In the beginning of the present century there was a family of princes,
Belokon Belonogof, famous on account of their illustrious birth, their
riches and their pride. But fate destined this family to die out, so
that now there is hardly any remembrance of them. The last of these
princes, and he was not of the direct line, finished his worldly career
quite lately in the Arzhansky, a well-known night house and gambling
den in Moscow, among a set of drunkards, wastrels and thieves. But my
story is not about him, but about Prince Andrey Lvovitch, with whom the
direct line ended.
During his father's lifetime--this was before the emancipation of the
serfs--Prince Andrey had a commission in the Guards, and was looked
upon as one of the most brilliant officers. He had plenty of money,
was handsome, and a favourite with the ladies, a good dancer, a
duellist--and what not besides? But when his father died, Prince Andrey
threw up his commission in spite of all entreaties from his comrades to
remain. "No," said he, "I shall be lost among you, and I'm curious to
know all that fate has in store for me."
He was a strange man, of peculiar and, one might say, fantastic habits.
He flattered himself that his every dream could at once be realised.
As soon as he had buried his father he took himself off abroad.
Astonishing to think of the places he went to! Money was sent to him
through every agency and banking house, now in Paris, now in Calcutta,
then in New York, then Algiers. I know all this on unimpeachable
authority, I must tell you, because my father was the chief steward of
his estate of two hundred thousand desiatines.[1]
[1] A desiatin is 2.7 acres.
After four years the prince returned, thin, his face overgrown with a
beard and brown from sunburn--it was difficult to recognise him. As
soon as he arrived he established himself on his estate at Pneestcheva.
He went about in his dressing-gown. He found it very dull on the whole.
I was always welcome in his house at that time, for the prince liked my
cheerful disposition, and as I had received some sort of education I
could be somewhat of a companion to him. And then again, I was a free
person, for my father had been ransomed in the old prince's time.
The prince always greeted me affectionately, and made me sit down with
him. He even treated me to cigars. I soon got used to sitting down
in his presence, but I could never accustom myself to smoking the
cigars--they always gave me a kind of sea-sickness.
I was very curious to see all the things which the prince had brought
back with him from his travels. Skins of lions and tigers, curved
swords, idols, stuffed animals of all kinds, precious stones and rich
stuffs. The prince used to lie on his enormous divan and smoke, and
though he laughed at my curiosity he would explain everything I asked
about. Then, if he could get himself into the mood, he would begin to
talk of his adventures until, as you may well believe, cold shivers ran
down my back. He would talk and talk, and then all at once would frown
and become silent. I would be silent also. And then he would say, all
of a sudden:
"It's dull for me, Afanasy. See, I've been all round the world and seen
everything; I've caught wild horses in Mexico and hunted tigers in
India; I've journeyed on the sea and been in danger of drowning; I've
crossed deserts and been buried in sand--what more is there for me?
Nothing, I say; there's nothing new under the sun."