“Ah, is it possible?” she cried. “Why, you ought to have paid him the
first call of all! Surely you know that he stands to you in the position
of a father? He has no children of his own, and his only heirs are
yourself and my children. You ought to pay him all possible deference,
both because of his age, and because of his position in the world, and
because of everything else. I know that you young fellows of the present
day think nothing of relationships and are not fond of old men, yet do
you listen to me, your old aunt, for I am fond of you, and was fond of
your mother, and had a great--a very great-liking and respect for your
grandmother. You must not fail to call upon him on any account.”
I said that I would certainly go, and since my present call seemed to
me to have lasted long enough, I rose, and was about to depart, but she
restrained me.
“No, wait a minute,” she cried. “Where is your father, Lise? Go and tell
him to come here. He will be so glad to see you,” she added, turning to
me.
Two minutes later Prince Michael entered. He was a short, thick-set
gentleman, very slovenly dressed and ill-shaven, yet wearing such an air
of indifference that he looked almost a fool. He was not in the least
glad to see me--at all events he did not intimate that he was; but the
Princess (who appeared to stand in considerable awe of him) hastened to
say:
“Is not Woldemar here” (she seemed to have forgotten my name) “exactly
like his mother?” and she gave her husband a glance which forced him
to guess what she wanted. Accordingly he approached me with his usual
passionless, half-discontented expression, and held out to me an
unshaven cheek to kiss.
“Why, you are not dressed yet, though you have to go out soon!” was the
Princess’s next remark to him in the angry tone which she habitually
employed in conversation with her domestics. “It will only mean your
offending some one again, and trying to set people against you.”
“In a moment, in a moment, mother,” said Prince Michael, and departed. I
also made my bows and departed.
This was the first time I had heard of our being related to Prince Ivan
Ivanovitch, and the news struck me unpleasantly.