Next day, after an early dinner at Bigiel's, Pan Stanislav betook
himself to Mashko's at the appointed hour. The host was waiting for
him evidently; for in the study he found an exquisite coffee service
ready, and glasses for liqueurs. Mashko himself did not appear at once,
however; for, as the servant said, he was receiving some lady. In fact,
his voice and the words of a woman came through the door from the
drawing-room.
Meanwhile, Pan Stanislav fell to examining Mashko's ancestors, a number
of whose portraits were hanging on the walls. The authenticity of these
the friends of the young advocate doubted. A certain cross-eyed prelate
afforded Bukatski a special subject for witticisms; but Mashko was not
offended. He had determined, cost what it might, to force on the world
himself, his ancestors, his genius for business, knowing that, in the
society in which he moved, people would ridicule him, but no one would
have energy to attack his pretensions. Possessing energy, limitless
insolence, and a real turn for business besides, he determined to
force himself upward by those qualities. People who did not like him
called him shameless; and he was, but with calculation. Coming from
a family uncertain even as to its nobility, he treated people of
undoubted ancient families as if he were of incomparably better birth
than they, people who were of undoubted wealth, as if he were wealthier
than they. And this succeeded: those tactics of his were effective.
He was careful not to fall into complete ridicule; but he had marked
out for himself in this procedure uncommonly wide margins. At last he
reached the point which he sought: he was received everywhere, and had
established his credit firmly. Certain transactions brought him really
generous profits; but he did not hoard money. He judged that the time
for that had not come yet, and that he must invest more in the future,
with the intent that it would repay him in the way which he wanted.
He did not squander money, and was not over liberal, for he looked
on those as marks of a parvenu; but, when the need came, he showed
himself, to use his own phrase, "solidly munificent." He passed for
a very smooth man in business, and, above all, a man of his word. His
word rested on credit, it is true; but it kept him in a high position,
which in turn permitted him to make really important transactions. He
did not draw back before trifles. He possessed daring, and a certain
energy which excluded long hesitation; he had faith, too, in his own
fortune. Success strengthened that faith. He did not know, in fact, how
much property he had; but he handled large sums of money, and people
considered him wealthy.
Finally, Mashko's life motive was vanity, rather than greed. He wanted
to be rich, it is true; but, beyond all, he wanted to pass for a great
lord in English fashion. He went so far as to adapt his exterior
thereto, and was almost proud of his personal ugliness: it seemed to
him even aristocratic. There was, indeed, a certain something, which,
if not uncommon, was at least peculiar, in his pouting mouth, in his
broad nostrils, and the red freckles on his face. There was a certain
power and brutality, such as the English have sometimes, and that
expression was increased by his monocle. To wear this, he had to rear
his head somewhat; and when he passed his fingers through his light
side whiskers, he reared it still more.
Pan Stanislav could not endure the man at first, and concealed his
dislike even too slightly. Later on he became accustomed to him,
especially since Mashko treated him differently from others,--perhaps
through secret regard; perhaps because, wishing to gain in advance
a man so demanding, to act otherwise would be to expose himself to
an immediate account, disagreeable in the best case. At last, the
young men, by meeting often, grew used to each other's weaknesses,
and endured each other perfectly. On this occasion, for example,
when Mashko had conducted the lady to the door, he showed himself in
the study, set aside for the moment his greatness, and, greeting Pan
Stanislav, began to speak like an ordinary mortal, not like a great
lord or an Englishman.
"With women! with women! _c'est toujours une mer à boire_ (there is
always a sea to drink). I have invested their little capital, and I pay
them the interest most regularly. Not enough! They come at least once a
week to inquire if there has not been some earthquake."
"What wilt thou say to me?" asked Pan Stanislav.
"First of all, drink some coffee."
And, igniting the alcohol under the lamp, he added,--
"With thee there will be no delay. I have seen the mortgage. The money
is not easy of recovery; but we need not look on it as lost. Evidently
the collection will involve costs, journeys, etc. Hence I cannot
give thee what the face of the mortgage indicates; but I will give
two-thirds, and pay in three instalments in the course of a year."
"Since I have said to myself that I would sell the claim, even for less
than the face of it, I agree. When will the first instalment be paid?"
"In three months."
"Then I will leave my power of attorney with Bigiel in case I must go
on a journey."
"But art thou going to Reichenhall?"
"Possibly."
"Ai! Who knows but Bukatski has given thee an idea?"
"Every one has his own thoughts. Thou, for example. Why art thou buying
this claim on Kremen? The business is too small for thee, is it not?"
"Among great affairs small ones too are transacted. But I will be
outspoken. Thou knowest that neither my position nor my credit belongs
to the lowest; both one and the other will increase when I have behind
me a piece of land, and that such a large one. I have heard myself
from Plavitski that he would sell Kremen. I will suppose that he is
still more inclined now, and that it will be possible to acquire all
that property cheaply, even very cheaply, for some payments, for some
unimportant ready money, with a life annuity in addition; I shall
see! Afterward, when it is put in order a little, like a horse for
the market, it may be sold; meanwhile I shall have the position of a
landholder, which, _entre nous_, concerns me very greatly."
Pan Stanislav listened to Mashko's words with a certain constraint, and
said,--
"I must tell thee plainly that the purchase will not be easy. Panna
Plavitski is very much opposed to selling. She, in woman fashion, is in
love with her Kremen, and will do all she can to retain it in the hands
of herself and her father."
"Then in the worst case I shall be Plavitski's creditor, and I do
not think that the money will be lost to me. First, I may sell it,
as thou hast; second, as an advocate, I can dispose of it with far
greater ease. I may myself find means of paying, and indicate them to
Plavitski."
"Thou canst foreclose too, and buy it at auction."
"I might if I were some one else, but to foreclose would be devilishly
unbecoming in Mashko. No; other means will be found, to which ready
consent may be given by Panna Plavitski herself, for whom, by the way,
I have great esteem and regard."
Pan Stanislav, who at that moment was finishing his coffee, put his cup
suddenly on the table. "Ah," said he, "and it is possible in that way
to get at the property." Again a feeling of great anger and bitterness
seized him. At the first moment he wished to rise, say to Mashko, "I
will not sell the claim!" and go out. He restrained himself, however,
and Mashko, passing his fingers through his side whiskers, answered,--
"But if?--I can assure thee, on my word, that at this moment I have
no such plan; at least I have not placed it before myself definitely.
But if?--I made the acquaintance of Panna Plavitski once in Warsaw, in
the winter, and she pleased me much. The family is good, the property
ruined, but large, and can be saved. Who knows? Well, that is an idea
like any other. I am perfectly loyal with thee, as, for that matter, I
have been always. Thou didst go there as if for money, but I knew why
those ladies sent thee. Thou hast returned, however, as angry as the
devil; therefore I take it that thou hast no intentions. Say that I
am mistaken, and I will withdraw at once, not from the plan, for, as
I have assured thee, I have no plan yet, but even from thinking over
it as something possible. I give thee my word on that. In the opposite
case, however, do not hold to the position, 'Not for me, not for any
one,' and do not bar the lady's way. But now I listen to thee."
Pan Stanislav, recalling his reasonings of yesterday, thought also that
Mashko was right when he said that in such a case he ought not to bar
any one's road to the lady, and after a certain time he said,--
"No, Mashko, I have no intentions touching Panna Plavitski. Thou art
free to marry her or not. I will say, nevertheless, openly, there is
one thing which does not please me, though for me it is profitable;
namely that thou art buying this claim. I believe that thou hast no
plan yet; but in case thou shouldst have one, it will seem somewhat
strange--But any pressure, any trap--this, however, is thy affair."
"It is so much my affair that if some one else, and not thou, had said
this, I should have been quick to remind him. I may tell thee, however,
that should I form such a plan, which I doubt, I shall not ask the hand
of Panna Plavitski as interest for my money. Since I can say to myself
conscientiously that I would buy the debt in any case, I have the right
to buy it. Above all, as matters stand to-day, I wish to buy Kremen,
for I need it; hence I am free to use all honorable means which may
lead to that end."
"Very well; I will sell. Give directions to write the contract, and
send it, or bring it thyself to me."
"I have directed my assistant. It is ready, and needs only the
signatures."
In fact, the contract was signed a quarter of an hour later. Pan
Stanislav, who spent the evening of that day at Bigiel's, was in such
anger as he had never been before; Pani Bigiel could not hide her
vexation; and Bigiel, thinking the whole over carefully said, toward
the end of the evening, with his usual balance and deliberation,--
"That Mashko has a plan is beyond doubt. The question is merely whether
he is deceiving thee by saying that he has no plan, or is deceiving
himself!"
"God preserve her from Mashko!" answered Pani Bigiel. "We all saw that
she pleased him greatly."
"I supposed," said Bigiel, "that a man like Mashko would look for
property, but I may be mistaken. It may be also that he wants to find
a wife of good stock, strengthen thereby his social position, become
related to numerous families, and at last take into his hands the
business of a certain whole sphere of society. That also is not badly
calculated, especially since, if he uses his credit, which will be
increased by Kremen, it may with his cleverness clear him in time."
"And as you say," remarked Pan Stanislav, "Panna Plavitski pleases
him really. I remember now that Plavitski said something too on this
subject."
"What then?" asked Pani Bigiel; "what will happen then?"
"Panna Plavitski will marry Pan Mashko if she wishes," said Pan
Stanislav.
"But you?"
"Oh I am going to Reichenhall straightway."