's family affairs. It was known that last night he had gone out of his mind,

and paraded the hotel in tears; also, that the old lady who had arrived was his mother, and that she had come

from Russia on purpose to forbid her son's marriage with Mlle. de Cominges, as well as to cut him out of her

will if he should disobey her; also that, because he had disobeyed her, she had squandered all her money at

roulette, in order to have nothing more to leave to him. "Oh, these Russians!" exclaimed the landlord, with an

angry toss of the head, while the bystanders laughed and the clerk betook himself to his accounts. Also, every

one had learnt about my winnings; Karl, the corridor lacquey, was the first to congratulate me. But with these

folk I had nothing to do. My business was to set off at full speed to the Hotel d'Angleterre.

As yet it was early for Mr. Astley to receive visitors; but, as soon as he learnt that it was I who had arrived, he

came out into the corridor to meet me, and stood looking at me in silence with his steelgrey eyes as he

"She is ill," he replied, still looking at me with his direct, unwavering glance.

"But, Mr. Astley, that will raise a scandal. It ought not to be allowed. Besides, she is very ill. Perhaps you had

"Yes, I have. It was I who told you about it. Had she not been ill, she would not have gone and spent the night

"Yes; for last night she was to have accompanied me to the house of a relative of mine. Unfortunately, being

"Indeed? Then I wish you joy, Mr. Astley. Apropos, you have reminded me of something. Were you beneath

my window last night? Every moment Mlle. Polina kept telling me to open the window and see if you were

"Indeed? No, I was not there; but I was waiting in the corridor, and walking about the hotel."

"Yes, she ought. I have sent for one, and, if she dies, I shall hold you responsible."

"Never mind. Tell me if it is true that, last night, you won two hundred thousand thalers?"

"Because all Russians who have grown rich go to Paris," explained Astley, as though he had read the fact in a

"But what could I do in Paris in summer time?I LOVE her, Mr. Astley! Surely you know that?"

"Indeed? I am sure that you do NOT. Moreover, if you were to stay here, you would lose everything that you

possess, and have nothing left with which to pay your expenses in Paris. Well, goodbye now. I feel sure that

"Goodbye. But I am NOT going to Paris. Likewisepardon mewhat is to become of this family? I mean

that the affair of the General and Mlle. Polina will soon be all over the town."

"I daresay; yet, I hardly suppose that that will break the General's heart. Moreover, Mlle. Polina has a perfect

right to live where she chooses. In short, we may say that, as a family, this family has ceased to exist."

I departed, and found myself smiling at the Englishman's strange assurance that I should soon be leaving for

Paris. "I suppose he means to shoot me in a duel, should Polina die. Yes, that is what he intends to do." Now,

although I was honestly sorry for Polina, it is a fact that, from the moment when, the previous night, I had

approached the gamingtable, and begun to rake in the packets of banknotes, my love for her had entered

upon a new plane. Yes, I can say that now; although, at the time, I was barely conscious of it. Was I, then, at

heart a gambler? Did I, after all, love Polina not so very much? No, no! As God is my witness, I loved her!

Even when I was returning home from Mr. Astley's my suffering was genuine, and my selfreproach sincere.

I was proceeding to the General's rooms when I heard a door near me open, and a voice call me by name. It

was Mlle.'s mother, the Widow de Cominges who was inviting me, in her daughter's name, to enter.

I did so; whereupon, I heard a laugh and a little cry proceed from the bedroom (the pair occupied a suite of

"Ah, c'est lui! Viens, donc, bete! Is it true that you have won a mountain of gold and silver? J'aimerais mieux

"Bibi, comme tu es bete! Come in here, for I can't hear you where you are now. Nous ferons bombance,

Entering her room, I found her lolling under a pink satin coverlet, and revealing a pair of swarthy,

wonderfully healthy shouldersshoulders such as one sees in dreamsshoulders covered over with a white

cambric nightgown which, trimmed with lace, stood out, in striking relief, against the darkness of her skin.

"Mon fils, astu du coeur?" she cried when she saw me, and then giggled. Her laugh had always been a very

"See here," she prattled on. "Please search for my stockings, and help me to dress. Aussi, si tu n'es pas trop

True enough, everything stood readypackedtrunks, portmanteaux, and all. Coffee had long been served.

"Eh bien, tu verras Paris. Dis donc, qu'estce que c'est qu'un 'utchitel'? Tu etais bien bete quand tu etais

And she lifted up a really ravishing footsmall, swarthy, and not misshapen like the majority of feet which

look dainty only in bottines. I laughed, and started to draw on to the foot a silk stocking, while Mlle. Blanche

"Eh bien, que ferastu si je te prends avec moi? First of all I must have fifty thousand francs, and you shall

give them to me at Frankfurt. Then we will go on to Paris, where we will live together, et je te ferai voir des

etoiles en plein jour. Yes, you shall see such women as your eyes have never lit upon."

"Stop a moment. If I were to give you those fifty thousand francs, what should I have left for myself?"

"Another hundred thousand francs, please to remember. Besides, I could live with you in your rooms for a

month, or even for two; or even for longer. But it would not take us more than two months to get through

fifty thousand francs; for, look you, je suis bonne enfante, et tu verras des etoiles, you may be sure."

"Certainly. Does that surprise you very much? Ah, vil esclave! Why, one month of that life would be better

than all your previous existence. One monthet apres, le deluge! Mais tu ne peux comprendre. Va! Away,

For, while drawing on the other stocking, I had felt constrained to kiss her. Immediately she shrunk back,

kicked me in the face with her toes, and turned me neck and prop out of the room.

"Eh bien, mon 'utchitel'," she called after me, "je t'attends, si tu veux. I start in a quarter of an hour's time."

I returned to my own room with my head in a whirl. It was not my fault that Polina had thrown a packet in

my face, and preferred Mr. Astley to myself. A few banknotes were still fluttering about the floor, and I

picked them up. At that moment the door opened, and the landlord appeareda person who, until now, had

never bestowed upon me so much as a glance. He had come to know if I would prefer to move to a lower

"To Paris, to Paris!" I added to myself. "Every man of birth must make her acquaintance."

Within a quarter of an hour all three of us were seated in a family compartmentMlle. Blanche, the Widow

de Cominges, and myself. Mlle. kept laughing hysterically as she looked at me, and Madame reechoed her;

but I did not feel so cheerful. My life had broken in two, and yesterday had infected me with a habit of

staking my all upon a card. Although it might be that I had failed to win my stake, that I had lost my senses,

that I desired nothing better, I felt that the scene was to be changed only FOR A TIME. "Within a month

from now," I kept thinking to myself, "I shall be back again in Roulettenberg; and THEN I mean to have it

out with you, Mr. Astley!" Yes, as now I look back at things, I remember that I felt greatly depressed, despite

"What is the matter with you? How dull you are!" she cried at length as she interrupted her laughter to take

"Come, come! We are going to spend your two hundred thousand francs for you, et tu seras heureux comme

un petit roi. I myself will tie your tie for you, and introduce you to Hortense. And when we have spent your

money you shall return here, and break the bank again. What did those two Jews tell you?that the thing

most needed is daring, and that you possess it? Consequently, this is not the first time that you will be

hurrying to Paris with money in your pocket. Quant ... moi, je veux cinquante mille francs de rente, et alors"

"The General? You know well enough that at about this hour every day he goes to buy me a bouquet. On this

occasion, I took care to tell him that he must hunt for the choicest of flowers; and when he returns home, the

poor fellow will find the bird flown. Possibly he may take wing in pursuitha, ha, ha! And if so, I shall not

be sorry, for he could be useful to me in Paris, and Mr. Astley will pay his debts here."

Of Paris what am I to say? The whole proceeding was a delirium, a madness. I spent a little over three weeks

there, and, during that time, saw my hundred thousand francs come to an end. I speak only of the ONE

hundred thousand francs, for the other hundred thousand I gave to Mlle. Blanche in pure cash. That is to say,

I handed her fifty thousand francs at Frankfurt, and, three days later (in Paris), advanced her another fifty

thousand on note of hand. Nevertheless, a week had not elapsed ere she came to me for more money. "Et les

cent mille francs qui nous restent," she added, "tu les mangeras avec moi, mon utchitel." Yes, she always

called me her "utchitel." A person more economical, grasping, and mean than Mlle. Blanche one could not

imagine. But this was only as regards HER OWN money. MY hundred thousand francs (as she explained to

me later) she needed to set up her establishment in Paris, "so that once and for all I may be on a decent

footing, and proof against any stones which may be thrown at meat all events for a long time to come."

Nevertheless, I saw nothing of those hundred thousand francs, for my own purse (which she inspected daily)

never managed to amass in it more than a hundred francs at a time; and, generally the sum did not reach even

"What do you want with money?" she would say to me with air of absolute simplicity; and I never disputed

the point. Nevertheless, though she fitted out her flat very badly with the money, the fact did not prevent her

from saying when, later, she was showing me over the rooms of her new abode: "See what care and taste can

do with the most wretched of means!" However, her "wretchedness " had cost fifty thousand francs, while

Also, we gave a couple of ballsevening parties attended by Hortense and Lisette and Cleopatre, who were

women remarkable both for the number of their liaisons and (though only in some cases) for their good looks.

At these reunions I had to play the part of hostto meet and entertain fat mercantile parvenus who were

impossible by reason of their rudeness and braggadocio, colonels of various kinds, hungry authors, and

journalistic hacks all of whom disported themselves in fashionable tailcoats and pale yellow gloves, and

displayed such an aggregate of conceit and gasconade as would be unthinkable even in St.

Petersburgwhich is saying a great deal! They used to try to make fun of me, but I would console myself by

drinking champagne and then lolling in a retiringroom. Nevertheless, I found it deadly work. "C'est un

utchitel," Blanche would say of me, "qui a gagne deux cent mille francs, and but for me, would have had not

a notion how to spend them. Presently he will have to return to his tutoring. Does any one know of a vacant

I had the more frequent recourse to champagne in that I constantly felt depressed and bored, owing to the fact

that I was living in the most bourgeois commercial milieu imaginablea milieu wherein every sou was

counted and grudged. Indeed, two weeks had not elapsed before I perceived that Blanche had no real

affection for me, even though she dressed me in elegant clothes, and herself tied my tie each day. In short,

she utterly despised me. But that caused me no concern. Blase and inert, I spent my evenings generally at the

Chateau des Fleurs, where I would get fuddled and then dance the cancan (which, in that establishment, was a

very indecent performance) with eclat. At length, the time came when Blanche had drained my purse dry. She

had conceived an idea that, during the term of our residence together, it would be well if I were always to

walk behind her with a paper and pencil, in order to jot down exactly what she spent, what she had saved,

what she was paying out, and what she was laying by. Well, of course I could not fail to be aware that this

would entail a battle over every ten francs; so, although for every possible objection that I might make she

had prepared a suitable answer, she soon saw that I made no objections, and therefore, had to start disputes

herself. That is to say, she would burst out into tirades which were met only with silence as I lolled on a sofa

and stared fixedly at the ceiling. This greatly surprised her. At first she imagined that it was due merely to the

fact that I was a fool, "un utchitel"; wherefore she would break off her harangue in the belief that, being too

stupid to understand, I was a hopeless case. Then she would leave the room, but return ten minutes later to

resume the contest. This continued throughout her squandering of my moneya squandering altogether out

of proportion to our means. An example is the way in which she changed her first pair of horses for a pair

"Bibi," she said on the latter occasion as she approached me, "surely you are not angry?"

"Nooo: I am merely tired," was my reply as I pushed her from me. This seemed to her so curious that

"You see," she went on, "I decided to spend so much upon these horses only because I can easily sell them

"Yes, yes. They are splendid horses, and you have got a splendid turnout. I am quite content. Let me hear no

"No. Why should I be? You are wise to provide yourself with what you need, for it will all come in handy in

the future. Yes, I quite see the necessity of your establishing yourself on a good basis, for without it you will

never earn your million. My hundred thousand francs I look upon merely as a beginningas a mere drop in

Blanche, who had by no means expected such declarations from me, but, rather, an uproar and protests, was

"Well, well, what a man you are! " she exclaimed. " Mais tu as l'esprit pour comprendre. Saistu, mon

garcon, although you are a tutor, you ought to have been born a prince. Are you not sorry that your money

"Maissaistumais dis donc, are you really rich? Mais saistu, you have too much contempt for money.

"Oui, oui, c'est ca, c'est magnifique! Ah, I know you will win them, and bring them to me when you have

done so. Dis doncyou will end by making me love you. Since you are what you are, I mean to love you all

the time, and never to be unfaithful to you. You see, I have not loved you before parce que je croyais que tu

n'es qu'un utchitel (quelque chose comme un lacquais, n'estce pas?) Yet all the time I have been true to you,

"You lie!" I interrupted. "Did I not see you, the other day, with Albertwith that blackjowled officer?"

"Yes, you are lying right enough. But what makes you suppose that I should be angry? Rubbish! Il faut que

jeunesse se passe. Even if that officer were here now, I should refrain from putting him out of the room if I

thought you really cared for him. Only, mind you, do not give him any of my money. You hear?"

"You say, do you, that you would not be angry? Mais tu es un vrai philosophe, saistu? Oui, un vrai

True enough, from that time onward she seemed to attach herself only to me, and in this manner we spent our

last ten days together. The promised "etoiles" I did not see, but in other respects she, to a certain extent, kept

her word. Moreover, she introduced me to Hortense, who was a remarkable woman in her way, and known

But I need not enlarge further, for to do so would require a story to itself, and entail a colouring which I am

lothe to impart to the present narrative. The point is that with all my faculties I desired the episode to come to

an end as speedily as possible. Unfortunately, our hundred thousand francs lasted us, as I have said, for very

nearly a monthwhich greatly surprised me. At all events, Blanche bought herself articles to the tune of

eighty thousand francs, and the rest sufficed just to meet our expenses of living. Towards the close of the

affair, Blanche grew almost frank with me (at least, she scarcely lied to me at all)declaring, amongst other

things, that none of the debts which she had been obliged to incur were going to fall upon my head. "I have

purposely refrained from making you responsible for my bills or borrowings," she said, "for the reason that I

am sorry for you. Any other woman in my place would have done so, and have let you go to prison. See,

then, how much I love you, and how goodhearted I am! Think, too, what this accursed marriage with the

True enough, the marriage took place. It did so at the close of our month together, and I am bound to suppose

that it was upon the ceremony that the last remnants of my money were spent. With it the episodethat is to

say, my sojourn with the Frenchwomancame to an end, and I formally retired from the scene.

It happened thus: A week after we had taken up our abode in Paris there arrived thither the General. He came

straight to see us, and thenceforward lived with us practically as our guest, though he had a flat of his own as

well. Blanche met him with merry badinage and laughter, and even threw her arms around him. In fact, she

managed it so that he had to follow everywhere in her trainwhether when promenading on the Boulevards,

or when driving, or when going to the theatre, or when paying calls; and this use which she made of him quite

satisfied the General. Still of imposing appearance and presence, as well as of fair height, he had a dyed

moustache and whiskers (he had formerly been in the cuirassiers), and a handsome, though a somewhat

wrinkled, face. Also, his manners were excellent, and he could carry a frockcoat wellthe more so since, in

Paris, he took to wearing his orders. To promenade the Boulevards with such a man was not only a thing

possible, but also, so to speak, a thing advisable, and with this programme the good but foolish General had

not a fault to find. The truth is that he had never counted upon this programme when he came to Paris to seek

us out. On that occasion he had made his appearance nearly shaking with terror, for he had supposed that

Blanche would at once raise an outcry, and have him put from the door; wherefore, he was the more

enraptured at the turn that things had taken, and spent the month in a state of senseless ecstasy. Already I had

learnt that, after our unexpected departure from Roulettenberg, he had had a sort of a fitthat he had fallen

into a swoon, and spent a week in a species of garrulous delirium. Doctors had been summoned to him, but he

had broken away from them, and suddenly taken a train to Paris. Of course Blanche's reception of him had

acted as the best of all possible cures, but for long enough he carried the marks of his affliction, despite his

present condition of rapture and delight. To think clearly, or even to engage in any serious conversation, had

now become impossible for him; he could only ejaculate after each word "Hm!" and then nod his head in

confirmation. Sometimes, also, he would laugh, but only in a nervous, hysterical sort of a fashion; while at

other times he would sit for hours looking as black as night, with his heavy eyebrows knitted. Of much that

went on he remained wholly oblivious, for he grew extremely absentminded, and took to talking to himself.

Only Blanche could awake him to any semblance of life. His fits of depression and moodiness in corners

always meant either that he had not seen her for some while, or that she had gone out without taking him with

her, or that she had omitted to caress him before departing. When in this condition, he would refuse to say

what he wanted nor had he the least idea that he was thus sulking and moping. Next, after remaining in this

condition for an hour or two (this I remarked on two occasions when Blanche had gone out for the

dayprobably to see Albert), he would begin to look about him, and to grow uneasy, and to hurry about with

an air as though he had suddenly remembered something, and must try and find it; after which, not perceiving

the object of his search, nor succeeding in recalling what that object had been, he would as suddenly relapse

into oblivion, and continue so until the reappearance of Blanchemerry, wanton, halfdressed, and laughing

her strident laugh as she approached to pet him, and even to kiss him (though the latter reward he seldom

received). Once, he was so overjoyed at her doing so that he burst into tears. Even I myself was surprised.

From the first moment of his arrival in Paris, Blanche set herself to plead with me on his behalf; and at such

times she even rose to heights of eloquencesaying that it was for ME she had abandoned him, though she

had almost become his betrothed and promised to become so; that it was for HER sake he had deserted his

family; that, having been in his service, I ought to remember the fact, and to feel ashamed. To all this I would

say nothing, however much she chattered on; until at length I would burst out laughing, and the incident

would come to an end (at first, as I have said, she had thought me a fool, but since she had come to deem me

a man of sense and sensibility). In short, I had the happiness of calling her better nature into play; for though,

at first, I had not deemed her so, she was, in reality, a kindhearted woman after her own fashion. "You are

good and clever," she said to me towards the finish, "and my one regret is that you are also so wrongheaded.

Several times she sent me to give the General an airing in the streets, even as she might have done with a

lacquey and her spaniel; but, I preferred to take him to the theatre, to the Bal Mabille, and to restaurants. For

this purpose she usually allowed me some money, though the General had a little of his own, and enjoyed

taking out his purse before strangers. Once I had to use actual force to prevent him from buying a phaeton at

a price of seven hundred francs, after a vehicle had caught his fancy in the Palais Royal as seeming to be a

desirable present for Blanche. What could SHE have done with a sevenhundredfranc phaeton?and the

General possessed in the world but a thousand francs! The origin even of those francs I could never

determine, but imagined them to have emanated from Mr. Astleythe more so since the latter had paid the

As for what view the General took of myself, I think that he never divined the footing on which I stood with

Blanche. True, he had heard, in a dim sort of way, that I had won a good deal of money; but more probably

he supposed me to be acting as secretaryor even as a kind of servantto his inamorata. At all events, he

continued to address me, in his old haughty style, as my superior. At times he even took it upon himself to

scold me. One morning in particular, he started to sneer at me over our matutinal coffee. Though not a man

prone to take offence, he suddenly, and for some reason of which to this day I am ignorant, fell out with me.

Of course even he himself did not know the reason. To put things shortly, he began a speech which had

neither beginning nor ending, and cried out, a batons rompus, that I was a boy whom he would soon put to

rightsand so forth, and so forth. Yet no one could understand what he was saying, and at length Blanche

exploded in a burst of laughter. Finally something appeased him, and he was taken out for his walk. More

than once, however, I noticed that his depression was growing upon him; that he seemed to be feeling the

want of somebody or something; that, despite Blanche's presence, he was missing some person in particular.

Twice, on these occasions, did he plunge into a conversation with me, though he could not make himself

intelligible, and only went on rambling about the service, his late wife, his home, and his property. Every

now and then, also, some particular word would please him; whereupon he would repeat it a hundred times in

the dayeven though the word happened to express neither his thoughts nor his feelings. Again, I would try

to get him to talk about his children, but always he cut me short in his old snappish way, and passed to

another subject. "Yes, yesmy children," was all that I could extract from him. "Yes, you are right in what

you have said about them." Only once did he disclose his real feelings. That was when we were taking him to

the theatre, and suddenly he exclaimed: "My unfortunate children! Yes, sir, they are unfortunate children."

Once, too, when I chanced to mention Polina, he grew quite bitter against her. "She is an ungrateful woman!"

he exclaimed. "She is a bad and ungrateful woman! She has broken up a family. If there were laws here, I

would have her impaled. Yes, I would." As for De Griers, the General would not have his name mentioned. "

He has ruined me," he would say. "He has robbed me, and cut my throat. For two years he was a perfect

nightmare to me. For months at a time he never left me in my dreams. Do not speak of him again."

It was now clear to me that Blanche and he were on the point of coming to terms; yet, true to my usual

custom, I said nothing. At length, Blanche took the initiative in explaining matters. She did so a week before

"Il a du chance," she prattled, "for the Grandmother is now REALLY ill, and therefore, bound to die. Mr.

Astley has just sent a telegram to say so, and you will agree with me that the General is likely to be her heir.

Even if he should not be so, he will not come amiss, since, in the first place, he has his pension, and, in the

second place, he will be content to live in a back room; whereas I shall be Madame General, and get into a

good circle of society" (she was always thinking of this) "and become a Russian chatelaine. Yes, I shall have

"But, suppose he should prove jealous? He might demand all sorts of things, you know. Do you follow me?"

"Oh, dear no! How ridiculous that would be of him! Besides, I have taken measures to prevent it. You need

not be alarmed. That is to say, I have induced him to sign notes of hand in Albert's name. Consequently, at

And, in truth, she did sothough the marriage was a family one only, and involved no pomp or ceremony. In

fact, she invited to the nuptials none but Albert and a few other friends. Hortense, Cleopatre, and the rest she

kept firmly at a distance. As for the bridegroom, he took a great interest in his new position. Blanche herself

tied his tie, and Blanche herself pomaded him with the result that, in his frockcoat and white waistcoat, he

"Il est, pourtant, TRES comme il faut," Blanche remarked when she issued from his room, as though the idea

that he was "TRES comme il faut " had impressed even her. For myself, I had so little knowledge of the

minor details of the affair, and took part in it so much as a supine spectator, that I have forgotten most of

what passed on this occasion. I only remember that Blanche and the Widow figured at it, not as "de

Cominges," but as "du Placet." Why they had hitherto been "de Cominges " I do not know I only know

that this entirely satisfied the General, that he liked the name "du Placet" even better than he had liked the

name "de Cominges." On the morning of the wedding, he paced the salon in his gala attire and kept repeating

to himself with an air of great gravity and importance: " Mlle. Blanche du Placet! Mlle. Blanche du Placet, du

Placet!" He beamed with satisfaction as he did so. Both in the church and at the wedding breakfast he

remained not only pleased and contented, but even proud. She too underwent a change, for now she assumed

"I must behave altogether differently," she confided to me with a serious air. "Yet, mark you, there is a

tiresome circumstance of which I had never before thoughtwhich is, how best to pronounce my new family

name. Zagorianski, Zagozianski, Madame la Generale de Sago, Madame la Generale de Fourteen

Consonantsoh these infernal Russian names! The LAST of them would be the best to use, don't you

At length the time had come for us to part, and Blanche, the egregious Blanche, shed real tears as she took

her leave of me. "Tu etais bon enfant" she said with a sob. "je te croyais bete et tu en avais l'air, but it suited

you." Then, having given me a final handshake, she exclaimed, "Attends!"; whereafter, running into her

boudoir, she brought me thence two thousandfranc notes. I could scarcely believe my eyes! "They may

come in handy for you," she explained, "for, though you are a very learned tutor, you are a very stupid man.

More than two thousand francs, however, I am not going to give you, for the reason that, if I did so, you

would gamble them all away. Now goodbye. Nous serons toujours bons amis, and if you win again, do not

I myself had still five hundred francs left, as well as a watch worth a thousand francs, a few diamond studs,

and so on. Consequently, I could subsist for quite a length of time without particularly bestirring myself.

Purposely I have taken up my abode where I am now partly to pull myself together, and partly to wait for Mr.

Astley, who, I have learnt, will soon be here for a day or so on business. Yes, I know that, and thenand

then I shall go to Homburg. But to Roulettenberg I shall not go until next year, for they say it is bad to try

one's luck twice in succession at a table. Moreover, Homburg is where the best play is carried on.

It is a year and eight months since I last looked at these notes of mine. I do so now only because, being

overwhelmed with depression, I wish to distract my mind by reading them through at random. I left them off

at the point where I was just going to Homburg. My God, with what a light heart (comparatively speaking)

did I write the concluding lines!though it may be not so much with a light heart, as with a measure of

selfconfidence and unquenchable hope. At that time had I any doubts of myself ? Yet behold me now.

Scarcely a year and a half have passed, yet I am in a worse position than the meanest beggar. But what is a

beggar? A fig for beggary! I have ruined myself that is all. Nor is there anything with which I can compare

myself; there is no moral which it would be of any use for you to read to me. At the present moment nothing

could well be more incongruous than a moral. Oh, you selfsatisfied persons who, in your unctuous pride, are

forever ready to mouth your maximsif only you knew how fully I myself comprehend the sordidness of

my present state, you would not trouble to wag your tongues at me! What could you say to me that I do not

already know? Well, wherein lies my difficulty? It lies in the fact that by a single turn of a roulette wheel

everything for me, has become changed. Yet, had things befallen otherwise, these moralists would have been

among the first (yes, I feel persuaded of it) to approach me with friendly jests and congratulations. Yes, they

would never have turned from me as they are doing now! A fig for all of them! What am I? I am

zeronothing. What shall I be tomorrow? I may be risen from the dead, and have begun life anew. For still,

I may discover the man in myself, if only my manhood has not become utterly shattered.

I went, I say, to Homburg, but afterwards went also to Roulettenberg, as well as to Spa and Baden; in which

latter place, for a time, I acted as valet to a certain rascal of a Privy Councillor, by name Heintze, who until

lately was also my master here. Yes, for five months I lived my life with lacqueys! That was just after I had

come out of Roulettenberg prison, where I had lain for a small debt which I owed. Out of that prison I was

bailed byby whom? By Mr. Astley? By Polina? I do not know. At all events, the debt was paid to the tune

of two hundred thalers, and I sallied forth a free man. But what was I to do with myself ? In my dilemma I

had recourse to this Heintze, who was a young scapegrace, and the sort of man who could speak and write

three languages. At first I acted as his secretary, at a salary of thirty gulden a month, but afterwards I became

his lacquey, for the reason that he could not afford to keep a secretaryonly an unpaid servant. I had nothing

else to turn to, so I remained with him, and allowed myself to become his flunkey. But by stinting myself in

meat and drink I saved, during my five months of service, some seventy gulden; and one evening, when we

were at Baden, I told him that I wished to resign my post, and then hastened to betake myself to roulette.

Oh, how my heart beat as I did so! No, it was not the money that I valued what I wanted was to make all

this mob of Heintzes, hotel proprietors, and fine ladies of Baden talk about me, recount my story, wonder at

me, extol my doings, and worship my winnings. True, these were childish fancies and aspirations, but who

knows but that I might meet Polina, and be able to tell her everything, and see her look of surprise at the fact

that I had overcome so many adverse strokes of fortune. No, I had no desire for money for its own sake, for I

was perfectly well aware that I should only squander it upon some new Blanche, and spend another three

weeks in Paris after buying a pair of horses which had cost sixteen thousand francs. No, I never believed

myself to be a hoarder; in fact, I knew only too well that I was a spendthrift. And already, with a sort of fear,

a sort of sinking in my heart, I could hear the cries of the croupiers "Trente et un, rouge, impair et passe,"

"Quarte, noir, pair et manque. " How greedily I gazed upon the gamingtable, with its scattered louis d'or,

tengulden pieces, and thalers; upon the streams of gold as they issued from the croupier's hands, and piled

themselves up into heaps of gold scintillating as fire; upon the elllong rolls of silver lying around the

croupier. Even at a distance of two rooms I could hear the chink of that moneyso much so that I nearly fell

Ah, the evening when I took those seventy gulden to the gaming table was a memorable one for me. I began

by staking ten gulden upon passe. For passe I had always had a sort of predilection, yet I lost my stake upon

it. This left me with sixty gulden in silver. After a moment's thought I selected zerobeginning by staking

five gulden at a time. Twice I lost, but the third round suddenly brought up the desired coup. I could almost

have died with joy as I received my one hundred and seventyfive gulden. Indeed, I have been less pleased

when, in former times, I have won a hundred thousand gulden. Losing no time, I staked another hundred

gulden upon the red, and won; two hundred upon the red, and won; four hundred upon the black, and won;

eight hundred upon manque, and won. Thus, with the addition of the remainder of my original capital, I

found myself possessed, within five minutes, of seventeen hundred gulden. Ah, at such moments one forgets

both oneself and one's former failures! This I had gained by risking my very life. I had dared so to risk, and

I went and hired a room, I shut myself up in it, and sat counting my money until three o'clock in the morning.

To think that when I awoke on the morrow, I was no lacquey! I decided to leave at once for Homburg. There

I should neither have to serve as a footman nor to lie in prison. Half an hour before starting, I went and

ventured a couple of stakesno more; with the result that, in all, I lost fifteen hundred florins. Nevertheless,

Of course, I am living in constant trepidation,playing for the smallest of stakes, and always looking out for

somethingcalculating, standing whole days by the gamingtables to watch the playeven seeing that play

in my dreamsyet seeming, the while, to be in some way stiffening, to be growing caked, as it were, in mire.

But I must conclude my notes, which I finish under the impression of a recent encounter with Mr. Astley. I

had not seen him since we parted at Roulettenberg, and now we met quite by accident. At the time I was

walking in the public gardens, and meditating upon the fact that not only had I still some fifty olden in my

possession, but also I had fully paid up my hotel bill three days ago. Consequently, I was in a position to try

my luck again at roulette; and if I won anything I should be able to continue my play, whereas, if I lost what I

now possessed, I should once more have to accept a lacquey's place, provided that, in the alternative, I failed

to discover a Russian family which stood in need of a tutor. Plunged in these reflections, I started on my daily

walk through the Park and forest towards a neighbouring principality. Sometimes, on such occasions, I spent

four hours on the way, and would return to Homburg tired and hungry; but, on this particular occasion, I had

scarcely left the gardens for the Park when I caught sight of Astley seated on a bench. As soon as he

perceived me, he called me by name, and I went and sat down beside him; but, on noticing that he seemed a

little stiff in his manner, I hastened to moderate the expression of joy which the sight of him had called forth.

"YOU here?" he said. "Well, I had an idea that I should meet you. Do not trouble to tell me anything, for I

know allyes, all. In fact, your whole life during the past twenty months lies within my knowledge."

"How closely you watch the doings of your old friends!" I replied. "That does you infinite credit. But stop a

moment. You have reminded me of something. Was it you who bailed me out of Roulettenberg prison when I

"What a strange thing! For I know no Russians at all here, so it cannot have been a Russian who befriended

me. In Russia we Orthodox folk DO go bail for one another, but in this case I thought it must have been done

Mr. Astley seemed to listen to me with a sort of surprise. Evidently he had expected to see me looking more

"Well," he saidnot very pleasantly, "I am none the less glad to find that you retain your old independence

"Which means that you are vexed at not having found me more abased and humiliated than I am?" I retorted

"Your remarks please me as they always did," he continued. "In those words I see the clever, triumphant, and,

above all things, cynical friend of former days. Only Russians have the faculty of combining within

themselves so many opposite qualities. Yes, most men love to see their best friend in abasement; for

generally it is on such abasement that friendship is founded. All thinking persons know that ancient truth.

Yet, on the present occasion, I assure you, I am sincerely glad to see that you are NOT cast down. Tell me,

"That you are losing? I thought so. You need not tell me any more. I know how things stand, for you have

said that last in despair, and therefore, truthfully. Have you no other employment than gambling?"

Astley gave me a searching glance. At that time it was ages since I had last looked at a paper or turned the

"You are growing blase," he said. "You have not only renounced life, with its interests and social ties, but the

duties of a citizen and a man; you have not only renounced the friends whom I know you to have had, and

every aim in life but that of winning money; but you have also renounced your memory. Though I can

remember you in the strong, ardent period of your life, I feel persuaded that you have now forgotten every

better feeling of that periodthat your present dreams and aspirations of subsistence do not rise above pair,

"Enough, Mr. Astley!" I cried with some irritationalmost in anger. "Kindly do not recall to me any more

recollections, for I can remember things for myself. Only for a time have I put them out of my head. Only

until I shall have rehabilitated myself, am I keeping my memory dulled. When that hour shall come, you will

"Then you will have to be here another ten years," he replied. "Should I then be alive, I will remind

youhere, on this very benchof what I have just said. In fact, I will bet you a wager that I shall do so."

"Say no more," I interrupted impatiently. "And to show you that I have not wholly forgotten the past, may I

enquire where Mlle. Polina is? If it was not you who bailed me out of prison, it must have been she. Yet

"No, I do not think it was she. At the present moment she is in Switzerland, and you will do me a favour by

ceasing to ask me these questions about her." Astley said this with a firm, and even an angry, air.

"Which means that she has dealt you a serious wound?" I burst out with an involuntary sneer.

"Mlle. Polina," he continued, "Is the best of all possible living beings; but, I repeat, that I shall thank you to

cease questioning me about her. You never really knew her, and her name on your lips is an offence to my

"Indeed? On what subject, then, have I a better right to speak to you than on this? With it are bound up all

your recollections and mine. However, do not be alarmed: I have no wish to probe too far into your private,

your secret affairs. My interest in Mlle. Polina does not extend beyond her outward circumstances and

"Well, on condition that the matter shall end there, I will tell you that for a long time Mlle. Polina was ill, and

still is so. My mother and sister entertained her for a while at their home in the north of England, and

thereafter Mlle. Polina's grandmother (you remember the mad old woman?) died, and left Mlle. Polina a

personal legacy of seven thousand pounds sterling. That was about six months ago, and now Mlle. is

travelling with my sister's family my sister having since married. Mlle.'s little brother and sister also

benefited by the Grandmother's will, and are now being educated in London. As for the General, he died in

Paris last month, of a stroke. Mlle. Blanche did well by him, for she succeeded in having transferred to

herself all that he received from the Grandmother. That, I think, concludes all that I have to tell."

"No; nor do I know where he is. Also I warn you once more that you had better avoid such hints and ignoble

"Then I beg your pardon a thousand times, Mr. Astley. I meant nothing offensive to Mlle. Polina, for I have

nothing of which to accuse her. Moreover, the question of there being anything between this Frenchman and

this Russian lady is not one which you and I need discuss, nor even attempt to understand."

"If," replied Astley, "you do not care to hear their names coupled together, may I ask you what you mean by

the expressions 'this Frenchman,' 'this Russian lady,' and 'there being anything between them'? Why do you

"Ah, I see you are interested, Mr. Astley. But it is a long, long story, and calls for a lengthy preface. At the

same time, the question is an important one, however ridiculous it may seem at the first glance. A

Frenchman, Mr. Astley, is merely a fine figure of a man. With this you, as a Britisher, may not agree. With it

I also, as a Russian, may not agreeout of envy. Yet possibly our good ladies are of another opinion. For

instance, one may look upon Racine as a brokendown, hobbledehoy, perfumed individualone may even

be unable to read him; and I too may think him the same, as well as, in some respects, a subject for ridicule.

Yet about him, Mr. Astley, there is a certain charm, and, above all things, he is a great poetthough one

might like to deny it. Yes, the Frenchman, the Parisian, as a national figure, was in process of developing into

a figure of elegance before we Russians had even ceased to be bears. The Revolution bequeathed to the

French nobility its heritage, and now every whippersnapper of a Parisian may possess manners, methods of

expression, and even thoughts that are above reproach in form, while all the time he himself may share in that

form neither in initiative nor in intellect nor in soulhis manners, and the rest, having come to him through

inheritance. Yes, taken by himself, the Frenchman is frequently a fool of fools and a villain of villains.

Per contra, there is no one in the world more worthy of confidence and respect than this young Russian lady.

De Griers might so mask his face and play a part as easily to overcome her heart, for he has an imposing

figure, Mr. Astley, and this young lady might easily take that figure for his real selffor the natural form of

his heart and soulinstead of the mere cloak with which heredity has dowered him. And even though it may

offend you, I feel bound to say that the majority also of English people are uncouth and unrefined, whereas

we Russian folk can recognise beauty wherever we see it, and are always eager to cultivate the same. But to

distinguish beauty of soul and personal originality there is needed far more independence and freedom than is

possessed by our women, especially by our younger ladies. At all events, they need more EXPERIENCE. For

instance, this Mlle. Polinapardon me, but the name has passed my lips, and I cannot well recall itis

taking a very long time to make up her mind to prefer you to Monsieur de Griers. She may respect you, she

may become your friend, she may open out her heart to you; yet over that heart there will be reigning that

loathsome villain, that mean and petty usurer, De Griers. This will be due to obstinacy and selfloveto the

fact that De Griers once appeared to her in the transfigured guise of a marquis, of a disenchanted and ruined

liberal who was doing his best to help her family and the frivolous old General; and, although these

transactions of his have since been exposed, you will find that the exposure has made no impression upon her

mind. Only give her the De Griers of former days, and she will ask of you no more. The more she may detest

the present De Griers, the more will she lament the De Griers of the pasteven though the latter never

existed but in her own imagination. You are a sugar refiner, Mr. Astley, are you not?"

"Then see here. On the one hand, you are a sugar refiner, while, on the other hand, you are an Apollo

Belvedere. But the two characters do not mix with one another. I, again, am not even a sugar refiner; I am a

mere roulette gambler who has also served as a lacquey. Of this fact Mlle. Polina is probably well aware,

"You are saying this because you are feeling bitter," said Astley with cold indifference. "Yet there is not the

"I agree. But therein lies the horror of it allthat, however mean and farcical my accusations may be, they

"Yes, you are, for you are only talking nonsense! exclaimed my companionhis voice now trembling and

his eyes flashing fire. "Are you aware," he continued, "that wretched, ignoble, petty, unfortunate man though

you are, it was at HER request I came to Homburg, in order to see you, and to have a long, serious talk with

you, and to report to her your feelings and thoughts and hopesyes, and your recollections of her, too?"

"Indeed? Is that really so?" I criedthe tears beginning to well from my eyes. Never before had this

"Yes, poor unfortunate," continued Astley. "She DID love you; and I may tell you this now for the reason that

now you are utterly lost. Even if I were also to tell you that she still loves you, you would none the less have

to remain where you are. Yes, you have ruined yourself beyond redemption. Once upon a time you had a

certain amount of talent, and you were of a lively disposition, and your good looks were not to be despised.

You might even have been useful to your country, which needs men like you. Yet you remained here, and

your life is now over. I am not blaming you for this in my view all Russians resemble you, or are inclined

to do so. If it is not roulette, then it is something else. The exceptions are very rare. Nor are you the first to

learn what a taskmaster is yours. For roulette is not exclusively a Russian game. Hitherto, you have

honourably preferred to serve as a lacquey rather than to act as a thief; but what the future may have in store

for you I tremble to think. Now goodbye. You are in want of money, I suppose? Then take these ten louis

d'or. More I shall not give you, for you would only gamble it away. Take care of these coins, and farewell.

"TAKE CARE of them!" repeated my friend. "I am certain you are still a gentleman, and therefore I give you

the money as one gentleman may give money to another. Also, if I could be certain that you would leave both

Homburg and the gamingtables, and return to your own country, I would give you a thousand pounds down

to start life afresh; but, I give you ten louis d'or instead of a thousand pounds for the reason that at the present

time a thousand pounds and ten louis d'or will be all the same to youyou will lose the one as readily as you

But he was wrong. If I was hard and undiscerning as regards Polina and De Griers, HE was hard and

undiscerning as regards Russian people generally. Of myself I say nothing. Yetyet words are only words. I

need to ACT. Above all things I need to think of Switzerland. Tomorrow, tomorrow Ah, but if only I could

set things right tomorrow, and be born again, and rise again from the dead! But noI cannot. Yet I must

show her what I can do. Even if she should do no more than learn that I can still play the man, it would be

Yet I have a presentiment that things can never be otherwise. I have got fifteen louis d'or in my possession,

although I began with fifteen gulden. If I were to play carefully at the startBut no, no! Surely I am not such

a fool as that? Yet WHY should I not rise from the dead? I should require at first but to go cautiously and

patiently and the rest would follow. I should require but to put a check upon my nature for one hour, and my

fortunes would be changed entirely. Yes, my nature is my weak point. I have only to remember what

happened to me some months ago at Roulettenberg, before my final ruin. What a notable instance that was of

my capacity for resolution! On the occasion in question I had lost everythingeverything; yet, just as I was

leaving the Casino, I heard another gulden give a rattle in my pocket! "Perhaps I shall need it for a meal," I

thought to myself; but a hundred paces further on, I changed my mind, and returned. That gulden I staked

upon manqueand there is something in the feeling that, though one is alone, and in a foreign land, and far

from one's own home and friends, and ignorant of whence one's next meal is to come, one is nevertheless

staking one's very last coin! Well, I won the stake, and in twenty minutes had left the Casino with a hundred

and seventy gulden in my pocket! That is a fact, and it shows what a last remaining gulden can do. . . . But