The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants (Avsey trans.) by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky [Dostoevsky, Fyodor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141965383
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

10

Mizinchikov30

The part of the house where Gavrila conducted me was called ‘the new wing’ merely as a matter of usage; in fact, it had been built by the previous owner a long time before. It was a pretty timber building standing close to the old house and within the bounds of the garden itself; it was surrounded on three sides by tall lime-trees whose branches touched the roof. Its four rather well furnished rooms were kept ready for guests. On entering the room which had been prepared for me and where my suit-case had already been brought, I noticed on a little bedside table a sheet of notepaper covered in beautiful writing in different styles, full of flourishes and curlicues. Ornate capitals and borders were worked over in various colours. The whole formed a most pretty exercise in calligraphy. From the first words I read I recognized the document as a pleading letter addressed to me, in which I was referred to as ‘the enlightened benefactor’. It was headed: Vidoplyasov’s Laments. I continued to read it, but despite all my efforts I could not make head or tail of the contents; it seemed to be the most inflated nonsense, couched in the high-flown phraseology peculiar to flunkeys. All I could surmise was that Vidoplyasov, finding himself in a dire predicament, entertained high hopes of my ability to help him in view of my education, and was anxious to secure my cooperation in interceding for him with Uncle, who was to be prevailed upon with the aid of ‘my machine’, as he literally put it at the end of this missive. I was still absorbed in reading when the door opened and Mizinchikov entered.

‘I hope you’ll permit me to make your acquaintance,’ he said, extending his hand in a relaxed but most cordial manner. ‘I didn’t have an opportunity to say a word to you before, but I felt from the start I’d like to get to know you better.’

I immediately replied that I was delighted and so on and so forth, although in fact I had seldom been in such an unsociable mood. We both sat down.

‘What’s that?’ he said, looking at the sheet of paper which I was still holding in my hand. ‘It’s not Vidoplyasov’s Laments? Just as I thought! I was sure he wouldn’t leave you in peace. He gave me a sheet just like that, with just the same laments; he knew you were coming and he must have got one ready in advance. Don’t be surprised: there’s no end of weird things going on here, there’s always something to laugh at.’

‘To laugh at – is that all?’

‘Well, you don’t expect me to cry, do you? If you like, I can tell you Vidoplyasov’s life-story, you’ll be thoroughly amused, I’m sure.’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t be bothered with Vidoplyasov now,’ I replied with vexation.

It was clear that Mr Mizinchikov’s pleasant chatter and interest in me were pursued with an ulterior motive and that he was after something from me.

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