Liza; Or, "A Nest of Nobles"Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich
General
Liza; Or, "A Nest of Nobles"
Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich
Russia -- Fiction
Liza looked at her mother, who immediately assumed an air of
suffering. But Lavretsky did not give Madame Kalatine time to open her
mouth. He instantly took both of her hands and kissed them, and Maria
Dmitrievna, who always responded to winning ways, and had never for
a moment expected such a piece of politeness from "the bear," felt
herself touched, and gave her consent. While she was considering
what day to appoint, Lavretsky went up to Liza, and, still under the
influence of emotion, whispered aside to her, "Thanks. You are a good
girl. I am in the wrong." Then a color came into her pale face, which
lighted up with a quiet but joyous smile. Her eyes also smiled. Till
that moment she had been afraid that she had offended him.
"M. Panshine can come with us, I suppose?" asked Maria Dmitrievna.
"Of course," replied Lavretsky. "But would it not be better for us to
keep to our family circle?"
"But I think--" began Maria Dmitrievna, adding, however, "Well, just
as you like."
It was settled that Lenochka and Shurochka should go. Marfa Timofeevna
refused to take part in the excursion.
"It's a bore to me, my dear," she said, "to move my old bones; and
there's nowhere, I suppose, in your house where I could pass the
night; besides, I never can sleep in a strange bed. Let these young
folks caper as they please."
Lavretsky had no other opportunity of speaking with Liza alone, but he
kept looking at her in a manner that pleased her, and at the same time
confused her a little. She felt very sorry for him. When he went away,
he took leave of her with a warm pressure of the hand. She fell into a
reverie as soon as she found herself alone.
XXIV.[A]
[Footnote A: Omitted in the French translation.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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