Yama, Aleksandr Kuprin [grave mercy TXT] 📗

business. And so, here are my terms: you will be housekeeper, I give you fifteen percent, out of the clear gain. Mind you, Tamara, fifteen percent. And, besides that, a small salary⁠—thirty, forty, well, if you like, fifty roubles a month. Splendid terms⁠—isn’t that the truth? I am deeply convinced, that none other than just you will help me to raise the house to a real height, and make it the swellest not only in our city, but in all the south of Russia as well. You have taste, and an understanding of things!⁠ ⁠… Besides that, you will always be able to entertain, and to stir up the most exacting, the most unyielding guests. In rare instances, when a very rich and distinguished gentleman⁠—in Russian they call it one ‘sunfish,’ while with us, ein Freier33⁠—when he becomes infatuated with you⁠—for you are so handsome, Tamarochka,” (the proprietress looked at her with misty, humid eyes) “then I do not at all forbid you to pass the time with him gaily; only to bear down always upon the fact that you have no right, owing to your duty, your position, und so weiter, und so weiter⁠ ⁠… Aber sagen Sie bitte, do you easily make yourself understood in German?”

“Die Deutsche Sprache beherrsche ich in geringerem Grade als die französische; indes kann ich stets in einer Salon-Plauderei mitmachen.”34

“O, wunderbar! sie haben eine entzückende Rigaer Aussprache, die beste alter deutschen Aussprachen. Und also⁠—fahren wir in unserer Sprache fort. Sie klingt viel süsser meinem Ohr, die Muttersprache. Schön?”35

“Schön.”36

“Zuletzt werden Sie nachgeben, dem Anschein nach ungern, unwillkürlich, von der Laune des Augenblicks hingerissen⁠—und, was die Hauptsache ist, lautlos, heimlich vor mir. Sie verstehen? Dafürzahlen Narren ein schweres Geld. Ubrigens brauche ich Sie wohl nicht zu lehren.”37

“Ja, gnädige Frau. Sie sprechen gar kluge Dinge. Doch das ist schön keine Plauderei mehr, sondern eine ernste Unterhaltung.38 And for that reason it is more convenient for me, if you will revert to the Russian language⁠ ⁠… I am ready to obey you.”

“Furthermore!⁠ ⁠… I was just now talking about a lover. I dare not forbid you this pleasure, but let us be prudent: let him not appear here, or appear as rarely as possible. I will give you days for going out, when you will be perfectly free. But it’s best if you would get along without him entirely. It will serve your benefit too. This is only a drag and a yoke. I am telling you this from my own personal experience. Wait a while; after three or four years we will expand this business so, that you will have substantial money already, and then I will take you into the business as a partner with full rights. After ten years you will still be young and handsome, and then take and buy men as much as you want to. By that time romantic follies will go out of your head entirely, and it will not be you who will be chosen already, but you who will be choosing with sense and with feeling, as a connoisseur picks out precious stones. Do you agree with me?”

Tamara cast down her eyes, and smiled just the least trifle.

“You speak golden truths, Emma Edwardovna. I will drop mine, but not at once. For that I will need some two weeks. I will try not to have him appear here. I accept your proposition.”

“And that’s splendid!” said Emma Edwardovna, getting up. “Now let us conclude our agreement with one good, sweet kiss.”

And she again embraced and took to kissing Tamara hard⁠—who, with her downcast eyes and naive, tender face, seemed now altogether a little girl. But, having freed herself, finally, from the proprietress, she asked in Russian:

“You see, Emma Edwardovna, that I agree in everything with you, but for that I beg you to fulfill one request of mine. It will not cost you anything. Namely, I hope that you will allow me and the other girls to escort the late Jennie to the cemetery.”

Emma Edwardovna made a wry face.

“Oh, if you want to, my darling Tamara, I have nothing against your whim. Only what for? This will not help the dead person and will not make her alive. Only sentimentalism alone will come out of it⁠ ⁠… But very well! Only, however, you know yourself that in accordance with your law suicides are not buried, or⁠—I don’t know with certainty⁠—it seems they throw them into some dirty hole beyond the cemetery.”

“No, do allow me to do as I want to myself. Let it be my whim, but concede it to me, my darling, dear, bewitching Emma Edwardovna! But then, I promise you that this will be my last whim. After this I will be like a wise and obedient soldier at the disposal of a talented general.”

“Is’ gut!” Emma Edwardovna gave in with a sigh. “I can not deny you in anything, my child. Let me press your hand. Let us toil and labour together for the common good.”

And, having opened the door, she called out across the drawing room into the entrance-hall: “Simeon!” And when Simeon appeared in the room, she ordered him weightily and triumphantly:

“Bring us a bottle of champagne here, but the real thing⁠—Rederer demi sec, and as cool as possible. Step on it!” she ordered the porter, who was gaping at her with popping eyes.

“We will drink with you, Tamara, to the new business, to our brilliant and beautiful future.”

“Willingly, my dear instructress,” answered Tamara. “You, like a genius, have cast light on my path. Why, really, none of us knew how kind and penetrating you are. It is only now that I have at last surmised that, before anything else, you demanded from us only order, only an irreproachable carrying out of our duty. Isn’t that so?”

“Oh, ja!” answered the flattered Emma Edwardovna. “