Chapter 35

HOW WE RECEIVED THE NEWS

Yet, even on the eve of the official announcement, every one had
learnt of the matter, and was discussing it. Mimi never left her
room that day, and wept copiously. Katenka kept her company, and
only came out for luncheon, with a grieved expression on her face
which was manifestly borrowed from her mother. Lubotshka, on the
contrary, was very cheerful, and told us after luncheon that she
knew of a splendid secret which she was going to tell no one.

"There is nothing so splendid about your secret," said Woloda,
who did not in the least share her satisfaction. "If you were
capable of any serious thought at all, you would understand that
it is a very bad lookout for us."

Lubotshka stared at him in amazement, and said no more. After the
meal was over, Woloda made a feint of taking me by the arm, and
then, fearing that this would seem too much like "affection,"
nudged me gently by the elbow, and beckoned me towards the salon.

"You know, I suppose, what the secret is of which Lubotshka was
speaking?" he said when he was sure that we were alone. It was
seldom that he and I spoke together in confidence: with the
result that, whenever it came about, we felt a kind of
awkwardness in one another's presence, and "boys began to jump
about" in our eyes, as Woloda expressed it. On the present
occasion, however, he answered the excitement in my eyes with a
grave, fixed look which said: "You need not be surprised, for we
are brothers, and we have to consider an important family
matter." I understood him, and he went on:

"You know, I suppose, that Papa is going to marry Avdotia
Epifanov?"

I nodded, for I had already heard so. "Well, it is not a good
thing," continued Woloda.

"Why so?"

"Why?" he repeated irritably. "Because it will be so pleasant,
won't it, to have this stuttering 'colonel' and all his family
for relations! Certainly she seems nice enough, as yet; but who
knows what she will turn out to be later? It won't matter much to
you or myself, but Lubotshka will soon be making her debut, and
it will hardly be nice for her to have such a 'belle mere' as
this--a woman who speaks French badly, and has no manners to
teach her."

Although it seemed odd to hear Woloda criticising Papa's choice
so coolly, I felt that he was right.

"Why is he marrying her?" I asked.

"Oh, it is a hole-and-corner business, and God only knows why,"
he answered. "All I know is that her brother, Peter, tried to
make conditions about the marriage, and that, although at first
Papa would not hear of them, he