‘In your pride you thought you could separate yourself from the universal law. But you, too, with your mean and petty indignation at the waiters, have been playing your necessary part in the eternal and infinite harmony.’
1 The Hofbrücke, removed in 1852.
2 ‘If you think I earn anything you are mistaken. I am only a poor devil.’
3 ‘Now, gentlemen and ladies, I will sing you the Rigi song.’
4 ‘Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I wish you good-night.’
5 ‘Yes, sugar is good: it is sweet for children.’
6 ‘I only say that to you.’
7 ‘One is much cramped by the police.’
8 ‘The gentleman is right; you are right.’
ALBERT
A TALE
I
FIVE wealthy young men had come, after two in the morning, to amuse themselves at a small Petersburg party.
Much champagne had been drunk, most of the men were very young, the girls were pretty, the piano and violin indefatigably played one polka after another, and dancing and noise went on unceasingly: yet for some reason it was dull and awkward, and, as often happens, everybody felt that it was all unnecessary and was not the thing.
Several times they tried to get things going, but forced merriment was worse even than boredom.
One of the five young men, more dissatisfied than the others with himself, with the others, and with the whole evening, rose with a feeling of disgust, found his hat, and went out quietly, intending to go home.
There was no one in the ante-room, but in the adjoining room he heard two voices disputing. The young man stopped to listen.
‘You can’t, there are guests there,’ said a woman’s voice.
‘Let me in, please. I’m all right!’ a man’s weak voice entreated.
‘No, I won’t let you in without Madame’s permission,’ said the woman. ‘Where are you going? Ah! What a man you are!’
The door burst open and a strange figure of a man appeared on the threshold. The servant on seeing a visitor no longer protested, and the strange figure, bowing timidly, entered the room, swaying on his bent legs. He was of medium height, with a narrow, stooping back, and long tangled hair. He wore a short overcoat, and narrow torn trousers over a pair of rough uncleaned boots. A necktie, twisted into a cord, was fastened round his long white neck. A dirty shirt showed from under his coat and hung over his thin hands. Yet despite the extreme emaciation of his body, his face was white and delicate, and freshness and colour played on his cheeks above his scanty black beard and whiskers. His unkempt hair, thrown back, revealed a rather low and extremely clear forehead. His dark languid eyes looked softly, imploringly, and yet with dignity, before him. Their expression corresponded alluringly with that of the fresh lips, curved at the corners, which showed from under his thin moustache.
Having advanced a few steps he stopped, turned to the young man, and smiled. He seemed to smile with difficulty, but when the smile lit up his face the young man – without knowing why – smiled too.
‘Who is that?’ he whispered to the servant, when the strange figure had passed into the room from which came the sounds of a dance.
‘A crazy musician from the theatre,’ replied the maid. ‘He comes sometimes to see the mistress.’
‘Where have you been, Delésov?’ someone just then called out, and the young man, who was named Delésov, returned to the ball-room.
The musician was standing at the door and, looking at the dancers, showed by his smile, his look, and the tapping of his foot, the satisfaction the spectacle afforded him.
‘Come in and dance yourself,’ said one of the visitors to him.
The musician bowed and looked inquiringly at the hostess.
‘Go, go … Why not, when the gentlemen ask you to?’ she said.
The thin, weak limbs of the musician suddenly came into active motion, and winking, smiling, and twitching, he began to prance awkwardly and heavily about the room. In the middle of the quadrille a merry officer, who danced very vivaciously and well, accidentally bumped into the musician with his back. The latter’s weak and weary legs did not maintain their balance and after a few stumbling steps aside, he fell full length on the floor. Notwithstanding the dull thud produced by his fall, at first nearly everyone burst out laughing.
But the musician did not get up. The visitors grew silent and even the piano ceased. Delésov and the hostess were the first to run up to the fallen man. He was lying on his elbow, staring with dull eyes at the floor. When they lifted him and seated him on a chair, he brushed the hair back from his forehead with a quick movement of his bony hand and began to smile without answering their questions.
‘Mr Albert! Mr Albert!’ said the hostess. ‘Have you hurt yourself? Where? There now, I said you ought not to dance. He is so weak,’ she continued, addressing her guests, ‘— he can hardly walk. How could he dance?’
‘Who is he?’ they asked her.
‘A poor man – an artist. A very good fellow, but pitiable, as you see.’
She said this unembarrassed by the presence of the musician. He suddenly came to himself and, as if afraid of something, shrank into a heap and pushed those around him away.
‘It’s all nothing!’ he suddenly said, rising from his chair with an obvious effort.
And to show that he was not at all hurt he went into the middle of the room and tried to jump about, but staggered and would have fallen down again had someone not supported him.
Everyone felt awkward, and looking at him they all became silent.
The musician’s eyes again grew dim, and evidently oblivious of everyone he began rubbing his knee with his hand. Suddenly he raised his head, advanced a trembling leg, threw back his hair with the same heedless movement as before, and going up to the violinist took his violin from him.
‘It’s nothing!’ he said once more, flourishing the violin. ‘Gentlemen, let’s have some music!’
‘What a strange person!’ the visitors remarked to one another.
‘Perhaps a fine talent is perishing in this unfortunate creature,’ said one of the guests.
‘Yes, he’s pitiable, pitiable!’ said a third.
‘What a beautiful face! … There is something extraordinary about him,’ said Delésov. ‘Let us see …’
II
ALBERT meanwhile, paying no attention to anyone, pressed the violin to his shoulder and paced slowly up and down by the piano tuning it. His lips took on an impassive expression, his eyes could not be seen, but his narrow bony back, his long white neck, his crooked legs and shaggy black head, presented a queer – but for some reason not at all ridiculous – spectacle. Having tuned the violin he briskly struck a chord, and throwing back his head turned to the pianist who was preparing to accompany him.
‘Mélancolie G-dur!’ he said, addressing the pianist with a gesture of command.
Then, as if begging forgiveness for that gesture, he smiled meekly, and glanced round at the audience with that same smile. Having pushed back his hair with the hand in which he held the bow, he stopped at the corner of the piano, and with a smooth and easy movement drew the bow across the strings. A clear melodious sound was borne through the room and complete silence ensued.