how can you expect one at such a moment to have no desire….”
“To be liked, eh?”
“Well, yes; but do, for goodness’ sake, be kind. Think what I am! Here, I am twenty-six and I have never seen any one. How can I speak well, tactfully, and to the point? It will seem better to you when I have told you everything openly…. I don’t know how to be silent when my heart is speaking. Well, never mind…. Believe me, not one woman, never, never! No acquaintance of any sort! And I do nothing but dream every day that at last I shall meet some one. Oh, if only you knew how often I have been in love in that way….”
“How? With whom?…”
“Why, with no one, with an ideal, with the one I dream of in my sleep. I make up regular romances in my dreams. Ah, you don’t know me! It’s true, of course, I have met two or three women, but what sort of women were they? They were all landladies, that…. But I shall make you laugh if I tell you that I have several times thought of speaking, just simply speaking, to some aristocratic lady in the street, when she is alone, I need hardly say; speaking to her, of course, timidly, respectfully, passionately; telling her that I am perishing in solitude, begging her not to send me away; saying that I have no chance of making the acquaintance of any woman; impressing upon her that it is a positive duty for a woman not to repulse so timid a prayer from such a luckless man as me. That, in fact, all I ask is, that she should say two or three sisterly words with sympathy, should not repulse me at first sight; should take me on trust and listen to what I say; should laugh at me if she likes, encourage me, say two words to me, only two words, even though we never meet again afterwards!… But you are laughing; however, that is why I am telling you….”
“Don’t be vexed; I am only laughing at your being your own enemy, and if you had tried you would have succeeded, perhaps, even though it had been in the street; the simpler the better…. No kind-hearted woman, unless she were stupid or, still more, vexed about something at the moment, could bring herself to send you away without those two words which you ask for so timidly…. But what am I saying? Of course she would take you for a madman. I was judging by myself; I know a good deal about other people’s lives.”
“Oh, thank you,” I cried; “you don’t know what you have done for me now!”
“I am glad! I am glad! But tell me how did you find out that I was the sort of woman with whom … well, whom you think worthy … of attention and friendship … in fact, not a landlady as you say? What made you decide to come up to me?”
“What made me?… But you were alone; that gentleman was too insolent; it’s night. You must admit that it was a duty….”
“No, no; I mean before, on the other side—you know you meant to come up to me.”
“On the other side? Really I don’t know how to answer; I am afraid to…. Do you know I have been happy to-day? I walked along singing; I went out into the country; I have never had such happy moments. You … perhaps it was my fancy…. Forgive me for referring to it; I fancied you were crying, and I … could not bear to hear it … it made my heart ache…. Oh, my goodness! Surely I might be troubled about you? Surely there was no harm in feeling brotherly compassion for you…. I beg your pardon, I said compassion…. Well, in short, surely you would not be offended at my involuntary impulse to go up to you?…”
“Stop, that’s enough, don’t talk of it,” said the girl, looking down, and pressing my hand. “It’s my fault for having spoken of it; but I am glad I was not mistaken in you…. But here I am home; I must go down this turning, it’s two steps from here…. Good-bye, thank you!…”
“Surely … surely you don’t mean … that we shall never see each other again?… Surely this is not to be the end?”
“You see,” said the girl, laughing, “at first you only wanted two words, and now…. However, I won’t say anything … perhaps we shall meet….”
“I shall come here to-morrow,” I said. “Oh, forgive me, I am already making demands….”
“Yes, you are not very patient … you are almost insisting.”
“Listen, listen!” I interrupted her. “Forgive me if I tell you something else…. I tell you what, I can’t help coming here to-morrow, I am a dreamer; I have so little real life that I look upon such moments as this now, as so rare, that I cannot help going over such moments again in my dreams. I shall be dreaming of you all night, a whole week, a whole year. I shall certainly come here to-morrow, just here to this place, just at the same hour, and I shall be happy remembering to-day. This place is dear to me already. I have already two or three such places in Petersburg. I once shed tears over memories … like you…. Who knows, perhaps you were weeping ten minutes ago over some memory…. But, forgive me, I have forgotten myself again; perhaps you have once been particularly happy here….”
“Very good,” said the girl, “perhaps I will come here to-morrow, too, at ten o’clock. I see that I can’t forbid you…. The fact is, I have to be here; don’t imagine that I am making an appointment with you; I tell you beforehand that I have to be here on my own account. But … well, I tell you straight out, I don’t mind if you do come. To begin with, something unpleasant might happen as it did to-day, but never mind that…. In short, I should simply like to see you … to say two words to you. Only, mind, you must not think the worse of me now! Don’t think I make appointments so lightly…. I shouldn’t make it except that…. But let that be my secret! Only a compact beforehand….”
“A compact! Speak, tell me, tell me all beforehand; I agree to anything, I am ready for anything,” I cried delighted. “I answer for myself, I will be obedient, respectful … you know me….”
“It’s just because I do know you that I ask you to come to-morrow,” said the girl, laughing. “I know you perfectly. But mind you will come on the condition, in the first place (only be good, do what I ask—you see, I speak frankly), you won’t fall in love with me…. That’s impossible, I assure you. I am ready for friendship; here’s my hand…. But you mustn’t fall in love with me, I beg you!”
“I swear,” I cried, gripping her hand….
“Hush, don’t swear, I know you are ready to flare up like gunpowder. Don’t think ill of me for saying so. If only you knew…. I, too, have no one to whom I can say a word, whose advice I can ask. Of course, one does not look for an adviser in the street; but you are an exception. I know you as though we had been friends for twenty years…. You won’t deceive me, will you?…”
“You will see … the only thing is, I don’t know how I am going to survive the next twenty-four hours.”
“Sleep soundly. Good-night, and remember that I have trusted you already. But you exclaimed so nicely just now, ‘Surely one can’t be held responsible for every feeling, even for brotherly sympathy!’ Do you know, that was so nicely said, that the idea struck me at once, that I might confide in you?”
“For God’s sake do; but about what? What is it?”
“Wait till to-morrow. Meanwhile, let that be a secret. So much the better for you; it will give it a faint flavour of romance. Perhaps I will tell you to-morrow, and perhaps not…. I will talk to you a little more beforehand; we will get to know each other better….”
“Oh yes, I will tell you all about myself to-morrow! But what has happened? It is as though a miracle had befallen me…. My God, where am I? Come, tell me aren’t you
