The Torrents Of Spring

‘And they do say,’ Sanin added with special emphasis on the word
‘do,’ ‘that your wife is very rich.’
‘They say that too.’
‘Do you mean to say, Ippolit Sidorovitch, you are not certain on that
point?’
‘I don’t meddle, my dear Dimitri … Pavlovitch? Yes, Pavlovitch! – in
my wife’s affairs.’
‘You don’t meddle? Not in any of her affairs?’
Polozov again shifted his eyes. ‘Not in any, my boy. She does as she
likes, and so do I.’
‘Where are you going now?’ Sanin inquired.
‘I’m not going anywhere just now; I’m standing in the street and talking
to you; but when we’ve finished talking, I’m going back to my hotel,
and am going to have lunch.’
‘Would you care for my company?’
‘You mean at lunch?’
‘Yes.’
‘Delighted, it’s much pleasanter to eat in company. You’re not a great
talker, are you?’
‘I think not.’
‘So much the better.’
Polozov went on. Sanin walked beside him. And Sanin speculated –
Polozov’s lips were glued together, again he snorted heavily, and
waddled along in silence – Sanin speculated in what way had this booby
succeeded in catching a rich and beautiful wife. He was not rich himself,
nor distinguished, nor clever; at school he had passed for a dull, slowwitted
boy, sleepy, and greedy, and had borne the nickname ‘driveller.’
It was marvellous!
‘But if his wife is very rich, they say she’s the daughter of some sort of
a contractor, won’t she buy my estate? Though he does say he doesn’t interfere
in any of his wife’s affairs, that passes belief, really! Besides, I will
name a moderate, reasonable price! Why not try? Perhaps, it’s all my
lucky star… . Resolved! I’ll have a try!’
Polozov led Sanin to one of the best hotels in Frankfort, in which he
was, of course, occupying the best apartments. On the tables and chairs
lay piles of packages, cardboard boxes, and parcels. ‘All purchases, my
boy, for Maria Nikolaevna!’ (that was the name of the wife of Ippolit
Sidorovitch). Polozov dropped into an arm-chair, groaned, ‘Oh, the
heat!’ and loosened his cravat. Then he rang up the head-waiter, and
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